Mitchell bags Snetterton podium 08 | 08 | 2021
SCOTS ENDURANCE RACER and defending British GT champ, Sandy Mitchell, bagged a fighting second-place and an important points haul in the latest double-header of the championship at Snetterton. (Related: Mitchell storms to Spa24H podium)
The 21-year-old from Forfar, partnered by team-mate Adam Balon in the No1 (#1) Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, prepared by Barwell Motorsport, heads to the next round at Oulton Park deep in the fight to retain his title.
“To walk away from this weekend, especially given all the mixed weather conditions we’ve had — sunshine, wind and heavy rain — with a P2 and P4 in the championship standings in the two one-hour races is excellent,” Mitchell, personally backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky, Tunnocks and Thorntons Solicitors, explained. (Related: Mitchell fastest at Donington British GT)
“We handled the first race well. Adam did a solid job in his stint, then I had a lot of pace at the start of my stint before I had to manage a rear brake issue over the final 20 minutes.”
But while the first race at the Norfolk circuit was run in dry conditions, minutes before the start of the second one-hour race the skies opened, forcing all cars to start on wet Pirellis.
Again starting from fourth on the grid, Mitchell was up to third exiting the first corner, but was then overtaken by the #97 Aston Martin.
After a short Safety Car period, Mitchell eased passed the #63 sister Barwell Lamborghini and championship leader when Dane Dennis Lind ran wide. Nine minutes later, the Scot produced a dazzling overtake with a strong cutback manoeuvre to pass the #97 car and move into P2. (Related: Scot Sandy Mitchell wins British GT Championship)
“I was pleased with that move,” Mitchell, a Lamborghini factory driver, in addition to being a member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s elite SuperStars programme, continued.
“I settled into a good rhythm at the start of the race and it looked like our car was set up a little bit more for longer distance than the Aston. (Related: Mitchell bags maximum British GT points)
“I was behind him of a few laps but eventually I was able to get ahead of him after a really good battle. I got the switchback at the Hairpin, which was great.
“After that I was able to set a couple of fastest laps in the wet conditions and started closing in on the lead Mercedes.
“Following our driver change, Adam chased the Mercedes down for the first few laps. But then I think our tyres started to go off a little bit as they got hot as the track dried and we opted to consolidate our second place.”
The weekend’s results mean Mitchell and Balon head to the penultimate round at Oulton next month, which features another two one-hour sprint races, fourth in the championship, just 19.5 points off the leading #63 car.
Related: Mitchell named Lamborghini factory driver
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Jim McGill
All photographs copyright of Jakob Ebrey