Consistency will always pay off and heading to
Thruxton we knew that the petrol-powered Leon wasn’t ideally suited to the track. Aerodynamically we know it is probably one of the worst cars on the grid and we also know that we are lacking with the engine that we have.
To come away from the weekend with the results we picked up is something I can’t knock and we also kept our lead in the Independents’ championship – even if its just by a point. I’d have laughed before the weekend if you’d told me how it would go, although I seem to be saying that every weekend at the moment! I can’t fault it, the team worked hard to get the balance on the car right and we improved in every session.
On race day, I kept out of trouble the best I could, although in the final race I got a bit caught up in the sandwich when Andy Jordan and Fabrizio had a coming together at the chicane. I had nowhere to go and Tom came into the side of me and knocked the steering out a bit. I was a bit unlucky there but the pace in the car was good during the races. I had a moment across the grass in that race too, so it wasn’t a lack of trying on my part!
In that incident with Andy and Mat where I took to the grass, the chances of me coming back onto the circuit in front of them as I’d planned to were minimal. I thought if I could stay alongside then I could have the inside for the next corner but the left hander is tighter than you think and when you get onto the marbles there isn’t as much grip. I ran wide and went onto the grass. I had chance to change down a gear, change my underpants and then get back on it again!
Luckily the grass was dry and had already been cut – although I trimmed it slightly and it’s probably more like a putting green on a golf course now! Carrying the speed meant I quickly got rid of the rubbish on the tyres and I was able to get back up to speed again pretty quickly.
