Mitchell seals top-three British GT place 18 | 10 | 2021

SCOTS ENDURANCE RACER and former champ, Sandy Mitchell, sealed a top-three position in this season’s British GT Championship after the season finale at Donington Park. (Related: Scot Sandy Mitchell wins 2020 British GT Championship)

The 21-year-old from Forfar, partnered by team-mate Adam Balon in the No 1 (#1) Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, prepared by Barwell Motorsport, brought the car home in fifth place at the Leicestershire circuit, despite serving a 15-second success penalty.

And Mitchell, the 2020 British GT champ, was quick to congratulate the crew of the sister #63 Barwell Lambo, Dennis Lind and Leo Machitski, who lifted this year’s title.

“I have to give big congrats to Dennis and Leo in the #63 car,” the Scot said, “and it’s fantastic that for the second successive year it’s a Lamborghini which has won the British GT Championship. (Related: Mitchell fired-up for BritGT finale)

“Dennis and Leo have been great team-mates and super competitors throughout the season, so I’m happy to see them and the team win the championship.

“Barwell has enjoyed a fantastic 2020 and 2021, especially given all these demanding Covid and weird times in the world, but they continue to be a very successful team.”

In cool, wet and greasy autumnal conditions, Balon started the #1 car from fifth on the grid on wet tyres and had eased up to fourth, ahead of the #63 car when he handed over to Mitchell at the compulsory pitstop. (Related: Mitchell bags Snetterton podium)

Rejoining the track in fifth after the extended stop, Mitchell found himself behind the #63 car which had been penalty-free at the pitstop.

But immediately the Scot rattled off a series of fastest laps in the opening period after switching to slick Pirelli tyres, closing the gap from 3.4secs to just 0.7s. But with the outcome of the championship on a knife-edge, Mitchell held position to ensure the #63 clinched the title. (Related: Mitchell storms to Spa24H podium)

“Adam and Leo both did really well to keep the cars on the black stuff when they were on wets, and then Dennis and I did the same when we switched to slicks,” Mitchell, personally backed by Huntly-based Black Bull Scotch Whisky, Thorntons Solicitors, Tunnocks and Lamborghini Edinburgh, explained.

“There were a few corners which were still pretty slippy and I think probably most of us took a little trip across the grass at some stage.

“It was pretty intense. But my pace was really good in the mixed conditions when everyone went on to slicks on the damp, but slowly-drying track, and we started moving forward in the race. (Related: Mitchell fastest at Donington British GT)

“After that it was really a case of holding position behind the #63 car because of the championship permutations. And there wasn’t really too much for us to gain by passing Dennis. I had a Porsche behind me, but I was comfortably able to keep it at bay and hold my position.

“To get a top five finish in the race after serving a 15-second success penalty was a really positive result.”

And Mitchell reflected on a season which started with his #1 car being unceremoniously pitched into the gravel by another car in the opening round at Brands Hatch.

“We started the first round stuck in the gravel through no fault of our own after contact from another car, which meant zero points in a race where the winner got 37.5 points in the overall championship,” Mitchell, a Lamborghini factory driver, in addition to being a member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s elite SuperStars programme, continued.

“We were 11th in the championship when we left Brands, but since then we’ve been chipping away at every race in the season getting higher and higher in the title race. In the second half of the season we’ve moved from sixth to fifth, then held fourth for quite a while and we’ve finally finished third, just 20pts off second and 29.5 off the championship winners.

“So to clinch a top three in the overall championship is really good going for us, and great for the team to get both cars in the top three in the title race. It’s been an exciting season.”

Related: Mitchell named Lamborghini factory driver

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Jim McGill

All photographs copyright of Jakob Ebrey