Scots trio eye British GT successposted in GT28 | 03 | 2017
SCOTS SPORTSCAR RACERS Sandy Mitchell, Ciaran Haggerty and Dean MacDonald got to grips with their 2017 Black Bull McLaren 570S GT4 at today’s British GT Championship media and test day at Snetterton.
Forfar 17-year-old Mitchell and Haggerty, the 20-year-old from Johnstone, return to action in the #100 McLaren for their second season, a year in which they won two races and were crowned British GT Rookies of the Year.
MacDonald, the 16-year-old from Kelty, steps up to sportscars directly from karting. The Fifer is joined in the #59 McLaren by Indian Akhil Rabindra. The 20-year-old from Bangalore switches to British GT from the British Formula 3 Championship.
Sandy Mitchell, 17, Forfar:
“It’s great to get back in the Black Bull McLaren GT4. It’s been a long winter. I’ve been keeping myself fit with a lot of football and running, but it’s great to get back in the car again and back on-track.
“Today’s gone very well. Ciaran and I have both been quick out of the blocks and we’re happy with the progress we’ve been making each time we’ve been in the car.
“This season we’re planning to be consistent right through the year, and we’ll be going for race wins. If we manage to rack up the podiums and race wins, then we’ll be in with a chance of the championship.
“We know from our two race wins last year how quick the McLaren is, but consistency is the key to a championship campaign, so that’s our primary objective at the moment.”
Ciaran Haggerty, 20, Johnstone
“It’s good to be back in the car with Sandy. We’ve had a couple of test sessions this year, and we know so much more about setting the car up and how all the parts work as a result of our first season last year.
“Having Sandy in the car again is good for our consistency. We certainly worked well together and we know each other well, both in and out of the car. We know this season will be tough, because the GT4 field is more intense than 2016, but we’re hoping to hit the ground running and carry on from the end of last year when we won at Donington.
“The championship? Obviously that has to be our goal, and we’re both definitely up for the challenge. We know it’ll be tough, but we’re up for the challenge.”
Dean MacDonald, 16, Kelty:
“The day has gone well. I’ve been focusing on the bits of my driving that I can improve on, rather than improving the car. It’s a big step up from karting, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it and making progress every time I sit in the car. It’s a case of learning how to drive differently, and drive new cars.
“I feel I’m making big steps forward every time I drive the car and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do in the first race.
“I’m primarily focusing on my use of the brakes, and learning how hard I can hit them, especially going into the Hairpin: I can be more aggressive than I’m currently being, but on each lap I’m braking later. I’m loving it.”
Akhil Rabindra, 20, Bangalore:
“The McLaren is a wonderful car to drive. Because it’s a carbonfibre tub, it’s very close to a single-seat formula car and I’m having a very good experience with it.
“Last year I drove in the British Formula 3 Championship, and moving into British GT is something completely different. The GT4 is a fast car, but it’s not as fast as an F3, but it definitely requires a different driving style and approach.
“So far I’m managing to adapt pretty well. Obviously time will tell whether I’m fast enough, but very time I’m in the car I’m learning something new and implementing what I’ve learned from my engineers.”
Related: Mitchell returns with Black Bull McLaren GT4
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Jim McGill