Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport endured a testing weekend in the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as Jake Hill battled his hybrid handicap and on-track contact to depart Croft Circuit second in the Drivers' Championship standings.
With grey skies and a short rain shower setting the scene through the weekend's free practice sessions, Jake finished the opening practice sessions at Croft Circuit in 6th and 9th place respectively. With the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport racer only afforded 1 Secs/Lap of hybrid in qualifying, the least of any driver on the grid, Jake looked set to overcome his handicap to progress through to the final stage of qualifying.
However, Jake's quickest lap time during the second phase of qualifying was deemed to have exceeded track limits - meaning Jake's lap time was removed and he was left with an 11th-place starting position for race one.
Starting the opening race of the weekend from 11th and on the soft tyre compound, Jake would get off to a storming start and made quick progress as he pushed himself up the order. Eventually taking the chequered flag, Jake recorded a sixth-place finish to bag vital championship points and secure a 6th place start for race two.
This time starting on the hard tyre compound, Jake's rivals behind him were all on the softer compound, and their tyre advantage was evident as Jake fell down a few spots to 9th but remained in the fight as he battled back. Jake's race then took a disastrous turn on the ninth lap as Tom Chilton lunged Jake at the 'Sunny Out' corner, sending Jake wide and into the barriers. Jake managed to continue but crossed the finishing line in 16th place and just missed out on the points-paying positions.
For the final race of the day, Jake started in sixteenth place and pulled off a sensational drive on the soft tyre as he flew through the field and up the order. Showcasing his excellent pace and racecraft, Jake took the chequered flag in 5th place to round off a miraculous recovery drive and scored good points for his championship campaign.
Departing Croft Circuit, Jake now sits second in BTCC Drivers' Championship standings with 232 points, trailing championship-leader Tom Ingram by 21 points, as the BTCC returns in two weeks for the annual trip to Knockhill on 10 - 11 August.
"Ultimately, a frustrating weekend for myself and the team at Croft. From having our lap time deleted in qualifying and being forced to start in 11th, to being sent into the barriers by a competitor - it felt like the odds were stacked against us all weekend.
I can't fault the efforts of the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport team and WSR, the car felt mega all weekend and they all worked their socks off to ensure we got everything out of every session on track.
Unfortunately, we just had no luck, and factors outside of our control played a big role in our results this weekend. That's racing sometimes, we have to take the bad with the good and come back fighting at Knockhill. It's a circuit I love, and we have a great record at so we'll be heading there with maximum attack and aiming to reclaim that championship lead."
- Jake Hill
"A frustrating weekend to say the least, we certainly didn't have luck on our side at Croft but the determination of Jake and the team leaves us confident that we can bounce back strongly in two weeks' time.
Motorsport can be cruel sometimes, but knowing the pace of Jake and our BMW 330e M-Sport, we'd rather be lacking luck for one weekend than lacking performance.
We know at this moment that we need to stay focused and use this as motivation and as a springboard to come back fighting in Scotland. A huge thank you as always to all of our partners, fans, and team members for the endless support!" - Mark Blundell
