ROKiT MB Motorsport got their 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign off to a winning start at Donington Park, with a victory in the final race of the day for driver Jake Hill - closing off a rollercoaster weekend for Jake and the team.
Lining up on pole position for the opening race of the day after a stunning performance in qualifying, Jake was fired up for his first BTCC race in the WSR-run BMW 330e M Sport. Launching off the grid, Jake was immediately locked into battle with WSR-stablemate Colin Turkington, running side-by-side through Redgate and down through the Craner Curves.
The opening exchanges of the BTCC’s first hybrid-powered race saw a five-car scrap for the lead, a battle Jake unfortunately lost out on - squeezed to the outside and forced to concede to the chasing pack. Determined to stage a fightback, Jake set about closing the gap before clipping the tyres on the inside of the final chicane and picking up damage. Taking third place on the road and the fastest lap of the race, the Brit was subsequently disqualified from the final result after failing the post-race ride height check due to the damage sustained.
Sent to 28th, and the very back of the grid, for race two, Jake was more fired up than ever to push through the field and into the points-paying positions. A sensational opening few tours of the Leicestershire circuit saw Jake climb an astonishing 12 places to 16th. From there, Jake harnessed the power of the hybrid system aboard his BMW to great effect - chipping away and gaining places throughout the race. By the end of the race, Jake had risen to the top-ten and finished ninth overall.
In the mix for the reverse-grid draw for race three, Jake was drawn out of the hat and hopes were high of a strong end to the day as he returned to the pole position spot. Untroubled off the start line, Jake romped away from the pack and had built up a one-second lead over Ash Sutton by the end of the first lap. Once again making good use of his hybrid system, Jake set the fastest lap of the race on his way to victory - with the BRDC SuperStar crossing the line 2.148s clear of Sutton to open his and the team’s account for the season.
Jake leaves the opening round of the season sixth in the championship standings with 30 points with ROKiT MB Motorsport seventh in the Teams standings with 27 points. The championship resumes at Brands Hatch on 14-15 May, on the fast Indy circuit.
“I can’t describe how much of a crazy day it’s been,” Jake said. “From lining up for my first pole position to then starting from the very back of the grid and then going all the way back to pole, I’ve experienced everything today! The car has felt fantastic all day and I’ve been so dialled in with it. We knew the performance was there and we knew what we had to do to go and get the result. As a team I think we went through every emotion possible today and it all came good in the end. The last race felt very reminiscent of Croft last year - it was the sort of race you dream of where everything was just right and went exactly how you wanted it to. A big hats off and thank you to everyone at ROKiT MB Motorsport and WSR for today - if we can continue this momentum throughout the rest of the season then we’ll be in a great place.”
“If ever there was a test of strength and character then today was it,” added Mark Blundell, Sporting Director of ROKiT MB Motorsport. “The BTCC is all about the highs and lows and the team managed everything excellently today. Jake drove phenomenally all day and should be very proud of his performance. Unfazed by the disappointment of the first race, everyone kept chipping away and kept faith so it was brilliant to see them all rewarded with a victory. We’ll certainly be looking to keep that going as we move on to Brands Hatch.”
