Lamborghini kicked off its pursuit of the British GT Championship title in impressive style, securing both victories in the season opener at Oulton Park. The #63 team, led by Rob and Ricky Collard, triumphed in the first race despite challenging wet conditions. Meanwhile, Sandy Mitchell and Alex Martin in the #78 car completed a flawless performance, winning the second race under the safety car’s influence.
This double triumph marks Lamborghini’s eighth win at the Cheshire circuit since joining forces with Barwell Motorsport in 2016. It also signifies their first clean sweep at the track since 2017, propelling them into a favorable championship lead as they head into the upcoming round at Silverstone.
إن لامبورغيني Huracán GT3 EVO2s started the weekend on a strong note, with the #78 car leading the opening free practice session with an impressive time of 1m32.942. This set a promising tone for the first round of the season, with the sister #63 car coming in second fastest, trailing by 0.580s, and finishing the second session as the fourth quickest.
Rob Collard, driving the #63, secured pole position for race one on the very last lap of the first qualifying session, clocking a time of 1m35.102 and narrowly beating the #18 Mercedes by less than a quarter of a second. Meanwhile, the #78 car driven by Martin qualified fourth on the grid. The positions were reversed in the second session, with Mitchell claiming pole for race two in the #78, while Ricky Collard secured the fourth position in the #63.
Race day brought heavy rain and overcast skies, creating less than ideal conditions for the 35-car grid during the first one-hour race. Despite the challenging weather, Rob Collard held onto his advantage from pole position during the rolling start, successfully defending against Ian Loggie’s Mercedes in the initial phase of the race. Meanwhile, Martin maintained third place, with the leading trio pulling away from the fourth-placed car. However, a lengthy full course yellow period nullified Collard’s narrow lead, with the race remaining neutralized throughout the pit windows.
Rob Collard switched positions with his son, Ricky, while Martin passed on control of the #78 to Mitchell, with both cars maintaining their respective positions as the pit window closed. However, there was a moment of drama during the safety car restart when officials reviewed Collard’s restart procedure in the #63. Initially, a 30-second post-race time penalty was issued, potentially dropping them to 13th place. Upon further examination, the penalty was revoked as the safety car lights went off before Collard fell below the usual five car lengths required before a restart.
This allowed Collard to widen the gap over the pursuing Mercedes, which then had to fend off Mitchell in the #78. Mitchell, a لامبورغيني Factory Driver, set three consecutive fastest laps and closed the gap to just seven-tenths of a second at the finish line, ultimately securing third place as the Collards celebrated their first domestic GT victory together.
Race two unfolded on a track that was still damp but gradually drying, with Mitchell leading the pack before and after a safety car intervention during the first lap. Meanwhile, Ricky Collard maintained his position in fourth driving the #63. With the race beginning on wet tires, Mitchell quickly surged ahead, establishing a seven-second lead over the #27 McLaren. Knowing that the #78 car had to serve an extra five seconds during the mandatory pit stop due to its podium finish in race one, Mitchell maintained a strong pace.
Despite a slower-than-expected pit stop that briefly dropped the #78 to second place, Martin, taking over the wheel, swiftly regained the lead. However, the race’s excitement was short-lived due to a full course yellow for an incident further down the field, resulting in no more competitive laps. The safety car remained on track until the final lap, and as it entered the pits with less than 20 seconds remaining, Mitchell and Martin were declared the winners.
Sandy Mitchell, representing Barwell Motorsport and Lamborghini as a Factory Driver, commented, “The challenge was creating a significant gap early on due to our additional five-second penalty in the pit lane, unlike the McLaren team without any penalties. Our strategy focused on pulling away and managing tire pressures effectively. Although I faced initial difficulties with Tom [Gamble] closely behind, the track conditions improved, and we maintained our lead thereafter.”
