BMW and WSR stormed to victory as the British Touring Car Championship’s all-new hybrid era kicked off on Sunday with Jake Hill and ROKiT MB Motorsport triumphing at Donington Park and Colin Turkington adding a podium finish.
With BMW winning the Manufacturers’ award in the final race of the day, it was a successful weekend for the 330e M Sport, which made its debut at the East Midlands venue as the latest evolution of the WSR-designed, built and run 3 Series race car.
“I’m very pleased to not only see Jake and ROKiT MB Motorsport win on their first weekend with WSR and BMW, but also for Colin’s podium and for the speed we’ve shown with all three cars,” commented Dick Bennetts, Team Principal. “The hard work done by the team over the winter is paying off and we are looking more competitive than last year. I have to give special credit to the crews of all three cars because each one of them’s worked flat-out at some point today to make sure their driver had competitive machinery for the races. This is definitely shaping up to be a strong season.”
Hill started the opening race from pole position after topping qualifying and finished third, right behind stablemate Turkington’s Team BMW entry, but was excluded after damage sustained to his car’s right-front corner by contact with a chicane tyre stack caused it to fail a post-race ride-height test.
He was sent to the back of the Race Two grid as a result, but brilliantly overtook 19 cars to finish ninth, and then received a lucky break when he was randomly chosen on pole position on Race Three’s partially-reversed grid.
Making a clean getaway, the Kent racer dominated to complete a lights-to-flag win and broke the track lap record in the process. Not only was it his fourth career win, it was also the fourth year in a row that a WSR BMW had won at Donington.
Turkington, who qualified second on Saturday, drove strongly to finish there in the opener, and showed all the tenacity that has earned him a record-equalling four BTCC titles when a clutch issue on the line caused him to drop to the back of the pack at the start of Race Two.
Determined driving brought the Northern Irishman from 28th to 14th by the flag and he continued his charge in Race Three to finish eighth – his car repairs finishing just as the pitlane was opening. It’s a result that places him seventh in the Championship – one spot behind Jake.
Local hero Stephen Jelley, driving in the second Team BMW entry, started and finished seventh in the opening race, but was denied the chance to move forwards in Race Two due to a propshaft failure.
More terrific work from the WSR mechanics got him out for Race Three, in which he climbed from 27th on the grid to finish 14th.
The next round takes place at Jake’s home circuit, Brands Hatch, Kent, on May 14-15.
Drivers Points
1/ Tom Ingram – 51 points
2/ Gordon Shedden – 44
3/ Ash Sutton – 40
4/ Josh Cook – 34
5/ Adam Morgan – 34
6/ Jake Hill – 30
7/ Colin Turkington – 28
13/ Stephen Jelley – 11
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