DK Engineering on the Podium at Spa  

James Cottingham and his 2 Seas Motorsport teammate Lewis Williamson scored an impressive podium finish at the famous Spa circuit over the weekend, continuing an impressive series of results in the British GT championship. At the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, resplendent in its Ecurie Francorchamps inspired livery, James battled hard during the opening stint of the action packed 2-hour race which ended with a hard-fought 2nd-place finish. The result, currently pending post-race appeals, means the pair are now holding 2nd in the drivers’ championship standings with two races remaining.

The team and drivers arrived in Belgium looking to build on the strong result from the last round at Snetterton, and James’ picked up from where he left off showing competitive pace in the early sessions. His opening qualifying effort topped the timesheets as he continued to impress in his rookie full GT3 season where he has been consistently one of the quickest Am drivers. He then further improved his time on the second timed run before being pipped to the provisional pole position by just 0.167s as the flag dropped. Teammate Lewis then took up the baton and initially moved the #4 2 Seas Motorsport to the top of the timing screens, before a late flurry of activity ended the session with James and Lewis in 3rd place of the combined times, just 0.261s off pole position around the 7.004km lap.

Commenting after qualifying, James explained: “It is always a real privilege to race at Spa-Francorchamps, and I have been lucky enough to compete here in various cars over the years. To drive a GT3 car here, though, is something very different and it is a whole new experience. We had strong pace straight out of the box, and it was a case of making small adjustments to get ourselves in that window, and the 2 Seas Motorsport crew gave us a great car for the single lap sprint, so let’s see how we look over the longer stints. We keep pushing at the front of the field, and we are getting closer to being at the top of the screens as the sessions end!”

The race got underway with James making his intentions clear from turn 1. A bold overtake into the braking zone at the La Source hairpin positioned the 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes in P2, and a good exit down towards the famous Eau Rouge saw James positioned firmly under the rear wing of the race leader. This hard battling continued over the opening laps with James quickest on track as he made a bid for the outright lead, but was unable to make a move stick. After initially breaking clear, the chasing pack were able to re-engage as James was tied up in the fight for the lead, heading a 6-way battle. James worked hard to defend from the chasing pack while also making moves to fill the mirrors of the leader as he attempted a pass.

An incident in the chasing pack saw a brief respite in pressure, allowing James to keep the battle alive ahead but, despite a faultless drive, he was not in a position to defend a run along the Kemmel Straight into the braking zone by one of the McLarens. Shortly after this, however, a high-speed incident at Eau Rouge saw the field brought under the control of the Safety Car which allowed James to regroup and look at ways of regaining the position. Sure enough, as the lights went out on the Lotus Safety Car, James had fully prepared for the opportunity and made short work of the pass, moving past a Lamborghini up to 2nd. From here, James then started to reel in the race-leading McLaren which had passed him earlier, before it was handed a 10 second penalty for an earlier incident, which saw James inherit the lead. The action didn’t stop there for the DK Engineering-backed Mercedes as more defending was required from another fast-charging McLaren shortly after.

After absorbing the continued pressure for several laps, minor contact in the run out of the La Source hairpin and down the hill towards the famously quick Eau Rouge compromised James’ run and, focused on the bigger picture and the end result, he moved into the slipstream of the new leader. The pit window opened shortly after and James concluded a stellar opening stint to hand over to Lewis for the run to the flag.

The 2 Seas Motorsport crew didn’t miss a beat for the one routine stop, servicing the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and sending Lewis on his way. By comparison, from here, Lewis’ race was relatively straightforward as he worked to close the gap to the leader while holding off the factory driver in the Mercedes behind. Now running in clean air, Lewis was immediately the quickest on track, posting the fastest lap and staying out of trouble. The gap ahead continued to ebb and flow as he negotiated slower, lapped traffic, and as the clock reach two hours, the 2 Seas Motorsport crew cheered home another podium finish, scoring 2nd place. The results remain provisional at this stage, with the lead McLaren subject to an appeal which may see a change to the final standings. As things stand, James and Lewis hold 2nd in the drivers’ championship following a string of consistent points scoring finishes.

After the race, James added: “The start of the race was great fun, and it was really important to make the move early so we could keep fighting. It was a shame I couldn’t quite find a way past for the lead, despite several attempts, but we had a good clean battle, and it was great to be in the mix throughout the stint. We didn’t quite have the pace to take the win today, but 2nd place at Spa is not to be taken lightly, especially against the calibre of the field. It was a great job by the 2 Seas Motorsport crew, and another strong drive by Lewis to bring it home. One step to go, and hopefully we can make that happen at Brands in a few weeks!”

Next up is Brands Hatch, 10-11 September, for the penultimate race of the championship.