DK Engineering makes a flying start to 2023 in Dubai  

The new season kicked off in style at the Dubai Autodrome for DK Engineering, as James Cottingham joined British team, 7TSIX, to take on the Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai. The race was another new challenge for James, making his GT3 24-hour debut and racing with the McLaren 720S GT3 for the first time. The pace and performance showed no signs of a lack of experience, with teammates Fran Rueda, Andrew Gilbert and Matúš Výboh claiming Am class pole position and battling to a final podium position despite mechanical issues.

James joined the 7TSIX team for his first race of the 2023 season, looking to build his experience of GT3 competition, gain some knowledge of the McLaren model, and pushing himself to the ultimate test of a 24-hour event. The race event also allowed for DK Engineering to be showcased in front of a new group of people in a different paddock, with the #76 McLaren featuring prominent DK branding as part of its bold livery.

The pace on track looked extremely strong from the outset, with early practice sessions going well before James took on the second daytime qualifying run around the Dubai Autodrome. As the session ended, with times combined, James’ performance had moved the McLaren up the order to hold provisional pole position ahead of night qualifying. The later sessions then saw further strong performances, extending the advantage and securing Am class pole position, and 14th overall from a grid of more than 50 cars.

James took the opening stint, managing a chaotic opening few laps and staying out of trouble as he settled into his rhythm. However, a right rear suspension issue within 10 laps forced him to back to the pits where the team set to work. A damper failure was quickly diagnosed, and the team performed an impressive repair to minimise the time lost, getting James back out on track in just eight minutes.

With the unscheduled stop dropping the McLaren to the back of the field, James then started the impressive recovery drive which saw the team climb nearly 40 places during the remainder of the race. In his opening stint alone, James worked his way through the mixed class field, gaining 15 positions and closing the gap to the GT3 field.

From here, the drivers worked to reduce the deficit, and gradually worked themselves back up the order as the sun set over the desert. Such was the pace, as James approached quarter distance at the six-hour mark, the team had moved back into the top-20, running 2nd in class. James’ pace continued to close the gap ahead, and he made further progress, moving up as high as 15th before the end of his stint.

With the circuit now in full darkness, the team settled into the night shift well, running well as the quickest car on track as the race reached its mid-point. The pace enabled the DK-backed McLaren to climb as high as 11th overall, against a field of more experienced Pro and Pro-Am entries, and firmly in the fight despite the early setback.

A cruel final twist saw a further technical problem deliver another blow to the team’s efforts. This issue meant the team didn’t quite make the full distance to take the flag, but the #76 McLaren was still classified due to the distance covered, claiming the final Am class podium position, 40th overall.

Reflecting on the weekend, James explained: “Overall, I am really pleased with how things went over the weekend. The result doesn’t really do full justice to the full story and the efforts of the team, but my main objectives coming here were to try the McLaren over a long distance and to take part in a different type of endurance race event, which would open up a different mix of people in the paddock.

“We had great pace across the sessions and through the race, but we were just unlucky – firstly with the damper during my stint, and then to have the engine failure, which is an unheard-of issue for the McLaren and really unfortunate. The team was fantastic all weekend, and they gave us a rocket ship of a car. My teammates were also really impressive, especially considering that two of them had no experience of 24-hour events and not that much experience of a GT3 car.

“Some really interesting opportunities have come out of this weekend, off the back of our pace and our presence in the paddock. It was another fantastic opportunity for DK to catch up with clients in an international paddock, and it has really got us thinking about the upcoming season and what we will do on the next step of this adventure.”