Building Momentum at Silverstone GP
After making my car racing debut at Brands Hatch, it was time for round two and one of the most iconic circuits in British motorsport: Silverstone GP.
The circuits on this year's calendar certainly aren't disappointing, and getting the opportunity to race on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit so early in my car racing career was something I was incredibly excited about.
With very limited experience in the car and no previous testing at Silverstone, there was plenty to learn.
Learning the Silverstone GP Circuit
Friday consisted of three practice sessions, which would be my only testing around the Silverstone GP circuit before heading directly into qualifying on Saturday.
That meant every lap mattered.
The focus throughout practice was on learning the circuit, understanding where we could find time and continuing to build my confidence in the car following my first race weekend at Brands Hatch.
A massive thank you also goes to my sponsor EBC Brakes, who supplied new equipment for the car ahead of the Silverstone weekend.
Having sponsors actively supporting the development of the car makes an enormous difference, particularly at this stage of my racing career.
P18 in Qualifying
Saturday began with qualifying and another opportunity to see how far we had progressed.
I qualified P18, an improvement of six positions compared with qualifying at Brands Hatch.
There was potentially even more available.
A small trip to the Silverstone 'beach' during the session cost me a lap which could have put me even higher up the grid. It was frustrating knowing the pace was there, but equally encouraging to see how much progress we had already made.
Race One – Fighting Forward to P15
Race One got off to a good start.
I was able to get involved in some great battles throughout the race and continued working my way forward, eventually crossing the line in P15.
After finishing P20 in my first ever car race at Brands Hatch, moving up to a P15 finish at Silverstone felt like another important step forward.
There is still an enormous amount for me to learn, but being able to see measurable progress from one weekend to the next is exactly what we are working towards.
A Wet Race Two at Silverstone
Race Two brought completely different conditions.
Rain was on the way and the start proved difficult. I couldn't clearly see the flag, meaning I had to react to the movements of the cars around me instead.
Wheelspin off the start unfortunately cost me quite a lot of time and left me with work to do.
Towards the end of the race, the Safety Car was deployed and then the rain arrived.
The changing conditions gave me an opportunity to recover some of the positions I had lost earlier in the race and, importantly, gave me even more experience of racing the car in difficult conditions.
Every race at this stage of my career is another opportunity to learn.
Another Step Forward
Silverstone was only my second competitive car racing weekend, but there were already some really positive signs of progress.
Going from three practice sessions on a completely new circuit to qualifying P18 and then finishing P15 in Race One showed just how much we are learning every time the car goes out on track.
As a female racing driver competing in UK motorsport, I'm determined to keep developing with every round, gaining experience and seeing how far we can push throughout the season.
There will inevitably be difficult sessions, mistakes and unpredictable conditions along the way, but that's all part of becoming a better racing driver.
Thank You to the Team and My Sponsors
A huge thank you to TenSport Performance and Alex Sprange Racing, who was my mechanic for the weekend and helped keep everything running throughout Silverstone.
Congratulations also to Spencer Lane on bringing home more silverware and to the rest of the team on another successful weekend.
It was brilliant to have Louise Parker and Forever Callie Media join us trackside on Friday too. Having people there supporting the journey makes these weekends even more special.
Finally, a massive thank you to the sponsors who continue to make my racing possible:
Sunrise Technologies
Forever Callie Media
PortmanDentex
KDA Dental Recruitment
EBC Brakes
From my first races at Brands Hatch to battling inside the top 15 at Silverstone, we're moving in the right direction.
There's plenty more to come.