Returning to Snetterton was a special moment for me. Back in January, this was where I completed my very first test day in the car, so coming back with almost an entire season of racing experience behind me was a brilliant opportunity to see just how far I've progressed.
From my debut at Brands Hatch to top-10 finishes at Donington Park and Cadwell Park, it's been an incredible first season of car racing. But while I'm proud of the progress we've made, I'm still determined to keep pushing forward and become part of the front pack.
Snetterton was another important step in that journey.
Returning to Where It All Began
Snetterton will always be a memorable circuit for me because it's where my journey in this car started.
Back in January, I completed my first test day with so much to learn. Since then, I've experienced qualifying sessions, standing starts, close racing, changing weather conditions and some incredibly technical circuits.
Coming back to Snetterton gave me the opportunity to reflect on everything we've achieved in such a short time. However, the weekend wasn't without its challenges.
Unlike most of the grid, I hadn't tested on Friday, meaning I went into Saturday with just a 20-minute practice session before qualifying.
With such limited preparation, it was important to make every minute on track count.
Saturday – Learning from the Starts
Saturday was a challenging day, particularly when it came to getting off the line.
Neither of my race starts went quite how I wanted, leaving me having to defend my position and work hard to regain places throughout the races.
Getting the right balance between the revs and clutch is something I'm continuing to work on. It's a small part of racing that can make an enormous difference, particularly when the grid is closely matched. While the starts were frustrating, they gave me more opportunities to develop my racecraft, battle with the drivers around me and learn how to recover when things don't go perfectly.
Every race is another chance to improve.
Sunday – Some of My Strongest Race Pace Yet
Sunday was a much more positive day. I had potentially my best start of the entire season, along with some of the strongest race pace I've shown so far.
After struggling with the starts on Saturday, getting away well on Sunday was particularly rewarding. It was encouraging to see the work paying off and to feel more confident in the car. The pace was another huge positive.
In fact, the lap times I achieved during Sunday's racing would have made for a really strong qualifying performance.
We finished just three positions away from another top-10 result, which shows how close we're getting.
Although another top 10 would have been brilliant, I came away from Sunday really happy with the results and the progress we'd made throughout the weekend.
Looking Back at My First Season in Car Racing
Returning to Snetterton really highlighted how much I've developed since January. At the beginning of the year, I was learning the car for the very first time. Now, I'm competing against experienced drivers, improving my race pace and fighting to move further up the grid.
As a female racing driver competing in UK motorsport, I'm incredibly proud of the journey so far, but I'm also aware of how much more there is to learn. My ambition isn't simply to compete. I want to continue improving, challenge the drivers ahead of me and work towards becoming a regular part of the front pack.
Snetterton showed that we're continuing to move in the right direction.
Thank You to My Team and Sponsors
A huge thank you to everyone at TenSport Performance for their continued hard work and support throughout my first season.
And, of course, thank you to the businesses who make this journey possible:
Sunrise Technologies
Forever Callie Media
KDA Dental Recruitment
PortmanDentex
EBC Brakes
Your support has allowed me to gain valuable experience, develop as a driver and continue working towards my goals in motorsport. From my very first test day at Snetterton in January to some of my strongest race pace of the season, it's incredible to see how far we've come.
But we're not finished yet.
Just one more race weekend remains this season, and we're heading back to Silverstone determined to finish on a high.