Matt Griffin was delighted to claim a second podium finish of the season alongside Duncan Cameron in the Spirit of Race SA Ferrari 488 at the three-hour Silverstone 500 on Sunday.
An impressive third-place performance at the blue riband Silverstone event saw the Ferrari duo retain third overall in the drivers’ standings, a point ahead of the #24 Macmillan AMR Aston Martin pairing of Jack Mitchell and James Littlejohn.
Initially, Griffin himself was surprised at a blazing qualifying performance that saw the Spirit of Race Ferrari storm to third on the grid heading into last Sunday’s marathon event.
“I was a bit surprised with our qualifying of third for the race, because we’ve felt with the Ferrari all year that it’s not the best over one lap, but it’s quick in the race,” Griffin said.
Despite a stuttering start that saw the race-opening Cameron bundled down to sixth, impressive lap times from the Ferrari duo elevated the pairing back into podium contention.
“We were boxed in at the start, and I tried to manage the tyres for the first few laps of my stint, setting our fastest laps at the end of the stint.”
A late-stopping strategy in an attempt to counter the #31 Team Parker Racing Bentley‘s speed didn’t yield success, but a strong points haul leaves Griffin content heading into the international round of Spa-Francorchamps in July.
“It’s a great result for us, but I think we were the same as Barwell, we were waiting for a safety car that never came, and I think that compromised us both. From our point of view though we’re really happy, the team did a great job and it’s great to be back on the podium.”
