After charging to a maiden British GT victory alongside Jan Jønck at Brands Hatch, Will Phillips is confident of claiming silverware at the Donington Park season finale in September.
A faultless drive saw Phillips and Jønck storm their #42 Macmillan AMR Aston Martin Vantage GT4 to top spot in class, and the former is hopeful of a repeat result at the eagerly-anticipated Donington decider.
An elated Phillips lauded both his team-mate and the team’s performance in a landmark weekend for Macmillan Racing.
“It’s my first win in GT4 and it’s absolutely fantastic,” Phillips said.
“My team-mate Jan [Jønck] did an amazing job, his drive was faultless.
“The team’s deserved it, especially with all the ups and downs we’ve had throughout the year.”
Ever-changing conditions on a perilous Brands Hatch surface initially caught the Macmillan duo out, leaving Phillips and Jønck starting a disappointing 12th on the grid.
A lowly starting position posed no problem for Phillips however, who powered RCIB Insurance Racing to GT4 Teams Championship honours alongside Jordan Stilp last season.
After slicing through the GT4 field – including a double overtake on the two title battling HHC Motorsport and Lanan Racing Ginettas – Phillips handed over to Jønck, who masterfully swept ahead of Ciaran Haggerty‘s #100 Garage 59 McLaren 570S to claim an emphatic first win.
Having performed well at the Kent circuit in the past, Phillips was confident his previous experience, combined with impressive speed in testing would pay off at last week’s two-hour event.
“Brands Hatch is one of my favourite tracks, and I always go well round here. I had my fingers crossed for the podium or a potential win, and we managed to actually achieve it with our pace. All throughout testing we were right up there with the pace.
“We struggled a bit in qualifying, making the wrong choice with the tyres – putting wets on for the second qualifying session. It hindered us a bit, but in the race we did really well, managed to get back up there and win it.”
Maximum points from Brands leaves Phillips and Jønck with an outside chance at claiming the fiercely-fought GT4 Silver Cup title, 31 points behind HHC Motorsport teenage duo Will Tregurtha and Stuart Middleton.
With numerous accolades still up for grabs in both GT3 and GT4, Phillips is hoping to contend at what should be a frantic final-round affair.
“It’s the final round, and there’s probably going to be a bit of carnage with everyone fighting for championships. There’s still a chance of grabbing second in the silver cup, so we’ll be aiming for that and fingers crossed we can challenge at Donington.”
Buoyed by Macmillan’s Brands success, a positive Phillips is hoping the much sought-after first win will pave the way for further success at Donington and beyond.
“I’m fairly confident we’ll be able to challenge again for a podium at Donington now that we’ve got the elusive win, we can only get better from here.”
Phillips and Jønck are confident of challenging for silverware at Donington Park. (Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography)
