Jack Mitchell made the ideal start to a weekend that could end with him wrapping up the GT4 title by leading a Century Motorsport one-two in qualifying alongside co-driver Dean MacDonald. The pair claimed pole by a combined 0.022s from team-mates Ben Tuck and Ben Green, while Academy Motorsport’s Tom Wood and Jan Jonck took third.
Tolman Motorsport’s Charlie Fagg and then Wood both initially topped Q1 before Century and Macdonald grabbed the initiative thanks to a 1m33.273s.
Green subsequently crossed the line 0.013s slower to give BMW a provisional one-two ahead of Wood’s Aston Martin, the McLaren of Fagg, Patrik Matthiesen’s HHC Motorsport Ginetta, and the second Academy-run V8 Vantage driven by Will Moore who completed a top-six separated by 0.5s.
Steller Motorsport’s Richard Williams was the leading amateur in seventh overall.
Century’s private tussle for top spot then continued into the second half of GT4 qualifying where Tuck initially reduced his #42 M4’s combined deficit to 0.006s. That briefly became pole next time around before Mitchell restored his and Macdonald’s slender advantage once and for all.
Macdonald said, “The car felt amazing, and the team’s done an amazing job all weekend. I can’t thank them enough. When you’ve got a car that gives you so much confidence it makes it so much nicer to drive. The back section [of the circuit] is amazing, and when you’re really on it over there, it feels great.”
Behind, 2017’s Brands Hatch winner Jan Jonck consolidated Academy’s third place, Michael O’Brien also retained fourth in the Tolman McLaren he shares with Fagg, and the second Academy Aston swapped places with HHC’s Ginetta driven by Callum Pointon.
Sennan Fielding backed up Williams’ earlier run to seal the Pro Am spoils for Steller and Toyota, while Scott Malvern’s fastest individual time of the session, 1m32.605s, helped Team Parker’s Mercedes-AMG jump from 12th to 8th.
Both Drivers’ titles could be won at Brands Hatch tomorrow when British GT’s two-hour race gets underway at 13:40.
