![]() ![]() But with everything we learned from the other drivers in the team, we still decided to leave the car with the original setup from the start of the weekend. With a lack of running in FP1, we had absolutely no data, of course, to work with, not a single lap, so the only feedback that we had to work with was the information given to us from other drivers. ![]() So I suppose it was a bit of a blessing that we came into the pits under that red flag and spotted the coolant leak, as this is the type of thing that could destroy an engine, but fortunately, my engine is still perfectly fine. My mechanic Lewis did try to attempt to replace it so I could get back out for FP1, but sadly everything was just a touch too hot, and he was unable to replace it in this short window, so it was at that point we decided to commit to retiring the car from FP1. Unfortunately, however, this pipe is a championship-controlled part that the entire field has to use, so we sadly can't source an alternative, and it has to be replaced with a like-for-like. From our understanding, it looked like the split in the pipe was simply just a manufacturing defect, although it's not the first time I've seen one of these pipes split. What was most frustrating about this particular pipe is that it was brand new from Forge for this weekend, as the last one was damaged from the front-end impact I had in the final race at Brands Hatch. However, while waiting for the green light, I noticed a slight oil splattering on my windscreen, I mentioned it to the team, who, upon then removing the bonnet, found a split coolant pipe with coolant fluid sprayed all over the engine bay, nice, that was the end of my FP1 session right there! So without even completing a single lap, we came back into the pits and waited for the track to be green flagged again. Then pretty much as soon as we were released onto the track, the red flag was displayed for a stranded, spun-out car. So I jumped in the car for FP1, made my way to the assembly area, carried out my noise test then went out onto the track. Our plan for FP1 was to set the car as it was for Donington as a starting point and then tweak onward from there. ![]() ![]() With this later start to the session, it allowed me to discuss the run plan for the day with my engineer, Lewis, while also allowing us to mull over setup ideas for the weekend. This was actually a sagacious choice as it meant that I had a decent night's sleep Thursday evening and was fully refreshed for testing Friday morning.Īll weekend, to be fair, the MINIs had an excellent timetable, and this included the Friday timings too, with our free practice one session starting at a relaxed 12:05. Having now fully recovered from the frustrations of our DNF in the final race of the weekend at Brands Hatch a couple of weeks back, I went into Oulton Park with precisely the same positivity as I did at the start of the previous two rounds and boy, did it pay dividends.Īs Oulton Park is around 180 miles away, we decided early last week that it would be best to get ourselves up and into the Oulton Park, Crewe area for Thursday, in good time, rather than super early Friday morning. So Oulton Park, as you know, it just happened, and wow, did we have another blinding weekend of MINI Challenge racing. ![]()
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