Quotes from the third qualifying session of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season.
Bobby Thompson: “It was a frustrating day of what could have been. I don’t think we had the pace today to be anywhere near the top five but in terms of chassis performance, I think we really do. The car feels incredible, there are a few niggly bits but I think that’s the same with everyone.
“I think we are fighting with one arm behind our back with the straight line speed which we haven’t ironed out yet. We need to work with all parties involved to work out what it is so we can compete at the sharp end more regularly.
“We will fight tomorrow, move forward to make positive decisions with the tyre choice so there is still lots to play for!”
Dan Lloyd: “Overall a positive finish to quite a messy day. We made some very big setup changes today which is far from ideal but we finally think we found a solid setup in qualifying and the race pace looks strong from the data collected in FP2. After all the crazy changes we think we have something.
“Obviously, I’m not happy with 15th on the grid, it’s not where we want to be but I think we are struggling with straight line speed compared to the top cars at the moment. Considering the day we have had I think we did a solid job to find a good setup and get a solid starting position for tomorrow’s races.”
Dan will start the open race of the day inside the points in 15th. Photo: Steve Akehurst
Jack Butel: “We really struggled in FP1 but managed to pull a half-decent lap out of the car although the issues remained on FP2 as the car kept snapping on me. Thankfully we managed to find out the reasons why for qualifying and I think we did the best we could, given our situation.
“It’s a real pity after the qualifying highs of Brands Hatch last time out but tomorrow is a new day and we will be looking to make the most of the three tyre compounds to move up the field.”
Nic Hamilton: “A really tough day for me and the team as we had a number of issues with the car that really limited my running. We haven’t really got going this weekend going yet so there isn’t really much I can report on to be honest!
“There are three races tomorrow and three tyre compounds to choose from so I’m still positive that we can recover and get a good result, we just have to play our card right.”
Jack pushed hard to cover come setup issues in practice. Photograph: Steve Akehurst
Dexter Patterson: “Lining up in 20th is not where we wanted to be and as a team, we need to look at how we can improve tomorrow. The chassis feels good but we need to work on our straight line speed to make sure that we can compete on tracks like Snetterton. We don’t know what it is yet, but when we sort it out, I’m sure we can make some huge gains up the grid.
“With there being three tyre compounds to choose from tomorrow, I’m expecting race day to go better and the uncertainty and tyre performance levels will help us get into the points.”
Jade Edwards: “A difficult day in the car if I’m honest but we are in a position tomorrow to utilise the different tyre compounds to make some progress. We will get there but for now we are still playing catch up. However, you can be assured of one thing, i will be giving it my best shot in all three races!”
Jade and Dexter will be looking to move forward tomorrow. Photograph: Steve Akehurst