Round 6 - Brands Hatch

After struggling with severe arm pump throughout the first part of the season, I made the decision to undergo surgery, which unfortunately meant missing Round 4 at Knockhill. The recovery time was worth it. This weekend was my first race back and I’m pleased to say the arm felt great, with no issues at all.

Brands Hatch was also a big step for me as it was my first time riding the full GP circuit, having only ridden the Indy layout previously. Learning the longer, more technical sections added an extra challenge, but I was excited to take it on.

Friday – Free Practice

FP1 – P34/42 | 1:32.981

Dry and warm conditions gave me a good chance to get reacquainted with the bike and begin learning the GP layout. The main goals were to shake off the rust and see how the arm held up. It felt great to be back out, and we made some minor setup tweaks, focusing on braking stability and front-end feel.

FP2 – P32/40 | 1:31.859

The afternoon session was spent continuing to learn the track and push my pace. I took a second off my lap time from FP1 and gained a better understanding of the circuit flow. After the session, I contacted TW Suspension Tech, and with their advice we made a small suspension change to help improve feel ahead of qualifying.

Saturday – Qualifying & Race 1

Qualifying – P26/40 | 1:30.039

The suspension changes made a big difference. I felt more confident through the faster sections and was able to push harder than I have all season. I set a new personal best and secured 26th on the grid, which was higher than I expected, especially at a circuit that’s typically been a tough one for me.

Race 1 – Started 26th, Finished 25th

Got a decent start and settled into a solid rhythm, having some great battles throughout the race. Towards the end, my fitness started to drop off, which affected my pace. Still, this was the first race all season where I’ve been able to push the whole distance, so that in itself was a big step forward. Brought it home in 25th and learned a lot in the process.

Sunday – Race 2

Race 2 – Started 26th, Finished 24th

I got a strong start, moving up to 21st early on and spent most of the race running in P22. I was feeling more confident in race conditions and pushing harder throughout. Unfortunately, as the race wore on, fitness once again became a limiting factor, and a late-race mistake, nearly resulting in a high-side, cost me a few places. I managed to regroup and brought the bike home in 24th, glad to have kept it upright and finished another full-distance race.

Looking Ahead – Thruxton Race Circuit (8–10 August)

With a few weeks until Round 6 at Thruxton, I’ll be focusing hard on improving my fitness so I can finish the second half of the season strong. I’m excited to carry this momentum forward.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported me this weekend, your backing means the world. It was also great to meet some new faces around the paddock. Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!