Esmee Hawkey recorded a well-earned first victory in the challenging Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Oulton Park last weekend.
Feeling positive in the run up to the event having had promising times during testing at the 2.1-mile circuit, the Kent-based racer took the Pro-Am pole position on Saturday and rounded off the weekend with an excellent class victory.

Despite having to start 16th overall on the grid for race two on Sunday, she made up an impressive seven places to finish ninth on the road, securing the all-important class victory in the process.

The win was made all the sweeter after the 21-year old was tapped into a spin while challenging for first place in Pro-Am during race one, sending her to the rear of the field, which also meant the low grid spot for the second contest.

In spite of the setback, Esmee kept a cool head despite the high ambient temperatures making it a tough two races for the competitors and drove a measured race which highlighted her the improvements she works so hard on each race weekend.

There will be no time for Esmee to relax and enjoy the win however, as she is back on track this weekend (July 5/6) at the unique 1.4-mile Norisring street circuit in Germany for round four of the W Series season.

Speaking after the weekend, Hawkey said: “I’m really happy with the win. It’s been a while coming since I’ve stood on the top step. all the hard work has come together, and it was good to get there and have a class win. Testing had gone well, I was looking forward to the weekend, and thought we’d have a positive visit with good results.

“Qualifying went well and I put it on pole in class, but I had a rubbish start to race one, so I had to get past a few cars before I started fighting with Karl Leonard for the Pro-Am lead. Towards the end of the race sadly I got taken out by Jack McCarthy which put me to the back of the field. I caught back up but there wasn’t enough time to pass before the chequered flag.

“This put me at the back on Sunday and I raced for my life. I went from 16th to ninth overall, which around Oulton Park is a big task as its one of the hardest circuits to overtake on. It was one of the best races I’ve had in my career; I loved every minute of it. It was great to get the class win and to be awarded Driver of the Weekend as well was the cherry on top.

“It is important that you can withstand the heat as it puts a strain on your mental capacity. I’ve done so much training not only for Carrera Cup but also driving around Europe in the W Series where it has also been very hot. The Carrera Cup car gets hotter than the single seater but because my physical fitness is so high it helped me to concentrate for the duration of the race and I didn’t make any silly mistakes.

“I’m switching back to single-seater mode now and have to dial in. I’m enjoying the win from the weekend, but I quickly need to get my brain tuned in to the W Series. I’m looking forward to the Norisring – I haven’t been there before, but a lot of people haven’t either.

“There are just four corners with two hairpins, but I am strong in those so I’m hoping to have good pace. I’m in a good mood for this one and hopefully we can continue the run. I did a little prep on the sim at Misano and think I did the quickest time out of all of the drivers, so I’m feeling positive.”