Double podium finish for 2 Seas Motorsport at Oulton Park opens 2024 British GT account

The British GT Championship returned to action over the Easter weekend, and 2 Seas Motorsport started the title challenge with a pair of podium finishes across the double header. The pairing of Ian Loggie and Phil Keen, in the #6 D2-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3, claimed the runners-up spot in the season opener, before securing P3 in an incident-filled second race. Teammates Kevin Tse and Maximilian Götz had a tough weekend, battling with heavy traffic around the tight Cheshire circuit during both races, bringing home the #18 Contempo Concept entry P10 and P17.

Early pace for both cars looked strong ahead of qualifying, and the opening session saw Ian fighting at the sharp end of the grid from the very start before a red flag. With Kevin having not set a time, the pressure was on, but the Hong Kong driver delivered a standout performance to provisionally top the timesheets. Ian then quickly responded with a near-identical laptime to his teammate – split by only 0.075s. The pair were pipped to pole position in the dying seconds, before a post-session penalty for Kevin promoted Ian to the front row for the season opener. In the Pro session, Phil continued the strong showing for the #6 entry, running near the front of the field, while Max battled with track limits across his early laps. As the session ended, Phil secured P3, while Max improved on his banker lap to line up in P13.

After 113 days since the last race event, the British GT season got underway on a wet Easter Monday morning. Ian held position away from the start, while Kevin was immediately on a charge, looking to move up the field after the penalty. Within two laps, the #18 Contempo Concept-backed entry had gained three positions, and was immediately into a four car battle looking to gain further ground. Ian continued to show good pace, staying in touch with the leader while Kevin had gained another position, before an extended Full Course Yellow caution as the pitstop window opened. With the Pro drivers now onboard, racing got back underway after a Safety Car restart, and both Phil and Max were among the quickest cars on track. Despite their best efforts, and Phil closing down the leader by up to 2-seconds per lap in the closing stages, both cars held position over the final stint. At the line, Phil opened the season with P2, which Max finished in P13.

Later that afternoon, Race 2 started in wet conditions once again, with the Pro drivers at the wheel. Phil held position from the start, while Max was looking to gain ground in the early stages. Despite a Safety Car in the opening laps, Max had gained two positions, and moved into the top-10 shortly before an incident saw the Safety Car scrambled again, just prior to the pit window opening. With a dry line forming around the track, the option to switch to slick tyres opened up the opportunity for some strong battles in the final sprint to the finish. However, a series of incidents, and prolonged track repairs, minimised the running, meaning limited opportunities for further gains to be made. At the line, both cars held station, as Ian brought home a second podium in P3, while Kevin crossed the line in P10, but a subsequent 10-second penalty dropped them down the order to P17.

“After what feels like a long winter break, it is great to be back, and great to be back with on the podium straight out of the box. Ian and Phil did a great job all weekend, and were consistently quick across every session. They are two of the championship’s mainstays, and they showed their experience across both races – staying out of trouble, quick laps, and running cleanly to bring home the double podium. Kevin and Max were really unlucky, and it was always going to be a challenge to start from the mid-pack around such a tight circuit. The Safety Cars and cautions limited the opportunities to make further progress, but they both looked strong all weekend, and I am sure they will back at the front of the field in Silverstone.”

Sh. Isa Al Khalifa, 2 Seas Motorsport team co-owner

The Bahraini-British squad now switches its attention to its debut European campaign, as the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS gets underway at Paul Ricard later this week.

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