RAM Racing narrowly missed out on an exceptional first overall GT4 podium in the final British GT Championship event of the season at Brands Hatch last weekend, as Harry George and Luca Hopkinson steered the Mercedes-AMG to a fine fourth place in the Silver class.
The team entered the season finale brimming with optimism following a third Silver class podium of the term for the GT4 duo earlier in the month at Donington, which came on a day where the Mercedes-AMG was in contention for its first overall victory.
One final two-hour contest stood in front of the RAM squad at the historic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, and it ended with a tense battle to the chequered flag for George and Hopkinson in their bid to add to the team’s growing silverware tally.
Once action got underway on Saturday morning, pace was promising straight from the off for both drivers across two hour-long sessions, but it would be the crucial Qualifying runs where the pair really came into their own later that afternoon. Hopkinson’s superlative effort of 1m31.186s was enough to put the #17 machine fourth in class, backed up by George who placed RAM Racing fifth in Silver, and sixth fastest GT4 car overall.
A two-hour battle on Sunday brought the curtain down on the team’s campaign, and it began in strong fashion as Hopkinson took the initial stint and climbed up to fourth, giving chase to the three crews ahead before a full course yellow slowed proceedings just before the halfway point.
It proved to be the first of two lengthy delays, after which the scene was set for a 15-minute scrap for third place overall – and in Silver – for GT4. George took over the Mercedes from Hopkinson still in fourth place, but with the target of Sai Sanjay’s McLaren Artura well within his grasp.
George upped the ante and piled the pressure on the McLaren in the closing laps but, try as he might, he could not quite find his way around the stubborn Sanjay as he and the RAM Racing Mercedes collected fourth place at the chequered flag, narrowly missing out on what would have been a sensational overall GT4 podium.
Harry George: “So close yet so far to an overall podium! A little bit gutted to be honest because the car felt mega all weekend. The pace has been really good and I’ve felt confident in myself, so in those final few laps I was willing myself on and I really thought we were going to have him [Sanjay]. It’s still a good result, and it again shows that when the car is on it, we’re up there. I’m looking forward to hopefully being back here next year and showing that we can compete with the top of the field, and it shows the hard work over the winter pays off.”
Luca Hopkinson: “We’ve worked so hard all year to get the car into a good window, and finally it just clicked. Myself and Harry I think drove the best that we had done all season, and when it all comes together like it did there it makes all of the difference to your weekend. From where we started, we didn’t expect to be getting as many podiums as we have done, so to be fighting for them and being one of the quickest cars on track was a big step for us. We can’t wait to see what we can do next season.”
RAM Racing now enters the winter break, with news on the team’s 2025 plans set to be announced shortly.