Greystone GT scored their best Pro-Am result of the GT4 European Series with a top-five finish for Tim Whale and Adam Carroll at Hockenheim, Germany, last weekend.
The Silverstone-based team and their GETTRX McLaren 570S GT4 achieved the result after turning what looked set to be a challenging event after free practice into an extremely strong one that re-enforced their credentials as one of the UK’s leading GT racing teams.
After struggling to get up to speed in practice at a circuit that Tim – returning to racing after a 20-year absence in 2022 – had never been to before, overnight rain and the damp, but drying, track conditions present in qualifying played to both drivers’ strengths.
Adam used the experience gained in over 20 years as a professional racing driver to qualify seventh in Pro-Am while Tim – taking to the track in a now totally-dry session 20 minutes later – was sixth in class.
The former BAR Formula 1 Test Driver produced his now trademark opening stint; the Northern Irishman climbing a handful of places in the overall order to sit fifth in Pro-Am.
Tim took over during the mandatory mid-race pit window and maintained position initially, but the Worcester-born driver was forced to call on all his skills to keep the car on the road as rain began to fall with 10 minutes remaining.
A light patter soon became a deluge and the Safety Car was triggered as conditions soon became extremely challenging.
Following instructions from the Greystone GT pitwall, Tim stayed on-track on dry-weather slick tyres, rather than pitting for wets so as not to sacrifice track position. The decision paid off handsomely as the Safety Car remained on track to the chequered flag.
That earned Tim and Adam a best-ever fifth place in Pro-Am; two places higher than their previous top result, scored at Misano, Italy, in July.
The pair looked set for an even better result on Sunday. Tim rose to fifth by the mid-race driver changes and Adam climbed to fourth with just 10 of the scheduled 60 minutes remaining.
Unfortunately, two separate incidents earlier in the race – including Tim being hit up the rear shortly before his pitstop – had caused damage to the car.
While both drivers were still able to maintain front-running speed, the damage took its toll and led to Adam retiring at the side of the track as a precaution.
Frustratingly, the car running just ahead was given a penalty moments later, meaning Tim and Adam would have inherited a podium spot.
Despite this, the best Pro-Am result of the season for Greystone GT represented another milestone achievement ahead of the season finale at Barcelona on September 30-October 2.
Tim Whale said: “If the dice had fallen differently, I think we’d be talking about a top-10 finish and a first Pro-Am podium, but that’s motor racing. I’m pleased with the speed we were able to produce on Saturday and Sunday after a tough pair of practice sessions. Adam was incredible in his stint in Race One, which meant when I took the car I just had to hold on to the position and protect the tyres. Then it rained so hard that I could barely keep the car in a straight line on the slicks, but the team felt the race wasn’t going to go green so I stayed out and it was the right choice. I got tapped wide at the hairpin at the start of Race Two, which put me into another car and did a bit of damage. Then I got hit up the rear by an Aston Martin, which damaged a sensor, gave me some rear toe-in and bent a few things, so it was a handful after that. When Adam kept climbing, I thought we’d get a podium, but it wasn’t to be. I still enjoyed it and we’re definitely getting closer to the front race by race.”
Adam Carroll said: “Obviously it’s good to get the top-five finish and our best Pro-Am result, but we were so close to the podium in Race Two – not for the first time this year either. We made good progress across the weekend and the car was definitely nicer to drive on Sunday – even with the damage – because the set-up was much better by then. I think what Tim’s done this year, in his first season back after such a long lay-off, has been astonishing, and this weekend is probably the best I’ve seen him drive. To come to a track for the first time, nail a qualifier on his only lap on new tyres, have the wet weather in Race One and then drive around the issues caused by the damage from the contact on Sunday – and still be in the top five – was just so impressive. We deserved the podium this weekend, but I guess we’ll just have to do it in Barcelona and end the season on a high instead.”
Mark McLoughlin, Team Principal, said: “The team have worked so hard for this result and when we look at how much progress we made from Friday to Sunday, we can be pretty happy with things. To finish in the top five was excellent for everyone. Of course there’s some frustration about what happened on Sunday, but the fact is the speed is there from both drivers and we made the McLaren quicker across the weekend, and that counts for an awful lot. This isn’t the first time this year that we’ve come close to the podium and had it snatched away for one reason or another, but we are running far more consistently towards the front of the Pro-Am order than at the start of the year. That was the aim in our first season in a series with more than 40 cars featuring some of Europe’s best GT4 teams and drivers. The aim for Barcelona is to finish the season on a high.”
