Factory Aston Martin star Jonny Adam heads into the 2019 British GT championship ‘Donington Decider’ this Sunday seeking to overcome the odds and secure a record-breaking fourth GT3 title.
Currently sitting second in the standings along with driving partner and fellow Scotsman Graham Davidson in the TF Sport team, the Le Mans winner will need to overturn a six point deficit to the current leaders at the top of the table to do so.
The task will be made all the more difficult due to the fact the duo won the previous round at Brands Hatch, and as a result will have a 20 second success penalty to contend with.
Jonny has been over this course before though, more than anyone else in fact, and as he explains while a touch of good fortune wouldn’t go amiss he’s not resorting to packing lucky undergarments just yet…
How would you sum up the British GT season so far for the team?
“It’s been up and down, and up again! Our two victories are the major highlights, and we’ve had a few sore ones including a big disappointment at Silverstone, but the great thing is we are in the hunt with all to play for this weekend at Donington so we can’t ask for more than that at this stage.”
What has been you personal highlight of the BGT season?
“Getting the first victory at Donington earlier in the year, as it was the first win for the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in British GT. That’s something I also achieved with the older model back in 2012, so on a personal level it was satisfying to repeat that milestone.”
Why do you think you manage to consistently make it to the final round in contention for the title?
“Hard work and making sure to score points even when things aren’t going well makes this situation happen. There are times when it can be tempting to roll the dice and push for more in certain races, but you have to be smart and play the long game in such a competitive championship. There’s some pressure going into the final round chasing someone that’s ahead of you in the standings, but I think that’s a great motivator and I do love a Donington Decider.”
You’ve also managed to do it with many different team-mates, what’s the secret to building successful driving partnerships so quickly?
“Graham is the fourth different teammate I’ve gone into a Donington Decider with, which is a brilliant feeling. I think the work I do with teammates behind the scenes and in-between events really does pay off long-term and give us an opportunity of fighting for race wins and championships. As a pro you could just turn up at race weekends, jump in the car and drive, but I don’t think that’s good enough. Consistency is key to winning the title, so you have to work hard on all the things that can make a difference and lead to gains for the team and your teammate throughout the whole season. That way you can improve performances across the board and maximise everyone’s contribution to success on track.”
How do you rate your chances going into the final round?
“There’s no getting away from the fact it will be difficult to win the race with 20 seconds extra in the pits due to our success penalty from the previous round. But hey, I’ve been here before and things have fallen in place. We’ll race hard, go for the best result we can and see what the outcome will be. It’s been a pretty good year up to this final race, but we’ll definitely need everything to click and also a little bit of luck on Sunday afternoon.”
Does your approach to the championship decider differ from races earlier in the season?
“Nope. We really will just get our heads down and treat it as another race. We just need to score well and for our rivals to have a bad weekend, which can happen as we’ve seen in the past.”
Your record at Donington is pretty good, what do you enjoy most about the circuit?
“I really do like racing at Donington. It’s a circuit with no boring bits, like a slightly longer Knockhill! The last sector is technical, which I love as you need the car to be well set up to deliver the lap times. Plus it’s one of my teammate’s favourite circuits and Graham is quick there, so we do go into the weekend with great confidence.”
You’ll have the chance to set more records at Donington, how much does the opportunity to make a little bit of history mean to you?
“It’s not something I think about really as I’m so busy getting on with the job. Hopefully I’ve got plenty of years of racing ahead of me so maybe it’s something I’ll look back on when I’m done. It would mean a lot to win another British GT championship though as customer racing is important to both myself and Aston Martin Racing. I’ll give it 100% until the flag drops on Sunday to see if we can make it title number four, so fingers crossed.”
Do you have any lucky charms that you’ll be wearing or taking to Donington on Sunday?
“Nah, I’m not superstitious so don’t go for the whole lucky pants thing! We’ll have lots of friends and family in the pits and supporters in the stands, so having their backing makes me feel fortunate as soon as I arrive for the race weekend.”
Live Coverage:
Tune in to British GT’s two-hour #DoningtonDecider live this Sunday on the championship’s social media platforms and website, as well as SRO’s GT World Youtube channel. Support races are also streamed live on BritishGT.com/live along with the #BritishGT300 parade lap.