Our Luck will Change soon Donington Park GP Race Report
The Donington Park GP weekend began with high hopes and strong confidence for Toby Trice, following a challenging outing at Croft. With a car that showed exceptional potential, Toby was eager to make the most of the opportunity at his favorite track.
"I was feeling very confident walking into Donington Park, especially after having the car underneath me at Croft. Although we didn’t maximize qualifying there, we knew the pace was in the car. Clean Race had delivered a brilliant machine, and I was full of confidence and high hopes for a good weekend," Trice stated. "Donington is my favorite track—it combines two things I love the most: airplanes and race cars. The natural flow of the circuit is phenomenal, and historically, I’ve always had good success here."
The weekend got off to a promising start during the practice sessions. Toby topped the timing sheets in Free Practice 1 and secured P3 in Free Practice 2, despite a small mistake.
"Free practice was absolutely brilliant for me. Finishing P1 in the first session and P3 in the second, despite making a mistake, showed that we had the pace," Trice commented. "The car felt really dialed in, and everything was coming together nicely. I was raring to go from the get-go."
However, the weekend took a challenging turn during the wet qualifying session. An early push lap led to a high-speed aquaplaning incident that resulted in damage to the steering, forcing Toby to recover from an unfortunate position.
"Qualifying was tough. The wet weather played a big role, and a 110 mph aquaplane put me off into the gravel, causing steering damage," Toby explained. "Thankfully, I got out of the gravel and finished the session, but the damage made it difficult to get the most from the car. I ended up 9 tenths off pole and qualified P9. It was a frustrating outcome, especially knowing the pace we had in the car."
Despite the challenges in qualifying, Toby delivered strong performances in the races, making steady progress through the field.
Race 1: Starting from P9, Toby moved up to finish P8.
Race 2: Another strong showing, with Trice improving to finish P6.
Race 3: Starting from P6, the final race was tough. Contact under the safety car period, dropped Trice back to P7.
"The races were tough, especially given our starting positions. In Race 1, I made some decent progress to finish P8. Race 2 saw more improvement, finishing in P6. However, Race 3 was particularly challenging—I had contact under the safety car causing some damage to the rear, which dropped me back to P7," Toby reflected. "The car was phenomenal, and I felt that I performed well, but qualifying set the weekend up in a difficult way. This championship is all about getting a good qualifying position, and unfortunately, we didn’t get that luck this time."
The Clean Race team continued to perform at a high level throughout the weekend, ensuring the car was in top condition for every session.
"The team performed really well. Mark, Guy, and Ed did a fantastic job of getting the car absolutely perfect every time I went out," Trice praised. "The car felt consistent, balanced, and competitive. Unfortunately, the off in qualifying disrupted our strategy, but I’m confident we’ll have a better opportunity to execute our strategy at Silverstone next month."
Despite the frustrations, Toby Trice remains optimistic and focused on the upcoming round at Silverstone.
"I’m obviously frustrated with my results, especially knowing what we could have achieved without the aquaplaning incident in qualifying," Trice admitted. "But you’ve got to push and take those chances. My goal for Silverstone is clear—qualify on the front row and take nothing less than three podiums. We’ve got the car, the pace, and the team to make it happen."
In addition to his racing efforts, Toby's "Racing For Fertility" campaign continues to make a significant impact. Through this initiative, Toby is raising awareness about male fertility issues, using his platform in motorsport to drive important conversations.
"I’m incredibly proud of the progress we've made with the Racing For Fertility campaign. The response has been overwhelming, and it's amazing to see the difference we’re making. Every race is another opportunity to raise awareness, and I’m committed to using my racing career to support this vital cause." Trice emphasized.
Toby also expressed his gratitude to the team and sponsors who made the weekend possible.
"A huge thank you to Testhim and Logix for their continued support. Without them, we wouldn’t be on the grid," Toby said. "I’m also thrilled to welcome Fenix Freight Ltd to the Team Trice family. It was fantastic to have them with us at Donington, and I’m looking forward to building on this partnership in the coming rounds."
With his sights set on Silverstone, Toby Trice remains determined to turn the strong performance of the car into the results the team deserves.
