18 JUNE BTCC OULTON PARK
Oulton Park delivered a near perfect race weekend for the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsports team, with Jake Hill securing a double race victory, a second-place finish and three fastest laps to earn a remarkable haul of 62 points for the weekend - catapulting him to third place in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship.
In the first race, Jake made a fantastic start and took the lead from the front row. He defended his position skilfully while managing his tyres, gradually increasing the gap to the chasing pack. He ultimately claimed his and the team's first victory of the season.
The success continued as Jake secured another great start in the second race, allowing him to retain the lead. Despite a safety car period, Jake expertly managed the restart and extended his lead. Crossing the finish line, he celebrated his second victory of the day, marking the first time he and the team had won two races in a single race weekend.
For the reverse-grid race, starting from P7, Jake capitalized on a strong start once again, climbing up the order. Taking advantage of incidents ahead, he found himself in fifth place after the first lap. With skilful overtakes, Jake moved into the top three and engaged in intense battles with his fellow BMW drivers from the WSR stable. Ultimately, he secured second place, completing a remarkable weekend and achieving his highest-scoring weekend as a BTCC driver.
As a result of his outstanding performances, Jake Hill has catapulted into third position in the Drivers' Championship standings. He currently sits 20 points behind reigning Champion Tom Ingram and 26 points behind the Championship leader, Ash Sutton.
COBRA SEATS CUSTOMER TEAM PROFILE: LASER TOOLS RACING WITH MB MOTORSPORT
MB initially entered the BTCC alongside partners AmD in 2020, with a driver line-up in the form of Jake Hill and Sam Osborne, which saw the pair garner numerous points finishes and several podiums throughout their maiden campaign.
In 2021, Hill – joined by Ollie Jackson – competed in the team’s Motorbase Performance-run Ford Focus ST. Hill took two wins and competed for the overall title for the first time in his career, eventually ending up fifth in the final Drivers’ standings.
Running under the ROKiT MB Motorsport banner, the team joined forces with multiple champions West Surrey Racing for the 2022 BTCC campaign with Hill leading a one-car assault in a WSR-built and run BMW 330e M Sport.
Hill had a brilliant campaign, doubling his win total, as well as securing 13 more podiums and 381 more points than his 2021 season. This meant Hill was in the fight for the crown right until the dramatic finale at Brands Hatch.
In 2023, under the new livery of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, Jake and his team are once again embroiled in a serious assault on the Driver’s Championship.
COBRA SEATS CUSTOMER DRIVER PROFILE: JAKE HILL
Jake Hill became a regular in the BTCC in 2016, steadily improving his Championship position year-on-year. Several strong performances culminated in his debut podium at Brands Hatch in 2018, before joining Trade Price Cars alongside former Formula 1 driver Mark Blundell the following year., taking his Audi S3 to a maiden victory for the team in a superb lights-to-flag drive at Knockhill.
In 2020, Hill joined Blundell’s newly formed MB Motorsport team in an AmD Tuning-prepared Honda Civic Type R, taking six podiums over the season.
Remaining with MB Motorsport in 2021 and now driving a Motorbase Performance-run Ford Focus ST, Hill hit the ground running, taking a triple podium in the opening event at Thruxton, following that success by scoring points 25 times in 30 races and bagging a total of nine podiums – including wins at Croft and Silverstone – Hill remained in the Championship fight all the way to the final weekend of the season, ultimately finishing a career-best fifth in the Drivers’ standings.
In 2022, Hill switched to rear-wheel drive in the West Surrey Racing-prepared BMW 330e M-Sport with ROKiT MB Motorsport. He had a brilliant campaign, once again fighting for the Championship right until the dramatic finale at Brands Hatch. The stats say it all, doubling his win total, securing 13 more podiums and 381 more points than his 2021 season. Hill also won the Goodyear Wingfoot Award title for the best qualifying performance and rounded out his best-ever season in third overall.
