McKenzy Cresswell, John Bennett and Louis Sharp were the top-three drivers in qualifying at Brands Hatch. Here's how each driver reacted after the session.
Mckenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, pole position
“It’s what you want so I'm really happy, big thanks to Elite Motorsport, we’ve had a tough few rounds but it’s been really good to see their progression, so really happy. A bit disappointed not to get the double pole but we know it’s close and we have the pace so feeling good heading into the races.
“I just want to get a win, I’d like to have one more before we close this chapter so I'm definitely looking to get some wins, hopefully two so we’ll see what I can get. There’s no pressure so I’m just going to be going for it, having some fun out there and we’ll see what I can do
“It’s very much a drivers circuit and one that punishes mistakes quite heavily and I feel I have quite a good sense of how much grip the car has and how close I can get to that limit without going over, but that’s just a guess and you always go well when you’re enjoying yourself.”
John Bennett, JHR Developments, second
“A strong qualifying, we were so close, two hundredths in race one and less than a tenth for race two. The car was really good and it was super close but we just missed out.
“I’ll just be going for the win in both races, P2 and P3 we’re right there so and I knew all my championship rivals would be right around me, they’ve been up the top all year and this round is no different. I'm looking forward to the race and seeing what I can do.”
Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, third
“P3 and P1, obviously P3 on overall fastest lap but my second lap was good enough for P1. Really happy with the result. It would have been nice to have a double pole but in terms of the championship we’re right where we need to be. Going into this session I said to myself if I’m in the top five for both races I’d be happy. Obviously the red flag coming out late really threw a spanner in the works. I wasn’t actually sure if it was going to happen but really happy to get it done in the end and looking forward to the races to come.
“I mean P1 is probably the worse place to start here, P3 isn’t too bad. I think P4 is probably the best and Tymek is behind me for race one so we’ll see how he gets off the line. We’ve been pretty good off the line all year so I’m hoping that can stay this weekend. If we can podium in the first race and then hold position and win race two the championship should be won by then. I don’t want to look too far ahead I need to focus on race one first. I’ve got John in front of me and Tymek behind me so my two championship rivals. I know they’re both going to be pushing very hard and they're going to be taking a lot more risks than I am because they need to. Obviously it would be nice to stay in my position and stay on the podium, make up a few positions but I just need to keep it clean and bring the car home.
“I'm definitely really happy to win the Pole Position Cup, we’re in quite a tough situation so that prize money is going to go towards me going testing and help me live in the UK, so unfortunately I won’t be able to spend it on anything nice but it means I’ll still be able to race! It’s two grand which is a lot of money and it’s going to go to a good cause. I’m really happy with the money and it means a lot to have it.”