Podium comeback keeps Duckhams Yuasa Racing firmly in Carrera Cup fight

Duckhams Yuasa Racing returned to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB podium at the weekend (30–31 August) as Max Coates battled through to claim second place at Donington Park.
 
Racing on the full Grand Prix circuit at the Leicestershire venue, Max set the fastest Pro-Am time during Thursday’s mixed-weather practice sessions. Saturday’s qualifying ran in dry but cloudy conditions, with Max securing third in Pro-Am and ninth overall.
 
Sunday’s opening race brought early drama as Max was forced through the gravel on lap one, dropping him to fourth in class. He closed in on the final podium position before a Safety Car intervention, but after the restart received a track limits penalty while fighting for third and was classified fifth at the flag.
 
In race two, Max made a strong start, gaining a place in Pro-Am and immediately challenging for a podium spot. His persistence was rewarded when he moved into third at half distance, and shortly after the restart from a Safety Car period, he capitalised on an error ahead to climb to second. From there he maintained excellent pace, finishing sixth overall and securing a hard-fought Pro-Am podium.
 
The result keeps Max and Duckhams Yuasa Racing firmly in contention for the Pro-Am title, with the battle resuming at Silverstone over 19–21 September. The team will also be represented by Jacob Tofts in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB.

“It was a challenging weekend with track limits being a major factor. In race one we had a penalty, but the pace was strong, and the racing was incredibly close – bumper to bumper throughout. Race two was one of my favourite experiences in the Carrera Cup so far. To move from 13th to sixth overall, overtaking several cars along the way, was a great result. We’ll look to carry that momentum into Silverstone in a few weeks’ time.”