Sailesh Bolisetti, first Indian to win at British GT
Nurburgring (Nurburg, Germany) : The see-saw of fortunes finally swung in Sailesh Bolisetti’s favour when the Indian sealed his first victory of the season at race two at the second round of the British GT championship held here.
The weekend had started on a positive note for the Vizag pilot, with his Lotus Sport UK team finishing third and first in the two official practice sessions. But an unfortunate onslaught of technical gremlins prevented Sailesh and his teammate
Phil Glew from exploiting the performance of their Lotus Evora GT4 during the qualifying sessions.
The first race turned out to be a disaster of a different kind when a sudden drizzle left the track damp leading to Sailesh spinning out on the warm-up lap while the car was on full slick tyres (not wets). The brush with the barriers left the Evora slightly bruised, but the team was able to stitch it up in time for race start.
A slow puncture and a broken side view mirror further added to his woes and impeded progress during the race. Phil Glew then took over after the mandatory pit stop and tyre change, but could manage to do no better than fifth.
Post-race, Sailesh was understandably disappointed given how things had turned out.
“After showing promising pace in qualifying, it was disheartening to endure all the back luck we did. We definitely deserved better.
“The pace was there all along and we fancied ourselves to challenge for the podium, but it was ultimately not to be.
Things didn’t look brighter for race two as it was cloudy in the morning.
Phil Glew was behind the wheel for the opening stint this time and he proceeded to battle all the way through with the front-running Ginetta’s for the lead, just managing to keep them behind.
Glew pitted from the lead for the mandatory pit stop just past the 30-minute mark, giving Bolisetti the important task of keeping the victory challenge alive.
“When Phil handed me the car from lead, the first thought in my mind was to preserve it and try to keep the opposition behind and the car out of the barriers.
“The margin was slim but we managed to turn the car around in pits quicker than our competitors so I had a little more breathing space.
Soon after, one of the Ginetta’s retired from the race due to a mechanical issue – giving Sailesh further leeway to hold on to the lead. From then on it was just a matter of maintaining the cushion and driving to the car’s limits.
Finally, Sailesh crossed the finish line 27 seconds in the lead from the second-placed Ginetta, clinching his maiden victory in the series.
“The team really deserved this given the tough weekend we had, they were extremely patient and perseverant throughout.
“To win at a track which we’ve never driven or tested is the cherry on the cake, and it isn’t just any other circuit but a place like Nurburgring which is steeped in motor racing history”, quipped Sailesh on the brink of emotions.
The first win is always the most memorable but Sailesh’s focus remains firmly on the job ahead.
“You first win in a new series is always a great feeling, but it surely can’t be our last given the task ahead. We have some exceptionally strong competition so there is no way we can afford to lay back and relax.”
For the team, it is all systems go for Rockingham, scheduled for June 9th.
“We’ll get back to UK and back to our schedule. Hopefully we’ll get in some testing before the weekend as it is once again going to be a brand new circuit for me.
“This is the critical phase of the championship so we need to push all the way. It is party-time tonight but thereafter it is back to business”, concluded the elated youngster.
“Sailesh did a good job during his stint in the car, we knew it was a comfortable win if Sailesh just kept his head cool and drive without making any mistakes, which he did!”, said Phil Glew.
Lotus Sport UK Team principal, Gary Ayles said “Sailesh showed a great performance today, but he could have done better provided he gets more practice on the circuits! This win has increased my responsibility of giving him better training
and keeping this in mind, we are trying to make the necessary arrangements to get him more comfortable in the coming races”.