Summary
The latest round of the Porsche Carrera Cup 2025, held at Queensland Raceway, proved to be a mixed bag for Hamish Fitzsimmons, despite the event being considered his "home" track. While the venue was the site of his first Porsche podium in 2023, the benefits of a home-track advantage are often minimized in the Porsche single-make series, as there are no restrictions on testing or race budgets, allowing other drivers to practice extensively and negate any local advantage. The circuit, nicknamed the "Paperclip," is known for its long straights and technical corners, where precision and momentum are key to a fast lap. Drivers also had to contend with tire degradation and unpredictable weather conditions throughout the weekend.
Practice and Qualifying
The weekend kicked off with two practice sessions on Friday, August 8th. The first session was tricky due to a drying track from overnight rain. Hamish started well, running in the top 10, but a red flag and subsequent struggles to post a fast lap left him in P14. The second practice session saw improved conditions with no rain, allowing Hamish to take advantage and finish in P3 overall, just behind the current championship holder, Harry Jones. Hamish felt confident, commenting that he enjoyed the progression from the first to second practice.Qualifying took place on Friday afternoon in cool, overcast conditions. After a slow start, Hamish improved significantly in the second half of the session, posting a personal best lap. This performance earned him a P11 starting position for Race 1 and P6 for Race 2, and he felt the pace was there to "put it together" in the races.
Race 1
Starting from P11 on the "non-rubbered" side of the grid proved challenging for Hamish in Race 1 on Saturday. The lack of grip caused significant wheel spin, and he lost several positions before the first corner. Despite this setback, he battled with the car throughout the race, eventually finding some pace late in the race to gain a couple of positions, finishing in P12. He commented that he "ran out of laps to make up more ground".
Race 2
Sunday morning brought clear weather for Race 2, which began with two warmup laps to get the Michelin tires up to temperature. Starting from a strong P6, Hamish had a fantastic start, diving to the inside of Turn 1 and finishing the opening lap in P4. After a mid-race safety car, he lost two spots, including one to French Carrera Cup Junior Marcus Amand. He held on in a tight battle to cross the line in a respectable P6 overall.
Race 3
The final race of the weekend started with Hamish in P12, a position determined by the results of the first two races. He had a challenging start but maintained his position on the first lap. He then drove a solid, incident-free race, making a couple of clean passes and finishing in P10. Reflecting on the race, he noted the difficulty of passing due to "aero wash" from the cars in front. A key takeaway for Hamish from the weekend was the importance of qualifying, as "hundredths of a second can separate five grid positions" in these short races.
Summary of results:
• Qualifying: P11 for Race 1 and P6 for Race 2
• Race 1: Started P11, Finished P12
• Race 2: Started P6, Finished P6
• Race 3: Started P12, Finished P10
Overall, for Round 4 Hamish finished P10 in the Pro class and equal P3 in the Pro Junior class.
