FOR most people, driving a car at 295kmh would be an eye-watering, knee- trembling experience. And to do so without a valid driving licence would risk a period of time spent at Her Majesty’s pleasure. But for 16-year-old Sandy Mitchell, it’s all perfectly normal.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the quietly spoken school pupil from Forfar has also written his own place in British motorsport history books this year.
In his debut season driving with Edinburgh-based Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse, he has not only become the youngest pole-sitter in the ultra- competitive British GT Championship, but last time out at Snetterton, and partnered by 19-year-old team-mate Ciaran Haggerty from Johnstone, became the youngest race winner at 16 years 169 days.
“Youngest winner in British GT: yeah, it’s got a nice ring to it,” said Mitchell, who started driving when he was four-and-a-half on a Honda- powered off-road AK 10 buggy. “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster season. We’d come close to wins earlier, so It was terrific to finally take the chequered flag and stand on the top step of the podium. It’s great to be paired with Ciaran. He and I work really well together, and get on well off the track too. I think it’s pretty important in the GT game to work together with your team-mate.”
The victory was a well-deserved reward for the perseverance and commitment of the team’s young guns. But for Mitchell specifically, it marked what could well prove to be a pivotal moment in his career.
His coolness off track is in complete contrast to the cutting efficiency he displays on it.
In the second one-hour race at Snetterton, having won the first race of the day, Haggerty handed the team’s McLaren 570S GT4 over to Mitchell in 16th place, having been the victim of a clash on the warm-up lap which left the car damaged.
Undeterred, Mitchell seared through the field to finish fourth, just 13 seconds off another podium. Already his burgeoning talent has caught the attention of many in the sportscar world.
But as he heads towards the season finale at Donington next Sunday, Mitchell is back at Dundee High School this week concentrating on his lessons.
“The rector and the school have been fantastic to me in letting me have extra time off, as long as I keep up to date with the work,” he said.
And how do his schoolmates react to the fact he races in the Blue Riband of British sportscars?
“It’s been quite cool. I keep low key about it, I don’t really talk about it much. But they obviously all know and have been really supportive.”
It will come as no surprise that Mitchell’s early career was in karting, racking up numerous Scottish and British titles. Last season he graduated to the MSA Formula single-seater championship before becoming part of the Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse Young Driver Development Programme for 2016.
Having previously tested an Aston Martin GT4 car last October, he then jumped into his new McLaren at Rockingham for British GT pre- season testing in March.
“It was a steep learning curve,” he said. “The McLaren GT4 is a lot heavier than a single-seater, and also has a lot more power. I had a lot to learn, but I got to grips with it very quickly.”
After a solid start in the season opener at Brands Hatch, Mitchell and Haggerty – who competed in Formula 4 with the team in 2015 – impressed at Rockingham and Oulton, where only technical gremlins denied them podium finishes.
The breakthrough came at Silverstone when they qualified on pole. The race, again, was cut short by technical problems.
Next up was Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Having stormed to pole position and established up a 20- second lead at the end of his opening one-hour stint, a fuel issue forced Mitchell to park within sight of handing the car over to Haggerty.
“That was really disappointing. But we had to move on, get over it, and concentrate on delivering next time out,” he said. They duly did, with the win at Snetterton.
What puts the season into perspective is the fact the two Scottish youngsters have been developing the new McLaren before the company begins selling it globally to customers for 2017.
“The McLaren GT4 development programme has given Ciaran and I a great opportunity. I’ve learned loads,” Mitchell said. “We’ve progressed a huge amount from the first test to where we are now with the car. It’s been really satisfying to be a part of it.
“It’s an awesome car: one that’s pioneering the new era of GT4. And it’s special to say that at 16 you drive a McLaren. Most people know what a McLaren is too, so it tends to make a bit of an impact.”
Making an impact, it would appear, is something Mitchell had better get used to.
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