Platts Heath’s Jake Hill starts British Touring Car Championship season with double podium for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport at Donington Park

Two podiums out of three made it a strong start to the British Touring Car Championship for Platts Heath’s Jake Hill.

The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver was third in the opening two events at Donington Park on Sunday - the first later than planned due to heavy overnight rain - before finishing fifth in race three.

Hill’s fellow BMW driver Tom Ingram (Bristol Street Motors) opened the season with two wins, with race three going to LKQ Euro Car Parts with Synetiq's Aiden Moffat .

Running in the podium places throughout race one after finishing the new-look Quick Six qualifying session fourth, Hill sprinted into the lead of a dry race two, but excessive rear tyre wear allowed Ingram and 2023 champion Ash Sutton to go by.

He was fifth in the finale, part of a five-way late-race battle for the win; minor set-up changes having prevented a recurrence of his tyre issue.

“It was quite a successful day for me with third-place finishes in races one and two in totally different weather conditions,” Hill said.

“It was raining and very tricky in race one and then totally dry in race two, which was pretty good for seeing where we are in those types of conditions.

“Race three was extremely frantic with lots going on and my team-mates getting into all sorts of battles, but we kept clear of it and got another good points finish.”

The next round of the championship is at Brands Hatch on May 11-12.