Rory Butcher has finished qualifying in 2023 with his best performance of the season placing his Toyota Gazoo Racing UK car on the front row.
Butcher has not had pole position since Silverstone 2022 and because of the man at the top of the standings it stays that way for another season. The performance has left the Scot in between the two championship protagonists ahead of the final day clash.
“It’s nice to be in the mix. A little bit awkward, but it’s a nice position to be being up the front. It really does set you up for a good race day. So the goal is to just make the most of that position and if I can fight Ash at the start, great. If not, we’ll see how it goes.
“I think they’ve got a lot on their mind, the two of them. They’ve got a championship to fight for. I think Ingram’s going to be quite punchy because he’s got nothing to lose really. So, yeah, we’ve got two different dynamics on there. I imagine Ash [Sutton] will be quite cautious. Ting [Tom Ingram] will be out there to try and win. So let’s see how that goes.”
Sitting between the two with Sutton on the verge of history and Ingram with all the work to do Butcher may find himself the least stressed at the front of the field.
“I guess I am. I’m just here to have fun mate. I’m just here to end the season on a high. I’m really pleased about what we achieved there. Best qualifying of the season and replicates what we did here last year on the front row. And then we end up with two podiums. So yeah, let’s go for that.”
Despite Sutton’s advantage out front Butcher was the head of a very tight group. To round of the season with his best performance gives him confidence for a great finish to the season.
“Yeah exactly. It’s really close. I haven’t seen the timesheets yet but it’s been really close all day. And I think consistency was good for us, especially in FP1. We had a really consistent car and were able to hit our points nicely. So that should bode well tomorrow.”