Jake Hill’s #1 BMW Blasts Off at Donington
Jake Hill and the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport squad kicked off their 2025 title defence in style at Donington Park, hauling in a healthy points haul across three barnstorming races.
Under the new sustainable-fuel regulations and sporting the iconic “#1” on his WSR-run BMW 330i M Sport, Hill showed he’s hungry for back‑to‑back glory.
Friday’s free practice sessions were all about dialling in that perfect setup on the flowing Leicestershire circuit. Hill ended FP1 in P14, but bounced straight back to P6 in FP2, laying down an early marker that the championship leader was locked in and ready to pounce.
Qualifying saw the “Laser-Beamer” really come alive. Jake put together a slick final lap to snatch P8 on the grid, stoking hope that he could storm through the pack when the lights went out on Sunday.
The opening race of the season would see Jake making a great start; Hill rocketed off the line from P8, slicing through traffic into Redgate and riding the chaos of a mid‑race safety car to engineer a trio of overtakes. By the chequered flag he’d posted P4, courtesy of a post‑race penalty for a rival, and made it look almost too easy.
In Race 2, the Laser-Beamer’s launch control was on fire. From the second row, Jake leapt into P3 at Turn 1 and spent the next 15 laps gluing himself to the drivers ahead. An audacious lunge on lap 19 almost stuck, but ultimately, he slipped back to P4 as the pack bunched up — still, another solid top‑five under the belt.
The reverse‑grid final race offered another shot at the podium from P3, and Hill was right in the mix in the early laps. A tight scrap for position, however, turned physical and shuffled him back, leaving him to salvage P10. Not the fairy‑tale finish, but enough damage limitation to keep his championship charge alive.
When the dust settled, Jake sat sixth in the drivers’ standings on 32 points — a dependable springboard ahead of Brands Hatch Indy on May 10–11. If Donington was any indication, the 2025 title fight is going to be one hell of a ride.
Jake Hill shared his thoughts following the opening weekend:
"It was a testing weekend for us in the season opener at Donington Park, we didn't quite have the raw pace to challenge those at the very front of the field on Sunday, but myself and team worked incredibly hard across the weekend to make strides forward with the car. We gathered plenty of information from all three races, and we finished the day with a good points haul, but we know there is still more work to be done. A massive thanks to all at Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport and the #1 crew who were faultless all weekend with their support and hard work. We go again at Brands Hatch Indy, where we will be looking to return to the front of the grid."
— Photos: Jakob Ebrey
