Daniel Rowbottom said he was ‘blocked for a significant amount of what would have been a very good lap’ while looking back on his performance in qualifying at Brands Hatch on Saturday afternoon.
The Halfords Racing with Cataclean driver will lineup alongside teammate Gordon Shedden for Sunday’s opening race of the weekend after ending the session third quickest, although he believes he was on for a faster time had he not been held up by BTC Racing’s Jade Edwards.
“(It was a) great result for the team,” said Rowbottom after the end of the session.
“(I am) P3 and flash is P4. It was a good lap, (but) we could have gone quicker
“I do feel robbed and I do think some tactics came in from some of the other teams.
“I got blocked for a significant amount of what would have been a very good lap but its touring car racing isn’t it. It’s all about tactics. Roll on tomorrow with a second row start.”
Rowbottom, who was recently crowned the 2021 Jack Sears Trophy winner after making his return to the series this season, went on to explain to ITV how if the roles were reversed, he would have made sure to have not disrupted anybody else’s attempts to set a fast lap time.
“Jade might have done (having her lights on during a fast lap) but I think if it had been the other way round she would have seen I was flashing my lights from a significant distance,” explained Rowbottom to ITV.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Jade so I think if it had been the other way around I would have reversed it but I know where I stand now don’t I?
“It’s the way it is. We’re not going to fall out about it.”
Rowbottom was only 0.045 seconds slower than pole sitter Senna Proctor, with the Team Dynamics driver also just 0.034 seconds behind second placed Josh Cook in the two BTC Racing Hondas.
With three rounds remaining of the 2021 season, Rowbottom currently sits tenth in the Drivers Standings, 10 points behind race one pole sitter Proctor.