![Tom Ingram, Team Vertu [EXCELR8 Motorsport], Hyundai i30 N Fastback NGTC](https://www.touringcars.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tom-Ingram-Team-Vertu.jpg "Photo: Pat Cranham")
Tom Ingram was ‘in a good place’ after the opening qualifying session for the British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, even though the day’s early pace-setter was only third in the grid-deciding session.
Having topped the times earlier in the day, including going below the qualifying lap record in the opening practice session, Ingram found himself bettered in all three segments of qualifying.
In his Q1 group, Dan Cammish outpaced the Team Vertu driver by just under two tenths of a second, before Ingram was beaten by his NAPA Racing UK team-mate in Q2, this time by just under a tenth of a second.
A red-flag interruption in Q3, to retrieve the stricken Hyundai of Ingram’s team-mate Tom Chilton, upset the 2022 champion’s rhythm, and Ingram ultimately qualified in third with his final flying lap, a mere 0.031 seconds from pole.
Despite being beaten to a front-row grid position, Ingram was unfazed by the pace of his NAPA Racing rivals, and believes his result was more down to unfortunate timing than anything else.
“It was circumstantial more than anything else,” Ingram told TouringCars.Net. “We’ve had a bit of a way of going about producing our laps today throughout FP1 and FP2. Our tactic didn’t work quite as well in Q1 and Q2, but then what happened is it pushed us completely out of sync for Q3 with the red flag.
“We ended up falling into no-mans land and not being in a position to push, so it ended up being scrappy and horrible. It’s still nice to be there or thereabouts, though.
“I had a lockup at Redgate on what would have been the first flying lap and a random snap coming down the Craner Curves which then took me into the Old Hairpin sideways.
“I was then left with 45 seconds to go and hadn’t put a lap in, so I had to do a clean, tidy lap without exceeding track limits and all that boring stuff.
“We’ve given away quite a bit of time, but at least we’re there or thereabouts. I don’t really care where we are, but we’re there and we’ll just see what happens tomorrow.”