Cumbrian racer Alex MacDowall sets sights on a better 2022

His pledge came after after signing off a frustrating Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup season on Sunday in Spain.

Carlisle’s MacDowall, who won the Silver Cup crown in 2020, had to settle for an 11th-place class result in the fifth and final race of the campaign at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

It came after he again struggled with the grip and handling of the No159 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 he shared with Nicolai Kjaergaard and Valentin Hasse-Clot.

After a tougher than expected campaign in GTWCE Endurance - a year which delivered just one Silver Cup podium result in the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa mid-season - MacDowall is already setting his sights on next year as he plans to hit back strongly in 2022.

“I didn’t expect this season to be as bad as it turned out to be, we just couldn’t compete with the Lamborghinis and Mercedes”, he said.

“You’re there to win, to do the best you can, but when the car isn’t there for you it’s quite demoralising.

“It’s been one of those years, I’m glad it’s over to be honest so we can focus on 2022 instead.

“We’re obviously disappointed how this year has turned out, especially after winning the Silver Cup championship with Lamborghini last season, but the disappointment of a bad season only makes you hungrier and more determined than ever,” he added.

“It’s been good teaming with Val [Hasse-Clot] and Nicolai [Kjaergaard], but we just haven’t had the package we needed.”

Far from the result he wanted in Spain, MacDowall was simply relieved the season was at a conclusion.

“At high grip tracks, like Spa, the problems with the handling were masked really but at low grip tracks – like this weekend – it’s a handful you’re fighting all the time”, he said.

“You can’t carry speed through the corners and it takes everything to keep the car on track and out of the barriers to be honest. It’s a shame this year turned out how it did, but onward and upward to next season.”