Diagonal Diary: Tight at the top, a test for Pat, and George joins
Tue 27 August: A Monday Bank Holiday in the UK affords the Diagonal team a chance to catch its breath after a dramatic weekend of racing at Donington Park with our client the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Wins for Colin Turkington (the 72nd of his BTCC career), Ash Sutton, and Dan Cammish (his first of the year) kept their respective title hopes alive, but it was a podium double for Jake Hill that may prove pivotal. Having pulled out of race two after a stone pierced his radiator, a late podium for Tom Ingram also made the headlines as he surged from 19th on the grid in the finale to snatch second at the finish. Hill leads Ingram by nine points in the Drivers’ standings and Sutton is a further 11 points behind. The top six in the championship have now all stood atop the podium this season and are separated by 54 points with 134 left to play for. The BTCC now moves on to its penultimate event at Silverstone (21-22 September) before the season finale at Brands Hatch (5-6 October).
Formula 1 was also in action last weekend, but the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix was a race that Max Verstappen and Red Bull failed to win after two years of dominance. Over 40 years ago, the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix (also at Zandvoort) was the story of total command for Lotus and Mario Andretti. However, as our MD Matt Bishop writes in his latest column for Motor Sport, fortunes can soon change.
Following our trip to Cologne, Germany, last week, we have a debrief call with our client Asetek SimSports – the Danish manufacturer of sim-racing hardware – to reflect on Gamescom – Europe’s leading exhibition for the gaming industry. There, the Asetek team presented the brand-new Invicta steering wheel to the media ahead of the product’s full launch at the SimRacing Expo in October. Our plans for that event are already well underway.
Alex Powell, CEO and Founder of our client EventR – the app designed by a team of software developers led by the former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer to simplify team travel – is interviewed by Event Planner News and you’ll be able to catch that piece soon.
Wed 28 August: We have a meeting with a sponsor within Formula 1 to discuss how our one-stop-shop, turn-key comms/PR, digital and social media, and influencer marketing solution can help accelerate their growth. Having learnt more about their brand philosophy, key markets, target audience, and areas of interest, we are now busily working on a bespoke pitch.
Thu 29 August: Our client Patrick Heuzenroeder – the 18-year-old Australian racing driver competing in the GB3 Championship – continues his maiden campaign at Donington next weekend (7-8 September). His preparations for the penultimate round of the season go up a gear today as he takes part in an official test at the same circuit. ‘The Racing Kelpie’ completes 57 laps across the four 30-minute sessions, ending the day in sixth position on the timing screens. Our team continues to produce rich content across Pat’s social channels and this week’s highlights see him reflect on the first F1 race he attended and his favourite F1 memories. You can watch those videos and lots more on Pat’s social channels now and remember to like and subscribe for a unique insight into the life of a young racing driver.
Fri 30 August: The last diary entry of the week goes to the latest addition to our team, George Brabner. After a stint working as a freelance content creator for Diagonal, George now joins us full-time in the role of Account Executive working across our client roster. George has worked in various motorsport-focused media roles over the past four years, covering sim-racing, FIA Formula 2, and grassroots Formula 4 among others. This year, he has expanded his skillset to include videography and photography, producing high-quality social media content at iconic circuits across Europe. In his first few days at
Diagonal, as well as briefly enjoying being on the other side of the camera while having his picture taken for our website, George has been planning the expansion of Diagonal’s social media platforms, and working on content for Pat Heuzenroeder. Welcome, George!