Diagonal Diary: Jake doubles up, interviews for Caitlin, and the Bish on the Button
Mon 10 June: Chance for the Diagonal team to catch its collective breath after a weekend of thrills and spills with our client the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at the country’s fastest circuit, super-quick Thruxton. A huge crowd (and a jam-packed – and hay fever-filled! – media centre) watched Jake Hill complete one of the best fortnights of his BTCC career by following up his double victory at the previous round at Snetterton with two more wins in Hampshire. Defending champion Ash Sutton won the weekend’s third and final race to claim his first victory of the season – and the 40th of his BTCC career – and move back to the top of the standings, five points ahead of Hill, with six rounds and 18 races to go. Round five is at Oulton Park, Cheshire, on 22-23 June.
Tue 11 June: A busy day of internal planning meetings in Diagonal’s City of London offices is finished with a visit to recce a site which will host a very special unveiling with which we are involved at the start of next month. Cheers! (Yes, that’s a clue)
@officialbtcc Random questions with the 2024 grid! We need the answers! Help us out! #BTCC
♬ original sound - BTCC
Wed 12 June: Morning meeting with our client EventR – the app designed by a team of software developers led by former Formula 1 team principal, Otmar Szafnauer, to simplify team travel – to discuss an upcoming announcement.
A brand-new Motor Sport column by Diagonal MD Matt Bishop is published. This week, the Bish recalls what he reckons is the greatest Formula
1 race of the 21st century (so far), the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, won in dramatic fashion by Jenson Button – and what it was like to be at the heart of the action, working with drivers Button and Lewis Hamilton, and chairman Ron Dennis, in his role as McLaren’s comms chief.
Thu 13 June: After a meeting with another potential client, attention turns to our existing client Caitlin Wood – the Australian racing driver who is the only woman competing in this season’s Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain. During a round of interviews with leading motorsport media, Caitlin discusses being a Barbie Sports Ambassador and what it was like to race against Jamie Chadwick. Briton Jamie made history on Sunday when she became the first woman to win a race on a road or street circuit in the Indy NXT series. Caitlin competed against Jamie in 10 W Series races from 2019 to 2021, and congratulated her fellow trailblazer And so say all of us. Rounds four, five, and six of Caitlin’s Porsche Sprint Challenge GB season take place at Oulton Park – in support of the BTCC – on 22-23 June.
Fri 14 June: On the eve of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans – which will be attended by Diagonal client Pat Heuzenroeder, the 18-year-old Australian racing driver competing in this season’s GB3 Championship, and our Account Executive, Gerren Scapens – we write a proposal for one client and a press release for another. Best of luck to all of those competing in the legendary endurance race.