Indholdsfortegnelse for 16/02/23 i Autosport

McLaren, Ferrari and Williams are three of the biggest Formula 1 names, and all had milestone moments in their 2023 campaigns as this week began. McLaren and Ferrari both launched their new machines, while the Williams FW45 hit the track for the first time. We take a look at all of them this week, with technical editor Jake Boxall-Legge investigating the latest trends as the second season of this ground-effects era approaches (see page 12). Mercedes and Alpine, which were set to launch after Autosport closed for press, will be analysed in next week’s issue, just in time for pre-season testing. Many changes are needed for Williams to get back to the front of F1, a position it enjoyed for most of the 1980s and 1990s. Much has been made…

FORMULA 1 The plan to reduce the minimum weight of Formula 1 cars by 2kg for 2023 has been dropped, despite opposition from some teams. The 2023 F1 technical regulations were published some time ago, with the reduction from 798kg to 796kg highlighted as part of a general push to have lighter cars. In the interim, the 2022 car weight was increased from 795kg to 798kg early last year, largely in response to the porpoising seen in testing, accounting for items such as floor stiffening and stays. At a meeting of the FIA’s technical advisory committee, it was agreed to stick with the 2022 figure of 798kg for this season. Due to an administrative oversight, the change was omitted from a technical regulation update that was formally passed by the…

WEC Toyota has focused on improving driveability and reliability on the 2023 version of its Le Mans Hypercar. The aim is to have a more raceable car when the World Endurance Championship kicks off at Sebring next month. “The main target is to have a consistent car, easy to service and that is reliable,” explained Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe technical director Pascal Vasselon ahead of the virtual unveiling of the revised GR010 HYBRID on Wednesday. “Aero efficiency is capped, so what we have tried to achieve is aero consistency, trying to help driveability.” In addition to new diveplanes at the front and revised rear-wing endplates, there are bodywork changes aimed at improving brake cooling. “Within a balanced category, one of the items related to racecraft is serviceability of the car,…

FORMULA REGIONAL Mercedes F1 protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the Formula Regional Middle East standings going into this weekend’s Abu Dhabi finale after picking up another win last weekend in Dubai, but Brit Taylor Barnard has closed the gap to the Italian after a string of consistently strong finishes. Antonelli, driving for the Prema-run Mumbai Falcons squad, wrested the lead of the opening race from PHM Racing man Barnard, who had taken the advantage amid some ferocious early battling. Their respective team-mates, Rafael Camara and Josh Dufek, were second and fourth after a late lunge on Barnard by the Brazilian. Pepe Marti led Lorenzo Fluxa throughout the reversed-grid race. When Nikita Bedrin spun Aiden Neate out on the last lap, Barnard was elevated to third and Antonelli to fourth, only…

MOTOGP Ducati enjoyed a clean sweep across three days of testing last week at Sepang as the 2023 MotoGP pre-season got under way. Day one in Malaysia was topped by VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi, while his team-mate, Valentino Rossi’s brother Luca Marini, set the best time of the test on the final day. Both will be riding the 2022-spec Desmosedici on which Francesco Bagnaia won the title last year. Only one day was topped by a 2023-spec bike, with Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin fastest on day two, although Bagnaia was second overall at the end of the test. The reigning champion was pleased with the progress Ducati has made with its GP23, believing it to be already at the level of his 2022 bike. Bagnaia said that Ducati has…

ENGINE COVER/BODYWORK In forming the new sidepod design and dealing with the knock-on effects to cooling, the designers have decided to open up the rear of the engine cover’s upper part, creating a ‘shelf’ around the tailpipe. In between, this leaves space for a channel, and that inward blend is visible around the suspension components at the back. This should open up the top of the diffuser and also ensure that the beam wing has plenty of clean air to play with. Despite the naked carbon aesthetic still prevalent on McLaren’s car, the team has been able to strip weight for improved handling, which allows for a touch more orange wrap. FRONT END The front wing looks similar to last season, complete with squared-off nose, but appears more modular in…

Two teams have already gone to court over securing his services. He’s left the squad that brought him through the junior ranks and drawn critical comment from some of the biggest figures in the paddock regarding his character. And he’s yet to drive a Formula 1 car in competition. No pressure, Oscar Piastri… Unsurprisingly for a driver who left home at 14 to follow his dream half a world away, Piastri doesn’t view it that way. When asked what he makes of the impression created by the Alpine-McLaren tug of war last summer, which he refers to as “the drama”, Piastri is unequivocal: “I don’t think it adds any pressure.” But, given how much the F1 paddock revels in drama of any kind, let alone only the third requirement of…

Track limits proposal is utter nuts Just read your coverage of the proposed new rules on track limits and Stephen Lickorish’s editorial on the subject, which is spot on (Club Autosport, 9 February). It’s utter nuts. It won’t be able to be applied consistently unless clever tech is used. Then it’ll be like speed cameras on the road, but with no leeway at all. Timing sheets littered with penalties, deeply flawed indeed. One other point is that Motorsport UK can’t quite seem to decide why they want to make the change. The rule change proposal cites fairness. The MSUK statement says damage and safety! If it’s fairness, why is it a rule that is applied regardless of any advantage being gained? If someone does gain an advantage then yes they…

NEW RULES AND REGULATIONS NASCAR racing in the wet – on ovals? It seems unthinkable, but so did racing on dirt and street tracks until very recently. Series officials have approved the use of specially designed wet tyres for “limited use” on several of the shorter ovals, including Phoenix, which hosts the series finale. The package will include windshield wipers, rain lights and mud flaps, as per the road courses, but NASCAR has made it clear that it will not race in full-blown rain, more likely in light drizzle, damp or drying conditions. NASCAR has ruled out a repeat of Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ Martinsville wall-ride move, when he charged the barrier at full speed to gain places on the final corner of last year’s race. In future, any “unsafe…

ASIAN LE MANS SERIES DUBAI (ARE) 11-12 FEBRUARY ROUNDS 1 & 2/4 Algarve Pro Racing leads the race for Le Mans 24 Hours qualification following the first half of the Asian Le Mans Series over eight hours of racing in Dubai. Daytona 24 Hours LMP2 winner James Allen plus Kyffin Simpson did the heavy lifting alongside bronze John Falb in the APR ORECA to claim a win on Saturday and fourth on Sunday. Allen enjoyed a battle with Charlie Eastwood, leading the line in the DKR Engineering ORECA, before gaining a decisive advantage at the final stops. Eastwood, sharing with Turks Ayhancan Guven and Salih Yoluc, led late on Sunday before a pass just ahead of the final stops from Nolan Siegel. The teenaged American was the weekend’s breakout star,…

MSVR A trio of special events for early Chevrolet Corvettes will be held this year, which will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the American car’s launch and have attracted interest from around the world. Standalone contests are planned at two special US-themed events – the American SpeedFest at Brands Hatch in June and the second running of the US AutoShow fixture at Oulton Park in August – while Corvettes are also set to have a strong presence on the Thundersports grid at the rebranded Silverstone Festival at the end of August. The races will be open to the C1, C2 and C3 Corvette models. Sprint races for the cars will be held at Brands and Oulton, while the Silverstone race will be a mini-enduro. The Corvette contests will be organised…

BRITISH GT Race Lab has confirmed that it will run three cars in the British GT Championship this year, including Ian Gough and Tom Wrigley at the wheel of a new McLaren Artura GT4. Gough, who has raced primarily in Formula Ford and took a British Endurance Championship win with Race Lab last season, is making his BGT debut. Wrigley, the 2016 Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion, will embark on his first full season campaign since finishing third in the 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup GB table. The entry has partnered with mental health charity The Lions Barber Collective, which focuses on the high rate of suicide among men aged 45 and under in the UK. To raise awareness, the charity will offer free haircuts in the paddock at all six UK…

TCR UK TCR UK has introduced a new prize fund totalling £75,000, including £30,000 to be split between the top three overall in the 2023 championship. Now entering its sixth season, the series has previously offered a British Touring Car Championship test for its champion driver. The new rewards will be part of the podium ceremony for every race as well as the final championship standings. Each weekend’s opening race top three will earn £1500, £1000 and £500, with podium finishers in reversed-grid races receiving half those amounts. There will also be a £1000 bonus for the fastest qualifier at each round. Champions of the Tom Walker Memorial and Goodyear Diamond Trophy sub-classes – for rookies and drivers aged over 40 respectively – will earn £2500 each. “We’re trying to…

CSCC The Classic Sports Car Club says it has been “reassured” by the interest in next weekend’s season-opening event on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. The club decided to break from the norm this year and run a race meeting in February, three weeks before club racing’s traditional mid-March start. While the final number of participants is set to be determined by the weather forecast – either leading to withdrawals or additional late interest – just over 150 entries have been received. There are due to be four 40-minute races at the meeting, alongside a pair of sprint contests for Magnificent Sevens, and the combined Tin Tops and Turbo Tin Tops grid leads the way on 51. The Slicks Series is much lower, on 19, but that number is still…

HARRISON SWAPS TO FF2000 Classic Formula Ford champion Jordan Harrison is moving into the Historic Formula Ford 2000 championship in 2023. This will be the first time he has raced anything other than an FF1600. Harrison and his father Mark have acquired a Lola T580 from Phil Walker that is being prepared by Simon Hadfield over the winter after being rebuilt by Walker. The car is a 1980 model and has chassis number 16, of 17 built. SMITH’S FUNERAL DETAILS Members of the Formula Ford fraternity who wish to pay their respects to long-serving series coordinator Ian ‘Diz’ Smith (see obituary, Autosport, 9 February) are invited to attend his funeral service at Walton Lea Crematorium, Higher Walton, Warrington, WA4 6TB at 1000 on 3 March. ALEX GRAHAM 1942-2023 Double Scottish…

FORMULA 1 Formula 1’s nominal launch week is in full swing, and earlier livery unveilings from Haas and Williams have now been accompanied by their actual cars. Both teams have undertaken shakedowns at Silverstone, while AlphaTauri was set to debut its AT04 at Misano on Tuesday. Haas took its VF-23 for a filming day on Saturday, enrobed in its predominantly carbon black livery with white and red accents in deference to new title sponsor MoneyGram. While several key design traits of the American squad’s 2023 launch-spec F1 car look similar to last year’s model, particularly at the front end with its wide nose and inboard-loaded front wing, there are visible differences to the aerodynamics further down the car. Chiefly, this can be seen around a slimmed down engine cover, which…

FORMULA 1 FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stepped back from the day-to-day running of Formula 1 ahead of the new season. Ben Sulayem was elected as president of motorsport’s governing body in December 2021 and quickly outlined a plan to restructure the FIA’s F1 operations. This included changes to race control and appointing a CEO of the FIA for the first time. As part of this process, Ben Sulayem informed teams in a letter last week that he would be stepping back from hands-on involvement in F1, leaving the day-to-day handling of operations with FIA Single Seater director Nikolas Tombazis. Ben Sulayem will remain involved in high-level decision-making and focusing on strategic matters, but Tombazis will be the primary point of contact for teams. The move, which the FIA…

F1 ACADEMY W Series ace Abbi Pulling has become a protegee of the Alpine Formula 1 team and is to contest the all-female F1 Academy Formula 4 series in 2023. The 19-year-old Briton (right), who was sixth in the 2020 British F4 standings, has joined Rodin Carlin for her first year of racing as an Alpine Academy member. She is one of six drivers already confirmed for the inaugural season of F1 Academy, which has a maximum grid of 15. “Abbi is a driver we’ve wanted to work with for some time now,” said team chief Stephanie Carlin. “We’re really excited that we are able to work on this programme together and have no doubt that Abbi will be a huge asset to the team.” Pulling lines up at Rodin…

INDYCAR Formula E race winner Nick Cassidy has moved into the frame for a switch to IndyCar in 2024. The New Zealander was due to test for top team Chip Ganassi Racing at Sebring on Tuesday. After finishing a strong second in the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix last Saturday, Cassidy flew straight to Florida to take part in the group test for Ganassi. His contract with Envision is up for renewal at the end of the 2023 Formula E season, giving him the option to pursue other opportunities. When asked if he would like to continue in FE next year, the second season of the Gen3 era, Cassidy replied: “My options are open, so we’ll see.” Cassidy competed in both DTM and the World Endurance Championship alongside FE last year, but…

LEGGE BACK IN INDY 500 American-based Brit Katherine Legge has secured her first Indianapolis 500 attempt for 10 years. Legge, 42, will drive a fourth Honda-powered car entered by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing alongside team regulars Graham Rahal, Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey. Legge is a leading contender of late in the IMSA GTD ranks with Honda sub-marque Acura’s NSX. She also has form with RLLR as a race winner in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy electric series. RUTRONIK FOR GTWCE The German Rutronik squad is swapping from ADAC GT Masters to the GT World Challenge Europe along with its move from Audi to Porsche for 2023. The winner of the Masters title in 2019 will field a single 992-shape Porsche 911 GT3-R in the Endurance Cup rounds of the GTWCE…

McLaren’s season launch event at its sprawling Woking factory on Monday featured fresh faces taking centre stage, but an overall muted note to expectations of major Formula 1 success in 2023. Ahead of the team celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding in 1963 – special branding has already been attached to the McLaren Technology Centre’s famous presentation boulevard, but look out for the team doing much more around the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 events – it revealed the specially named MCL60 to the world. The car is very much an evolution of the aerodynamic concept McLaren was running at the end of 2022. Its latest colour scheme is also an updated version to the team’s 2022 look, which changed significantly during last year’s campaign as McLaren battled…

My first trip to the Daytona 500 produced the best finish to a race that I’ve ever witnessed live: Kevin Harvick’s duel to the stripe in 2007 with Mark Martin seemed to last forever, as thousands of race fans in the seats in front of me took to their collective feet and whooped them home. Harvick won by 0.02 seconds, the second-closest finish in the Great American Race’s history. Out of the corner of my eye, Clint Bowyer hove into my view inverted, as a huge wreck kicked off behind the leaders, and he somersaulted across the finish line in flames. Thankfully, Bowyer clambered out unhurt. This weekend, Kevin Harvick will start his last Daytona 500, as the analytical yet often-outspoken Californian retires from full-time NASCAR racing to join Bowyer…

For this chapter of the Williams story, perhaps it is indeed fair to judge a book by its cover. After all, the livery that the FW45 will wear in 2023 aptly reflects the current limbo in which this historic grand prix team now finds itself. The latest paint job is little more than a subtle evolution of what came before, when the cars were spotted racing at the back of the pack. Tweaks are minor rather than sweeping, in the same way that the Grove headquarters isn’t set for a major infrastructure overhaul. It won’t christen a new windtunnel and simulator like fellow heritage squad McLaren is busy building as a silver bullet to unlock performance. Notable changes instead come in the form of a couple of absences. In deference…

When M-Sport rehired Ott Tanak for the 2023 World Rally Championship season the objective was clear: return to the top step of the podium after a trying campaign last year. In Sweden last weekend, Tanak delivered at just the second attempt. The 2019 world champion outlined why he remains the sought-after talent M-Sport was desperate to bring back, proving it’s possible to win in the WRC without the fastest car. Tanak’s run to an 18th career victory also confirmed the hype that the Estonian’s return to M-Sport, the team that nurtured his talent back in 2011, will add extra spice to the championship battle. Reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera had anticipated strong opposition this year, and now he knows he’ll have a fight on his hands. While Tanak ultimately claimed…

Formula E made a long-anticipated debut in India last weekend as Hyderabad played host to round four of the 2023 season. A world championship race of any sort in India had seemed like a pipedream until a few years ago, so the fact that the organisers could tap support from the state government and pull off the event was an achievement in itself. The significance of the Hyderabad E-Prix cannot be understated, since India hadn’t witnessed a motor race of this scale since Formula 1 last visited the Buddh International Circuit back in 2013. In fact, the taxation saga and the bureaucratic issues that clouded F1’s brief visit to the subcontinent had so badly dented India’s reputation that few thought it would be able to host a significant international race…

FORMULA REGIONAL OCEANIA TAUPO (NZL) 11-12 FEBRUARY ROUND 5/5 Charlie Wurz claimed New Zealand’s Toyota Formula Regional Oceania title despite losing the points lead to Callum Hedge after the first of three races over the series’ final weekend. Hedge pipped Louis Foster to pole for the Saturday race, with Wurz down in fifth on the grid. The Kiwi talent staved off everything Brit Foster could throw at him to take victory. New Zealand Grand Prix winner Laurens van Hoepen was third from Liam Sceats and Wurz in an M2 Competition 1-3-4-5, interrupted only by Foster’s Giles Motorsport car. Wurz reclaimed the championship lead thanks to a great start vaulting him from fifth to third in the reversed-grid race. Hedge got ahead of Foster but could do no better than sixth.…

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB Dominant Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion James Kellett will progress into the Porsche Carrera Cup GB this year as part of an expanded Century Motorsport operation. The team has been an established frontrunner in British GT and Ginettas and moved into the Carrera Cup for the first time last year, running a single car for 2021 British GT4 champion Gus Burton. He qualified on pole for the first round of the season, before taking two wins and finishing fourth in the standings. Burton is now aiming for a title bid this year and will be joined by Kellett in two Rosland Gold Racing-entered cars. Kellett’s fellow GT4 Supercup graduate Henry Dawes and sophomore Pro-Am Carrera Cup racer Angus Whiteside complete Century’s four-car line-up. Kellett, who won 13…

BRITISH GT Multiple race winner Callum Macleod will partner Mike Price at Greystone GT in British GT this season, aboard a Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Pro-Am pair have raced together extensively prior to this year, taking wins in the GT Cup for the past two seasons, which included fifth in class in 2022 for Price’s maiden season of GT3 racing. Macleod last raced full-time in British GT in 2019, but helped Ian Loggie to the overall GT3 crown last season with victory alongside the Scot at Snetterton. “Mike was keen to step up to British GT this year and Greystone GT do seem to be the ideal fit for us for the coming season,” said Macleod, a class winner at the Spa 24 Hours. “Mike’s progress was rapid in GT3 across…

GB3 Four more drivers have been confirmed for this season’s GB3 Championship, taking the total number of competitors to 16 so far. Brazilian Lucas Staico and American Shawn Rashid have both joined Douglas Motorsport for their maiden campaigns in the category. Staico finished runner-up in last year’s Brazilian Formula 4 Championship, while Rashid placed fifth in the British Racing & Sports Car Club’s National Formula Ford standings. Joining them on the grid this season will be Gerrard Xie and Daniel Mavlyutov, who will both drive for Hillspeed. Hong Kong’s Xie won the Chinese F4 title last term, and was an impressive runner-up on his Macau GP debut, while Mavlyutov graduates from British F4 after finishing 15th overall with Hitech.…

SHERWOOD AND CDR IN F4 GB4 race winner Jack Sherwood will continue with Chris Dittmann Racing in British Formula 4 this year after joining the team for the final four events of 2022. Sherwood took two wins and was fifth in the GB4 standings in his main campaign, while his best F4 result was eighth. “I feel at home in the F4 car, so it will be a case of fine tuning in the pre-season and make sure we’re ready to hit the ground running,” he said. NEW GB4 DRIVERS JOIN Two more drivers have joined the GB4 Championship this season. Scottish karter Harry Burgoyne Jr will drive for Graham Brunton Racing, the 15-year-old having finished third in the CIK-FIA OKJ World Championship in 2020. American Jason Conzo, who had…

GOODWOOD More details have been announced about Goodwood’s plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Sussex circuit’s opening in 1948. While races named after key figures from the venue’s history, including the Moss Trophy and Tony Gaze Trophy, have already been revealed as part of April’s 80th Members’ Meeting, it has been confirmed that the central theme for the Festival of Speed – founded 30 years ago – will be ‘Goodwood 75’. A collection of cars from across Goodwood’s 75 years will tackle the hill at the event, split into groups for The Racing Years (1948-66), The Testing Years (post-1966), 30 Years of the Festival of Speed, Racing Returns (1998-23), and The Next 75 Years. Lotus, which is also celebrating its 75th birthday this year, has been selected as…

Motorsport is a notoriously difficult and expensive industry to break into, especially for aspiring drivers who require vast amounts of money to compete the further up the ladder they climb. Even becoming an engineer or a mechanic can prove a tricky path to follow, with a limited number of opportunities, and those chances are further limited by socio-economic factors. But Burnley College is aiming to change that. Despite being located in the 11th most deprived area in England in 2019, it was named as the country’s highest achieving college the following year. At the heart of that success is a burgeoning Esports department, which has recently acquired two Formula 1 simulator rigs paid for by Burnley Football Club. Students can now compete in online leagues against other schools and colleges…

FORMULA 1 The new Red Bull-Ford Formula 1 partnership will not enjoy the full concessions given to new engine suppliers by the FIA for 2026, and will instead receive only 90% of the financial breaks. Special arrangements for new suppliers were agreed upon as part of the package to encourage new manufacturers such as Audi to join F1 in 2026. This allows for extra spending power and dyno time than that allowed for the existing parties, giving them a chance to catch up. While Audi’s status as a newcomer is clear, that of Red Bull Powertrains has been called into question by rivals, notably Ferrari, given the new company’s links with Honda. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has always insisted that Red Bull Powertrains is a new and separate…

ACE CHAMPIONSHIP ACE Championship, a two-step junior electric category touted as a feeder series to Formula E, is set to begin in 2024 with ex-Mahindra boss Dilbagh Gill at the helm. The series, unveiled at last weekend’s Hyderabad E-Prix, has pledged to provide an affordable championship for junior drivers, while also providing opportunities for new talent to get into motorsport. It will comprise two levels – a top-tier ‘Championship’ and a lower-level ‘Challenger Series’ – although the same cars will be used in both, with power levels modified to vary between the two. The specification of the cars is currently not known, although the images provided appear to show a Gen2 Formula E car with a revised bodywork package, with a level of performance similar to the obsolete FE machinery…

BTCC Reigning British Touring Car independents champion team BTC Racing has changed its name to One Motorsport. The new identity for the Brackley squad eliminates the last vestiges of BTC founder Bert Taylor, who sold up to current owner Steve Dudman in 2019 but continued working with the team until the end of the 2020 season. It also removes confusion between BTC and the series’ BTCC acronym. The change comes hand in hand with the team’s acquisition of GT squad Motus One. That operation’s boss Will Powell, who competed as a driver in the BTCC last year in a Team Hard Cupra, has taken up the role of commercial and marketing director. One, whose principal Danny Buxton was formerly head of customer racing at McLaren before his arrival at BTC…

BODYWORK Ferrari has found space to add to its airbox horns, as it continues with the triangular intake arrangement. A downwashing element has sprouted underneath to provide the oncoming airflow with some direction, and a further, longer winglet has appeared below that. This rests on the fin emerging from the halo mounting point, also offering a downwash and vortex generation component. “On the aerodynamic side, our aim was twofold: to increase vertical downforce and to make up for what was lost due to the new era regulations, and then to achieve the balance characteristics we had set ourselves,” explained Enrico Cardile. BUDGET CAP CARRYOVER Development in 2023 for all teams has been limited by the budget cap, and Ferrari saved costs by carrying over any components with minimal effect on…

FRONT WING Although only in launch spec, the majority of the front wings seen on the 2023 cars so far are ‘inboard loaded’, meaning that the wings are at their deepest at the point where they attach to the nose. Aston’s wing is positioned lower in the centre than on the 2022 car, no longer featuring the raised nose tip, but there still seems to be a focus on loading the centre of each wing flap more. The outboard remains unloaded to promote outwashing, and the wing endplates have a small cut-out at the rear to elevate this. NOSE The nose is visually different to the AMR22; last year’s car featured a flat nosecone that blended into the second wing element, but the team has opted for a larger and…

The earlier a team reveals its ‘new car’, the less likely it is that we’re looking at the real thing. Had Williams whipped the dust sheet off its 2023 challenger a week ahead of McLaren, the engineers would have seen it purely as seven days of research and development time lost to a competitor. And in Formula 1, there can be no excess fat. Hence it wasn’t until last Monday, a week after the muted ‘livery launch’ at Grove, that the genuine FW45 finally broke cover at Silverstone for its shakedown. Despite the team’s troubled start to the ground-effects era, it’s a case of evolution rather than revolution when it comes to underbody aero philosophy. But the top surfaces look pleasingly different as the FW45’s sidepods feature an extended undercut…

DA COSTA HITS 100 Antonio Felix da Costa conceded that he got “a little lucky” with Sebastien Buemi’s penalty for overpower, but was pleased to conclude his 100th Formula E race with a podium for Porsche. “The short-term goal is to try and be quicker in one-lap pace, because clearly we do have a great race car,” he explained. “It’s a matter of starting to put it all together.” ‘HOME’ MAGIC FOR ROWLAND Oliver Rowland jokingly praised “Indian magic” for a strong sixth place at Hyderabad, in Mahindra’s first home race. The Briton crossed the line in fifth before dropping down a place with a five-second track limits penalty. “Our energy management hasn’t been very good, so I was wondering with 10 laps to go if we got something wrong…

SPECIAL BARC AWARDS A number of special accolades were handed out at the British Automobile Racing Club’s awards night earlier this month, including MG Owners Club ace Steve McDermid claiming the President’s Cup for the most successful driver. Also honoured was Hyundai Coupe Cup coordinator Jon Winter with the Gerry Marshall Trophy, while Britcar boss Claire Hedley was handed the Densley Trophy. Junior Saloons champion Maximus Hall was given the Peter Collins Trophy for most promising newcomer. NEW SUPERSPORT CLASS An extra class has been created in the British Racing & Sports Car Club’s Supersport Endurance Cup for its first full season this year. A new top class has been added for cars with a power-to-weight ratio of 311-350bhp per tonne to enable a greater range of machinery to compete.…

CIRCUIT RALLYING John Griffiths and Emma Morrison consolidated their lead at the head of the Circuit Rally Championship, with a 24-second victory on the Snetterton Stages in their Ford Fiesta R5 securing them a third successive win. Initially, it was former British GT racer Michael Igoe and Will Atkins heading the pursuit with their Fiesta Rally2, from Kiaran Hankin/James Swallow (Peugeot 208 T16 R5) and Ollie O’Donovan/Ashleigh Morris (Hyundai i20 R5). But Igoe clipped a chicane on stage three after he was distracted adjusting his anti-lag and missed his braking point, and Hankin had also lost time, allowing O’Donovan up to second. As both Griffiths and O’Donovan consolidated at the head of the field, Igoe took the wrong route on stage five, earning a stage maximum time. Hankin had suffered…

GERRY MARSHALL TROPHY The Historic Racing Drivers Club’s Gerry Marshall Trophy series for Group 1 tin-tops will feature an expanded four-event calendar this year after pilot races attracted strong interest last season. Two races were held for the fledgling series during 2022, with an impressive 29 cars entering the inaugural Snetterton contest in June. Grid numbers then further increased for the second race on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in October, when 32 cars took part. Following that success, the 1970s touring cars are now set to feature at four major historic events this year. Alongside continuing to appear at the October Silverstone Motor Racing Legends fixture, races will also be held at the Donington Historic Festival in April, the Masters Festival at Brands Hatch in May and the Oulton…

AMAZON DOCUMENTARY MARC MARQUEZ: ALL IN The roaring success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive in the last few years has opened the gates for others to create their own docuseries. MotoGP wasn’t immune to that pull, commissioning MediaPro to create Unlimited, which covered the 2021 season and was released on Amazon Prime Video early last year. It was hoped this would propel MotoGP into the limelight such as DTS has done with Formula 1. But it flopped spectacularly, as an ill-defined media strategy and clunky launch consigned the programme to the purgatorial wasteland of Amazon’s vast catalogue of programming. While Unlimited series two was scrapped early in production, Dorna Sports hasn’t been put off the idea of making another docuseries with Amazon. Created by Fast Brothers in collaboration with Red…

Michael Schumacher (Benetton-Ford B192) makes a botched attempt to pass Jean Alesi (Ferrari F92A) at the hairpin during the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix. After qualifying sixth, the German first dispensed with Gerhard Berger (McLaren-Honda MP4/7A), then harried fourth-place starter Alesi for a dozen laps before making his move. Both continued in the same positions, but the damage sustained by Alesi forced a drop in pace, allowing Schumacher past. The Ferrari eventually succumbed to its injuries, while Schumacher couldn’t depose Riccardo Patrese (Williams-Renault FW14B) from the final podium slot. For classic motorsport DVDs and downloads head to dukevideo.com For more great photographs, visit motorsportimages.com…

This year is the 100th birthday of MG, and one of the manufacturer’s most iconic cars has to be the Metro 6R4. Here, two examples of the popular machine are tackling the British round of the European Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill in 1989, an event that was supported by Autosport. While Aidan Creegan (right) and Michael Shield (who won the British Rallycross title that year) lead the Division 2 field away, the Ford RS200 of Martin Schanche is looming large behind as he attempts to pass the pair. The overall event winner proved to be the Peugeot 205 of Matti Alamaki. For classic 1980s rallycross DVDs head to dukevideo.com/rallycross…

David Brabham agonises for a while before picking the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst as his favourite track. A veteran of the British, Japanese and US racing scenes, as well as enjoying international exploits in Formula 1 and sportscars, the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours winner has raced on more circuits than most would care to name. But it’s not the Circuit de la Sarthe that gets the nod as his top pick. Neither is it Sonoma, which he praises for its “variety and challenging, blind corners”. Instead it’s the classic Australian track where in 1997 Brabham paired up with brother Geoff to win the Bathurst 1000 in a Super Touring BMW, benefiting from Paul Morris and Craig Baird’s disqualification due to a drive-time violation. His first recollection of racing…