Motorsport News 04/03/21

The British Rallycross Championship will become the first series in the United Kingdom to adopt electric cars into its highest level. Electric machines will compete directly against the existing internal combustion engine Supercars on a level playing field. The governing body, Motorsport UK, is in the final stages of approving the use of electric cars into the discipline, based on the four-wheel-drive, three-motor, 450kW electric powertrain developed by former World Rally Championship star Manfred Stohl’s firm, STARD. Cars using STARD’s powertrain system were raced in the Projekt E support category to the World Rallycross Championship last season. Electric cars are expected to compete in the British RX 5 Nations trophy this year from the opening round at Lydden Hill on May 29. Reigning Projekt E champion Natalie Barratt is among those hoping to take…

I will nail my colours to the mast here: Johnny Herbert. He was the driver who really fired my passion when I was younger, and I watched him take a glorious win in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1985. I was there in 1988 too when he had his terrible accident, and I was also at Silverstone on the day he took his maiden Formula 1 victory for Benetton in 1995. It had been a truly remarkable decade for the cheeky chappie from Essex. So he was my vote for my favourite Formula 1 driver, and the reasons are purely personal. And that is the way any great motorsport debate starts: it is all about personal opinions, and that is why the results of the huge online poll conducted…

Max Verstappen says it is too early to tell if his new Red Bull RB16B grand prix car will be the Mercedes-beater the Dutchman hopes it will. The wraps came off the Honda-powered machine last week ahead of a 60-mile shakedown at Silverstone. While the running with the fresh machine was conducted on prescribed Pirelli rubber, Verstappen and new team-mate Sergio Perez also conducted further mileage in the 2019-spec RB15. Verstappen, who finished third in the Formula 1 standings last season with two victories – including the finale inAbu Dhabi in December –said that the limitations on the rubber meant that a positive assessment of the 2021 car was impossible. The 23-year-old reported: “I never really base a lot of my findings on this. It’s more just wanting to get the car out,…

F1 in hock Figures show that Formula 1 posted a loss of $386 million last season as the income from grand prix racing fell by 44%. The losses were due to a lack of race promoter fees amid Covid and also race broadcast fees were affected. Liberty Media also handed out bonuses to teams that signed the reworked Concorde Agreement. Advertising revenue was increased over previous seasons, but the cash pot shared out by the 10 competing teams fell from $1012 million in 2019 to $711 million last term. Ilott’s GT deal Ferrari has confirmed that its academy driver Callum Ilott will tackle the Endurance Cup rounds of the GT World Challenge Europe this season while also working alongside the F1 team as its test and development racer. The Briton, runner up in…

AlphaTauri has targeted a climb up the Formula 1 midfield at the launch of its newAT02 chassis (left) last week. The team won the Italian Grand Prix last season with Pierre Gasly at the wheel. He will be joined in 2021 by Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who replaces Daniil Kvyat. AlphaTauri, which is the rebranded Toro Rosso squad, finished seventh in the constructors’standings last term and Gasly scored points in 10 of the 17 rounds on his way to 10th in the drivers’competition. Team boss Franz Tost said: “In 2020, we were fighting against other teams like McLaren, Renault and Racing Point. But our target for this year is to consistently be at the top of the midfield pack and improve further.” Tsunoda added that his aim was to become the first Japanese racer…

Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle has said he is cautiously optimistic on the prospect of fans returning trackside in 2021 following the recent government announcement over the lifting of lockdown measures. Both 2020 rounds in the UK were behind closed doors, but Pringle now said that he was hopeful the gates would be open in 2021. The British Grand Prix is scheduled for July 18. Pringle said: “The [government] requirements have been set out. There are variables that are within nobody’s control. “But equally, things have been going well, and I think that people want to get behind an opportunity that gives some light at the end of the tunnel.”…