Motorsport News 15/04/21

On the whole, the Great British public has coped well with the restrictions and limitations that have been placed on it by those in power to help get through the disruptions of the health pandemic. Freedoms have been taken away at a stroke, and the light at the end of the tunnel seemed a long way away when lockdown three began in December. But there is some hope, and reason to be cheerful. The government’s roadmap to signpost us all out of the dark times has been welcomed, and the days are being ticked off until some form of normality can return. However the latest advice, issued as MN closed for press last week, is an unnecessary and unwelcome hammer blow to this country’s motorsport venues. The news that crowds will…

Saturday Formula 1 sprint races will be introduced in 2021 after squads and F1’s bosses reached a financial agreement to allow the 60-mile events to take place. Teams were concerned that the new plan for three extra sprints would impact on their finances, particularly as they are all trying to adhere to new cost-capping measures. A deal has now been struck to grant extra cash to each team. Although it has not been confirmed, it is thought that each will receive $500,000 to cover the costs of the new sprint events. There are measures in place to raise the individual cost caps should a particular squad incur a burden if one of its cars was involved in a major crash during the extra events. The races will take place at Silverstone on July…

Allison’s new role Mercedes F1 has confirmed that Brit James Allison will move to the role of chief technical offer from July, and his position as technical director will be taken by the current technology director, Mike Elliott. Elliott has experience at Renault and McLaren and joined the Brackley-based team in 2012. Allison said: “I believe that people have a shelf life in senior roles in this sport, and I have chosen to step away from my role as technical director in order to pass on the baton at the right time for the organisation and myself.” Max’s woe revealed Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Bahrain Grand Prix runner-up Max Verstappen was losing 0.3s per lap in the early stages with a differential problem and then the team had to…

Fox Motorsport will return to the British GT championship in 2021 with a McLaren 570S GT4 driven by Pro-Am pair British GT4 title-winner Jamie Stanley and Ginetta champion Nick Halstead. Halstead made his competitive debut in Ginetta GT5 Challenge in 2017 and with Fox in 2018 won the series’Am division. His experience also includes TCR UK, the Citroen C1 24 Hours and Ginetta GT4 Supercup. Lotus Cup UK Exige, GT Cup and Britcar title-winner Stanley won 2010’s British GT4 championship and since has had several competitive appearances in the category. Fox also has extensive British GT experience and Fox and Stanley together won at Snetterton in 2015. Halstead told Motorsport News: “It’s been a multi-year project. My ultimate goal has always been to do British touring car but that can’t happen this year.…

Bosses of Silverstone have joined forces with other leading sporting bodies to back a plan for Covid certification, which would allow as many fans as possible to attend this year’s British Grand Prix. Silverstone chiefs have collaborated with nine other sporting bodies to pen the letter to Downing Street. It is asking for a clear direction “as soon as possible” to allow all parties to plan ahead. The British motorsport venue held two grands prix last season but both were run behind closed doors to satisfy the Covid restrictions. This year’s British GP is due to take place on July 16-18, after the UK’s restrictions are due to have been lifted. In 2019, a reported 141,000 attended the British Grand Prix race day. Following on from the letter, a Silverstone statement said: “While…

Ginetta champion Scott McKenna will lead Speedworks Motorsport’s 2021 British GT championship challenge as first member of the new Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Young Driver Programme. Speedworks and Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe launched the young driver programme last month (see MN, March 25) and 19-year-old McKenna, as well as getting access to the organisations’expertise and resources, will pursue the British GT championship spearheading a GT4 Pro-Am line-up. He’ll pilot Speedworks’Toyota GR Supra alongside Formula Ford race-winner John Ferguson. Yorkshireman McKenna cut his car-control teeth on Scandinavia’s frozen lakes through his family’s ice driving business. He switched to asphalt four years ago, and was crowned 2019 Ginetta GT5 champion in his first full car racing campaign. With Le Mans winner Guy Smith’s mentoring and Andy Meyrick’s coaching, BRDC Rising Star McKenna last year…