F1 Questions raised by Austin disqualifications

B R I TA I N ’ S B E S T M OTO R S P O R T W E E K LY 26 OCTOBER 2023

U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

Hamilton denied
as Max hits 50
Verstappen holds on before
Mercedes and Ferrari exclusions

PLUS
How Sutton stormed to BTCC history
 CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Cover image
Hone/Motorsport Images; Chris Graythen/Getty
Images/Red Bull Content Pool

PIT & PADDOCK

Another landmark for Max 4
6
Why Hamilton/Leclerc ‘walked the plank’
Anger over new €1m F1 driver fines

after a proper F1 contest 8

10
WEC and BTCC change qualifying formats
International entries return to Macau
13 Mexican Grand Prix preview
Alain Prost (in 1993), Michael Schumacher (2001), Lewis Hamilton 15 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas
(2016), Sebastian Vettel (2018), and now Max Verstappen. Red Bull’s 17 Opinion: Gary Watkins
current star underlined his status as one of the Formula 1 greats
by joining the short list of drivers to score his 50th world RACE CENTRE
championship grand prix victory at Austin last weekend. 18 United States GP report and analysis
Many of Verstappen’s recent successes have not exactly pushed 34 World of Sport: ELMS; DTM; NASCAR Cup;
the Dutchman to dig deep, such has been the advantage of the RB19, F1 Academy; FRegional European; MotoGP
but the United States Grand Prix was different. As Alex Kalinauckas
explains on page 18, a combination of a track limits penalty, FEATURES
Red Bull brake problems, improved performance from McLaren 40 BTCC review: Sutton makes history
and Mercedes, and an inspired Hamilton made Verstappen’s 48 The conquerors of the TOCA supports
job more challenging than anyone expected on Sunday.
In the end, Hamilton’s disqualification (see p4) made the battle CLUB AUTOSPORT
academic, but it was good while it lasted before F1 heads to Mexico 61 Century wants BGT champs to stay
– where the Red Bulls are likely to disappear down the road at a 62 Jaguars and Midgets to CSCC
rate of knots. Verstappen has won four of the past five GPs there… 64 Equipe to move into single-seaters
The British Touring Car Championship and its support package 65 Opinion: Stephen Lickorish
provided plenty of action in 2023. Marcus Simmons and Stephen 66 National reports: Donington Park;
Brands Hatch FF Festival; Silverstone;
Lickorish take a look at how the titles were won in our reviews
Kirkistown
(p40 and p48), as well as picking out the top performers.
Two of the UK highlights last weekend were the British GT finale
at Donington Park and the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch.
FINISHING STRAIGHT
78 What’s on this week
Turn to p66 to see how the GT crown was decided, and p70 for our
80 From the archive: 1956 Le Mans
coverage of a Formula Ford contest that culminated in an epic final.
82 My favourite track: Oliver Gavin

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Worn planks cause Hamilton lost hard-
won second place

exclusions for
Hamilton, Leclerc
FORMULA 1

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from last

Sunday’s United States Grand Prix after their cars were found to
have finished the race with excessively worn floor planks. The FIA
technical regulations decree that the 10mm skids must measure no
less than 9mm in thickness come scrutineering. But the Mercedes
of runner-up Hamilton and sixth-placed Leclerc’s Ferrari were
picked for checks – alongside Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and the
McLaren of Lando Norris – and were found to be non-compliant.
FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer can carry out “at his discretion,
any checks to verify the compliance of the cars entered in the
competition”. As such, scrutineering isn’t uniform. No one had
their floors inspected after last month’s Japanese GP, but three
were assessed next time out in Qatar. This is because the
governing body can zero in on which cars are worth calling in
ETHERINGTON
for further review based on several indicators. Onboard footage
is monitored to see whether drivers’ heads are wobbling from
bottoming out over bumps. And following the high-profile return
of porpoising in 2022, vertical oscillations are logged. It is likely
that the Mercedes and Ferrari piqued the FIA’s interest in these parc ferme is in place. From then on, they are effectively
areas. That the cars of team-mates George Russell and Carlos making highly educated guesses.
Sainz were not flagged suggests that the FIA felt they were With Hamilton and Leclerc excluded, as is the standard
legal, perhaps from running different set-ups. punishment for a technical breach, the rest of the field were
A bulletin from the stewards read: “During the hearing the promoted. Of the 17 finishers, 13 did not have their floors checked.
team(s) acknowledged that the measurement performed by the While the FIA can point to the oscillation and onboards as warning
FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on flags, there remains a possibility that other illegal cars went
the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of undetected but have now scored more points. But the governing
the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimised the body has long favoured pragmatism with scrutineering. Assessing
time to set up and check the car before the race.” all 20 cars is not realistic with the current resources. In the case
That the rear skid plates were overly worn points to both cars of Austin, there was the usual small technical team, a sprint race
either running too low or too soft, allowing the floors to repeatedly weekend meaning four lots of inspections to reflect the number
graze the asphalt as they rebounded after hitting the bumps at the of competitive sessions, plus a need to immediately freight the
Circuit of The Americas. The track was noticeably rougher this cars to Mexico City for the second leg of a triple-header.
year, despite Turns 12 and 14-16 being resurfaced. Race winner Teams have only 30 minutes following the chequered flag to
Verstappen declared the venue as being better suited to a “rally protest a race result. But it was approximately 100 minutes after
car” and not “F1 level”. As noted by the FIA, Mercedes and Ferrari the event when Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s cars were reported to the
were also likely caught out by the sprint format used at Austin. stewards. By that time, rivals had already retrieved their machinery
The timetable only allows for one hour of practice before parc from parc ferme and could have adjusted componentry. As such,
ferme. That meant some squads had not completed heavy fuel no other cars could have been recalled to be tested for suspect
runs to adjust the suspension accordingly. What’s more, teams planks. Therefore, the amended results are almost certainly final.
cannot remove the plank to take accurate measurements once MATT KEW
SUTTON/MOTORSPORT IMAGES

Skids on Mercedes
and Ferrari were
found to be illegal

4 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 RT IMAGES
PORTLOCK/MOTORSPO
BAGNALL/MOTORSPORT IMAGES

Dennis tested Red

Bull in 2018 at the
Hungaroring (inset)

Formula E king Dennis given Red Bull FP1 bow

FORMULA 1 Dennis, who was third in rookie in each of its cars. Both driver, F2 racer Jack Doohan,
the 2015 Formula 3 European Max Verstappen and Sergio will take Pierre Gasly’s car for
Reigning Formula E champion Championship and fourth in Perez will be benched for FP1 at the Mexico and Abu Dhabi FP1
Jake Dennis will end his stellar GP3 in 2016, privately tested the season finale, where FIA F2 sessions. In the closing rounds
2023 by driving for Red Bull in the Red Bull RB14 in 2018, but driver Isack Hadjar will also of the campaign, Mercedes will
FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand prior to his 2021 electric switch participate. Red Bull is no roll out Frederik Vesti, Ollie
Prix. The Briton has been a with Andretti he had moved longer able to field junior Liam Bearman will run for Haas,
simulator driver for the away from the single-seater Lawson following his five- Pato O’Ward for McLaren,
recently crowned Formula 1 ladder to GT racing. round stint at AlphaTauri Robert Shwartzman returns for
constructors’ champion since The 28-year-old, winner of deputising for the injured Ferrari, Felipe Drugovich joins
2018, and his reward for that the 2012 McLaren Autosport Daniel Ricciardo. Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo
service is a first public BRDC Award, will help Red Bull Meanwhile, Alpine has deploys Theo Pourchaire.
top-flight run. satisfy the FIA criteria to run a announced that its reserve ADAM COOPER

Schumacher
ALPINE
gets Alpine
Hypercar run
WEC

Mick Schumacher got his first taste of a

sportscar last week when he drove the
new Alpine A424 LMDh prototype at
Jerez. The tryout came after a way for
him continue in his role as Mercedes
Formula 1 test and reserve alongside
another programme was outlined by
team boss Toto Wolff last month. Alpine has been
Wolff was responding to speculation testing at Jerez
that Schumacher was in talks with the
Renault brand about joining its World
Endurance Championship assault it as a “first contact” and a “short suggests that he is in the reckoning.
with the Signatech team in 2024. The programme” as he sampled a prototype. Alpine has so far revealed only that
German was known to have had talks The French manufacturer has Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere
with Alpine boss Bruno Famin. so far not been drawn on whether and Charles Milesi have driven the
Alpine has confirmed that Schumacher could join its six-strong A424. It is understood that other
Schumacher did drive the A424, but has line-up for 2024. But a delay in the drivers who are already contracted
revealed few other details. Signatech announcement of its drivers, originally for next year have also sampled it.
boss Philippe Sinault simply described scheduled for the middle of this month, GARY WATKINS

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Fury as FIA New drivers won’t be

able to afford fines,

hikes driver reckons Russell

fines to €1m
FORMULA 1

The FIA has hiked the maximum fine that

it can dish out to Formula 1 teams and
drivers up €1,000,000. The governing body

SUTTON/MOTORSPORT IMAGES
reasons that the previous €250,000 limit
outlined in the International Sporting Code
had “not been reviewed nor amended for at
least the last 12 years and does not reflect
the current needs of motorsport”. Other
FIA world championship competitors
(Rally, Endurance, Rallycross, Rally-Raid,
Formula E) may one day have to cough up
to €750,000. These sums will be reinvested Although these are the same people calling what we love, so we’re not complaining
in grassroots motorsport. for Michael Andretti to pay an anti-dilution about that. But if you take a year one
While the increase reflects the growth fee of $600m to form an 11th F1 team… driver and you fine them a million,
of F1 since 2011, with teams now valued at Mercedes driver George Russell reckoned what’s going to happen?
$1billion, the paddock is incensed. They fresh-faced F1 drivers wouldn’t even be “We just want transparency and
have called out the lack of warning and able to cough up. “In my first year of understanding. It feels like these numbers
consultation, there not being any codified Formula 1, I was on a five-figure salary are being plucked out the air. When there’s
list detailing which sins will cop the and actually lost over six figures in that a lot of global issues going on and so much
eye-watering payouts, and a general feeling year from paying for my trainer, for flights, poverty, how can a federation just make
that talk of such high sums is insensitive for an assistant,” he said. “That’s probably up these six, seven-figure fines?”
amid fans enduring a cost-of-living crisis. the case for 25% of the grid. We’re doing MATT KEW

Chinese GP circuit joins Formula E calendar

FORMULA E Paulo hosts its second FE
FE looks nice beneath event on 16 March before the
Formula E has added the Portland trees championship visits Japan
another permanent track for the first time in Tokyo
to its schedule with a on 30 March. After Italy,
pair of races at Shanghai it’s off to Monaco (27 April)
International Circuit, host of and a Berlin double-header
the Chinese Grand Prix, as (11-12 May), followed by
part of a 16-race calendar the two races in China.
for the 2024 season. Portland is next up on 29
The event will take place June before the season again
on 25-26 May, just over five ends in London (20-21 July),
years after FE last visited with Cape Town and Jakarta
China with a race in the the 2023 venues missing
island city of Sanya. The from the schedule.
FERRARO
series has not raced in the
country since 2019 due OChina’s FE team has
to the pandemic. concluded its collaboration
FE has long raced on a with NIO and been renamed
derivative of the permanent the Italian double-header chief Alberto Longo. Electric Racing Technologies.
circuit that plays host to the on 13-14 April. The calendar, approved The Silverstone-based squad
Mexican GP, while a round at “The combination of street at last week’s World Motor has existed in various guises
the Portland IndyCar venue circuits, which is in Formula Sport Council, begins in since the series’ formation. In
was introduced this year. E’s DNA, and established race Mexico City on 13 January. its former guise as NEXTEV,
With the Rome street track tracks will allow drivers to This will be followed by the NIO bought into the team that
regarded as too quick for push the capabilities of the Diriyah double-header in started out as Team China
the new Gen3 cars, nearby Gen3 car harder and further Saudi Arabia (26-27 January) Racing, and ran Nelson
Vallelunga as well as Misano after a first season that beat before a return to Hyderabad Piquet Jr to the 2014-15 title.
are in contention to stage all expectations,” said series in India (10 February). Sao STEFAN MACKLEY

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FORMULA 1 FIA Formula 3 podium finisher Luke Browning had his first taste of F1 machinery on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on Tuesday as his prize
for winning the 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award. The 21-year-old Williams junior drove the Aston Martin AMR21 on the drying circuit, heading
out first on wet-weather tyres before swapping to a hard-compound Pirelli slick. “It’s a lot quicker through the low speed than I expected,” he said after his
installation lap. “I’m really looking forward to unleashing it through Copse once it dries up a little bit – that’s going to be the really exciting part, so that’s
what I’m looking forward to. Everything is incredible – the ride, the power steering – and I’m really looking forward to smashing the brakes later on.”
Photograph by Sutton/Motorsport Images

Mercedes protege Antonelli leaps

ROZENDAAL/DUTCH PHOTO AGENCY

straight into F2 with Prema
FORMULA 2 challenging because the level is really high
there. It will be a new car, for me and the
Exciting Mercedes Formula 1 protege others as well, but it’s still going to be tough.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will leap directly “I don’t want to set expectations – I will
from winning the Formula Regional try to have fun as always, and do a good
European Championship by Alpine into job. I’m delighted to continue with Prema
Formula 2 with Prema Racing next year. as I started my single-seater career with
The 17-year-old Italian this month won them and they are my second family.
the FRECA title as a rookie with two races to I love working with them.”
spare, adding to his FR Middle East crown The jump to F2 from FRegional level
from the winter, and last year claimed is not unprecedented: 2020 champion
26 race victories in his first full season of Gianluca Petecof did the same in 2021 and
car racing to win the Italian and German is now plying his trade in Brazilian Stock
Formula 4 titles plus the Motorsport Games Cars, something we assume won’t happen
Gold Medal. This season he was even a to Antonelli… His team-mate is tipped to
race winner on a one-off Italian GT outing. be Ferrari protege Ollie Bearman – the
“It will be a huge jump,” acknowledged highly rated Briton has won four races
Antonelli. “I’m aware that it will be very with Prema in his rookie F2 season.

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JEP

…while BTCC
apes IndyCar
BTCC

British Touring Car Championship

ringmaster Alan Gow is known to be
partial to a spot of IndyCar action, and
his teams have gone along with a plan
to implement a new qualifying system
for 2024 entirely based on the US series’
format used for road and street courses.
From now on, the field will be split into
two groups, based on alternate positions
from the second free practice session,
for the first phase. The top six from each
will graduate to the next round, with the
top half-dozen from this 12 fighting it
out for pole among the ‘Quick Six’. Each
session will last for 10 minutes.
“I’ve long admired the way IndyCar use
this system – it’s ideal for the BTCC and
in keeping with our policy of providing
short, sharp and intense action,”
proclaimed Gow. “The pressure will
certainly be on the teams and drivers,
more than ever before, to quickly ‘nail’
WEC adopts Le Mans hyperpole their qualifying laps in each segment.”
ITV pundit Tim Harvey gave it the
thumbs up. “I’m really excited,” said the
qualifying system for 2024… 1992 BTCC champion. “I love qualifying
anyway. When you see an Ash Sutton
WEC “enhanced qualifying format”. pole lap, or a Colin Turkington quick lap,
What hasn’t been revealed so far is or a Tom Ingram on-the-limit lap, they’re
The hyperpole qualifying format whether qualifying at Le Mans will a joy to watch. This format I think is
pioneered at the Le Mans 24 Hours be tweaked, so that 10 rather than great because it gives us four sessions
in 2020 will be introduced into six cars in each class go through to of people going for it. Obviously there’ll
the rest of the World Endurance Hyperpole. The 24 Hours has its own be some tyre management and strategy
Championship from next year. sporting regulations, which aren’t involved, but I really like it.”
That means a two-round, knockout scheduled to be published for next Harvey also pinpointed that the system
style format to set the grid in each year until November. will provide focus on more competitors.
of the championship’s two classes. The WMSC also ratified the “In a normal session you don’t have a
At Le Mans, the fastest six cars new LMGT3 rules. WEC-specific chance to give everybody exposure,” he
during a one-hour qualifying period adaptations of the FIA GT3 regulations added. “We’re just looking for who’s on a
on Wednesday go through to the will include the introduction of quick lap, see the purple sectors and give
half-hour Hyperpole session on illuminated number panels and feedback to the directors. Trying to pick
Thursday evening. The new system leader lights, which indicate whether up on cars at Brands Indy or Knockhill is
signed off by the FIA World Motor the car is running in the top three in bloody difficult! But with this there’ll be
Sport Council for the other seven class. The cars will also be fitted with attention on lots of different cars and it
rounds last week allocates 12 minutes torque sensors on each driveshaft. will be fantastic on the live coverage.”
per class for the first round, from FIA president Mohammed Ben MARCUS SIMMONS
which the fastest 10 cars will go Sulayem made mention at the WMSC
through to the Hyperpole sessions. of Aston Martin’s confirmation
The first 10 places on the grid in earlier this month of plans to race
Hypercar and the new LMGT3 class, a Valkyrie developed to the Le Mans
the only two categories in the WEC Hypercar rules in the WEC.
from next year on the disappearance “I also welcome the recent
of LMP2, will be allocated on the announcement of Aston Martin
basis of times set in the final session. and their commitment to enter the
The rest of the grid will be set Hypercar class of the WEC from
during the opening periods. 2025,” he said. “This class is going
The system replaces the three from strength to strength with an
JEP

15-minute mini-sessions, one for impressive line-up of some of the

each class, in place this year, and world’s biggest manufacturers.”
was described by the FIA as an GARY WATKINS

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GT3 giant
ASP for WEC
Lexus duo
WEC

Lexus is set to race in the new

LMGT3 class of the World
Endurance Championship
next year with the French Auto
Sport Promotion team. It has
announced that it will be filing
entries for what is likely to be an
oversubscribed category, and
began its test programme with
the Toyota marque’s RC F GT3
INDY NXT Britons Louis Foster and Jamie Chadwick will both remain with the renamed Andretti Global team for a at the Algarve Circuit this week.
second season of Indy NXT in 2024. Foster took two wins on his way to fourth in this year’s points, while Chadwick ASP, run by 13-time Le Mans
claimed 12th position. Both took part in last week’s official test at Indianapolis (Chadwick pictured). Among the 24 Hours participant Jerome
other IndyCar support series in action at the test, Adam Fitzgerald sampled a USF Pro 2000 car with TJ Speed Policand and a multiple title
Motorsports. The Irishman has recovered from the injuries he sustained in the tragic Formula Regional winner in the GT World
European crash at Spa in July that claimed the life of Dilano van ’t Hoff. Photograph by Jones/PEC Challenge Europe with
Mercedes, is taking up the
entries earmarked for Lexus.
It is expanding an existing
partnership with Toyota that
Blomqvist in already encompasses the GR
Supra GT4, one expected to
continue when the Japanese
enduro Cadillac manufacturer’s new contender
based on the GR GT3 Concept
IMSA enters competition in 2025.
Present at the test was Jose
Two-time Daytona 24 Hours winner Tom Maria Lopez, who looks set to
Blomqvist will retain a foot in sportscar race for the team in WEC next
racing when he moves full-time into year after losing his Hypercar
GALSTAD

IndyCar next year with Meyer Shank seat to Nyck de Vries. The
Racing. The Brit will race for the 2023 Argentinian is understood to
title-winning Action Express Racing have been given a continuing
Cadillac squad in four of the IMSA “It is an honour to be joining Action role with Toyota covering the
SportsCar Championship enduros. Express Racing and Cadillac for the WEC and development of the
Blomqvist will line up alongside endurance rounds of the 2024 campaign,” GR GT3. Jack Hawksworth, who
Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken at Daytona, said Blomqvist, who took his first steps in races for Lexus in the IMSA
Sebring, Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans IndyCar with Shank this year as a stand-in SportsCar Championship, was
aboard the AXR Caddy V-Series.R. His for Simon Pagenaud. “It is a series I love also part of the squad at the test.
announcement follows that of the Shank being a part of, and I’m delighted to be GARY WATKINS
team he joined ahead of the 2022 season returning once again. To be able to come
losing its deal with Acura to race in IMSA back to the series and to try to defend my
next year. He will not be able to race at title at Daytona is a huge motivation.”
June’s six-hour Watkins Glen round, where AXR boss Gary Nelson explained that
line-ups often comprise three drivers, Blomqvist’s successes in IMSA made
after a date change means it now conflicts him a “natural fit” for the team.
with the Laguna Seca IndyCar event. GARY WATKINS

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHY

F2 ace Verschoor
bids for second
Macau victory…

TRIENITZ
MACAU GRAND PRIX “Many people advised me not to do it, but I appear either, but his 2023 team Prema
like a challenge,” he said. “Even before I won Racing has a full line-up of category aces,
Richard Verschoor is stepping back from the race in 2019, I loved the atmosphere and with Paul Aron (third in the championship)
Formula 2 in an attempt to become the the track and everything about it. I said I’d joined by Dino Beganovic and Gabriele
fifth driver to become a two-time winner of never get the same experience or feeling of Mini, the last-named transferring from
the Macau Grand Prix in its Formula 3 era. driving that I got in Macau anywhere else.” Hitech. Franco Colapinto, fourth in the
The 22-year-old Dutchman tops the Verschoor is one of four F2 racers points, leads the attack of MP.
27-car entry list for next month’s race, four stepping down for Macau: Roman Stanek Other F3 frontrunners from this season
years on from F3’s last appearance before joins him at Trident; Zane Maloney is the include Campos Racing pair Pepe Marti and
travel restrictions from the COVID crisis only nominated driver so far at Rodin Oliver Goethe, Hitech’s Williams F1 junior
scuppered any possibility of assembling an Carlin; and Isack Hadjar is with Hitech. Luke Browning, and Christian Mansell
international field. Verschoor won that There is no entry for Trident’s 2023 and Gregoire Saucy with ART Grand Prix.
event in 2019 with MP Motorsport on FIA F3 champion and newly appointed In the Formula 4 race, which takes place
his and the team’s Macau debut (above). McLaren F1 protege Gabriel Bortoleto, but the preceding weekend on 11-12 November,
Verschoor has been a race winner in F2 the team is fielding 16-year-old American Prema has entered Aston Martin Autosport
this year with Van Amersfoort Racing, but Ugo Ugochukwu, who clinched the Euro 4 BRDC Award finalist Arvid Lindblad and
has returned to Trident – with which he Formula 4 title at Barcelona last weekend. fellow Brit Freddie Slater among its quartet.
took an F2 victory in 2022 – for Macau. F3 runner-up Zak O’Sullivan does not MARCUS SIMMONS

Female series to flyaway street tracks

SUTTON

F1 ACADEMY Stephanie Carlin pointed out for drivers and sponsors to

that the svelte field of 15 cars be on the F1 package,” added
The all-female F1 Academy should mitigate this, and “the Carlin. “The level of opportunity
series will race on some of championship is working hard and exposure it presents is a
Formula 1’s most daunting to make sure the girls have really positive thing and there
tracks next season, its first with tested on as many of these are some incredible tracks
a 100% grand prix support tracks as possible. They’ll end on the calendar.”
schedule. After kicking off in up testing on five of the seven, McLaren last week promoted
March in Jeddah, the series will which is really impressive.” F1A race winner Bianca
appear at the Miami, Spanish, Carlin saw Jessica Edgar claim Bustamante to its driver
Dutch, Singapore and Qatar GPs her team’s maiden F1A win in development programme. The
before finishing in Abu Dhabi. the 2023 finale last weekend Philippines racer’s Prema team-
But if that sounds like a recipe at the US GP (right), its first as mate Marta Garcia clinched the
for safety cars for any single- an F1 support. “This weekend inaugural F1A title at Austin.
seater series, Rodin Carlin chief goes to prove what a boost it is MARCUS SIMMONS

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HYPERCAR TESTERS NAMED

Ferrari Formula 1 tester Robert
Marciello won GT Shwartzman will drive the Italian
World Cup in 2019 manufacturer’s 499P Le Mans
Hypercar at the World Endurance
Championship rookie test in Bahrain
the day after next month’s 2023
season finale. The 24-year-old, who
has been racing a factory AF Corse
Ferrari 296 GT3 in the GT World
Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
this year, will be joined in one of the
cars by Lilou Wadoux, who is also
on the marque’s books. Brits Ben
Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth will
get outings in the Toyota GR010
HYBRID LMH courtesy of their
contracts with sister marque Lexus in
the IMSA SportsCar Championship,
in which they won the GTD Pro
class title this season.

BRISCOE TO RACE VANWALL

Ryan Briscoe will race the Vanwall-
Gibson Vandervell 680 Le Mans
Hypercar at the 2023 World
Endurance Championship finale in
Bahrain next month. The Australian
has been brought in alongside
TRIENITZ
Esteban Guerrieri and Tristan Vautier
in place of Joao Paulo de Oliveira,
who will be racing the same weekend
in the Super GT finale at Motegi.
…as GT World Cup is crammed HANLEY’S UNITED SWITCH
with all of its former winners IMSA SportsCar Championship LMP2
regular Ben Hanley will switch to
United Autosports for next year’s
FIA GT WORLD CUP Marciello and Engel are joined by Jules IMSA SportsCar Championship. The
Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, winner Briton, a two-time class winner this
Every former winner of the FIA GT World of the Formula 3 Grand Prix at Macau year with Algarve Pro, will contest
Cup will be on the grid for the resumption in 2011, in the Mercedes roster. They the full season with Ben Keating
of the event on the streets of Macau next will race for the Chinese Climax Racing at the wheel of one of two United
month. Maro Engel, Laurens Vanthoor, team and Craft-Bamboo respectively. ORECA-Gibson 07s, with Alex Quinn
Edoardo Mortara, Augusto Farfus and Sheldon van der Linde completes the joining them for the five enduro
Raffaele Marciello are among the 21-car BMW line-up with the WRT squad, while rounds. Hanley was a stand-in at
entry in factory-backed GT3 machinery the solo Ferrari 296 GT3 in the field is United at three WEC rounds this year.
for its first edition since 2019. entered by Harmony Racing for factory
Both Marciello and Engel will race in driver Daniel Serra. MORTARA’S LAMBO LINK
Macau on 18-19 November as defending Kevin Estre and newly crowned DTM Edoardo Mortara and Matteo Cairoli
champions: the Italian won the last time champion Thomas Preining are part of could fill the remaining seats at the
the World Cup took place in 2019 before Porsche’s line-up with HubAuto, while Iron Lynx Lamborghini squad in the
it was a casualty of the COVID pandemic Matteo Cairoli races a 911 GT3-R for WEC next year. It is known that they
and travel restrictions into the Chinese Absolute Racing. The Chinese team has tested the Lambo SC63 this month,
territory; the German, the inaugural also entered a pair of Audi R8 LMS GT3 though there has been no official
winner of the title in 2015, took victory Evo 2s for Macau star Mortara, winner comment so far. One of the vacancies
in the non-FIA GT race at Macau last year. of the F3 race twice and the GT event has been created by Raffaele
Marciello drives for the Landgraf Mercedes three times, and Christopher Haase. Marciello, who had signed for the
team with which he took the ADAC GT Stefan Wendl, head of customer racing at Lambo, being poached by BMW.
Masters crown in 2022, while Engel returns Mercedes-AMG, outlined the importance
to Craft-Bamboo one year on from what of the race. “We have something to lose FITTIPALDI’S INDYCAR SEAT
was his third victory on the Guia circuit. and we are going there to win it again,” he Haas F1 reserve Pietro Fittipaldi has
BMW driver Farfus, who took World said. “That is clearly the target, knowing secured a full-time IndyCar seat for
Cup honours in 2018 with Schnitzer, will that the competition will be very tough. 2024 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan
race an M4 GT3 for Rowe Racing. The They will also try to beat us and that is Racing. The Brazilian made nine
winner with Audi in 2016, Vanthoor will why we will send our best drivers.” starts in the series across 2018
drive a Porsche 911 GT3-R for Toro Racing. GARY WATKINS and 2021, and takes the #30 seat
occupied this year by Jack Harvey,
Conor Daly and rookie Juri Vips.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 1 1
Century Motorsport would like to congratulate all their
drivers and crew on an exceptional 2023 season.

Thank you for your support!

Our achievements from the weekend are as follows:

GT3 Overall champions GT4 Team Champions
GT3 ProAm champions GT4 ProAm P3
GT4 ProAm Champions Ginetta GTA P2
Porsche Carrera Cup Team Champions 2023
Porsche Carrera Cup Drivers P2 and P3
 P I T + PA D D O C K
ROUND 19/22

PHOTOGRAPHY

F1 MEXICAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

17 1
13
2
3
16

15 14
11
12

10 9
7
8

Mexico City
Length 2.674 miles
Number of laps 71 4
5
DRS detection
DRS zone
6

UK START TIMES TYRE ALLOCATION

Friday 27 October
HARD MEDIUM SOFT

FP1 1930 FP2 2300

Saturday 28 October
FP3 1830
QUALIFYING 2200 C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 INTERMEDIATE WET

Sunday 29 October CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS

RACE 2000
Drivers Constructors
DUNBAR

CATCH THE RACE LIVE Can Perez do something

SKY SPORTS F1 1 Verstappen 466 1 Red Bull 706
decent at home?
BBC RADIO 5 LIVE 2 Perez 240 2 Mercedes 344
3 Hamilton 201 3 Ferrari 322
Highlights 4 Alonso 183 4 McLaren 242
CHANNEL 4 0100 (Monday) 5 Sainz 171 5 Aston Martin 236

MEXICO CITY STATS

Previous winners Laps led

2022 POLE POSITION
2022 Max Verstappen Red Bull Max Verstappen 264
Max Verstappen
2021 Max Verstappen Red Bull Jim Clark 191
1m17.775s
2019 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Ayrton Senna 133
2018 Max Verstappen Red Bull POLE LAP RECORD Nigel Mansell 126
2017 Max Verstappen Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo Lewis Hamilton 95
2016 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m14.759s (2018) Alain Prost 76
2015 Nico Rosberg Mercedes Jacky Ickx 68
RACE LAP RECORD
1992 Nigel Mansell Williams Valtteri Bottas Nico Rosberg 68
Graham Hill’s 1968 win
1991 Riccardo Patrese Williams 1m17.774s (2021) Richie Ginther 66
gave him his second title
1990 Alain Prost Ferrari J Surtees & G Hill 60

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 1 3
 RORY SMITH

2023 Champion

B-M RACING Also massive congratulations to If you want to race Formula Ford then be in
3rd Formula Ford Festival title in 4 years 2021 Festival winner Jamie Sharp touch at [email protected]
using the Medina Sport Formula Ford chassis. for his dominance all weekend to
claim 2nd place, resulting in a 1-2 For all your genuine Van Diemen/ Medina
We would like to send huge congratulations for the team. Sport parts then head over to Medina
to Rory Smith on his second Festival win, Spares
his first one secured in 2020. Rory missed The Medina Sport chassis again Photo credit to Jakob Ebrey
testing so his first taste of action was proving its race winning capabilities
in qualifying which makes it all the more in both wet and dry conditions, leading
special, eventually winning his semi-final and the most laps overall and of course
starting P1 for the grand final. winning the grand final.
 O P I N I O N P I T + PA D D O C K

Norris needs to get tougher

The McLaren star seems to have everything he requires
to fight for a title, except perhaps one…
ALEX KALINAUCKAS

t was absorbing to watch Max Verstappen and Lewis Therefore, it must make an even bigger step next year if it’s
Hamilton sit together before the post-race press to challenge Red Bull for race wins.
I conference following the Red Bull star’s victory in
the United States Grand Prix last Sunday. Lando
That will be quite a task. Hamilton, after pushing hard to
follow Verstappen early in last weekend’s dull sprint race and
Norris followed them in much later due to his TV watched how his rival’s car performed, insisted afterwards that
interviews dragging on. There was initially an icy silence. Hamilton “everyone behind these guys has a lot of work to do”. Indeed, the
broke it eventually, asking about Verstappen’s post-Austin travel RB19’s pace was still mighty on a weekend where its ride height
plans. The reply was polite enough, pleasant even, from a delighted had to be raised to traverse many bumps at Austin, with bigger
winner. But there was a distinct lack of eye contact on either side. rear wings to make up for the loss of underfloor downforce
Finally, Norris arrived. And as press conference host Tom usually generated from its typical ride settings.
Clarkson conducted last-minute discussions with F1 TV directors, But Norris is clearly encouraged by his team’s work on car
Verstappen and Norris talked about the McLaren man’s travel- development this year. The rather cutting examples of him
sticker livery for last weekend’s event. This extended to his race talking down McLaren’s chances – such as “we’re slow, we have
boots. Hamilton returned to his iPhone. been all year” at the Spanish GP – are gone. But Norris is still
The different narrative of the two relationships has long been Norris, refreshingly honest. He’s adamant that McLaren has
established. It’s going to take lots of time for the bruises of the missed its “best chance” to win a GP in 2023, in Qatar. F1’s history is
2021 title fight to heal, if they ever do. Meanwhile, Verstappen has on the side of Norris’s ‘positive pessimism’. Realistically, McLaren
previously discussed being good friends with Norris off-track, even needs another off-season to make further changes to finally
calling him his “best friend” of the racing community. It’s hard to recover into regular win-challenging mode. But, if that does
imagine many other drivers being able to help personally deliver come in 2024, Norris is going to have to operate differently.
a broken Hungarian GP trophy to Verstappen’s Monaco apartment. At Austin, just as at Silverstone eight rounds ago, his defences
Verstappen and Norris have discussed the idea of one day from an early lead once Verstappen raced up behind and made
being F1 team-mates. And what a line-up that would be – at a move were on the tame side. They were firmly pragmatic –
a stroke forming a super-team with possibly the best combined Norris aware in both instances that a podium was still so valuable
to rebuilding McLaren. But wins are even more so, and the
chances of finally taking one after his Monza and Sochi 2021
“At Silverstone, a fierce battle near-misses just go up if Verstappen has to work harder to get past.
Norris can race very hard. His defence against Hamilton was
with Verstappen might have inch-perfect – the pair lunged to the inside of Turn 1 in unison,
before the Mercedes backed out, headed wide and surged ahead
secured an even better result” on the exit anyway. But that was a far cry from Norris not making
any move to cover against Verstappen at Turn 12, the Circuit of The
Americas’ other main passing spot, where Charles Leclerc had
driving talent level of any squad. If that ever does happen, gamely tried to thwart Verstappen’s advances much earlier.
it won’t be for a while. And, until that hypothetical point is Hamilton likely wasn’t going to be denied at a track he performs
reached, if it ever is, Norris’s best hope of finally breaking at so well, and his tyre offset advantage was a big factor in how easy
his F1 win duck will be with McLaren. it ended up to blast past Norris. But at Silverstone, which suited
In taking a third second place in four races, in the aftermath of the MCL60 so well with its high-speed turns, a fierce battle with
Hamilton’s disqualification at Austin, Norris is now one short of Verstappen might have secured an even better result for the young
equalling Nick Heidfeld’s record of most F1 podium visits without home hero. The world champion has a track record of clashes –
winning. Thanks to McLaren’s impressive efforts to rework the mainly with Hamilton – when he’s given as good as he gets. That’s
MCL60 (into a race winner with Oscar Piastri, albeit in a sprint what made 2021 so compelling, because of what each driver was
event), the team can lean on the pedigree of making the best gains willing to do to win. So, if these racing situations repeat in 2024,
of any squad behind Red Bull so far in 2023. No more “magic” Norris must put glory above friendship if he’s to have the best
updates that will “add lap time or add the improvement from a chance of ever prevailing.
tyre degradation point of view that will change things around
P18 US GP REPORT
significantly”, per team boss Andrea Stella, are coming in 2023.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 1 5
 CALLUM VOISIN
GB3 Champion 2023

Thank you to our sponsors and supporters

EDGE MANAGEMENT TEAM & SK PERFORMANCE
BDRC Superstars Programme
Best engineer ever, JIMMY
TREVOR CARLIN
RODIN CARLIN TEAM
JOHN CAVILL
 O P I N I O N P I T + PA D D O C K

This garagiste will be missed

Glickenhaus Racing’s three-season contribution to the World Endurance
Championship is something to celebrate. It’s part of a proud motorsport tradition
G A R Y W AT K I N S

lickenhaus driver Olivier Pla took me to task for it still finished in the top six when they were. And its sixth and
describing his employer as a garagiste a while back. seventh-place finishes this year came ahead of two marques
G It seems it’s a pejorative term for the French. Not
so for we Brits. Quite the contrary: it’s celebratory.
with 22 Le Mans wins between them.
You could contend that with the level of manufacturer
And that’s why we should rejoice in the successes participation in Hypercar in the WEC the series doesn’t need
of the Glickenhaus Racing squad now that it has told us that it is the likes of Glickenhaus and the ByKolles-run Vanwall team.
bowing out of the World Endurance Championship. But I reckon it does, and for two reasons. The first I have already
I hope that in future times we’ll talk about the American mentioned: the garagistes have pretty much always been an
entrant in the same breath as other plucky privateers that built
and ran their own machinery to take on the challenge of the
Le Mans 24 Hours. I’m referring to the likes of Alain De Cadenet’s
tiny operation based in a London mews garage and Pescarolo
“Le Mans has never just been
Sport; like Glickenhaus, teams good enough to get on the
podium with chassis – to a greater or lesser extent – of their
about big manufacturers.
own construction. That last point is why I think team founder I hope it never will”
Jim Glickenhaus isn’t quite correct to describe his operation
as a privateer. He’s only half right.
The words privateer and garagiste are interchangeable for integral part of sportscar racing in general and Le Mans in
some. But to me the distinction between a privateer and a garagiste particular. The other is that while the WEC doesn’t necessarily
lies in who builds the car. Kremer was the first privateer home at need them right now, it one day undoubtedly will. Just like it did
Le Mans in 1983 with an off-the-shelf Porsche 956. Glickenhaus when the Hypercar division replaced LMP1 for 2021.
matched that feat in 2022 as a garagiste because he built his own Without Glickenhaus would the class even have got off the
Le Mans Hypercar, the 007. ground? A pair of Toyotas against an old ORECA P1 with an Alpine
Glickenhaus is part of a proud sportscar racing tradition that badge nailed to the front wouldn’t have been much of a launchpad
includes the DeCads of the 1970s and early 1980s and then the for the glorious era we’re now entering. So when the history books
cars built and run by Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo’s team are written, we need to remember that Glickenhaus was there
in the 2000s and into the 2010s. The race has never just been from the start. The rules that encouraged him to sign up, the
about big manufacturers. I hope it never will. performance windows and strict limits on development, perhaps
For every garagiste success story at Le Mans there are probably should have kept Glickenhaus in the game longer. But it was
three or four of indifference: cars that didn’t fulfil their potential always going to be a big ask for the little guy to stay competitive.
or simply weren’t fit for purpose. But the three-season story of Besides, Jim and his company have other fish to fry. He’s
Glickenhaus in the WEC truly was a success. becoming a bona fide manufacturer building his 004 sportscar
Even if the top class was in rebuild with new regulations when that we’ve seen in its ‘C’ racing spec at the Nurburgring 24 Hours
Glickenhaus collected its biggest accolades, its achievements and his off-road Boot under the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus
shouldn’t be played down. Jim and his team, everyone at Podium banner. Perhaps in the future, if Glickenhaus comes back, we
Advanced Technologies and Joest Racing, can walk away with won’t regard him as a garagiste. But he was just that during his
their heads held high. No one should scoff at a Le Mans podium three-season WEC adventure with the 007.
however many cars were on the grid in class. We don’t look down The term entered the motorsport vernacular 60-plus years ago
at those garnered by De Cadenet and Pescarolo against limited when Enzo Ferrari used the word garagistas to describe the British
factory opposition. teams increasingly becoming a thorn in the his side in Formula 1,
Glickenhaus arguably had it easier than De Cadenet and the likes of Cooper and Lotus. It was intended as a disparaging
Pescarolo thanks to rules designed to slash the costs of entry into remark, make no mistake.
the highest echelons of sportscar racing. But that is to overlook Yet it was adopted as a kind of badge of honour by the British
what it achieved this year at Le Mans. Big Jim G probably sums it motorsport industry, more usually in its French rather than
up best when he says, “we beat the likes of Porsche and Peugeot – Italian form. That explains my use of the word garagiste to
it really doesn’t get any better than that”. The team might have got describe Glickenhaus Racing and why I couldn’t make any
on the podium when the manufacturers weren’t out in force, but apology to that man Oli.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 1 7
RACE CENTRE

FORMULA 1

MAX MAKES IT 50 AS
MERCEDES MISSES ITS MARK
Verstappen racked up a half-century of grand prix wins, but this was
one of the Red Bull star’s more challenging days of 2023
ALEX KALINAUCKAS

PHOTOGRAPHY
U N I T E D S T AT E S G P R A C E C E N T R E

Verstappen’s
brake issues, and
their impact on
tyre management,
meant win was
no cakewalk

DUNBAR
R A C E C E N T R E U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

fter a lifeless first sprint race at Austin, the 2023

United States Grand Prix gave the weekend a
cracking ending even though the result of both
was the same: a Max Verstappen victory. His GP
triumph at the Circuit of The Americas was his
50th in Formula 1. But had things worked out only
slightly differently, Verstappen’s completion of
the half-century could well have extended to the
upcoming Mexican GP. Indeed, it could well have
been Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton standing atop an F1 podium for the
first time since the Saudi Arabian GP in December 2021.
Things went wrong for Hamilton right at the beginning, when front-
row starters Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris had very different
getaways. Norris was quickly alongside the Ferrari and at Turn 1 the
McLaren was already ahead through the apex, before shooting clear
in the lead. Behind, Hamilton went from unsuccessfully fending off
Carlos Sainz’s run behind Norris to the inside of the uphill hairpin, to
going wide and edging Verstappen to the track limit on the exit.
At the end of lap one of 56, Norris led Leclerc by 1.8 seconds, with
Sainz 0.8s further back and Hamilton and Verstappen trailing, the
world champion having powered past George Russell off the line.
Norris felt “my start was very good” and that “to get into the lead,
that was a podium maker”. He added: “I think without that it would
have made my race a lot tougher.”
That was because now the McLaren driver’s task was clear: to
push on as quickly as possible, come what may, with Verstappen at the same time, following for so long did hurt my tyres a little bit.”
recovering up the order after his Friday qualifying track limits slip This explains why in the four laps after he’d reached the podium
and subsequent sixth-place starting spot. “We thought firstly that we places, the Dutchman had first lost 0.4s to Norris’s overall lead
wanted to go for the victory,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella before shrinking it back to 6.6s, and the immediate gap he faced
would later explain. “The only way to do that was to try to go as fast as to Hamilton had grown by 0.5s to 4.6s.
possible and let’s see what the tyres do and if the tyres are consistent Then, on lap 16, Red Bull made the first call of its aggressive
or not. There was no point in just taking care of tyres and then just tyre strategy, bringing Verstappen in to take a second set of new
being slow from a lap time point of view to achieve a certain strategy.” mediums. This cemented his plan to complete a two-stopper.
What this added up to was Norris pulling 3.2s on Leclerc in the “All our simulations were telling us that the two-stop was a
five laps when it was the Ferrari driver chasing him in second. In faster race,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
that time, Hamilton had taken until lap four to repass Sainz with an McLaren’s minimal management approach clearly also set it
uncontested DRS charge to Turn 12, with Verstappen doing likewise on a two-stopper, and so it was no surprise to see the early leader
to the Spaniard from much further back at the same spot one tour head to the pits the lap after Verstappen’s first stop – the undercut’s
later. On lap six, Hamilton took the DRS-powered outside line around power here was clear, and potentially worth 2s. It was also no surprise
Leclerc at Turn 12 and then faced the same 3.2s gap to Norris. to see McLaren replace Norris’s starting medium tyres with the hards
This initially held north of 3s before coming steadily down to 1.8s at the first opportunity, given it had committed to banking these
by the 17th tour, during which time Verstappen had taken rather in practice after being unsure back then “whether the medium
longer to pass Leclerc, which he did eventually with an inside dive at compound grained or doesn’t grain [in the hot conditions last
Turn 12 that the Ferrari driver fought late. That defence had Leclerc weekend]”, said Stella. “It is not an easy science to master so we
off in the Turn 12 run-off, and he continued the fight until Turn 15 wanted to opt for what was a safer choice knowing that our car
before backing out. Race control looked at the incident but decided normally works well on the harder compound,” he added.
it to be unworthy of a proper investigation. But what was something of a surprise was that Mercedes didn’t
“I tried to be patient [in] the first stint,” Verstappen explained. “But, immediately bring Hamilton in too to cover Verstappen. The

Easy DRS move for Hamilton

to repass Sainz; Verstappen
followed a lap later
ETHERINGTON

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 U N I T E D S T AT E S G P R A C E C E N T R E

QUA LI FY IN G

SUTTON
Norris stole Now that was a qualifying session worth watching. With Red
the lead from Bull’s usual advantage wiped out by having to raise the RB19’s
Leclerc, after which ride height to cope with the Austin bumps, and its rivals
McLaren’s game plan gaining from added mechanical grip afforded by the C4 soft
was to go hell for tyres for one flier only, four teams suddenly had a pole shot.
leather Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton led Q1, while Ferrari’s
Charles Leclerc topped Q2, with both opening segments
HONE

featuring drivers missing out on progression due to track

limits violations in the final corners, where the tyres cried
enough on even rougher asphalt. Daniel Ricciardo and
Nico Hulkenberg were the victims of their own falls.

“I TRIED TO BE PATIENT. BUT, AT THE

In Q3, Leclerc’s 1m34.829s had him in the prime spot by
0.056 seconds over Hamilton, with Verstappen third – 0.252s

SAME TIME, FOLLOWING FOR SO LONG

down and close to losing his opening effort to a track limits
slide at Turn 20. McLaren’s Lando Norris rather languished

DID HURT MY TYRES A LITTLE BIT”

down in seventh, but only thanks to his MCL60 being fitted
with used softs for his opening effort.
On the second runs, Leclerc led the way, with Norris,
Verstappen and Hamilton further back. Leclerc would later
Black Arrows squad instead had something else in mind: a one- reflect that his first flier felt “quite a bit better”, but only
stopper. “When Max pitted, we knew that we only needed to because on his final effort his attitude was “a bit more, ‘Let’s
make three more laps to make a one-stop stick,” explained go for it and see what happens’”. What this translated to was
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. a tighter line at the hideously bumpy Turn 1, and then sending
Hamilton was finally brought in on lap 20, but Horner and his Ferrari floor-smackingly aggressively across the many
Red Bull saw this as Mercedes’ “indecision”, while Mercedes told kerbs of Austin’s rapid, flowing, esses. It was where he made
its charge that he’d banked a tyre offset. When Hamilton rejoined, his main gains over his previous personal best. Not that this
he faced a 6.5s gap to Verstappen, a swing he couldn’t believe at the translated into any purple
time in the race or afterwards. “When Max came into the pits, he sectors, but a 1m34.723s was “Verstappen lost the
wasn’t even close to me,” he said in the post-race press conference. still an overall improvement. lap for going too wide
“It must have been 10 seconds on me.” Behind, Norris came to rue through Turn 19 –
In the next phase of the race, during which Hamilton faced a 10s that “the car just turned a bit
a result of ‘a little
deficit to leader Norris, the focus switched to Verstappen’s quest to better than I was expecting”
recover to the front. In the nine laps after Norris’s opening stop, at the Turn 11 hairpin as he mistake in Turn 1’”
Verstappen erased his lead with a 0.35s per lap average advantage, “ended up just clipping the
his gains in part coming from the pair now running different kerb”. That further boosted Leclerc’s top-speed edge down the
compounds. Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola reckoned that the back straight. But Norris was also behind Leclerc through the
medium tyres favoured by Verstappen for both stints so far ended up esses and the multi-apex Turns 16-18 complex, where the
being “more manageable” and had more grip. This he put down to Ferrari driver was mighty. Norris wound up 0.130s down, with
“the track evolution factor”, which was boosted by last weekend being Hamilton ultimately edged back behind his compatriot.
completely dry and the Austin track having the type of rough asphalt All of them should have been behind Verstappen, who
where cars “put down more rubber”. produced a 1m34.718s to edge Leclerc by 0.005s. But the
And so, after roaring up behind his friend (the pair spent the Dutchman lost this lap for going too wide through Turn 19 – a
final minutes before the post-race press conference going over result of “a little mistake in Turn 1”. That meant he had to stay
Norris’s sticker-logo-covered race boots, Hamilton and Verstappen on the brakes a touch longer with the nose under-rotating,
having had a somewhat icy chat about their pre-Mexico travel plans which cost him speed and momentum back down the hill, and
beforehand), Verstappen made his move on lap 28. It was at the same he was on a mission to recover ever after. A much better Turn
spot as his dive on Leclerc, but even later – and this time Norris didn’t 11 onto the back straight than Leclerc’s got Verstappen back
put up anywhere near the same level of fight. He came back alongside on terms and just about in front, but it was all undone a short
on the exit but abandoned the scrap just one corner later. while later, as he “just tried to really maximise the corner and
Stella felt that the decision to have Norris press on in the first stint misjudged it by a little bit”. And that left him starting sixth.
had “worked very well” and even at one stage thought “it looked like

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R A C E C E N T R E U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

SP RIN T RACE
Tyre management meant
Verstappen remained
unchallenged up front

HONE
The most interesting aspect of the ‘lap one leniency’ banner. battle. The Austin bumps might

SUTTON
Austin sprint race was eventual Hamilton swept down the hill have shorn Red Bull of some
winner Max Verstappen’s to the fast Turn 2 right, edging downforce, but it was still mighty
ultra-aggressive chop on Charles ahead, with Leclerc braving it on in race trim. At 0.6s each lap from
Leclerc heading up the hill to the the outside there and at Turn 3, the fifth tour, when Hamilton lost
first turn. The pair were sharing the where he admitted defeat. By the DRS for good, Verstappen romped
front row and launched in unison, end of the first lap of 19 he was clear to win by 9.5s.
but Leclerc gained ground in the 1.7 seconds adrift of Hamilton Carlos Sainz had been the only
second phase of the start and and never really saw him again. runner to try the softs in the sprint,
pulled his front axle level with At this stage, Verstappen’s lead which aided his rise from sixth to
Verstappen’s left-rear, at which was 0.8s. Hamilton fell back to 1.2s pass both McLarens on the first lap.
point the Dutchman veered left to He held station 3s adrift of Leclerc
cut off the Ferrari’s line. Leclerc, “Leclerc felt the move in the opening phase, then began
who felt the move was “on the was ‘on the limit’ to fall away and come under Hamilton demoted Leclerc
limit” but “would have done but ‘would have done pressure from Norris and Sergio to third on the opening lap
exactly the same”, was sent exactly the same’” Perez, recovering from yet another
across the pitlane exit to the poor qualifying. Sainz had lined up
edge of the grass. away on lap two, but then clawed seventh following a sprint shootout and then the McLaren faced a 6.7s
At the Turn 1 hairpin, Leclerc was it back to 0.8s, pushing “to stay in in which 0.1s had covered the top deficit to Leclerc. He smashed
pinched, which allowed Lewis the DRS”, said Verstappen. But that four and there had been a different this at 0.7s per lap quicker, even
Hamilton – who started third and was as close as it got. Once the pair focus on track limits, with the white going 0.12s faster than Hamilton’s
saw off Lando Norris under braking were into the considerable tyre line at Turns 9, 12 and 19 being 1m40.181s second-half average,
for the left-hander – to get a run. management exercise of getting extended over Friday night. but some way off Verstappen’s
Hamilton did so coming from the medium Pirellis – the choice of Norris finally passed Sainz at the 1m39.506s. By the flag, Norris
completely off the track, a move most of the leaders – to the end, end of the long back straight on lap was just 0.9s behind Leclerc’s
FIA officials quickly put under the there was never going to be a 10 – Perez got through a lap later – third place.
The race’s other notable points
were Oscar Piastri dropping from
starting fifth to 10th, the Australian
struggling with overheating, rapidly
degrading tyres and earning a
black-and-white warning for track
limits abuse. In his fall, he was
passed off-track by George Russell
– recovering from a grid penalty
for impeding Leclerc in sprint Q1
– exiting Turn 15. Russell said his
five-second penalty was “fair”. It
dropped him from seventh at the
Leclerc was pushed wide flag to behind Pierre Gasly, with a
across the pitlane exit by late flurry of Alex Albon personal
HONE

Verstappen at the start bests not enough to cost Russell

the final point.

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 U N I T E D S T AT E S G P R A C E C E N T R E

we could have enough pace to finally grasp the victory”. But once Norris was first of leaders
Verstappen and the medium-tyre advantage erased that tantalising to make second stop
picture, Stella explained that Norris had “lost a little bit the tyre
[operating window] so we pitted onto the second set of hards”. This
explains why Norris’s second stint was comparatively short for
the hards at 17 tours and, thanks to being the first of the leaders to pit
for a second time, on lap 34, he would enjoy the biggest undercut.
“I was always in the vulnerable position, the one defending,
and just clearly didn’t have the pace at the end of any of the stints,”

“I HAD TO DODGE TO THE RIGHT

SIDE AND THEN CUT BACK. IT WAS
PRETTY COOL. I ENJOYED IT”

TEE
Norris reflected later. “Tyre degradation was just not on par following six tours to the start of the final lap, a period characterised
with [Verstappen and Hamilton].” by Verstappen getting audibly more agitated with a brake problem
The second time around, it was Red Bull that quickly moved to that had been hampering him since “just lap one”. Its deterioration,
cover Norris’s second stop, with Verstappen enjoying a 3.1s lead and perhaps with Verstappen’s extra stress at engineer Gianpiero
that had risen after the Briton had initially been able to stick close Lambiase repeatedly talking to him during braking phases, meant
to the rear of him. When Verstappen rejoined, now finally on the the lead gap fell rather dramatically late on, just when it looked like
hard tyres, his advantage stood at 1.9s. Hamilton’s initial work wasn’t chipping back enough ground.
And so attention turned to Hamilton, who again stayed out Starting the last tour, Hamilton was 1.8s back, but when Verstappen
longer than his rivals, although in pitting on the 38th tour, and gained DRS from Zhou Guanyu as he came up to lap the Alfa Romeo,
thereby capping his stint at 18 laps (two under his opening run), that helped ease his progress to the firework-packed finish line. His
no additional tyre offset was built. Mercedes had learned from winning margin ended up 2.2s after Hamilton somewhat backed off
Hamilton’s drop in pace at the end of his opening stint. Critically, to the flag. Norris came home 10.7s adrift.
Hamilton was now back on the new mediums, and with Verstappen When asked whether he might have won had he not been left out
ahead discovering that “the hard tyre was not very good”, as Norris longer in the first stint, or even stopped earlier than Verstappen,
and McLaren already knew. They lacked any new mediums with Hamilton was sure. “Yes,” he replied, before adding: “I mean, I do
which to return for the final stint. think we would have been in a position to fight with Max. We made
All of the leaders had to repass the one-stopping Leclerc in the our life a lot harder than it probably needed to be.”
closing phase. Verstappen and Norris both did this on the 39th tour – So, the question becomes: does that claim stack up? Was this
the leader at Turn 1 and the chaser at Turn 12. Hamilton then cruised a win lost by Mercedes on a day when Verstappen and Red Bull
up to the Ferrari and passed well before Turn 12 with DRS on lap 43. unexpectedly ended up under a lot of pressure? On a pure time loss
Now he faced a 3.7s gap to Norris and 6.2s to Verstappen. When he’d assessment, the answer has to be yes, based on Hamilton getting
emerged on the mediums, those gaps had sat at 6.4s and 7.6s. Verstappen’s lead to a minimum of 1.8s before the final lap and
Hamilton reached Norris’s DRS range on lap 48 and was all over feeling that “maybe one more lap I would have been closer into Turn
the McLaren through sector three. At the start of the following tour, 11 and maybe been in a fighting position [at the end of the back
Hamilton mounted an attack at Turn 1. Norris firmly defended with straight armed with DRS], maybe two”.
a very late move to cover the inside run to the apex. “He came across That affirmative comes from several areas. The first was Hamilton
at quite an angle,” Hamilton said of his compatriot’s driving here. rueing “our starts this weekend”. The time lost to repassing Sainz cost
“And so, then I had to dodge to the right side and then cut back. It was Hamilton 0.8s in GP race time to Verstappen.
pretty cool. I enjoyed it.” On the downhill exit from the hairpin, Mercedes may also reflect how Russell “making a bad start” was
Hamilton outdragged Norris and then set off after Verstappen, costly in terms of the second W14 being able to act as a rolling road
who now enjoyed a 5.2s advantage. block on a day when “Mercedes was as quick as Red Bull”, according
Hamilton cut into that at an average rate of 0.6s each time over the to Stella, and Sergio Perez’s latest poor qualifying again left him
absent from the lead fight.
Medium tyre advantage Hamilton also regretted “in
for Verstappen squashed one of the pitstops [his first], I
any McLaren victory hopes might have been a bit long [on the
pitbox marks], which then made
it harder for the guys and then the
stop wasn’t that great overall”.
Wolff reflected that his team
“in terms of [pit] equipment and
science around it, the way we are
set up” can’t compete with the
quickest F1 services these days.
Hamilton’s stops were clocked at
3.6s and 3.4s – a combined loss
to Verstappen of 1.2s, with the
Dutchman having a (relatively)
SUTTON

long 3.3s stop of his own at

his second service, due to a

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R A C E C E N T R E U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

T RACKSID E VIE W

KALINAUCKAS
A roasting under Texas sun
well worth it for vantage
point at tricky Turn 1

If you want to see quite how stiffly

sprung the current generation of
11
Formula 1 cars truly are, you could
do little better than pay a visit up
the towering hill at Austin’s opening
corner. Autosport, having marched 12
8
up that climb in the fierce 35C heat
sans water bottle in what can only
15 6
19 10
be described as an utterly foolish 9
move, has only just made it. But 7
we’re in for a treat for our efforts. 20 16 14 13
5
Having climbed a photographers’ 17 4
tower looking across the gigantic
3 Austin
18
run-off area behind Turn 1, and
with the start/finish straight Length 3.426 miles

2
stretching down before us, Number of laps 56
downtown Austin basking in the DRS detection
background to our right, we can
DRS zone
see how much the track’s famed
bumps unsettle these machines. 1 Trackside view
The Ferraris, in particular, are
very stiffly sprung early on – the
teams having to make set-up and “Ferrari lock-ups send bumps the steering goes light differently to the rest, the
ride height adjustments on the fly audible tyre torture and unsettles things further. Monegasque staying on a wider
to traverse the bumps best while across the run-off to Then it’s about squeezing the line than most as he sends his car
sacrificing as little underfloor power on to shoot back down the around through the corner. It’s risky
our sunburnt ears”
downforce as possible. This work hill to Turn 2 to our right, where – there are more bumps adrift of
has an extra urgency this weekend another, bigger sole bump is to the racing line to bite the unwary.
thanks to it being F1’s penultimate Thanks to bumps at the apex, be avoided over long stints and In the Red Bull camp, there’s a split
2023 sprint event, and the first such the ideal racing line here means just fully tackled for a single-lap between the cars. Max Verstappen,
compressed schedule at the Circuit sweeping in from slightly wider edge. Inevitably, the softer-riding using his preferred style of
of The Americas. Carlos Sainz and than with other examples of this Red Bulls are unruffled here, but throwing a pointy car savagely
Charles Leclerc are locking up here corner type, but the cars are just the Alfa Romeos are whacking through the rotation then holding
regularly early on, their worst bouncing to a massive degree. The their floors at this point, orange the rear swing, is on the power
examples sending audible tyre drivers want to stay wide and rotate sparks standing out even in earlier than Sergio Perez.
torture across the run-off to the car late and rapidly on the way this blazing sun. It’s hot, its brutally bumpy,
our sunburnt ears. in, having hit the brakes staring at Some drivers, such as Leclerc, it’s Austin. It’s excellent.
The hairpin’s challenge is tricky. the sky, but as they cross the try to take the Turn 1 challenge ALEX KALINAUCKAS

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 U N I T E D S T AT E S G P R A C E C E N T R E
Hamilton got to
celebrate with
Verstappen and
Norris before being
disqualified…
GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

“SO IN THAT MOMENT, MOST LIKELY

slow left-rear switch. Again, that time loss was critical to
Mercedes’ outside shot at victory.

WE SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY PITTED

Then there were the Turn 11 lock-ups during the race’s middle
third for both of the 2021 title rivals. Hamilton’s cost him 2.7s to

AND I WOULD COME OUT AHEAD”

Verstappen, while the Red Bull driver actually gained 0.4s on the lap
of his slip. Norris did this too shortly after Hamilton, with Stella later
reflecting that “braking into Turn 11 and then traction out was the
most problematic phase from a car performance point of view”.
But what cost Mercedes most was its initial decision to try to see Wolff explained that the one-stop experiment had come about
whether the one-stopper was ever really viable. When asked why he because Mercedes “believed if we were on the same strategy –
was certain that a different strategy would have led to a different cover Max, be a few seconds ahead of him – that would not be
result, Hamilton replied: “It’s not necessarily that I’m certain. At enough to win the race”.
the end of the day, I was 1.8s behind Lando at the beginning [before Had Mercedes been able to get Hamilton closer to Verstappen,
the McLaren’s first stop], and there’s a huge undercut. its victory chances would have been enhanced because the brake
“So in that moment, most likely we should have probably pitted and issue – which stemmed from Red Bull changing Verstappen’s brake
I would come out ahead. We would have been close, but potentially material in parc ferme, allowed by the rules and not uncommon,
overtaken Lando in that scenario. It would have still been close although it wasn’t listed in the official FIA bulletin concerning such
between us all, because I think we were all similar in pace. I think we matters – left the world champion “not getting the same feeling
[also] just lost too much time in extending. I really dropped off a cliff from the brake pedal that he had previously”, according to Horner.
in performance. And then when I came out [from the first stops], That had a knock-on impact upon how Verstappen went
these guys were miles up the road.” about his tyre management – Horner said it “interfered”. Plus,
That bears out: Hamilton’s pace once in the lead for the first time inconsistent braking on a bumpy surface only raised tyre
dropped from the mid-1m42s bracket to the high-1m42s and then into temperatures even further. So, another Verstappen/Hamilton
the mid-to-high-1m43s. He also felt, having in any case ended up with a battle most likely went begging…
tyre life offset, “when their tyres are starting to drop [that was useful], But everything would have been rendered academic anyway
but that didn’t seem like it really made a big enough difference”. because, almost two hours after the chequered flag, the FIA
announced that the rear plank areas on Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s cars
…which elevated were “not in compliance with Article 3.5.9” – that stipulates only
the McLaren driver 1mm can be worn away from “the peripheries of the designated
to second place holes” in the plank. It had been measured that they had worn more
than this and so the pair were thrown out of the results. This
promoted Norris to second and Sainz to third.
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin
said the issue on Hamilton’s car came down to
“[not] running at a race fuel load in FP1 [due

NEXT
to the compressed sprint weekend format],
combined with a circuit as bumpy as
this and the parts of the track where
the drivers have to put the car during F1 REPORT
the GP, have contributed to the higher Mexican Grand
than expected wear levels”. Prix
2 November is
A deflating end to a gripping contest. sue
One that comes with yet another new
TEE

piece of history for Verstappen.

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R A C E C E N T R E U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

STROLL TURNS PITLANE

START INTO POINTS
Lance Stroll rescued points for Aston
Martin after the team opted for a
pitlane start for the United States
Grand Prix due to being dissatisfied
with its car set-up.
The Silverstone squad broke parc
ferme to tune new updates on Lance
Stroll’s AMR23 and roll Fernando Alonso
back to the previous spec in efforts to
get something out of the race.
Although both cars were at the back on
the opening lap after leaving the pitlane
last, the two drivers worked their way
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY
into the points with strong tyre
management and a strategy to stop later
HONE

in each stint to offer a tyre offset.

Alonso had got up to ninth and was
closing on Pierre Gasly for eighth, but
was forced to retire with floor damage.
Ferrari’s strategy blunder
Stroll equally showed tenacity in his rise
through the order that eventually yielded
seventh after penalties for others, and
with Leclerc one-stop
was close to attacking Gasly at the end. Charles Leclerc’s disqualification Monegasque, who explained that
This came despite a faux pas on his from the United States GP added Ferrari had felt that the one and
reconnaissance laps, where Stroll missed to his unhappiness following an two-stop plans were initially
the pitlane entry and made the usual stop ill-advised one-stop strategy. similar in their data.
before the grid with the other drivers, After starting from pole, he was With Leclerc on pole, it does raise
waiting to be wheeled into position. asked to move aside for team-mate the question of why Ferrari felt it
Instead, Aston Martin had to hoist his car Carlos Sainz late on as Ferrari elected needed to apply the riskier strategy
onto skates and wheel him through the to diverge its run plans with the two to the driver higher up the grid. Team
gap in the pitwall, getting Stroll back into drivers, and Leclerc’s one-stop efforts principal Fred Vasseur suggested that
the garage. The FIA noted that “although could not prevent Sainz and Sergio there was “hesitation” on both sides,
the established process was not followed, Perez from moving past in the latter and a failure from either to fully
no breach of any regulation was evident”. stages of the race. It proved to be the commit to the one-stop made the
wrong strategy, and other teams who situation worse. “Probably the issue
MAUGER

had committed to it made U-turns is that we didn’t have a clear picture

during the race. about this before the race, we were
The disqualification that Leclerc a bit hesitating, and he was a bit
was slapped with after a barely hesitating into the first stint, pushing
conciliatory sixth-place finish will or not pushing – and we made a
have smarted even more, but he mistake,” said Vasseur.
had already revealed his displeasure “It was not very clear before the
at being lumped with a one-stop race. We had the two options. In terms
approach. “There was something of numbers, it was very, very close.
wrong in our numbers today, because I think where we made the mistake
we were far off the ideal race is that we anticipated that the field
strategy,” was the assessment of the will be 50-50. And it was not at all.”

3
Number of corners before the moment the
US GP really ended for Oscar Piastri and
Esteban Ocon. Their lap-one contact at
Turn 2 would cause both to soon retire.
TEE

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 U N I T E D S T AT E S G P R A C E C E N T R E

Q& A

SUTTON
GEORGE RUSSELL always been a bit of a bogey the gravel. Here, I was always
MERCEDES DRIVER track for me, I’ve always intending to go around the
struggled a bit here. It’s outside, hoping that he would
How do you sum up probably always been one leave me a bit of space. If he
your race? of his strengths, this circuit, didn’t, he would just push me
Story of the season really! but I’m not too concerned wide onto a bit of Tarmac.
Missed opportunities, on the because it feels like this You sort of worry about
back foot from the beginning, is definitely a bit of the consequences
making a bad start. On the hard an outlier with how after. I don’t enjoy
tyre we had to manage the fuel, bumpy it is. racing like that
we had to manage the engine and something
a little bit, and I was about a Are you does need
second off the pace. Then we encouraged by to change.
put the medium back on, and the upgrades?
we were the quickest car on It probably exceeded my You’ve got to do that if
track. I closed on Max by about expectations this weekend, and FIA won’t fix it?
10 seconds, and on Lewis by it’s definitely exciting heading Yeah, at the end of the day,
TSUNODA SNATCHES
FASTEST LAP IN
a couple of seconds. It was into next year, with what I think we’re all racing to the same
frustrating that we weren’t we’ll be capable of achieving. rules. If you’re racing in

BEST 2023 FINISH

on the podium. Monaco, you can’t go beyond
What do you think of your the limit because you’ll end up
Any reason why Lewis had the five-second penalty in the in the wall. When you race in
upper hand this weekend? sprint after the Piastri pass? Japan, you’ll end up in the Yuki Tsunoda’s last-gasp bid
We had that last weekend, and If there’s gravel there, if gravel. Here, your only to take the fastest lap proved
it was one of my strongest someone pushes you wide, consequence is running successful, and the Japanese
weekends in Qatar. Austin’s you’re going to end up in off onto a bit of Tarmac. was classified eighth for his
best result of the season.
After losing a position to Zhou
Guanyu at the start, Tsunoda
returned the favour a lap later
and then found his way into the
points when Esteban Ocon and
Oscar Piastri dropped out of the
top 10. A thrilling battle with
Kevin Magnussen after his
pitstop showcased Tsunoda’s
inch-perfect car control in the
final sector of switchback
corners, and the AlphaTauri
driver continued to prove his
worth in his battle with the
recovering Lance Stroll in the
final part of the race. Stroll
eventually proved too strong to
contend with as Aston Martin’s
overnight set-up tweaks
MAUGER

delivered extra performance,

but the chasm-like gap to Alex
Albon behind offered Tsunoda a
Alb‘off’ lucky to score as chance to pit late for soft tyres.
“To be honest I got a heart
attack when I had to box,”
Sargeant gets promotion said Tsunoda. “I thought it
was something like an issue
Alex Albon was lucky to chalk up points accurately and consistently conclude from the engine. After I heard
despite finishing 11th on the road, after that any breaches occurred”. we go for fastest lap, then I
a five-second track-limits penalty did not After being on the fringes of the points was relieved!”
change his finishing position at the flag. throughout the race, but missing the final Daniel Ricciardo made
The Williams driver crossed the line ingredients to make a breakthrough, his return to the second
6.3 seconds clear of team-mate Logan Albon was promoted to ninth following AlphaTauri after recovering
Sargeant, which was enough margin to disqualifications for Lewis Hamilton from his broken hand, but
mitigate any effect of his penalty. Despite and Charles Leclerc. Sargeant was endured a difficult race with
an FIA investigation for further track elevated to 10th to secure his first world a forlorn one-stop attempt
limits offences at Turn 6, it noted that championship point – the first for an being hampered by debris
“the evidence at hand is not sufficient to American since Michael Andretti in 1993. stuck within his front
suspension, prompting a
late pitstop to make the finish.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 7
 Congratulations to
THE 2023 CHAMPIONS!
Huge congratulations to the British GT3 Champions Darren Leung & Dan Harper, British GT4 Champions
Erik Evans & Matt Cowley, GB3 Champion Callum Voisin and GB4 Champion Tom Mills for an amazing year
and well deserved championship titles!

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 U N I T E D S T AT E S G P T E C H

DRAWING BOARD GI ORGIO P IOLA

H A A S U P D AT E S I N C L U D E D
DEFINED DOWNWASH
SIDEPOD DESIGN
HOME-RACE HA AS UPGRADES
FINALLY BREAK COVER
Haas took the covers off its exacerbates the problem. qualifying, it never quite came pleased that he was able to fight
much-anticipated upgrades for the The changes included a defined together; Nico Hulkenberg’s initial with the cars around him, rather
United States Grand Prix, which downwash sidepod, falling in line assessment was that the updates than have to back out simply to
featured extensive bodywork with the rest of the grid, and were “not a transformation”, keep the tyres alive. “We helped
changes as the team sought to revising cooling louvres around and an anonymous sprint race the problem,” added Kevin
cure the VF-23’s insatiable the engine cover to match. The prompted Haas to recall its Magnussen. “I think we had a
appetite for Pirelli tyres. risk was always that, within the cars from parc ferme and better race than we would have if
Early tyre wear during races single hour of practice allotted change the set-up. we hadn’t changed. I’m still curious
has instigated sliding, which the during a sprint weekend, Haas According to the drivers, those to see how it evolves when we get
drivers find makes managing tyre would struggle to get to grips with tweaks had a small positive to play with the set-up a little more
wear nigh-on impossible because the change in car behaviour. impact. Although the results were and optimise things better.”
the lateral movement only Despite flashes of pace in middling at best, Hulkenberg was JAKE BOXALL-LEGGE

MERCEDES FOCUSES ON FUTURE WITH FLOOR

A revised floor for Mercedes was aimed at the wool tufts used to monitor the
adding performance to the current W14 but, direction of flow in a delightfully
as CEO Toto Wolff explained, the effect would old-school fashion; teams often use
also help set the tone for its developments flow-vis paint to check flow patterns
on the W15 for 2024. in modern F1. “It was directionally
The changes included a raised leading edge an interesting experiment, whether
with repositioned floor fences, and the edge of it would work, to give us more
the floor featured a more open ‘scroll’ section, indications if we were on the right
which helps develop flow structures in a straight path for next year’s car,” Wolff added.
line and assists with outright downforce “No upgrade is the real deal. I think in
production while the car is in yaw. the years I’ve been in F1, apart from
“It will hopefully bring a small gain but more the double diffuser, nothing was a silver
importantly, is another milestone in setting our bullet. Since then, they have always been
development path for W15,” Wolff stated. The the accumulation of smaller gains.”
diagram of the revised scroll demonstrates JAKE BOXALL-LEGGE

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R A C E C E N T R E U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

20 Stroll #18 18 Hulkenberg #27 16 Sargeant #2 14 Ricciardo #3 12 Zhou #24

1m36.589s 1m36.235s 1m36.827s 1m35.974s 1m35.698s

19 Alonso #14 17 Magnussen #20 15 Albon #23 13 Bottas #77 11 Tsunoda #22
1m36.268s 1m35.880s 1m36.315s 1m35.858s 1m35.697s

FREE PRACTICE RACE QUALIFYING SPRINT QUALIFYING SEASON STATS

POS DRIVER TIME POS DRIVER TIME POS DRIVER TIME
DRIVERS’ PTS BEST BEST
1 Verstappen 1m35.912s Q3 1 Leclerc 1m34.723s Q3 1 Verstappen 1m34.538s CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH QUAL
2 Leclerc 1m36.068s 2 Norris 1m34.853s 2 Leclerc 1m34.593s 1 Verstappen 466 1 1
3 Hamilton 1m36.193s 3 Hamilton 1m34.862s 3 Hamilton 1m34.607s 2 Perez 240 1 1
4 Perez 1m36.212s 4 Sainz 1m34.945s 4 Norris 1m34.639s 3 Hamilton 201 2 1
5 Magnussen 1m36.472s 5 Russell 1m35.079s 5 Piastri 1m34.894s 4 Alonso 183 2 2
6 Russell 1m36.474s 6 Verstappen 1m35.081s 6 Sainz 1m34.939s 5 Sainz 171 1 1
7 Albon 1m36.492s 7 Gasly 1m35.089s 7 Perez 1m35.041s 6 Norris 159 2 2
8 Sainz 1m36.533s 8 Ocon 1m35.154s 8 Russell 1m35.199s 7 Leclerc 151 2 1
9 Hulkenberg 1m36.702s 9 Perez 1m35.173s 9 Albon 1m35.366s 8 Russell 143 3 2
10 Gasly 1m36.705s 10 Piastri 1m35.467s 10 Gasly 1m35.897s 9 Piastri 83 2 2
11 Sargeant 1m36.987s Q2 11 Tsunoda 1m35.697s Q2 11 Ricciardo 1m35.978s 10 Gasly 56 3 4
12 Ocon 1m37.066s 12 Zhou 1m35.698s 12 Alonso 1m36.087s 11 Stroll 53 4 6
13 Tsunoda 1m37.104s 13 Bottas 1m35.858s 13 Ocon 1m36.137s 12 Ocon 44 3 4
14 Ricciardo 1m37.152s 14 Magnussen 1m35.880s 14 Stroll 1m36.181s 13 Albon 25 7 4
15 Norris 1m37.256s 15 Ricciardo 1m35.974s 15 Zhou 1m36.182s 14 Bottas 10 8 7
16 Zhou 1m37.418s Q1 16 Hulkenberg 1m36.235s Q1 16 Hulkenberg 1m36.749s 15 Hulkenberg 9 7 2
17 Bottas 1m37.517s 17 Alonso 1m36.268s 17 Magnussen 1m36.922s 16 Tsunoda 8 8 8
18 Alonso 1m37.840s 18 Albon 1m36.315s 18 Bottas 1m36.922s 17 Zhou 6 9 5
19 Piastri 1m38.420s 19 Stroll 1m36.589s 19 Tsunoda 1m36.945s 18 Magnussen 3 10 4
20 Stroll 1m39.940s 20 Sargeant 1m36.827s 20 Sargeant 1m37.186s 19 Lawson 2 9 10
WEATHER Sunny, air 33-35C track 38-43C WEATHER Sunny, air 37-38C track 40-45C WEATHER Sunny, air 33-34C track 39-41C 20 Sargeant 1 10 10
21 de Vries 0 12 12
22 Ricciardo 0 13 13
SPRINT RACE 19 LAPS – 64.89 MILES
CONSTRUCTORS’ PTS
POS DRIVER FINISH TIME LED TYRE FASTEST LAPS CHAMPIONSHIP
SUTTON

1 Verstappen 31m30.849s 19 Mu 1m39.060s 1 Red Bull 706

2 Hamilton +9.465s Mu 1m39.138s 2 Mercedes 344
3 Leclerc +17.987s Mu 1m39.634s 3 Ferrari 322
4 Norris +18.863s Mu 1m39.795s 4 McLaren 242
5 Perez +22.928s Mu 1m39.824s 5 Aston Martin 236
6 Sainz +28.307s Su 1m40.223s 6 Alpine 100
7 Gasly +32.403s Mu 1m40.155s 7 Williams 26
8 Russell +34.250s Mu 1m40.253s 8 Alfa Romeo 16
9 Albon +34.567s Mn 1m40.094s 9 Haas 12
10 Piastri +42.403s Mu 1m41.037s 10 AlphaTauri 10
11 Ocon +44.986s Mu 1m41.013s
12 Ricciardo +45.509s Mu 1m40.434s QUALIFYING BATTLE

13 Alonso +49.086s Mu 1m40.805s Verstappen 16 1 Perez

14 Tsunoda +49.733s Mu 1m40.632s Leclerc 11 7 Sainz
15 Hulkenberg +56.650s Mn 1m41.232s Hamilton 9 9 Russell
16 Bottas +1m04.401s Mu 1m41.503s Gasly 11 7 Ocon
17 Zhou +1m07.972s Mu 1m41.595s WEATHER Overcast, air 33-34C track 36-37C
Norris 13 5 Piastri
18 Magnussen +1m11.122s Mu 1m41.699s Zhou 7 11 Bottas
19 Sargeant +1m11.449s Mu 1m41.947s WINNER’S AVERAGE SPEED 123.537mph Alonso 16 2 Stroll
FASTEST LAP AVERAGE SPEED Magnussen 6 12 Hulkenberg
R Stroll 16 laps-brakes Mu 1m41.460s 124.492mph
Ricciardo 1 2 Tsunoda
Tsunoda 4 1 Lawson
de Vries 2 8 Tsunoda
SPEED TRAP (QUALIFYING)
Sargeant 0 18 Albon
Haas 205.2mph
WINS FASTEST LAPS
Ferrari 203.4mph
Verstappen 15 Verstappen 8
Alfa Romeo 202.4mph
Perez 2 Hamilton 3
Red Bull 201.9mph
Sainz 1 Perez 2
McLaren 201.8mph

NEXT RACE
Alonso 1
Alpine 201.8mph POLE POSITIONS Piastri 1
Williams 201.8mph Verstappen 10 Russell 1
Aston Martin 201.6mph 29 October Leclerc 3 Tsunoda 1
Mercedes 198.8mph Mexican GP Perez 2 Zhou 1
AlphaTauri 198.8mph Sainz 2
Mexico City
Hamilton 1

3 0 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 POWERED BY
Motorsport Stats is the pre-eminent provider of motorsport data to media owners, rights-holders,
bookmakers and sponsors. Its data services are founded on the world’s largest repository of racing
results dating back to 1897. For more information contact [email protected]

STARTING GRID
10 Piastri #81 8 Ocon #31 6 Verstappen #1 4 Sainz #55 2 Norris #4
1m35.467s 1m35.154s 1m35.081s 1m34.945s 1m34.853s

9 Perez #11 7 Gasly #10 5 Russell #63 3 Hamilton #44 1 Leclerc #16
1m35.173s 1m35.089s 1m35.079s 1m34.862s 1m34.723s

RESULTS ROUND 18/22 (56 LAPS – 191.63 MILES) FASTEST LAPS

POS DRIVER TEAM FINISH TIME LED TYRES POS DRIVER TIME GAP LAP
1 Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull-Honda RBPT 1h35m21.362s 26 Mn, Mn, Hn 1 Tsunoda 1m38.139s - 56
2 Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren-Mercedes +10.730s 21 Mn, Hn, Hn 2 Ricciardo 1m39.366s +1.227s 49
3 Carlos Sainz (ESP) Ferrari +15.134s Mn, Mn, Hn 3 Russell 1m39.393s +1.254s 48
4 Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull-Honda RBPT +18.460s Mn, Mn, Hn 4 Hamilton 1m39.582s +1.443s 42
5 George Russell (GBR) Mercedes +24.999s Mn, Hn, Mn 5 Perez 1m39.737s +1.598s 40
6 Pierre Gasly (FRA) Alpine-Renault +47.996s Mn, Mn, Hn 6 Stroll 1m39.908s +1.769s 48
7 Lance Stroll (CAN) Aston Martin-Mercedes +48.696s Hn, Mu, Mn 7 Alonso 1m39.954s +1.815s 47
8 Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT +1m14.385s Mn, Hn, Mn, Sn 8 Norris 1m39.985s +1.846s 39
9 Alexander Albon (THA) Williams-Mercedes +1m26.714s Mu, Hn, Mu 9 Verstappen 1m40.028s +1.889s 40
10 Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams-Mercedes +1m27.998s Mn, Hn, Mn 10 Sainz 1m40.034s +1.895s 51
11 Nico Hulkenberg (DEU) Haas-Ferrari +1m29.904s Hn, Mn, Mu 11 Gasly 1m40.412s +2.273s 47
12 Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Alfa Romeo-Ferrari +1m38.601s Mn, Hn, Hn 12 Hulkenberg 1m40.925s +2.786s 45
13 Zhou Guanyu (CHN) Alfa Romeo-Ferrari -1 lap/+3.576s Mn, Hn, Hn 13 Leclerc 1m41.025s +2.886s 38
14 Kevin Magnussen (DNK) Haas-Ferrari -1 lap/+8.072s Mn, Hn, Mn 14 Sargeant 1m41.238s +3.099s 34
15 Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT -1 lap/+8.852s Mn, Hn, Sn 15 Albon 1m41.371s +3.232s 40
EX Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes +2.225s/worn plank 6 Mn, Hn, Mn 16 Magnussen 1m41.506s +3.367s 41
EX Charles Leclerc (MCO) Ferrari +24.662s/worn plank 3 Mn, Hn 17 Zhou 1m41.879s +3.740s 51
R Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin-Mercedes 49 laps-floor Mu, Mn, Hn 18 Bottas 1m41.972s +3.833s 54
R Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren-Mercedes 10 laps-accident damage Mn 19 Piastri 1m42.705s +4.566s 5
R Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine-Renault 6 laps-accident damage Mn 20 Ocon 1m44.789s +6.650s 2
WEATHER Sunny, air 32-33C track 43-44C
WINNER’S AVERAGE SPEED 120.580mph FASTEST LAP AVERAGE SPEED 125.661mph
RACE BRIEFING
TYRES
SPRINT GRID PENALTIES gaining a lasting advantage RACE PENALTIES
RUSSELL Three-place ALBON 5s penalty for
KEY: H - Hard M - Medium S - Soft I - Intermediate W - Wet n - New set u - Used set
HARD MEDIUM SOFT
penalty for impeding GP GRID PENALTIES leaving the track without
Leclerc in sprint qualifying STROLL, ALONSO, a justifiable reason
MAGNUSSEN and multiple times
SPRINT PENALTIES HULKENBERG required to HAMILTON and LECLERC
RUSSELL and ZHOU start from the pitlane for Disqualified for excessive
C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 INTERMEDIATE WET Five-second penalty each set-up changes while under wear on rear skid/plank
for leaving the track and parc ferme conditions

LAP CHART
LAP 5 LAP 10 LAP 15 LAP 20 LAP 25 LAP 30 LAP 35 LAP 40 LAP 45 LAP 50 LAP 55
Leclerc
Norris
Hamilton
Sainz
Russell
Verstappen
Gasly
Ocon
Perez
Piastri
Tsunoda
Zhou
Bottas
Ricciardo
Albon
Sargeant
Magnussen
Hulkenberg
Alonso
Stroll

Pitstop Crash Mechanical failure Spin Penalty Car lapped Safety car Virtual Safety car Red flag

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 3 1
R A C E C E N T R E U N I T E D S T AT E S G P

UNITED STATES GP
DRIVER RATINGS
No performances worthy of a double-digit score, although in the Lone Star
State three drivers – Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris – stand out
J A K E B OX A L L- L E G G E

RED BULL FERRARI MERCEDES

MAX V E RSTAP P E N S E RGI O P E RE Z C HA R L E S LE C L E RC C A R LO S S AIN Z L EWI S H AMI LTON GE O RG E R USS E L L

Started 6th ----------------- Result 1st Started 9th ------------ Result 4th Started 1st --------------- Result DQ Started 4th ------------ Result 3rd Started 3rd -------------- Result DQ Started 5th ------------ Result 5th

9 5 7 7 9 5
Rise to the front On one hand, Hard done Brave inside-line Lost a place at Never really
was expected he made up by with his choice at start start to Sainz, figured among
after easy sprint ground from a strategy and offered a way but managed to frontrunning
win, but progress disappointing subsequent past Hamilton return the favour pack. Indecision
slower than predicted qualifying and split the disqualification. but could not stay as race settled into a over strategy cost him
thanks to braking Ferraris. On the other, Beaten off the line by ahead. Benefited from rhythm. Ambitious slightly as middle
struggles and tyre made no real progress Norris and did well to Ferrari’s split strategy, stint targets left him in hard-tyre stint was
management. Did not beyond the opening defend second from with two-stopper the pursuit of Verstappen shortened, and
disappear down the part of the race, and Sainz, but the faster far stronger option, and Norris, as team pace in opening two
road after passing demonstrated his cars of Hamilton and and later team orders hoped for a tyre offset stints fell short of
Norris, but did enough gap to Verstappen in Verstappen put the rather sacrificed at the end. Move on Hamilton’s. Could not
to break out of DRS best car on the grid. Ferraris in their place. Leclerc in favour of Norris freed him up mount late pass on
range. Had enough in Outclassed by Baffling one-stop keeping Sainz ahead for optimistic charge, one-stopping Leclerc,
hand to suppress late stronger drivers in decision derailed of Perez. A steady and but victory chances although final-stint
Hamilton threat. lesser machinery. a strong effort. dependable drive. had subsided. pace was solid.

ALPINE McLAREN ALFA ROMEO

P I E RRE GAS LY E STE B A N O CO N LAN D O N OR R IS OS CA R PI AST R I Z HO U GUA NYU VA LT TE RI BOTTAS

Started 7th ------------ Result 6th Started 8th ---------------------- Result R Started 2nd -------- Result 2nd Started 10th ----------------- Result R Started 12th -- Result 13th Started 13th --- Result 12th

6 5 9 6 4 5
Lost three Was entitled Made excellent Made up four See Bottas, An anonymous
places at start, to defend his start to lead places at start but even less race as Alfa pace
but Ocon’s position against opening half of and was hanging felicitous. Made was lacking.
and Piastri’s Piastri, hence it race and built onto the five up a position at Reckoned
respective ailments was a racing incident. convincing lead prior cars ahead in opening start over Tsunoda, strategy was right,
lessened the blow. Managed to leapfrog to opening stops. Hard laps. Ocon clash a but couldn’t keep hold but felt bumpiness
Otherwise, a steady team-mate in opening tyre vs Verstappen’s racing incident, but of the AlphaTauri and of circuit hampered
if unspectacular corners, but sidepod mediums held up well, ultimately contributed dropped to the back progress and forced
presence behind the damage from brush but Turn 11 error to damage and loss of after stopping earliest. team to jack up ride
frontrunning pack, with the McLaren was helped Red Bull catch water pressure that Cited a lack of grip and height, giving up
maintaining a solid too great to limp on up. Gamely held on proved terminal. heavy degradation for performance. Hard-
race pace to ensure with and was called after being passed, but Difficult to rate his fall behind Bottas, tyre stint at the end
that Alpine got a in to retire. Has now tyre deg proved too given truncated race, despite starting ahead, was consistent, but
result. Tailed off finished just four of much, which brought but earns bonus score and ended up finishing missed mark of other
towards the end. the past nine races. Hamilton into play. for a great start. a lap down. lower midfield teams.

3 2 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 U N I T E D S T AT E S G P R A C E C E N T R E

Hamilton and Leclerc efforts

ended up being in vain

SUTTON

ASTON MARTIN HAAS ALPHATAURI

FERNA ND O A LO N S O LANC E ST RO L L K E V IN M AG N USS E N N ICO H U LK EN B E RG DAN IE L R ICCIA RDO YU KI TSU N O DA

Started 19th ---------------- Result R Started 20th ------ Result 7th Started 17th --- Result 14th Started 18th --- Result 11th Started14th ---- Result 15th Started 11th ------- Result 8th

7 7 4 5 5 7
Reverted to Did well to break Fought hard Solid recovery Found his Made late switch
proven Qatar- into points given following pitlane after pitlane return physically to soft tyres to
spec overnight encumbrance of start in early start. Upgrades demanding after snatch fastest
after miserable pitlane start – stages to gain didn’t prove to five races away. lap, after
weekend, but progress despite brief faux pas positions, but was be an immediate Stayed near Tsunoda stealing into the points
was good. Reckoned in driving to grid. put to the back after cure-all for tyre-wear in first two thirds of following Alonso’s
eighth-place finish on Tyre management first pitstop and never woes, but parc ferme- the race, and late retirement. Pace was
the road was there for was laudable and really managed to get breaking tweaks decline coincided consistent, and made
the taking and had managed to reel off going. Found set-up gave him enough to with aborting an good moves on other
taken chunks out of a few overtakes after changes beneficial, fight with the cars ambitious one-stopper traditional midfielders;
Gasly’s advantage, but overnight changes to but additional around him. Pace as damage and tyre his early battle with
floor damage proved his car. Offset strategy downforce was drop-off still present, wear sapped Magnussen was a
too much to continue helped demonstrate not enough to but improvements performance over highlight and a great
with. A tenacious drive much-needed rescue anything offered some lengthy stint on demonstration of his
under the radar. improvement in form. from the race. glimmers of hope. the hard tyres. unheralded racecraft.

WILLIAMS TOP 10 AV ERAGE RATIN GS

AU TOS P O RT ’ S RA N K ING A F TE R R O UN D 18 * RE ADE RS’ RA NKI NG A F TE R RO UN D 1 8 *

* Excludes Liam Lawson (6.6 average) and * Excludes Lawson (7.1)
Ricciardo (6.3)

9.0

LO GAN SA R G EA N T A L E X A L BON GIVE YOUR

DRIVER RATI
NGS
Started 16th -- Result 10th Started 15th ------- Result 9th

6 5
At last, some Probably 8.0 autospor t
.com
progress; much- achieved a driver-rati /f1/
ng s
needed clean maximum
weekend will expected result
offer something to and lucked into points 7.0
build from. Home- after exclusions
race fervour added ahead, as his frequent
pressure, but he coped track-limits violations
with it handily. Also ultimately changed
Verstappen 8.9

Russell 6.8

Albon 6.3
Norris 7.4
Alonso 7.2
Hamilton 7.2

Leclerc 6.7
Piastri 6.4

Ocon 6.3
Sainz 6.2

Verstappen 8.9

Gasly 6.1

coped well with long

Alonso 7.6
Norris 7.4
Hamilton 7.1
Albon 6.7
Russell 6.7
Piastri 6.7
Leclerc 6.6
Sainz 6.4

nothing in final results.

second and third stints Managed tyres well in
despite degrading long final stint, but
tyres. Disqualifications that penalty costs him
ahead gifted him a a mark in an otherwise
first F1 point. solid performance.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 3 3
WORLD OF SPORT

United’s
double-winning
ORECA leads Inter
Europol car in Friday
Portuguese sunset

JEP

Algarve Pro trio proves they’re pros in the Algarve

EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES stops, before British veteran Oliver Jarvis field was released for three hours of racing.
ALGARVE CIRCUIT (PRT) charged back up to overtake Cadillac WEC A dominant early stint from Hanson laid
20/22 OCTOBER star Lynn to secure a race victory for the groundwork for a second victory for
ROUNDS 5/6 & 6/6 himself, Marino Sato and Phil Hanson. United’s ORECA, although Lynn brought the
But it was Algarve Pro that arguably black-and-blue APR ORECA-Gibson 07 home
Algarve Pro Racing trio Alex Lynn, Kyffin ended Friday with the biggest smiles, with in second place to secure the title. He did so
Simpson and James Allen secured the a near-insurmountable points advantage by overcoming an incident-filled final hour
European Le Mans Series title with a pair heading into the season finale on Sunday in which Paul-Loup Chatin spun into the
of second-place finishes across a Portimao afternoon. Ironically for the team gravel at Turn 8, and Neel Jani turned Job
double-header finale in which United based not far from the track, it was the van Uitert around. Lynn then survived his
Autosports won both races amid Portuguese weather that would prove the own scare when a recovering van Uitert
adverse weather conditions. biggest threat to its impending title success. went on the offensive at the Torre Vip
The unorthodox season conclusion, Or, more accurately, the complete lack of hairpin. The Panis Racing driver moved up
featuring two four-hour races, stemmed favourable conditions. Showers had been a the inside of Lynn, but made contact and
from the cancellation of May’s 4 Hours of factor in the weekend prior to Sunday and, spun, while the Brit escaped unharmed.
Imola. Instead, the ELMS organisers added ahead of the four-hour finale, a downpour The LMP2 Pro-Am title was decided in
a second round – the 4 Hours of Algarve – struck the area with a vengeance. favour of AF Corse duo Matthieu Vaxiviere
to its final fixture and named the weekend Treacherous conditions led to a start delay and Francois Perrodo. Joined by Ben
the ‘Portimao Grand Season Finale’. that eventually amounted to 90 minutes Barnicoat, they combined third on Friday
The opening race kicked off on Friday and, once the race did start, it was only for with a Sunday victory to beat Racing Team
afternoon before running into the early a single sighter lap that was immediately Turkey and Cool Racing to the crown.
evening. United had appeared to be on the followed by a red flag lasting 45 minutes. Cool Racing clinched the LMP3 title with
back foot following the final round of fuel When conditions finally improved, the a race to spare when its Ligier finished
fourth on Friday, aided when its nearest
rival, the Inter Europol Competition Ligier,
retired from the final hour when it caught
fire. Marcos Siebert, Alex Garcia and
Adrien Chila enjoyed a dominant run in
2023, scoring three wins from six races.
Proton Competition Porsche trio Alessio
Picariello, Zach Robichon and Ryan
Hardwick took the GTE title in style by
winning on Sunday, after finishing a close
second to the sister car of Julien Andlauer,
Giammarco Levorato and Christian Ried
on Friday. It was the final GTE title in the
ELMS, with the class set to be replaced by
the incoming LMGT3 division for next year.
L-r: Allen, Lynn and Simpson DAVEY EUWEMA
were quite happy with
this kind of wet conditions
JEP

Relive this race at Motorsport.tv

3 4 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 WORLD OF SPORT RACE CENTRE

Perfect Preining leads from

Bortolotti on Sunday

Preining does
it for Porsche
DTM
HOCKENHEIM (DEU)
21-22 OCTOBER
ROUND 8/8

Porsche factory driver Thomas Preining

ADAC MOTORSPORT

scored a perfect tally of 56 points at the

Hockenheim finale to claim the DTM
title. The Austrian didn’t even have
to wait until the final race to seal the WEEKEND WINNERS
crown – his bagging of the three bonus
points for pole position in Sunday’s EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES
qualifying session put him out of reach. Rast starred with
ALGARVE CIRCUIT (PRT)
The decisive moment of the weekend Race 1
charge to third LMP2 Oliver Jarvis/Phil Hanson/
had taken place exactly 24 hours earlier, Marino Sato
when chief title rival Mirko Bortolotti United Autosports (ORECA 07)
set a time that would have been good LMP3 Oscar Tunjo/Torsten Kratz/
enough for pole, only to lose the lap Leo Weiss
Rinaldi Racing
to track limits. That meant that, while (Duqueine M30-D08)
Preining could dictate the race from
ADAC MOTORSPORT

GTE Julien Andlauer/Giammarco

the front in his Manthey EMA Porsche, Levorato/Christian Ried
Bortolotti’s SSR Performance Proton Competition
(Porsche 911 RSR)
Lamborghini was stuck in the midfield
Race 2
in eighth, behind the Abt Audis of LMP2 Jarvis/Hanson/Sato
Kelvin van der Linde and Ricardo LMP3 Matt Bell/Adam Ali
Feller, who remained an outside title Bortolotti tried to remain in the hunt EuroInternational (Ligier JSP320)
contender at this stage of the weekend. in Sunday’s qualifying, and immediately GTE Alessio Picariello/Zach
Robichon/Ryan Hardwick
Bortolotti could gain only one place set the fastest lap of the weekend before Proton Competition
in the first stint, and it wasn’t until breaking the 1m37s barrier on his next (Porsche 911 RSR)
the final 12 minutes of the race that flier. But Preining had even more time
he cleared van der Linde and the Emil up his sleeve and went 0.006s quicker DTM
HOCKENHEIM (DEU)
Frey Racing Ferrari of Jack Aitken, at his next attempt to clinch the title. Races 1 & 2 Thomas Preining
moving up to finish fifth behind Feller. In the race, Preining successfully Manthey EMA
Preining, meanwhile, was resisted a late attack from Bortolotti, (Porsche 911 GT3-R)
untouchable at the front of the field, even forcing him to make a mistake
LE MANS CUP
with team-mate Dennis Olsen acting as on the penultimate lap, to cap off his ALGARVE CIRCUIT (PRT)
a rear-gunner and keeping the Grasser season in style. His eventual margin Josh Skelton/Tony Wells
Lamborghini of Christian Engelhart at was 33 points, and he also led Manthey Nielsen Racing (Ligier JSP320)
bay. He eventually crossed the line with EMA and Porsche to the teams’ and the
POWERED BY
a victory margin of 0.6s, giving him manufacturers’ titles. It was Porsche’s
a near-unassailable 27-point lead. first success in the DTM, in its second
year of full participation.
While the spotlight was firmly on For full results visit motorsportstats.com
Preining and Bortolotti in the final
race, three-time DTM champion Rene
Rast pulled off one of his finest drives
in recent memory to take third. After after overcutting a number of his rivals
being blocked in qualifying, Rast with a late pitstop on lap 18 of 36. Then,
started his Schubert Motorsport BMW with Maro Engel struggling in his
from a dismal 23rd position, but he hobbled Team Landgraf Mercedes
made up 10 places on the opening lap ahead, Rast was able to make a pass
alone and was inside the top 10 shortly at the hairpin on the final lap to
after an early safety car period, caused complete his stellar recovery drive.
ADAC MOTORSPORT

by a collision between Engelhart and Rast’s team-mate, outgoing champion

Preining no longer the Project 1 BMW of Marco Wittmann. Sheldon van der Linde, finished fourth
pining for the trophy Rast continued to make further after also clearing Engel at the end.
inroads and assumed fourth position RACHIT THUKRAL

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 3 5
 Bell has made
the Championship 4
for the second
consecutive season

Bell rings true as rivals drop clangers EAST

NASCAR CUP point nearly fell a lap down. But a string “I was ready to throw the towel in there
HOMESTEAD (USA) of caution-causing incidents as the 267 in the second stage. I got frustrated on
22 OCTOBER laps wore down knocked several playoff the radio. Adam [Stevens, crew chief] kept
ROUND 34/36 contenders out of the race and put Bell after it. The guys back at the shop were
back in the hunt for the win. working over the adjustments and gave
Christopher Bell is getting good at pulling Bell grabbed the lead for the first time me what I needed. Whenever we got some
off dramatic wins to earn NASCAR Cup on a restart on lap 230, lost it on pitroad, clean air, this thing was really good.”
championship opportunities. and then reclaimed it from William Byron Tyler Reddick ended up third in the
Bell claimed two ‘must-win’ races in the with 15 to go. He then held off a late charge race ahead of Byron and AJ Allmendinger.
playoffs last year to advance to the Cup from Blaney’s Team Penske Ford to earn Byron and Blaney are the remaining
series title race and, in almost the same just his second win of the 2023 season. The drivers in the Championship 4 positions
situation last Sunday, he rallied in the victory means Bell is the second driver, with just this Sunday’s race at Martinsville
final 60 laps to hold off Ryan Blaney for along with Kyle Larson, confirmed for remaining to qualify, while those currently
an improbable victory at Homestead. next week’s Championship 4 at Phoenix. in the elimination spots are Reddick, Martin
Bell struggled for much of the race in “That race was a whirlwind,” an Truex Jr, Denny Hamlin and Chris Buescher.
his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and at one exasperated Bell said after the race. JIM UTTER

Victory in
SUTTON

opener does
it for Garcia
F1 ACADEMY
AUSTIN (USA) Garcia soaks up
21-22 OCTOBER Pulling’s pressure
ROUND 7/7

Marta Garcia became yet another on Garcia all the way to the finish. There Edgar, the cousin of Formula 3 racer
driver to win a championship in a was a fight behind too, with ART Grand Jonny, showed much improved form to
Prema Racing-run Formula 4 car when Prix’s Lena Buhler getting past Nerea claim pole for the finale. And the Briton
she triumphed in the opening race of F1 Marti to claim third position. then fended off a Turn 1 attack from
Academy’s season finale to its inaugural Contact with Jessica Edgar on the Garcia to lead throughout and claim her
season, supporting the US Grand Prix. opening lap damaged Garcia’s front and Rodin Carlin’s first F1 Academy win.
The Spaniard claimed pole position wing in the reversed-grid second race, Garcia’s move cost her momentum
and took the lead at the start, but had to and a black-and-orange flag forced her and second place to compatriot Marti,
endure some side-by-side battling with out. Hamda Al Qubaisi took a win in and the Campos Racing driver fended
Abbi Pulling on the opening lap. Rodin her MP Motorsport car, leading all off a race-long attack to claim second,
Carlin driver Pulling kept the pressure the way to beat Buhler and Edgar. with Buhler and Al Qubaisi next up.

3 6 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 WORLD OF SPORT RACE CENTRE

WEEKEND WINNERS

R-ace pair are Tramnitz scored win

on home ground
NASCAR CUP
HOMESTEAD (USA)
Christopher Bell

racey in the Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota Camry)

F1 ACADEMY

final races AUSTIN (USA)

Race 1 Marta Garcia

ROZENDAAL/DUTCH PHOTO AGENCY

Prema Racing
Race 2 Hamda Al Qubaisi
FORMULA REGIONAL EUROPEAN MP Motorsport
HOCKENHEIM (DEU) Race 3 Jessica Edgar
Rodin Carlin
21-22 OCTOBER
ROUND 10/10 FORMULA REGIONAL EUROPEAN
HOCKENHEIM (DEU)
R-ace GP pair Martinius Stenshorne Race 1 Tim Tramnitz
R-ace GP
and Tim Tramnitz shared the wins Race 2 Martinius Stenshorne
at the Formula Regional European R-ace GP
by Alpine finale to secure second F1 junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who
and third respectively in the points. had forged through from 10th on the grid. EUROFORMULA OPEN
BARCELONA (ESP)
Tramnitz, newly anointed as a Red Bull Tramnitz had pole for the finale, but Race 1 Enzo Trulli
Junior, made a corker of a move to get into Stenshorne got the jump at the start and CryptoTower (Dallara-Spiess)
the lead of the opening race. Poleman Camara moved into second at Turn 2. Race 2 Levente Revesz
Team Motopark (Dallara-Spiess)
Kas Haverkort was attempting to repass Following an early safety car, Camara
Race 3 Francesco Simonazzi
Rafael Camara on the opening lap into made his bid for the front. He went down BVM Racing (Dallara-Spiess)
the Spitzkehre hairpin, only for the the inside of Stenshorne at Spitzkehre,
German to chuck it around the outside but the Norwegian clung on. After INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN
BARCELONA (ESP)
of both of them and emerge in front. another safety car he tried again at
Race 1 Christopher Haase/Simon Reicher
But some safety car interludes nearly Mercedes Arena, only for Tramnitz and Eastalent (Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II)
did for Tramnitz. After the final restart Haverkort to nip past Camara on the exit. Race 2 Dominik Baumann/Mikaeel Pitamber
with four laps remaining, he braked too With the positions at the front settled, SPS (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
late into Spitzkehre and had to be forceful attention turned to the progress of TCR EUROPE
to defend from Prema Racing-run Ferrari Antonelli, who had run wide while trying BARCELONA (ESP)
protege Camara. The Brazilian’s lost to pass Tramnitz on the first lap and Race 1 Kobe Pauwels
momentum allowed Stenshorne to dive dropped to 11th. The Italian was seventh Comtoyou (Audi RS3 LMS II TCR)
Race 2 Ruben Volt
inside for second at the Mercedes Arena behind Trident pair Owen Tangavelou ALM (Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR)
and, when Camara got into a slide, Nikita and Nikhil Bohra going into the final
Bedrin nipped through for third on a one- tour, which meant R-ace would claim POWERED BY

off outing with Van Amersfoort Racing. the teams’ title on wins countback over
Haverkort faded to fifth in his VAR car, Prema. But then he made a crucial pass
holding off Prema’s champion, Mercedes on Bohra to swing things Prema’s way. For full results visit motorsportstats.com

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2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 3 7
RACE CENTRE WORLD OF SPORT

Zarco like the

wind to claim
overdue win
MOTOGP
PHILLIP ISLAND (AUS)
21 OCTOBER
ROUND 16/20

It was getting to a point where you had to

wonder whether Johann Zarco would ever
actually win a grand prix. And there are a
fair few people within the MotoGP paddock
who believed his time had come and gone.
After coming close on a Tech3 Yamaha Zarco salutes the
on several occasions in 2017 and 2018, and crowd after his
his hellishly brief stint with KTM in 2019, belated first win…
Zarco landed on his feet in 2020 when
Ducati offered him a career reprieve.
But being on the grid’s best bike for the past
three and a bit seasons still wasn’t proving Martin’s plan was simple: break away through on Martin at Miller Corner on the
enough to break his duck. And his looming immediately by using the grip advantage final lap, his overtaking move opening the
move to LCR will give him a Honda that, for of the soft; build up a comfortable margin door for Bagnaia to grab second. While
now at least, does not a race winner make. to be able to maintain the lead when the Martin lost positions to Gresini Ducati rider
For much of Saturday’s rescheduled tyre eventually dropped. For the first 15 Fabio Di Giannantonio and Binder to drop
27-lap Australian Grand Prix, brought laps, his plan was going well. At the end to fifth, Zarco delivered the win everyone
forward from Sunday due to the threat of that tour, he was 3.479 seconds clear. has been waiting over six years to see.
of extreme wind at Phillip Island – which But the gap would grow no more, With tyre management key at Phillip
ultimately did force the cancellation of and steadily started to reduce. Initially, Island, the 2023 Australian GP seemed
the sprint contest – it was Zarco’s Pramac it wasn’t enough to cause concern. But tailor-made for Zarco’s maiden victory. And
team-mate who was set to come out on top. the gap kept closing and Martin’s speed it also proved to be an attribute used by
Jorge Martin smashed the lap record to plummeted. Come lap 23, his pace Bagnaia to extend his championship lead.
take pole and looked like once again having dropped to a 1m31.296s, while on the The Italian blamed his slump into
a raw-speed advantage over Ducati title same tour Zarco was at 1m30.8s. a second consecutive Q1 on his focus
rival Francesco Bagnaia, who had to come As Martin started his final lap, he was on working with the medium rubber in
through Q1 again, this time successfully just 0.440s ahead of Zarco, who had carved practice. From third on the grid, he didn’t
escaping and qualifying his bike third. past Brad Binder on the previous tour at have anything like the pace of Martin at
Bizarrely, Martin opted to run the the Turn 4 now named after the South the start of the race, and looked seriously
soft rear tyre, which only two others – African’s KTM team-mate Jack Miller. under threat to miss the podium.
Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro – Given Martin’s championship situation, But the Ducati rider deserves a great
elected to do. Bagnaia noted after there was a brief thought that Zarco could deal of credit for his race management.
the race that only Martin was strong well play tailgunner for his stablemate. He knew Martin would come back to him,
enough to make that gamble pay off. That idea evaporated when Zarco came and just needed to ensure that he didn’t do

Martin, here leading

Binder, had his day
at the seaside spoilt

3 8 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 POWERED BY

RESULTS ROUND 16/20, PHILLIP ISLAND (AUS), 21 OCTOBER (27 LAPS – 74.624 MILES)
POS RIDER TEAM TIME
WEEKEND
1 Johann Zarco (FRA) Pramac Ducati 40m39.446s WINNERS
2 Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +0.201s
MOTO2
3 Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) Gresini Ducati +0.477s TONY ARBOLINO
4 Brad Binder (ZAF) KTM +0.816s (below)
5 Jorge Martin (ESP) Pramac Ducati +1.008s
Marc VDS Racing Team
(Kalex)
6 Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) VR46 Ducati +8.827s

7 Jack Miller (AUS) KTM +9.283s MOTO3

DENIZ ONCU
8 Aleix Espargaro (ESP) Aprilia +9.387s
Ajo Motorsport
9 Alex Marquez (ESP) Gresini Ducati +9.696s (KTM)
10 Enea Bastianini (ITA) Ducati +12.523s

11 Maverick Vinales (ESP) Aprilia +13.992s

12 Luca Marini (ITA) VR46 Ducati +17.078s

ALL PICS: GOLD AND GOOSE 13 Miguel Oliveira (PRT) RNF Aprilia +19.443s

14 Fabio Quartararo (FRA) Yamaha +20.949s

15 Marc Marquez (ESP) Honda +21.118s

16 Raul Fernandez (ESP) RNF Aprilia +32.538s

17 Franco Morbidelli (ITA) Yamaha +37.663s

18 Pol Espargaro (ESP) Tech3 KTM +37.668s

19 Takaaki Nakagami (JPN) LCR Honda +37.758s

R Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Tech3 KTM 12 laps-accident

R Joan Mir (ESP) Honda 10 laps-accident

NS Alex Rins (ESP) LCR Honda injury

Winner’s average speed 110.126mph. Fastest lap Martin 1m28.823s, 112.019mph.

QUALIFYING 2 1 Martin 1m27.246s; 2 Binder 1m27.662s; 3 Bagnaia 1m27.714s; 4 A Espargaro 1m27.844s; 5 Zarco
…and then belts 1m27.903s; 6 Di Giannantonio 1m27.919s; 7 M Marquez 1m28.012s; 8 Miller 1m28.074s; 9 Vinales 1m28.093s;
out La Marseillaise 10 Bezzecchi 1m28.121s; 11 P Espargaro 1m28.234s; 12 Bastianini 1m28.287s.
atop the podium
QUALIFYING 1 Bagnaia 1m28.160s; M Marquez 1m28.237s; 13 A Marquez 1m28.324s; 14 A Fernandez 1m28.435s;
15 R Fernandez 1m28.607s; 16 Mir 1m28.841s; 17 Quartararo 1m28.925s; 18 Marini 1m29.047s; 19 Oliveira
anything silly leading up to that point. 1m29.182s; 20 Morbidelli 1m29.419s; 21 Nakagami 1m29.832s.
His reward was the runner-up spot and a
27-point championship lead, something RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Bagnaia 366; 2 Martin 339; 3 Bezzecchi 293; 4 Binder 224; 5 Zarco 187; 6 A Espargaro 185;
that will likely have been protected by 7 Vinales 170; 8 Marini 148; 9 Miller 144; 10 Quartararo 134.
the sprint being cancelled, what with
Martin winning the past four of them. CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Ducati 552; 2 KTM 296; 3 Aprilia 274; 4 Yamaha 154; 5 Honda 150.
Martin owned up to his tyre-gamble
error and now knows to just fight with Bagnaia charged through
the tools he has, given his machinery is
NEXT REPORT
to take second position
identical to Bagnaia’s. But the cracks in
his title charge are showing.
That isn’t true of Di Giannantonio, Thai GP
but that didn’t stop him getting a maiden 2 November is
sue
podium as he fights to save his career after
Gresini signed Marc Marquez to replace
him for 2024. Binder was a solid fourth,
while Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati)
kept his slim title hopes alive in sixth.
Miller took seventh on his homecoming.
Marquez’s own soft-tyre gamble came
with nothing to lose. He was quick to begin
with, then faded to 15th as the tyre dropped
off. But, as he pointed out afterwards, what
more can he do with the bike he has?
Marquez finished behind Fabio
Quartararo, whose miserable weekend led
him to quip that Yamaha “needs 15 winters”
to be able to become competitive again.
LEWIS DUNCAN

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 3 9
R E V I E W BTCC

SEAS ON RE VI EW

BTCC

SUTTON AND HIS TEAM

PROVE THEY’RE NO NAPPERS
The midnight oil was burned over the winter on developing the NAPA-liveried
Ford Focus ST, and Ash Sutton did an astonishing job for his fourth title
MARCUS SIMMONS

PHOTOGRAPHY JEP

oming off the back of Donington was when I felt we to the task in hand of accumulating what he amusingly refers to as
were in a really good place. The car, me mentally, ‘pointsy’ weekends, and it was this application – plus Sutton’s other
“
C the team were fully behind me, NAPA were fully
behind me. That was kind of the point where I
two ‘early-race missteps’ at the mid-season Oulton Park and Croft
rounds – that kept him in the hunt. At Donington GP, he felt that
thought, ‘Right, this is mine to lose. I just need the regular 2023 pattern of missing a couple of tenths to Sutton
to really focus on keeping out of trouble, keeping my nut had been reversed; the Hyundai was as quick as the Ford overall.
down and doing the best job I can.’” And when he beat Sutton to the chequered flag in race two, Ingram
The words are Ash Sutton’s, while pondering when he thought had cut the gap to 40 points with seven races still remaining. If
he might be looking in a strong position to win his fourth British another Sutton misstep happened…
Touring Car Championship title. And the cynics among you may Yet here was where that intangible yet significant phenomenon
think he’s referring to Donington round one, way back in April, occurred: what is commonly referred to as champion’s luck. Sutton
when he exhibited scarily quick pace in the much-reworked had again been overtaken by Ingram in the early going of the
Ford Focus ST. The NAPA-clad Motorbase Performance crew had reversed-grid race, and they were running around in 10th and 11th
presented Sutton and his team-mates with absolute weapons, positions when suddenly mayhem broke out thanks to the sister
and it was only the first of three what we might call ‘early-race Ford of Dan Rowbottom hitting a chicane tyre stack. The chain-
missteps’ of the 2023 season that prevented him leaving the reaction knock-on effects of this resulted in Sutton suddenly
Leicestershire parkland circuit with the championship lead. gaining five places in half a lap on Rowbottom, Jake Hill, Colin
But Sutton is actually alluding to Donington round eight, Turkington, Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton – all race winners
in late August. And here is where the irony creeps in: yes, he in 2023 – without genuinely overtaking of them.
scored a pole position, a win and a second as the Grand Prix loop That was the kind of episode from which we might normally
appeared on the BTCC calendar for the first time since 2002, but expect the canny Ingram to benefit, but now he faced a 42-point
deficit, with six races remaining…
And at Silverstone, there was indeed another
misstep from Sutton, but this was only because his
team – operating for its last weekend as Motorbase
“ H E R E ’ S W H E R E T H AT P H E N O M E N O N
O C C U R R E D : W H AT I S C O M M O N LY
Mutual respect endures
R E F E R R E D TO A S C H A M P I O N ’ S LU C K” as Ingram (right) hands
the crown to Sutton

it was one of the places where that scarily quick pace looked less
in evidence than at most venues. And, whisper it, he was even
overtaken on genuine pace for the lead – and victory – by a
rival in the form of reigning champion Tom Ingram and his
Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N Fastback.
Excelr8, of course, hadn’t been standing still over the winter
either, and a package of refinements to the Hyundai had left Ingram
in confident mood of repeating his 2022 title. But the Suffolk team,
not to mention everyone else on the grid, was left shattered by the
huge performance leap of those Focuses. Ingram knuckled down

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 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Sutton is the first

to win the BTCC title
in rear and front-
wheel-drive cars

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 4 1
R E V I E W BTCC

Sutton leading Ingram

and the rest was the
theme of 2023…

before its renaming as Alliance Racing in time for the Brands Hatch
finale – was shadowing the strategy of Ingram, the perceived only
rival for the title. Like so many other race weekends, this one was
heavily affected by rain, and a shower before the start of race one
threw the grid into disarray. Ingram took the start on slicks; Sutton
said he knew this was the wrong choice, but that the security of
emulating his opponent was paramount. They slid down the field
and, when Ingram was clobbered into a spin at Becketts, he called
it quits and went for wet-weather Goodyears; Sutton and his crew
saw Excelr8 getting ready, and called their own man in. Wrong
choice again, because from shortly after this point the slicks
had become the quicker tyre…
They both finished a lap down; the gap was still 42 points with
only five races remaining, but now Hill had leapfrogged Ingram
to become Sutton’s closest rival. And his 330e M Sport, fresh from
its win on the correct tyres in race one, was starting the sequel
from pole, with Ingram 22nd and Sutton 23rd. “Whoa, we maybe
overlooked that one,” acknowledged a worried Sutton.
And then along came more champion’s luck. Sutton’s drive
from 23rd on the grid to victory in that second race is rightly
hailed as that of a maestro, one of the greatest performances in
BTCC history from one of the greatest drivers in BTCC history,
yet there were three other drivers who should have won.
Hill was on course for another victory, and to trim the gap to
Sutton to 30-odd points, when a misfire caused by a boost sensor
failure seriously hobbled his BMW just after a mid-race safety car.
He’d had the race completely under control, keeping that hope of
a maiden BTCC title just within his grasp, and now it had been
ripped away. Ingram had been running ahead of Sutton on the
opening lap when he was collateral damage to an outbreak of
intra-Team Hard Cupra Leon chaos, got shoved wide and lost
several places. His own recovery drive to third was outstanding
– his pace matched that of Sutton, who arguably would never have
passed the Hyundai, especially given his need to preserve points.
And Aron Taylor-Smith, seeking a first win since the 2019 finale for
the plucky Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra squad, had enough
of an advantage over Sutton before the safety car to suggest that he
wouldn’t have been caught by the Ford. While Hill was devastated
and Ingram was rueful, the cheery Dubliner was just delighted
to have been running up at the front before succumbing to the
inevitable Sutton move into Copse Corner on the final lap.
Even so, Sutton rightly hails it as the showpiece of his
extraordinary 12 race wins of 2023, “especially when you think
all the odds are against you in terms of Jake winning race one,
should have really won race two if he didn’t have his issue. So
to storm through when it looks like it’s not looking too good
and take the win was something special. That’s one I will

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 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

…but at Donington GP
the Hyundai genuinely
outpaced the Ford

“TO STORM THROUGH WHEN IT’S

N OT LO O K I N G TO O G O O D A N D TA K E
T H E W I N W A S S O M E T H I N G S P E C I A L”

remember for a long, long time.”

And from here, the title was a formality. Sutton went to the
Brands GP finale 45 points clear of Ingram, the two raced off way
ahead of the field in the opener, and at the chequered flag it was
all done and dusted. Twelve months earlier, he’d emerged from the
Focus at the Brands finale, delighted that he’d likely never have to
drive the finicky beast again as Motorbase evaluated a rear-wheel-
drive Audi project. When that decision was reversed, Sutton’s
engineer sidekick Antonio Carrozza was tasked with turning the
Focus into something good. Apart from the mechanical work – even
bolts were changed – there was aerodynamic re-homologation of
most of the panels on the car. Under the bonnet, long-time Focus
engine supplier Mountune produced new camshafts. So too did
Swindon for the Hyundais and M-Sport for the Power Maxed and
Hard customer teams, but theirs meant a slight boost reduction at
the hands of the TOCA technical team. Mountune, meanwhile, had
focused upon driveability rather than power, and kept everything
within TOCA’s performance parameters to be unaffected on boost.
Just another illustration of how this team had every box ticked.
Carrozza has now been with Sutton for all four of his titles,
albeit as a data engineer when he won the 2017 crown with
the BMR Subaru under the technical leadership of Carl Faux,
who subsequently went to work in Supercars in Australia.
“It is something special,” acknowledges Sutton of the working
relationship with Carrozza. “Together, I’d like to think we’ve got
our peace and harmony in terms of what we can do with any car
on the grid. This is now the third car I’ve won a British Touring Car
Championship in [it was the Infiniti Q50 in 2020 and 2021]; there’s
not many drivers can say they’ve done that, and that’s a massive
thanks to that man. He was very new to it [in the Subaru days]. He’d
come in from Xtrac [the BTCC’s control gearbox supplier] and just
soaked up every bit of information he could. The last thing Carl
said to me when he left to go to Oz was, ‘He’s the boy you need’.
So I took his advice and look what we’ve gone and done together.”
Further, the revamped cars of Sutton, Dan Cammish, Rowbottom
and Sam Osborne were out testing early, each driver getting several
days each. Which meant that, amid the desperately poor British
spring, they actually managed to find some dry-weather running.
Other teams, wherever they went, found that rain or even snow put
paid to any meaningful testing. Incredibly, such was the climate
this year that, by the end of the rain-affected opening round at
Donington, the BTCC’s long-time tyre supplier Goodyear had

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 4 3
Exclusive! WSR develops
left-wheel-drive BMW. Hill
was sensational at Oulton…

provided more sets of wet-weather rubber than during the whole hasn’t just been an easy thing to drive; I’ve had to tailor myself to
of 2022. Such was the preparation of the NAPA-liveried Ford boys suit that, so the combined elements of the car and myself and what
that this will have only widened their advantage. Early in the the guys have given me has been the key to all of that. We didn’t
season, rival teams simply hadn’t honed their packages. open the toolbox and go, ‘Oh there it is, we’ve got that’. We opened
“What the guys have done with the car has kind of worked… every single drawer and lifted out every single tool in it and found
not to my favour, but into what I like from a car,” explains Sutton. all the little bits, and every one of them adds up, and if you know
“I want a car I can rely on, and make it nice and nervous and loose, what they are you know how to utilise them on track. And that’s
but I’ve also developed my driving style to suit that car. The car what I have with the engineers here, especially Antonio – he’s
been phenomenal, just dialling it in, making sure I know exactly
what that car’s capable of doing, and I go and extract it from it.”
Watson, here fighting
As with Sutton and Carrozza, it’s the same with Ingram and
Rowbottom and Butcher,
won Jack Sears Trophy
his long-time cohort Spencer Aldridge. While Sutton’s style is
spectacular, Ingram’s also belies that he’s lugging around a heavy
front-wheel-drive beast, so late on the brakes, pretty much drifting
into tight corners with pinpoint accuracy on the apex, letting the
rear dance around. They were both brilliant to watch this year,
yet Ingram took just two wins, one of those when he went on a
different tyre strategy to the rest over the ‘use all three compounds
in a day’ round at Snetterton. There was certainly nothing wrong
with the Hyundai, but the work done on those Fords means that
the development race has ratcheted up for this coming winter.
The WSR squad with its long-serving BMW 3 Series, now the
only rear-wheel-drive car in the BTCC, knows this too. Bearing in
mind the performance of the Focus, it is understood that some of
the brains trust at Sunbury were looking into a front-wheel-drive

RO U ND BY RO U ND

Donington National Brands Hatch Indy Snetterton Thruxton Oulton Park

R1 Dan Cammish R1 Colin Turkington R1 Ash Sutton R1 Ash Sutton R1 Jake Hill
R2 Tom Chilton R2 Ash Sutton R2 Ash Sutton R2 Ash Sutton R2 Jake Hill
R3 Dan Cammish R3 Ash Sutton R3 Tom Ingram R3 Dan Rowbottom R3 Colin Turkington
Rowbottom takes pole, but Cammish is supreme in Sutton is on pole on medium For the third round running, Yet again it’s Sutton on pole,
is involved in a start incident wet qualifying, but on dry tyres, but switches them on Sutton wins a double. but Hill uses rear-drive
with Hill and Sutton that rips Sunday can’t hold back BMW before the soft-equipped Ingram chases him home in traction to take lead at start
off Sutton’s water radiator of Turkington, who gets the BMWs can. Hill passes each of the first two races, of race one and defends
and leads. Turkington is lead and beats Sutton and Turkington late on for with Cook – who tops free mightily early on for victory.
bumped through gravel, and Cammish. Sutton then leads second and slashes gap, but practice but can’t repeat Ingram recovers from
Hill leads before Cammish home Ingram in second Sutton just holds on. Now the pace – just behind him. qualifying tyre problem
passes late on. Cammish race, with Turkington third. on softs, Sutton dominates Hill, despite misfire, leads to pass Collard for third.
leads race two before rain Sutton charges from 11th in race two from Hill and Cammish and Turkington to Hill doubles up later, from
increases; Chilton is on right reversed-grid finale to fight Turkington. Ingram, fighting 4-5-6 in each race. Reversed Sutton and Ingram. Sutton
tyres for victory. Cammish Collard. The Toyota wins on illness, passes Rowbottom grid shakes things up, and hits pitwall at start of finale.
recovers to 12th and wins road, but track limits deny to win race three. Cammish Rowbottom charges from Turkington passes Morgan
finale, while Ingram fends him. Sutton takes victory beats Butcher to second fifth to pass Morgan for win, for win, with Hill following
off Sutton for second. from Thompson and Ingram. but fails ride-height test. with Moffat taking third. him past in BMW 1-2-3.

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 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

…and so was Turkington

H I G H S A N D LO W S FO R C A M M I S H
in last-to-first charge
across the three races

If there was a BTCC trophy for bad luck, it likely would have
gone in 2023 to Dan Cammish. Lest we forget, this is the guy
who in 2019, his second season in the series, came within a
few miles of winning the title. This year he was a distant sixth,
with less than 57% of team-mate Ash Sutton’s points total.
You can partly pin the blame on Cammish himself for what
happened at Knockhill; he was quickest at the time when he
fell off the road during qualifying on a wet-but-drying track, a
bump tore off the radiator and he plummeted to 23rd. Not so
for next time out at Donington; he was flying in free practice,
easily top of the times, when brake failure at McLeans caused
a massive shunt and ruled him out for the weekend (below).
In the next round at Silverstone, he got used as a pinball in the
slicks/wets opening race, then suffered late tyre delaminations
in the second and third encounters.
“OUR PROBLEM IS WE’VE GOT THE The Yorkshireman was arguably the class act in his home
county at Croft (where he won one race), scored a brace of
WRONG BOOST AFTER THEY TOOK victories in the opening round at Donington, and was blistering
IT AWAY FROM US IN 2019” in wet qualifying at Brands Indy, but it can be tough when
you’re up alongside a force of nature in the form of Sutton
and his own particular driving style.
“He has the ability to handle oversteer and drives
through it,” admitted Cammish at Silverstone. “I like the
2 Series, before opting to refine what they have while the current car stuck, but I do need it to rotate, so it’s can you have
NGTC ruleset plays out its remaining years. Like Sutton and rear-grip stability and get it to turn? We’ve now found a way
Ingram, its two top drivers, Hill and Turkington, have long to have a bit of both. We’ve been more aligned in the second
alliances with their respective engineers Craig Porley and John half of the year – we’ve gone a little bit to him [on set-up]
Waterman. But there is a feeling of hands being tied behind backs. and he’s come a little bit back to us.”
It dates back to the debut season of the 3 Series in 2019, when the
car dominated out of the blocks and had its boost cut, something
that has not been reversed. Hill and Turkington, together with
team-mates Adam Morgan and Stephen Jelley, complained of lack
of straightline performance in 2023, and theories flew around
that somehow the BMW engine was running at increased charge
temperatures, with consequent loss of power. Waterman – the
Stirling Moss of BTCC engineers; somehow he’s never run a driver
to the title! – disputes this, arguing that “where we modified the
intake it’s better in traffic. Our problem is we’ve got the wrong
boost after they took it away from us in 2019. We looked good at
Silverstone, but that’s a short circuit and we were getting tows
off everyone. We’ve got to do some engine development; they’re
looking at different things on the power curve. And then we’ve
got to hope we’re not too quick and they turn us down again!”

Croft Knockhill Donington GP Silverstone Brands Hatch GP

R1 Dan Cammish R1 Jake Hill R1 Ash Sutton R1 Jake Hill R1 Ash Sutton
R2 Ash Sutton R2 Jake Hill R2 Tom Ingram R2 Ash Sutton R2 Ash Sutton
R3 Colin Turkington R3 Ash Sutton R3 Rory Butcher R3 Colin Turkington R3 Jake Hill
It’s Cammish’s turn to rule Sutton reclaims top spot in Bad start for Sutton from Hill is the only one of the Sutton clinches the title with
qualifying, and he uses qualifying, then fights Cook pole in wet opener, but he leading qualifiers on the win number 11 from pole in
soft tyres to win race one. in opener as rain starts to recovers to pass Ingram for right tyre (wets) and wins opener. Ingram is second,
Rowbottom lets Sutton fall. Cook shunts, and safety victory. Hill catches Ingram easily from Rowbottom and while puncture for Butcher
(on mediums) through for car scuppers Sutton, who at the end, and Ingram’s Watson. The day dries out, decides fight for third in
second on last lap in Ford pits belatedly for wets. defence results in a penalty and Hill is cruising in race Thompson’s favour. New
1-2-3. Sutton dominates race Ingram wins, but fails ride- that costs him second. In two when a misfire hits. champ Sutton makes it 12
two on softs from Cammish, height test, handing victory dry race two, Ingram passes Taylor-Smith moves in front, in race two, while Ingram
and Rowbottom wins fight to Hill, who then holds on Sutton on fourth lap to but can’t hold off storming fends off late challenge from
with Ingram for another from Sutton in race two. move in front, and the series Sutton. Ingram is third. Cammish, who’s on soft
Focus clean sweep. Final Sutton hunts down early leader only just holds off Turkington emerges from tyres. Brilliant double pass
race features another Sutton leader Pearson to win finale. Hill. Butcher climbs order in early battle with Lloyd and from Hill on Cook and Jelley
incident. Turkington leads Cook is second and Pearson finale, before last-lap exit for Rowbottom to win the third gives him the last win of the
home Ingram and Cook. lets Ingram by for third. Lloyd gives the Scot the win. race from Ingram and Sutton. season, with Cook second.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 4 5
R E V I E W BTCC

Somehow, Josh Cook ended up fifth in the points – albeit far

adrift of fourth-placed Turkington – amid a frustrating season Shock of the season:
at One Motorsport. The Brackley squad, formerly known as BTC Cook didn’t win a
Racing, took over the Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type Rs when race at Thruxton
that team pulled out not long before the start of the season, to
replace its older Dynamics-built Civics. It also inherited the
Dynamics engine deal for bespoke Neil Brown Engineering-built
Honda powerplants. But its form puzzlingly fluctuated.
At Thruxton, Cook’s free practice time on Saturday morning was
never bettered by anyone all weekend – and he was 0.3s off that

“ CO L LA R D ST E P P E D FO R W A R D W I T H
S O M E O F T E N H I G H LY E N T E R T A I N I N G
P E R F O R M A N C E S – O N A N D O F F -T R A C K !”
season change of engineer. “It took me until the
summer break to regroup,” the Scot admitted of a
second half that included a reversed-grid Donington
win and a front row at the Brands finale. In the third
when it counted in qualifying. At the Brands finale, he topped a free car, George Gamble showed pace in his first season of front-wheel
practice session, but he and unrelated engineer Mick Cook couldn’t drive, but it was usually too early (in free practice) or too late (in
get the car to work on new, soft rubber when the grid was being midfield race scrums), and he would overdrive it in qualifying.
set. Mid-season, he spoke of the old car being so predictable that Butcher’s Donington win should have gone to Dan Lloyd, only
“it was like a pair of old slippers”. This one was a different beast. It for a driveshaft failure to heartbreakingly pitch him off the road on
didn’t help that the team had done “no testing since the start of the the final lap. He and Bobby Thompson – engineered by ex-Dynamics
season. We haven’t done a shakedown, we haven’t done anything.” men Tom Hunt and Barry Plowman respectively, and with Matt
The other team to get drivers – two of them – into the Neal helping out – were the standouts in the large Team Hard Cupra
championship top 10 was Speedworks Motorsport with its Toyota camp, Thompson putting in some eye-opening performances
Corolla GR Sport. Like the BMWs and Hondas, the Cheshire when he wasn’t sidelined by the team’s budgetary situation.
operation now had bespoke engines from NBE, but they were Over at the Power Maxed Vauxhall camp, there was often
heavier than the customer M-Sport engines they replaced, nothing to choose between veteran Taylor-Smith and rookies
affecting the weight distribution, and the first tests didn’t Andrew Watson and Mikey Doble. Watson and Doble were involved
come until the eve of the season. Early-season form was a in a five-way Jack Sears Trophy title scrap with Ronan Pearson
disappointment, and it was Ricky Collard who stepped forward (another impressive newcomer with the Excelr8 Hyundai team),
with some often highly entertaining performances – on and Sam Osborne in his Motorbase/Alliance Ford and Hard Cupra man
off-track! – to lead the line. The Toyota engine shares a fair Dexter Patterson. Watson deservedly won it, but it was Doble who
amount of its architecture with the BMW, but there are also provided the shock of the season with his Silverstone pole.
significant differences and it has to be mounted transversely Incredibly, it was the only time all season a Ford didn’t top
in the Corolla, whereas it’s longitudinal in the 3 Series. qualifying. When you look at it, was there ever a time when
A mid-season allowance of 20 millibars’ extra boost from TOCA Sutton wasn’t “in a really good place”?
can’t have done any harm, and generally improved all-round form
P48 TOCA SUPPORTS REVIEW
seemed to particularly help Rory Butcher, who also had a mid-

DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
POS DRIVER TEAM / CAR

1 Ash Sutton (GBR) Motorbase/Alliance / Ford Focus ST

2 Tom Ingram (GBR) Excelr8 Motorsport / Hyundai i30 N Fastback

3 Jake Hill (GBR) West Surrey Racing / BMW 330e M Sport

4 Colin Turkington (GBR) West Surrey Racing / BMW 330e M Sport

5 Josh Cook (GBR) One Motorsport / Honda Civic Type R

6 Dan Cammish (GBR) Motorbase/Alliance / Ford Focus ST

7 Dan Rowbottom (GBR) Motorbase/Alliance / Ford Focus ST

8 Ricky Collard (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport / Toyota Corolla GR Sport

9 Adam Morgan (GBR) West Surrey Racing / BMW 330e M Sport

10 Rory Butcher (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport / Toyota Corolla GR Sport

11 Aron Taylor-Smith (Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra) 165; 12 Stephen Jelley (West
Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport) 141; 13 Dan Lloyd (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 111; 14 Tom
Chilton (Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N Fastback) 97; 15 Andrew Watson (Power
Collard lost Brands win Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra) 93; 16 Aiden Moffat (One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R) 87;
to track-limits penalty 17 Bobby Thompson (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 74; 18 Ronan Pearson (Excelr8 Motorsport
Hyundai i30 N Fastback) 69; 19 Sam Osborne (Motorbase/Alliance Ford Focus ST) 65;

4 6 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

AUTOSPORT’S TOP 10 DRIVERS

AS H SU TTON TOM I N GRAM J AK E H I LL COL I N T UR K I NGTON DAN CAM MI SH

1 2 3 4 5
The first driver in the From electrical failure Round five at Oulton Still excels at wringing ‘Mr Unlucky’ gets
BTCC’s 66-year history sidelining him from the was a turning point. Hill the most from the the nod over Cook
to win the title in rear first FP1 of the season, went his own way on BMW on its good days. (who beat him in
and front-wheel-drive cars. it was an uphill battle for set-up with the BMW and was Three of his wins were typical points) because at his
Right from the start, he was the outgoing champ. But totally inspired. Ended season low-profile Turkington; the peak he was capable of
absolutely phenomenal in he never gave up, and took with astonishing pass at other was the climax of an beating team-mate Sutton
the heavily revamped Focus. the Hyundai to 17 podiums. Brands for win, but recurring epic day at Oulton where he on genuine pace. Also sat
Sensational one-lap pace That’s remarkable in a car boost sensor/misfire dramas charged from last on race-one out Donington GP after brake
and spinetingling overtaking. that rarely matched the Ford. cost too points. grid after qualifying exclusion. failure caused huge shunt.

J O SH COOK R I C KY COL LAR D B OB BY TH OMPS ON DAN R OW B OT TOM R ORY B UTCHE R

6 7 8 9 10
Did his best with the Ah, Ricky… The He’s been around for Got himself a plum There was the
resources available, BTCC’s new king of a while now, but this drive alongside Sutton traditional late-
but another entertainment had season the Team Hard and Cammish. There season surge but
Independents title doesn’t retired from racing at end Cupra was good enough for were growing pains as he this time it came from further
cut it these days for someone of 2022, then changed his him to show what he can do sussed out his new working back. Was overshadowed by
who should be a top-liner – mind and was quite simply – at least, when the squad environment but the speed is team-mate Collard over first
as the man himself knows. a revelation in the Toyota. could afford to run him. there, as pole (with everyone half of year, then began to
Fought hard and came Perhaps his head was in a Breathtaking car control. on same hybrid usage) for re-establish himself as a
close a couple of times to better place. Don’t mention Many now believe him Donington opener proved. contender. If only the BTCC
elusive-in-2023 race victory. track limits too often though. capable of BTCC big time. Terrific team player too. went on into December…

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 PTS

R 15 3 2 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 12 2 2 R 2 1 R 6 2 1 1 2 5 23 1 3 1 1 13 446

3 9 2 5 2 3 4 7 1 2 2 9 3 3 4 6 4 2 EX 10 3 3 1 7 22 3 2 2 2 4 400

2 16 4 4 4 22 2 2 10 4 4 10 1 1 2 5 11 7 1 1 14 2 3 8 1 20 8 6 6 1 372

12 8 5 1 3 5 3 3 7 6 6 4 9 4 1 7 6 1 11 R 17 5 4 6 R 8 1 4 R 10 312

9 19 7 8 7 10 8 27 5 3 3 11 6 5 7 4 5 3 R 8 2 7 5 R 9 7 6 12 7 2 268

1 12 1 3 5 4 11 11 EX 5 5 8 5 6 5 1 2 4 14 R 10 NS NS NS R 24 23 5 3 9 253

5 11 10 R 15 9 7 4 3 24 11 1 R 21 8 3 3 5 R 23 R 8 7 22 2 10 4 7 8 5 226

6 R 14 9 9 8 R 13 14 11 9 5 4 9 9 11 8 15 3 6 5 4 6 4 20 14 7 9 4 6 217

7 2 22 R 16 6 5 5 9 13 12 2 8 7 3 19 13 R 16 NC 18 12 9 3 4 5 10 10 13 8 199

11 14 11 7 6 R 9 8 2 7 7 7 16 10 10 25 18 8 R 15 12 11 8 1 6 4 R 23 19 15 173

20 Mikey Doble (Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra) 62; 21 George Gamble (Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla GR Sport) 50; 22 Dexter Patterson (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 41;
23 Michael Crees (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 13; 24 Nicolas Hamilton (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 10; 25 Daryl DeLeon (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 6; 26 Rob Huff (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 5;
27 James Gornall (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 1; 28 Will Powell (One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R) 0; 29 Jack Butel (Team Hard Cupra Leon) 0; 30 Nick Halstead (Excelr8 Motorsport
Hyundai i30 N Fastback) -5; 31 Jade Edwards (Team Hard Cupra Leon/One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R) -5.
MANUFACTURERS 1 Ford 802; 2 BMW 798; 3 Hyundai 699; 4 Toyota 583. INDEPENDENT DRIVERS 1 Cook 485; 2 Taylor-Smith 370; 3 Lloyd 357; 4 Watson 353; 5 Doble 321; 6 Moffat 317.
JACK SEARS TROPHY 1 Watson 451; 2 Doble 422; 3 Patterson 422; 4 Osborne 404; 5 Pearson 383; 6 Butel 238.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 4 7
REVIEW TOCA SUPPORTS

SEAS ON R EV IE W

TOCA SUPPORTS

THE CONQUERING QUARTET THAT

STARRED ON BTCC UNDERCARD
With no Ginettas competing for the first time since 2007, there was a different feel
to the TOCA support bill this year but still plenty of impressive displays
STEPHEN LICKORISH

PHOTOGRAPHY JEP

PORSCHE
CARRERA CUP GB
ADAM SMALLEY

BRITISH FORMULA 4
LOUIS SHARP

4 8 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 MINI CHALLENGE
DAN ZELOS

PORSCHE SPRINT
CHALLENGE GB
JOE WARHURST

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 4 9
REVIEW TOCA SUPPORTS

Sharp (below left) took incredible

win from 20th at season opener

BRITISH FORMULA 4

From the moment Louis Sharp burst onto the British Formula 4 scene last STANDINGS
POS DRIVER POINTS
year, he has been turning heads with his performances. After travelling
over from New Zealand, he completed far fewer test days than his rivals 1 Louis Sharp 384
yet was instantly on the pace of his Carlin stablemates. And, despite being 2 Will Macintyre 371
too young to contest the opener, he was in the mix at the second event,
3 Deagen Fairclough 296
taking a podium at Brands Hatch.
Fast forward 12 months and Sharp was back for another crack and, after 4 Dion Gowda 226
finishing fourth in 2022, he was in the spotlight again – this time as the 5 Jimmy Piszcyk 220
highest-placed driver staying in F4. “There’s always pressure whether it’s
6 James Higgins 217
your first year or second,” he says. “But there was probably more pressure
on me than some of the others. As one of the favourites, a lot of that
pressure I put on myself as I wanted to win and didn’t want anything else.” Knockhill, came a crucial moment at Donington Park. Hitech’s Will
And Sharp began that quest in impressive and memorable fashion. Macintyre had been consistently visiting the rostrum and usurped Sharp
While he led throughout the first Donington Park contest from the front as points leader, this pair having a clear advantage over the rest of the
row, it was his stunning climb from 20th to win the reversed-grid race that inconsistent field. But 2022 Ginetta Junior runner-up Macintyre spun out
truly justified his pre-season favourite tag. Yes, he was aided by a safety car of qualifying in Leicestershire, leaving him down the order as Sharp took
bunching the field and questionable driving by some of his rivals – a another win. They headed to the Brands Hatch finale split by a single point
recurring theme of the year with just eight of the 30 races not featuring at although Sharp had the advantage all weekend and duly sealed the spoils.
least one caution period or red flag – but it was still some achievement. “It just shows all the hard work and sacrifices we’ve made have paid
Yet Sharp struggled to build upon that impressive start. Podiums off,” says Sharp, who had to leave friends and family behind in New
followed at Snetterton and Thruxton, but no wins, and little incidents Zealand, having been joined by his dad in “moving to the other side of
began creeping in and costing him points. “It was pretty frustrating – we the world”. But the globetrotting has been worth it, with Sharp once again
started off really strong and then, all of a sudden, our pace seemed to have turning heads as he prepares to rise further up the single-seater ranks.
disappeared,” recalls the Rodin Carlin racer. “I still felt like I was driving
well and the team was still doing a good job. It was a tough period to go
Ginetta Junior runner-up Macintyre
through – when the pace isn’t there, you end up having to make that
took the title fight down to the wire
difference yourself and be a bit more aggressive and go for riskier moves.”
Having qualified just ninth and 12th for the series’ maiden visit to the
Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, Sharp used the summer break to spend time
with the team and attack the final four events with fresh vigour. A return
to winning ways at Croft was key and then, after a runner-up result at

“ T H E R E ’ S A LW A Y S P R E S S U R E – B U T
T H E R E W A S P R O B A B LY M O R E O N
ME THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS”

5 0 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 TOCA SUPPORTS REVIEW

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB

There was only ever one goal for Adam Smalley in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Smalley celebrates sealing the
this year. After finishing runner-up last season, he was determined to follow in
title early at Silverstone
his previous four Juniors’ footsteps and claim the crown. No pressure then. But,
after a strong start, winning the title never truly looked to be in much doubt.
Smalley laid down a marker by qualifying on pole for the Donington Park
opener and, although he slipped to second in the first race, he stormed from
fourth to the lead on the opening lap of the reversed-grid contest to signal
he meant business. Having switched from Redline Racing to Team Parker
during the off-season, Smalley credits competing in the winter Porsche
Sprint Challenge Southern Europe series as being key to his impressive start.
“That was a really good experience and a great way of finding out how
Team Parker work and how to work better together,” he explains. “I think that
was a really beneficial few weeks, which meant we hit the ground running.”
Yet there was a hint at Donington that Smalley might not have things all

“ I H A D A W O R S T R E S U LT O F
FO U RT H – I CO U L D ’ V E N E V E R
E V E N D R E A M T O F T H AT ”

his own way. Richardson Racing’s Robert de Haan had pulverised the PSCSE
opposition and made history, pouncing on Smalley at Donington to become
the youngest-ever winner in the Carrera Cup GB aged just 16. But then, in the
rain of race two, he spun off down the Craner Curves, and that combination
of flashes of speed but errors ultimately meant he fell away from Smalley in
the points, even before he started skipping rounds to compete in Europe.
Smalley, meanwhile, was metronomic. He chalked up podium after STANDINGS
POS DRIVER POINTS
podium to build what was quickly looking like an unassailable points lead.
Sure enough, he wrapped up the title with a weekend to spare and finished 1 Adam Smalley 141
the season with a remarkable 14 podiums from 16 races. “I had a worst result 2 James Kellett 102
of fourth – I could’ve never even dreamt of that at the start of the year,” says
3 Josh Malin 75
Smalley. “We had that points advantage so it was like it was mine to lose.”
Sure enough, his path to the title was not always smooth sailing. He 4 Charles Rainford 68
lost a potential win on the second visit to Donington with a wide moment Track limits were a 5 Matty Graham 60
at Goddards in the rain and even at Silverstone, where he clinched the problem for de Haan 6 Robert de Haan 55
championship, he plummeted down the order after opting for slick rubber on
a drying track before calmly rising to the front again as the track improved.
Reigning Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion James Kellett emerged as returning with JTR mid-year. Similarly, 2021 Sprint Challenge GB conqueror
Smalley’s main rival as the Century Motorsport driver grew in confidence Theo Edgerton bowed out after things did not go his way at Thruxton.
with the car throughout the year after limited pre-season experience. But There was no such trouble for Smalley and his impressive performances
other title contenders – and drivers Smalley defeated to be selected as the even continued after wrapping up the spoils as he signed off by winning
Junior – vanished from the fray early on. A terrible start meant Gus Burton the Brands Hatch finale, despite his front splitter breaking free. Not even
opted to focus on the Porsche Supercup before taking a couple of wins after that could dislodge Smalley from his remarkable run.

Kellett (leading) grew stronger

to become Smalley’s main rival

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 5 1
REVIEW TOCA SUPPORTS

MINI CHALLENGE

STANDINGS
POS DRIVER POINTS

1 Dan Zelos 862

2 Will Orton (left) 810

3 Nelson King 650

4 Oliver Meadows 643

5 Joe Tanner 598

6 Bradley Gravett 573

The winter “reset” clearly worked for Dan Zelos. The 2021 Mini Challenge
champion had a poor season last year as he only mustered three podiums Zelos could often be
when attempting to defend his title. Zelos admitted the pressure got to found leading the field
him at times and he therefore adopted a new approach for this campaign.
“I wanted to come back and prove myself,” he says. “There were certainly
points last year thinking, ‘Where has the pace gone, was it [2021 title] a fluke, to walk away from it,” admits Zelos. “Big crashes like that cause big repair bills
was the pace actually there?’ But we went into the season with a really good and there were questions whether I would make it to the end of the season.”
head space. Everything seemed to click, and it was spot on from the get-go.” But his Excelr8 Motorsport crew was able to prep a spare Mini in time
Sure enough, Zelos instantly dispelled last year’s disappointment by taking for the next Brands Hatch round and Zelos was back on form, winning
pole at Donington Park and winning two races. But then came a moment that the opening race before a puncture struck while leading race two.
threatened to derail his year. He was involved in a huge crash with Sam Smith Yet that proved to be the end of his bad luck as he proceeded to rack up the
in race three when Smith cannoned into him at Redgate. It forced Smith onto wins to head to the Brands finale on the cusp of the title. Key to that success
the sidelines as he recovered from concussion and Zelos was worried he was a string of poles only ended by the returning Smith in Kent. Second to
might join him. “It was a horrific crash and I feel very lucky to have been able Smith in the opener, despite a late gearbox problem, was enough to seal
the deal and, when the replacement started leaking oil in the second race,
Zelos says: “It was like the car had realised it had done its job!”
It certainly had, although Zelos was pushed hard in the early events by
“WE WENT INTO THE SEASON WITH Hybrid Tune’s Ginetta GT5 graduate Will Orton. He defied his lack of Mini
mileage to pounce when Zelos’s woes struck before engine troubles at
A R E A L LY G O O D H E A D S P A C E – A N D
Snetterton set him back. Aside from a couple of outings from reigning
E V E R YT H I N G S E E M E D TO C L I C K” champion Sam Weller and when Smith finally returned, Orton was the
only one really capable of challenging Zelos. But it could perhaps have
been a different story had Smith not suffered that Donington accident.

PORSCHE SPRINT CHALLENGE GB

The 10-week gap between the second and third events of the Porsche wrong and why it went wrong.” STANDINGS
Sprint Challenge GB season gave plenty of time to reflect. And Ginetta And that hard work yielded POS DRIVER POINTS
Junior graduate Joe Warhurst wanted to use the hiatus to turn his season results as he qualified on pole at
1 Joe Warhurst 185
around after battling to podiums on his first wet-weather running in the Croft and seemingly won the first
Cayman at Donington Park before struggling in Snetterton qualifying and race before dropping to fourth 2 Steve Roberts 172
then suffering a track-limits penalty when pushing too hard at Hamilton. with a penalty for being “30cm 3 Max Coates 156
“I knew, if we continued this way, I wasn’t going to win the over the line” at the start.
4 Matthew Armstrong 147
championship and I needed to do something about it,” recalls Warhurst. “I Sunny In then provided dark
spent a lot of time with Team Parker trying to look at everything that went clouds when he went off in the 5 Will Jenkins 128
rain of race two before being spun 6 Toby Trice 121
by Toby Trice (Redline) at the
Supreme end to the season
following Donington event meant Warhurst was starting to be frustrated by
gave Warhurst the glory
the lack of wins. “All around my bedroom I’ve got second-place trophies,”
he remembers thinking. He used his training for the Great North Run to
provide extra preparation for Silverstone and this paid off. “I broke the ice
with my first win and then took two more with me as well!” says Warhurst.
With Redline’s long-time points leader Steve Roberts struggling with
track-limits sanctions of his own and having retired at Donington after
tangling with Matthew Armstrong, Warhurst was right back in the title
picture. While he was gaining momentum, other frontrunners like Trice,
Warhurst’s team-mate Armstrong and Graves’ Max Coates all struggled
to achieve the required consistency and dropped from contention.
And then two more Warhurst wins from pole at Brands Hatch sealed
the deal and his transformation was complete.

5 2 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 TOCA SUPPORTS REVIEW

AUTOSPORT’S TOP 10 DRIVERS

DAN Z ELOS ADAM SMA L LE Y LOUI S SHA R P W I L L M ACI N TY R E W I L L ORTON

1 2 3 4 5
Just 0.129 seconds in Porsche Carrera Cup Produced arguably the His Old Hairpin Orton certainly did
a thrice red-flagged GB dominator Smalley standout drive of the Donington qualifying not look like a Mini
final qualifying session came pretty close season with his victory spin happened in front Challenge rookie
of the season was all that to knocking Zelos off the from 20th on the grid in the of Autosport and Macintyre’s with the manner in which
separated Zelos from number one spot with some rain of the Donington Park obvious disappointment was he began the season. He
an unbeaten run of Mini sublime consistency of his opener. But British Formula 4 understandable – he knew instantly emerged as the
Challenge poles. Such a own. Of the 16 races, he took was the only one of the it was a blow to his title bid. much more experienced
remarkable feat is surely 14 podiums – a seriously overall championships Yet it was easy to forget Zelos’s main rival and, any
deserving of top spot in impressive feat. But, again, decided in the final race this was his first season in time the 2021 champion was
Autosport’s rankings. Yes, he faced limited opposition and his five-event mid-year single-seaters considering in strife, Orton was there to
the series may have lacked at times this year and, winless spell means Sharp how he took the F4 battle to pounce and held the early
established frontrunners, ultimately, his far lower win is not higher up the order. sophomore Sharp down to points lead. But recurring
but Zelos’s consistency was percentage (25%) and lack The Kiwi still coped the wire. Given the narrow engine issues at Snetterton
incredible and he secured of poles (only two) means admirably with the margin, it seems right they dented his charge and
the highest win percentage he has to settle for second. pre-season ‘favourite’ tag should be next to each other thereafter he was unable to
of any driver among the Yet, winning the title with and was back on form in the in our rankings, too. He claw enough points away
TOCA supports (50%). Barely an event to spare and never final four events to narrowly scored the same number of from Zelos to make a closer
put a wheel wrong all year losing his cool mean he is triumph having not let his podiums (14) as Sharp but fight. Nevertheless, he still
as he wrestled back the still more than deserving slender points lead heading the fact just two were wins marked himself out as one
title in convincing style. of a high ranking. to Brands Hatch faze him. proved the difference. to watch for the future.

JZA
OENEWMALO
A RH URST
NEY J AM ES K EL L ET T D E AG EN FAI R CLOU GH MA R C W AR R EN R OB ERT DE HAA N

6 7 8 9 10
Inevitably, one of the Kellett was not quite There was never a dull It is very rare for a Like Fairclough, de
champions must be able to replicate his moment watching driver not in the Pro Haan was another
the lowest-ranked and, Ginetta GT4 Supercup Fairclough in F4 this class to make this top spectacular driver
unfortunately for Porsche pulverisation from last year! Earned his place on the 10, but there was something to watch this year. On pure
Sprint Challenge GB season in the Carrera Cup but grid after topping the ROKiT a bit special about Warren’s pace, the Dutchman should
conqueror Warhurst, that still finished the year with the Racing Star sim shootout and achievements this year. For be higher up this list but he
happens to be him. He was most wins on five, and three lived up to his car’s branding an Am driver to win any race made too many mistakes in
almost unstoppable at the of his triumphs came without with his rocketship starts to outright is impressive, but the Carrera Cup – especially
final two events, winning five the benefit of a reversed grid. regularly fly up the order Warren managed it four when it came to following
of the six races, to snatch the A tangle with Charles from lowly qualifyings. Made times in the Sprint Challenge the new track-limits rules – to
title away from Steve Roberts. Rainford left him with just some enemies with a few to prove it was no fluke – be any better than 10th. But
But he’d not achieved such two points after the opener questionable moves early giving him more overall it was easy to forget his lack
domination over the field – and hampered his title bid in the season but combined wins than anyone except of experience in such cars as
in which no one had really right from the start. Then a little more maturity with Warhurst. Yes, he has he made history, becoming
stood out and Am driver Marc nerfing team-mate Gus his gung-ho attitude later impressed in Ginetta series the series’ youngest race
Warren had been able to Burton off after a poor start to snare third in the points previously but beating winner at just 16, and also
head – earlier in the season from pole at Brands was not as others fell off the pace, drivers less than half his landed more success across
and therefore finds himself great either, but regularly finishing with more age and with much more the Channel, including
lower in Autosport’s top 10. impressed from then on. victories than Macintyre. experience is no mean feat. winning the Benelux title.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 5 3
 
   


 
  


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 MOTORSPORT JOBS CLASSIFIEDS

NUMBER 1 MECHANIC F1 DRIVE MARSHALL - CASUAL

Dragon Racing F1 Drive London
Due to continued expansion Dragon Racing are hiring Full time Key Responsibilities
race mechanics. Facility Operations:
Based at Dubai Autodrome with regional travel across the Middle • Assist in the overall operation of the karting facility, ensuring
East you will be a team player with an eye for detail, and will work that equipment and areas are safe and in good working
alongside our existing race mechanics to deliver high standards condition.
and provide a race winning preparation of our vehicles. • Undertake basic mechanical duties under the guidance of the
As one of the words largest Ferrari race teams you will be working mechanic when needed.
on the latest Ferrari 488 Challenge race cars, the Ferrari 296 GT3 • Conduct daily inspection checks, reporting any defects to the
and a variety of vehicles such as our AMG GT4 and Praga R1T. management team and taking appropriate remedial action.
With the arrival of our GT3 fleet we are seeking an experienced GT • Ensure customers use the facilities in accordance with company
mechanic that can integrate with our existing technical team as policies and National Karting Association guidelines.
we compete in Asia Le Mans, Dubai 24hrs, Gulf 12hrs and regional • Ensure fan zone activations are in excellent working order and
GT races. experiences are delivered as per training and service standards.
As 5 times class winners of the Dubai 24hrs and regional GT • Use technical systems for race timings and booking information,
champions since 2013 we are a successful team with a winning in line with training and service standards.
mentality. • Supervise track marshals where required, in accordance with
training and service standards.
With 30 calendar days of annual leave, 14 bank holidays and an
attractive salary this role it suitable for a candidate that wishes to Customer Service:
relocate to the UAE, a country that’s thriving and has no tax for • Provide an outstanding level of service and customer experience
personal income. to all visitors.
With many future programmes in development, this role also • Deliver clear and effective safety briefings to customers before
offers career progression as our company continues to grow and their racing events.
be a leader in the Automotive and Motorsport sector throughout • Conduct engaging and interactive fan experience activations
the Middle East. and results/trophy presentations post-race.
We are looking for this candidate to start this role in October - Safety and Compliance:
December 2023. • Maintain a safe environment for all individuals using the karting
track and fan zone.
• Ensure all events and bookings are delivered to a consistently
high and safe standard.
MOTORSPORT JOBS

To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com

CNC MACHINIST/PROGRAMMER (WEEKEND SHIFT) SENIOR COMPOSITE ENGINEER

Mercedes F1 Team MGI Engineering
About the Role: The ideal candidate will be skilled in CAD modelling preferably in
• A new vacancy has arisen for a CNC Machinist/Programmer NX having designed components for aircraft, vehicle and other
working within the Main Machine Shop on the Weekend Shift. sectors.
• Reporting to the Weekend Machine Shop Team Leader, the CNC Working within the Composite team, this position will involve:
Machinist/ Programmer will be responsible for setting and • Design and CAD modelling of Composite components
operating Mazak CV5-500 5 axis machining centres, whilst using • Analysing and interpreting customer requirements
NX CAM to create CNC programmes alongside our dedicated CAM • Preparation of Detail designs and laminate books
Programmers. The CNC/Machinist will be required to troubleshoot • Interaction with Aerodynamic and Stress departments to ensure
and optimise CNC code and produce precision machined full compliance with concept intent and structural integrity.
components for our F1 race car and customer programmes. • Continuous development of designs and process to keep best
Your roles and responsibilities will include: practices
• Setting and operating Mazak CV5-500 5 axis machining centres • Comply with company quality standards AS 9100D (training will
to achieve maximum efficiency and the highest quality standards be provided)
for the manufacture of precision engineered metallic • Lead and mentor junior designers to ensure company standards
components. are achieved
• Use of Siemens NX CAM software to create CNC programmes •Supporting the Test team as required to explore and validate
alongside our dedicated CAM Programmers for high complexity technical solutions
components, with a focus on CNC code optimisation and Successful candidates will be expected to:
troubleshooting. • Educated to Minimum HND level /Mechanical Engineering or
• Providing clear, effective communication across all shifts. equivalent
• Maximising throughput and overall machine tool efficiency. • At least 6 years of experience working in a relevant industrial
• Ensuring that appropriate process and procedures are adhered environment
to throughout manufacture in order to maintain high quality. • A sound knowledge of computer aided design preferably
To be successful you will have: Siemens NX
• Having served a recognised apprenticeship and holding the • Experience of CATIA V5/V6/3DX would be beneficial
relevant qualifications, the successful candidate will have • Understanding of manufacturing techniques of composite
previous experience of CAD/CAM software, with a proven components and tooling
background of programming and operating 5 axis machine tools, • Ability to apply your knowledge to solve fundamental
for the manufacture of precision components within a quality engineering solutions
focussed, fast paced environment. • Experienced user of CAD surfacing tools and procedures

To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com

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 MOTORSPORT JOBS CLASSIFIEDS

ASSEMBLY TECHNICIAN SYSTEMS ENGINEER (M/W)

Red Bull Powertrains Rutronik Racing
Job Description Tasks:
Based from our Milton Keynes campus you will be responsible for • Installing and set up of relevant automotive systems, data
supporting the operation of the Assembly Group covering all loggers and sensors
aspects of power unit build, service and maintenance both at the • Installing, set up and maintenance of telemetry systems
factory and on event support as required. You will meet the • Monitoring and maintenance of relevant automotive systems,
highest standards in all areas of quality, commitment and conduct. data loggers and sensors
Knowledge and Experience required for our Engine Builder/ • Monitoring and maintenance of relevant programmes and
Assembly Technician Role software systems
• Cover all aspects of power train assembly with high emphasis on • Management, set up and maintenance of radio communication
ICE assembly processes and procedures, Turbocharger, MGUK, equipment
and ERS both at the factory and on event as requested by the • Administration and support of the IT structure at the race track
Engine Build Team Leader or Trackside Chief Mechanic and in the workshop
• Prepare power units for both dyno and trackside operations • Installation, set up and maintenance of weather station at the
• Assist with other activities deemed appropriate by the Engine race track
Build Team Leader or Head of ICE Operations • Live data monitoring during test and race events
• Manage all build specification, up revisions and component lifing Qualifications:
in accordance with Production Control and Technical Operations • Masters or Bachelors Degree in Systems, Electronic or
instructions. Automotive Engineering or similiar backround
• Communicate assembly related quality issues to the appropriate • Relevant experience in GT endurance racing, ideally GT World
key stakeholders ensuring faults/NCR’s are recorded via the Challenge Endurance
internal business Faults System. • Very good knowledge of Cosworth PI/Bosch WinDarab/Motec/
• Become an integral member of the Assembly Group team, Control Telemetry
providing support to all team members and promoting open • Good understanding of IT structure
discussion with members throughout the business. • English spoken and written
Key Attributes of the Engine Builder/Assembly Technician Benefits:
• Demonstrate a high level of technical understanding and ICE • Insights behind the scenes of international racing events
assembly competence. • Exciting field of activity with a high level of personal
• Ability to understand and interpret technical drawings and follow responsibility
technical build processes and procedures including checklist • Pleasant and team oriented working atmosphere
data entry. • Possibility of further development

MOTORSPORT JOBS
To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com

RACE CAR WRAPPER SENIOR MOTORSPORT SUB-ASSEMBLY TECHNICIAN

United Autosports Venture Engineering
Roles and responsibilities: Job Description:
• Application of full wraps on a varied range of vehicles As a Senior Motorsport Sub-Assembly Technician at Venture
Engineering, you will play a crucial role in our mission to deliver
• Production and installation of full vehicle livery designs
top-quality motorsport components to our clients. You will be
• Production and installation of graphics to vehicles and responsible for assembling, testing, and ensuring the quality of
equipment sub-components that are integral to the performance of high-
• Preparation of surfaces for wrapping material application performance vehicles. Your work will directly impact the success of
• Maintaining specifications by ensuring all production processes motorsport teams and drivers worldwide. You will be a strong
are carried out to standard and correctly leader who understands the importance of establishing and
• Scheduling your own work to ensure production and installation maintaining a good team identity, able to motivate others and you
deadlines are met will have meticulous attention to detail, and strong customer
• Maintaining in-house equipment by completing routine focus.
maintenance checks Key Responsibilities:
• Maintaining stock levels of material, tools and consumables 1. Sub-Assembly:
• Ensure the reputation of the company and its associated brands • Perform sub-assembly tasks on motorsport components,
is maintained to the highest level including powertrain systems, suspension systems, and other
critical parts.
Essential requirements: • Follow assembly instructions, technical drawings, and
• Previous experience of full vehicle wraps to a high standard specifications with precision to ensure accuracy and quality.
• Previous experience of graphic printing, cutting and application • Ensure that all components are assembled to the highest
• Good knowledge of common software packages to create and standards and in compliance with safety and performance
modify graphic designs regulations.
• Must have experience in a similar wrapping and graphic 2. Quality Control:
environment and be able to work unsupervised • Conduct thorough quality control inspections on sub-assembled
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to forecast components.
workload and identify additional labour requirements • Identify and rectify any defects or discrepancies in the assembly
process.
• Ability to understand complex drawings and designs
3. Testing and Calibration:
• Work to a very high standard and have a keen eye for detail
• Assist in the setup and calibration of testing equipment.
• Troubleshoot and address any issues that arise during testing.
To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com To apply now visit www.motorsportjobs.com

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GB3 Voisin gets the job Dunne to defeat title rivals

CLUB RACING O HISTORICS O F E AT U R E S

Champion dr ives
ro m H ar per and Cowley
Stun ning ef fo r t s f
B r it is h GT glor y
land them

Equipe to move into Smith tops Formula Ford More championships

single-seater racing Festival thriller join CSCC’s ranks
 The race is on!
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 N AT I O N A L N E W S C L U B A U T O S P O R T

Harper (left) and Leung

pairing could continue

JEP

Century wants champs to stay in 2024

BRITISH GT “I can’t talk for Darren but, from “I know that this year was very much
the conversations I’ve had, I think the about getting him up to speed. It’s his first
Century Motorsport owner Nathan Freke ambition is to do British GT. One thing year in GT3 racing and we know how many
would “love to” keep his British GT title- that is true in motorsport is that the more different series there are all over the world.
winning pairing of Dan Harper and Darren seat time you have, the better you are. But I would personally love to come back.”
Leung together into the 2024 season. “If we can double-programme something A key moment in deciding the outcome
The BMW duo came out on top in a with perhaps GT World Challenge or some of the title battle came when 2 Seas
rollercoaster ride of a race at the Donington endurance races in Europe and a British GT Motorsport’s pre-event points leader
finale last Sunday, overcoming a 20-second campaign, that’s what we’d like to do.” James Cottingham was penalised for
success penalty in the pits to finish second. While Leung has control over his racing overtaking under yellow flags.
After describing the season as “a dream future, BMW works driver Harper must go “It was busy and I just simply didn’t
year”, Freke added, when asked if he would where the German manufacturer places see it,” said the Mercedes driver. “If
try to keep the combination together to him. While he highlighted a preference to you’re on your own, or with one other
defend the crown: “Love to, I’d absolutely remain in British GT, Harper said: “I don’t car, when you’re going into that part of
love to. Darren’s quite new to his career know at the moment. I think after this, the track you can see it. But just with
and has obviously got big hopes and Darren will hopefully be keen to keep me but the circumstances, I didn’t see it.”
big goals going forwards. we just need to see what his plans will be also. SAM HALL

Eaton targets more Seale off prevented

Eaton racing Fox Lambo

British GT after cameo

BRITISH GT to share into the barriers
JEP/MOTORSPORT IMAGES

at the Old Hairpin during

Former W Series driver the opening stint.
Abbie Eaton has expressed Eaton finished fourth
her desire to make a full-time in the GT4 standings in 2016
return to British GT after in an Ebor Maserati and
a cameo appearance at the has been regularly racing
2023 finale at Donington Park. Lamborghinis this season.
The 31-year-old failed to “I always wanted to come which is a GT3 car of sorts, exploits with Super Trofeo,
complete a racing lap on back, I never wanted to leave, so I wanted to maintain with Rebelleo, the team that I
Sunday after team-mate but it’s just an opportunity that speed.” have set up. It would be good
John Seale crashed the Fox I was lucky to have with John,” Eaton’s target is a full British to come back and do a full
Motorsport Lamborghini she said. “I’ve been lucky to GT push in 2024: “That’s always season for sure – ideally GT3.”
Huracan GT3 they were due race in Super Trofeo this year, the goal – and continue my SAM HALL

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 6 1
C L U B A U T O S P O R T N AT I O N A L N E W S

Jaguars and Jaguar series is returning

to the CSCC from CTCRC

Midgets/Sprites
to join CSCC fold
CSCC

Two more championships are joining

the Classic Sports Car Club’s ranks for

GARY HAWKINS
next season, with the Jaguar Challenge
and Midget & Sprite Challenge both
Midgets & Sprites
adding to the club’s growing portfolio. also moving to CSCC
The Jaguar category enjoyed a long spell
of appearing at CSCC events when it was
run by the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club, but it and that was flattering,” added Smitheram,
has spent the past three seasons with the who says the focus is on growing numbers.
Classic Touring Car Racing Club. Now it “This year will be about stability and we’re
will be renamed as the CSCC Jaguar working on the regulations now.”

OLLIE READ
Championship, and former coordinator Ramm added: “Jaguar club racing has a
Chris Robinson is back in post. long history and its current format started
“We never really wanted them to go in in 2001 with the CSCC, so in some respects
the first place but, at the time, their grid it’s a bit of a homecoming for the Jaguars!
numbers had been going down and down,” The CSCC have given our championship their championship to grow, it makes
said CSCC director David Smitheram. a unique opportunity to grow and we are sense to be on the same card as Swinging
“They ran with us but we had no part excited to blast into the 2024 season. We Sixties,” said Smitheram. “We can say to our
in the promotion and they were run by would like to thank the CTCRC for making many Midget and Sprite drivers, ‘If you
the JEC. We’ve kept in touch with James us feel welcome over the last three years.” fancy a change and to do two 20-minute
Ramm, the drivers’ representative, ever The Midget & Sprite Challenge joins championship rounds, you can.’”
since [the CTCRC move] and a whole load the CSCC following the MG Car Club’s These latest additions now mean the
of their drivers came across and raced in decision to no longer run race meetings. CSCC will run four championships next
Future and Modern Classics.” With a significant number of these cars year, having previously concentrated on
Those discussions led to the idea of currently competing in the CSCC’s series. The MG Trophy and Kumho BMW
rejoining the CSCC, and a drivers’ vote was Swinging Sixties division, Smitheram said categories have already been confirmed as
held recently in which there was broad it felt like a logical fit. moving across from the MGCC and British
support for the change. “I think they “Between us, we’ve pretty much got all Automobile Racing Club respectively.
missed the CSCC paddock and organisation the Sprites and Midgets so, if they want STEPHEN LICKORISH

New build kit to boost Marshall has achieved some

success in FN2 model this year

FN2 models in Civic Cup

CIVIC CUP championship promoter
Maximum Motorsport has
The Civic Cup is introducing conducted development
GARY HAWKINS

an off-the-shelf build kit for work on the FN2 this year to

the FN2-model Honda Civic address its potential flaws.
Type R to encourage more “There’s a lot of EP3s out
of the cars into the series. there but they’re getting
The EP3 model, built harder to find,” explained
between 2001 and 2005, has Maximum boss Stewart at Cadwell Park in August, ECU and lighter tailgate
been numerically dominant Lines. “There’s been some then added a podium finish among other parts, will
in the championship, with FN2s in the championship, in a non-reversed-grid race be finalised and made
only a handful of the newer but they haven’t been stellar at Silverstone last month. available to customers
FN2s, dating from 2007-11. on performance. So we’ve Multiple TCR UK race winner over the coming weeks.
The FN2’s greater weight and had a couple of cars out this Bradley Kent drove another “There’s lots and lots of
simpler torsion beam axle, year where we’ve found out development car, run by Pro FNs out there,” added Lines.
compared with the EP3’s what we need to do to make Alloys Racing, at Brands “You can buy a donor car for
double wishbone set-up, the car the same speed.” Hatch last weekend. £2500. And the kit won’t be
have contributed to it Dave Marshall recorded a The new kit, which will any more than £15,000.”
being less favourable. But reversed-grid win in his FN2 include rollcage, suspension, MARK PAULSON

6 2 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 N AT I O N A L N E W S C L U B A U T O S P O R T

CHILMAN WINS BHRC TITLE

Roger Chilman and Patrick Walsh
have won this year’s British Historic
Rally Championship following the
final round on Saturday’s Carlisle
Stages. Ford Escort Mk2 crew
Chilman and Walsh had the upper
hand going into the final round in
the Kielder forest and, when rivals
Nick Elliott and David Price slid
their Fiat 131 off on the opening
stage, the matter was settled.

IMAGE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Image Race Cars’ co-founder Alan
Langridge and Goodwood era
manager Robert Synge celebrated
the 50th anniversary of the Formula
Ford marque’s birth on Saturday in
Tangmere, West Sussex, where the
OLLIE READ

After seven years as a series, first chassis were made. Maiden race
Hot Hatch is now a championship winner Mike Wrigley, FF1 owners Mike
‘Fulmar’ Taylor and David Wigdor,
plus later works drivers Frank Bayes

Castle Combe Hot Hatch series to and Anthony Reid attended the
reunion. Vicky Chandhok (Karun’s

become a championship for 2024 father), Paul Simpson and Anders

Oberg made the longest pilgrimages,
from Madras, Cape Town and
CCRC finalised and submitted to Motorsport UK Sweden respectively.
for ratification but, as part of the process,
Castle Combe Racing Club’s popular the club had to demonstrate the strength FIESTA JUNIOR ADDITIONS
Hot Hatch competition is to be run of support for Hot Hatch, which we were Junior Saloon frontrunner Oskar
as a fully fledged championship next able to do for the past seven years.” Dix and Ministox graduate Freddie
year, following seven successful This season the average Hot Hatch Hunter-Johnson were additions to
seasons as a series of events. arrival rate over six meetings (alternate the Brands Hatch Fiesta Junior field
“We have been thinking about it for single and double-headers) has been 26, last weekend. Dix drove the Mk7
a few years, but kept thinking if it’s the best of Combe’s crop. Four drivers Zetec S of Jeakins Race Preparation,
successful, why change it?” said CCRC have won across the nine races, Shaun which is considering joining the
chair Ken Davies. “But, when we put it Goverd top gun with five in his Citroen series full-time next year, but got
to the competitors as a straw poll, 75% AX. Chris Southcott (twice), Tony Cooper caught up in race one’s first pile-up.
were in favour of the switch, so the and Sam Stride won the others in different Hunter-Johnson is assessing a dual
decision was customer-led. generations of Honda Civic. campaign on the circuits and short
“The technical regulations have to be MARCUS PYE ovals in 2024. He qualified 16th of 23
cars but did not finish either race.

RICHARDS WINS AT JEREZ

Briton Clive Richards (below) won

Radical champion Micouris tries GB4 both legs of the Lurani Trophy
Historic Formula Junior finale, a
highlight of the Jerez Historic Festival
GB4 testing, Micouris felt it best for next year.” last Sunday. Richards and team-mate
could have gone even better. Ginetta Junior podium Andrew Hibberd battled in
Radical Cup UK champion “It’s a tough one,” he said. finisher Finn Harrison also Saturday’s race until Hibberd spun,
Theo Micouris made his “We’ve had a lot of potential. made his GB4 debut with but he charged down duellists
slicks-and-wings debut with We had a lot of great pace but Elite in preparation for a full Philipp Buhofer and Croix-en-Ternois
Elite Motorsport in the final we’ve had such little testing, season in 2024, bouncing back circuit owner Patrick d’Aubreby
round of GB4 at Donington we’ve had quite a few issues from a race-one incident to to regain second. Richards then
Park last weekend. throughout the weekend. finish fourth in race two. revelled on a damp track on Sunday,
Micouris, who has starred “We were put on the back “It’s definitely more fun beating Hibberd and d’Aubreby.
in SR1 machinery with nine foot straight away and we to drive,” he said of his first
wins and 14 pole positions had a couple of good races single-seater experience. “It
during his first year of car making our way through the gives you a head start. You get
racing, made the switch as pack, but we haven’t been some races under your belt,
he evaluates options for 2024. able to show what we could you know how to do the starts,
He took two sixth places have done. But it’s been a how to overtake cleanly and
and a seventh across the good experience. We’ve got race other cars, which is why
three contests but, after to weigh up some different we are doing these races.”
limited running in pre-event things, see what looks STEVE WHITFIELD

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 6 3
C L U B A U T O S P O R T N AT I O N A L N E W S

Equipe enters Stretton is supportive of Equipe’s

first single-seater foray for 2024

single-seaters
with F2 Atlantic
EQUIPE CLASSIC RACING

Equipe Classic Racing will run single-seater

races for the first time next year after
launching a new Equipe F2 Atlantic series.
The organiser has traditionally hosted
contests for pre-1966 sportscars before
beginning to diversify with the creation
last season of its Equipe 70s category,
which features tin-tops alongside GTs.
JEP

Now, with BCV8s and the more modern

machinery of the MG Cup arriving on board
for 2024, it is also expanding into historic series because I don’t want to do five rounds FIA papers are welcomed but not demanded
single-seaters in the belief that there is a gap in Europe as it’s getting more and more from drivers with eligible cars.
in the market for a UK-focused series for expensive?’ It’s taken a bit of work behind Leading historics racer Martin Stretton
Formula 2 and Formula Atlantic cars. the scenes to get it all coming together. has thrown his support behind the new
“We felt we needed to change the profile of These spectacular cars will bring some category. “I’m a great fan of the Equipe
what we’re doing and we know some people fantastic racing to the Equipe weekends.” organisation and their philosophy,”
in that arena,” said Equipe partner Rob Cull. Races are due to be held on the Grand Prix he said. “This new, self-policed series
“What we’ve looked at is F2/Formula Atlantic circuits at Silverstone and Brands Hatch next offers a terrific opportunity to enjoy
have similar speeds so we’ve created a series year, alongside trips to Donington Park, their pragmatic, user-friendly approach
for them. A few of our drivers have these cars Snetterton and Oulton Park. The series will to rules, regs and racing.”
and said, ‘Is there any chance of doing a UK span cars built between 1967 and 1978, and STEPHEN LICKORISH

McRae to make gravel Rally2 debut on Cambrian

RALLYING Rally Challenge at quite different. It’s a
Knockhill, but is now chance to get out and end
Max McRae is due to looking forward to tackling the year with some fun but,
make his gravel Rally2 Welsh woodland stages at the same time, I know
debut on this weekend’s that are synonymous with it’ll help me next season.”
Cambrian Rally at the McRae rallying success. The Cambrian Rally is
wheel of a Skoda Fabia R5. “There’s so much history also the final round of this
The grandson of British on those stages, it’s going to year’s BRC campaign. With
Rally Championship be fantastic to get in there the British title already
legend Jimmy has and drive them,” said wrapped up, Adrien
McRae is following in previously only competed McRae. “The priority for Fourmaux is instead
some famous footsteps in a Rally2 car on the me is to take experience of concentrating on the
Tarmac-focused McRae the R5. This is going to be world championship.

6 4 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 O P I N I O N C LU B AU TO S P O RT

A Festival to remember
This year’s Brands Hatch Formula Ford showpiece featured a thrilling final,
banishing memories of last season’s misery, but the event lacked entries
STEPHEN LICKORISH

ow that is what a Formula Ford Festival final should There is certainly no doubt the cost-of-living crisis has taken a
be like. Forget the damp squib that was last year’s toll and there were other factors at play. Take the calendar clash
N brief affair, this was a proper contest. Twenty laps
of uninterrupted action that had the crowd
with the Donington Park British GT finale. That meant GT race
director Daly – who won the historic final in 2020 – and his partner
enthralled, featuring unbelievable overtakes Lorna Vickers could not take part, and also ruled out FF1600
between quality drivers and uncertainty over the winner right regular Matt Cowley, who was busy winning the GT4 title! It also
to the end. There was even some late unreliability drama for the impacted upon teams with Kevin Mills Racing focusing on its
brilliant Niall Murray to add another twist. It’s no wonder that GB4 drivers at Donington. Further afield, the Northern Irish
Jamie Sharp, the 2021 victor who was part of the lead squabble, championship finale at Kirkistown may have attracted a meagre
says: “You can never guess what’s going to happen – it’s the grid but it still potentially cost another couple of entries in Kent.
most unpredictable weekend!” Two-time winner Joey Foster was another on the sidelines as
It was the perfect tonic after the misery of last season, when budget difficulties meant he instead switched roles to run Historic
risky scheduling and a reluctance from those in charge to react to Formula 3 champion Samuel Harrison in a Firman. However, he
the expected bad weather meant predicted rain arrived shortly remains optimistic the event’s fortunes will improve. “You have
after the final began and insufficient daylight for it to be restarted to look at Formula Ford over the years and it does this,” he says,
when conditions improved. Autosport, and many others, gave the making an up and down movement. “There’s still youngsters
organising British Racing & Sports Car Club a hard time for not coming through and it’s a great place for drivers to start. But
foreseeing such problems and, to its credit, changes were made it’s very difficult for people who have no spare cash to spend.”
this year, with the final brought forward to 1600 and no longer While some feel last year’s shambles has put drivers off, Foster –
being the event’s last race. But this year’s cracker was the perfect who plans to return to the driving seat for next weekend’s Walter
way to banish memories of the madness of 2022. And BRSCC Hayes Trophy – does not believe that is the case. “Lessons have
chairman Peter Daly wants to take advantage of the brilliant been learned,” he says. Instead, he feels some sort of incentive is
battles to promote the event in the future. “We’ve got it filmed needed to lure drivers, like the boost provided when UK Formula
and available and will see how we can market it,” he says. Ford champions secured places on the Mazda Road to Indy
shootout approaching a decade ago.
It is something that Daly is certainly considering. “I think it
“It would be nice to have a prize would be nice to have a prize fund for it – it might bring one or two
higher-level drivers in,” he says. Daly also believes the reduction
fund for it – it might bring one in Formula Ford racing next year with the BRSCC’s National
championship ending and MotorSport Vision Racing’s United
or two higher-level drivers in” category instead flying the flag for ‘modern’ cars could assist
with the budgetary situation.
Also set to help is the “passion” of Alan Bowles, who was recently
Yet, for all the final’s thrills, there is a problem. The Formula appointed Super Classic Pre-’99 championship coordinator
Ford Festival is an historic event with an incredible collection of and will be working on the Festival, too. Bowles organised an
previous winners and frontrunners. But this year just 55 drivers impressive Elden reunion at Brands last weekend with drivers
took part. It is an enormous reduction on the 78 of last year, which travelling from as far afield as the States to reminisce, while he
followed the 97 when its 50th edition was celebrated in 2021. Only also assembled an eclectic mix of cars in the paddock to again
for the pandemic-affected 2020 instalment have fewer gathered try to spark some interest. His enthusiasm can only help.
for the Brands Hatch showpiece. For what is supposed to be Ultimately, the BRSCC has learned from the mistakes of last
a blue-riband event, having so few entries that every single season but now it needs to ensure the fantastic final this time
one was guaranteed a place in the semi-finals somewhat around is used to convince more to race in the years to come. The
undermines its knockout nature. Hayes has traditionally attracted larger fields than the Festival
“Our original ambition was 80-85 cars,” admits Daly. “As the and, if its numbers are substantially greater this season, it would
year’s gone on, all clubs have seen numbers dwindle. I was hearing provide a clear demonstration of the challenge still ahead.
people were running out of budget early in the year because of the
P70 FESTIVAL REPORT
increases in prices of tyres and fuel or early accident damage.”

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Blistering comeback drive seals

GT3 title for Leung and Harper
DONINGTON PARK Mercedes driver Philip Ellis as opposed to
BRITISH GT regular partner Adam, due to his European
22 OCTOBER Le Mans Series commitments – in fifth.
The permutations were many but, in
Dan Harper and Darren Leung secured order to have any hope of taking the crown,
the British GT3 title after finishing second Leung and Harper had to at least finish in
in a chaotic Donington Park decider. the top five. The Century pair would also be
The Century Motorsport-run BMW M4 required to overturn a 20-second success
crew arrived at the season finale trailing penalty for their win at Brands Hatch,
championship leader James Cottingham, though, while Cottingham would only
and the absent Jonny Adam, by 13 points need to serve 10s after finishing third.
following their victory last time out at Aware of the need to build a margin at
Brands Hatch. the front, Leung wasted no time in passing Leung (r) took the lead on
However, there was drama even Howard with a brave first-lap overtake the opening lap but safety
before the race as seven grid penalties down the Craner Curves and through the cars negated his gap
and four disqualifications were handed Old Hairpin. In the laps that followed, he
out on Saturday night after qualifying, was a second per lap faster than those
including the removal of the pole-winning behind but his margin was crushed on the team-mate Ian Loggie appeared in
Beechdean-run Aston Martin of Andrew fifth tour when the safety car came out no mood to offer aid.
Howard and Ross Gunn for failing to following a sizeable shunt between GT4 Howard was acting as a buffer in second
set two timed laps in the opening wet Toro Verde team-mates Ian Duggan and but, through GT4 traffic, Loggie moved
Q1 session. The sanction was later James Townsend at Redgate. from fourth into second, demoting
overturned, however, after Pirelli Following the 20-minute intervention, Tillbrook and Howard before a second
confirmed an unexpected tyre issue Leung again showed blistering pace to safety car was called into action. This was
was to blame for an early pitstop. build a 19s lead, all while Cottingham was after John Seale skated across the grass at
This meant that Leung lined up second, struggling, losing places to Miguel Ramos high-speed on the inside of the Craner
with Cottingham – racing alongside factory and Morgan Tillbrook, while 2 Seas Curves before striking the tyre wall at the
Old Hairpin in his Fox Lamborghini. Mike
Balfe/Mitchell came back Cottingham lost out Price’s Mercedes had also made heavy
from penalty to win on title after sanction contact with Iain Campbell’s McLaren at
the Melbourne Hairpin moments earlier,
which left the latter beached and both out.
The end of the safety car period
coincided with the opening of the GT3 pit
window just past the hour mark, which
meant Leung was unable to build any sort
of buffer as they rejoined down the pack
and outside the points after being held
additional seconds while traffic filed out.
Jules Gounon assumed the lead, having
replaced Loggie, ahead of Marcus Clutton

GT4 C RO WN FOR COW LE Y AND E VA NS AFT E R ANOT HER IN CR E DI B LE T UR N AR O U ND

Erik Evans and Matt Cowley completed an them ahead in the standings despite arriving race unravelled for the championship-leading
unlikely British GT4 comeback to seal race 16.5 points down on the leaders, and the deficit entry as it dropped a lap on the field with a
and championship success at Donington. being over 50 points just one race earlier. flat battery, exiting the pits when the GT3
The GT4 drivers’ title appeared to be Evans lined his Ford Mustang up in seventh on pack had completed their stops.
a done deal ahead of the penultimate round the grid, with Johnston 12th and title favourites The safety car made its third and final
at Brands Hatch but a nil score for the #90 Brown and Clark having the advantage in third. appearance shortly after, when Ben Collins –
Optimum Motorsport-run McLaren Artura of The points leaders dropped a place to Zac making his first appearance in the category
Jack Brown and Charles Clark opened the door Meakin in the early phases before a huge crash in 18 years – stopped his Ginetta with an oil
to Century Motorsport duo Michael Johnston/ between Toro Verde GT team-mates Ian Duggan pressure sensor failure. The former Top Gear
Chris Salkeld and Academy’s Evans and Cowley. and James Townsend caused a 20-minute safety ‘Stig’ had completed fewer than two laps.
The latter pair had topped the podium at car interruption – the pair colliding on the run to Following the stops, the Johnston/Salkeld
Brands Hatch and built on this spectacularly Redgate and making heavy contact with the wall. BMW M4 was in prime position for championship
at Donington with a drive from the lower While the battle in GT3 raged, GT4 was a far glory, running in third with the #90 now all but
reaches of the order to take the lead with more sedate affair until the pitstops. Taking out of the running and Cowley in 10th. But a fine
15 minutes remaining – a move that pushed place under a further safety car period, the individual performance from Cowley enabled

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RACE RESULTS

GT3
(71 laps) 1 Shaun Balfe/Sandy Mitchell
(Lamborghini Huracan EVO); 2 Darren Leung/
Dan Harper (below) (BMW M4) +9.051s;
3 Morgan Tillbrook/Marcus Clutton (McLaren
720S Evo); 4 John Ferguson/Raffaele Marciello
(Mercedes-AMG); 5 Ian Loggie/Jules Gounon
(Mercedes); 6 Andrew Howard/Ross Gunn
(Aston Martin Vantage). Fastest lap Mitchell
1m25.546s (104.67mph). Pole Howard/Gunn.
Starters 17.
Points 1 Leung/Harper 176; 2 James
Cottingham (Mercedes) 163.5; 3 Jonny Adam
(Mercedes) 162; 4 Balfe/Mitchell 144;
5 Loggie 134.5; 6 Gounon 122.5.

GT4
(68 laps) 1 Erik Evans/Matt Cowley (Ford
Mustang); 2 Ian Gough/Tom Wrigley (McLaren
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: JEP Artura) -1 lap; 3 Aston Millar/Josh Rowledge
(McLaren); 4 Carl Cavers/Lewis Plato (BMW
M4); 5 Will Moore/Matt Nicoll-Jones (Ford);
6 Harry George/Darren Burke (Mercedes-AMG).
FL Charles Clark (McLaren) 1m33.909s
(in for Tillbrook in the Enduro Motorsport the first attempt, he persisted and ran (95.35mph). P Josh Miller/Seb Hopkins
(Aston Martin Vantage). S 17.
McLaren), while the biggest gainers in side-by-side through Goddards before
Points 1 Evans/Cowley 145.5; 2 Jack Brown/
the pits were Shaun Balfe and Sandy sealing the position into Redgate. Clark (McLaren) 124.5; 3 Gough/Wrigley 117.5;
Mitchell. The former had been handed It was enough for the title, but Harper 4 Michael Johnston/Chris Salkeld (BMW) 117;
a penalty for a collision with Price, but was far from done, making up positions 5 Rowledge/Millar 111; 6 Cavers/Plato 106.5.
a third safety car – after Ben Collins’s on Gounon – who had lost the lead when
Ginetta G56 came to a halt – promoted the running off track ahead of the final safety
Barwell Lamborghini into third after they car restart – Raffaele Marciello’s Merc and
elected to pit later than other competitors. Clutton. Out front, Mitchell had completed
At the restart, Harper followed Leung’s an incredible drive to take victory after
example and explored the limits of the passing Clutton down the Craner Curves
BMW’s pace and scythed his way up the shortly after the last caution period, but all
order as Cottingham’s title hopes took eyes were on Leung and Harper behind.
a devastating blow. The Mercedes, now Harper said: “I actually said after the
with Ellis at the wheel, was handed race that I don’t think I breathed for about
a drive-through penalty for overtaking 30 minutes and, whenever I got to about
under yellow flags. Ellis served the penalty third and there was a decent gap, I just
following his team-mate’s transgression, finally breathed and calmed down.
which dropped him out of the points and “But we had incredible pace, the car
led to a recovery to 10th by the flag. was on rails. I picked them off one by one
With half an hour remaining, Harper and, as soon as I got into a championship-
lined up Michael O’Brien for fifth place winning place, I just finally could relax
and dived to the inside at the Melbourne and bring it home.” For full results visit: tsl-timing.com
Hairpin. Unable to complete the pass at SAM HALL

Academy to score back-to-back wins, with his

race-winning pass on Tom Wrigley coming
with 15 minutes remaining to seal title honours.
“After a couple of incidents we’ve had over the
year, we were like, ‘We’re out of the championship,
we’ll just go out there and see what we can do
each round’,” said Cowley. “But, fortunately, Ford
pushed hard, got us a break in the BoP, which we
needed, and since then, we haven’t looked back.”
Wrigley and Ian Gough’s Race Lab McLaren
finished second after the former had held the DTO
Motorsport McLaren of Josh Rowledge at bay for Back-to-back wins
the final hour, with Johnston and Salkeld slipping handed the GT4 title
to ninth, two places ahead of Brown and Clark. to Academy duo
SAM HALL

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Win in the opening race

put Voisin in a strong
position for GB3 title

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: JEP

Voisin crowned GB3 champion as title goes to the wire

DONINGTON PARK the front row. Dunne made the better start
GB3 from the damp side of the grid to draw RACE RESULTS
21-22 OCTOBER alongside Voisin, who maintained the
GB3
lead despite locking up into Redgate. Race 1 (10 laps) 1 Callum Voisin (below);
Rodin Carlin driver Callum Voisin Voisin initially pulled one second clear 2 Matthew Rees +0.356s; 3 Alex Dunne;
produced his best performance of the as Dunne faced early pressure from Fortec 4 James Hedley; 5 Souta Arao; 6 Max Esterson.
season to clinch the GB3 title at the Motorsports’ Max Esterson but, after Fastest lap Dunne 1m32.857s (96.43mph).
Donington Park season finale. breaking clear of his pursuer, Dunne Pole Voisin. Starters 22.
Race 2 (13 laps) 1 Dunne; 2 Voisin +4.498s;
Five drivers remained in contention closed to within half a second of Voisin
3 Esterson; 4 Rees; 5 McKenzy Cresswell;
for the crown entering the final round, by the end of lap five of 13. Under 6 Hedley. FL Dunne 1m22.335s (108.75mph).
with Voisin holding a slender 13-point pressure from his chief rival, Voisin ran P Voisin. S 22.
advantage over fellow 2023 Aston Martin deep at the Melbourne hairpin, with Dunne Race 3 (13 laps) 1 Gerrard Xie; 2 Edward
Autosport BRDC Young Driver finalist pouncing up the inside into Goddards and Pearson +0.477s; 3 Patrick Heuzenroeder;
Joseph Loake, with Hitech GP’s Alex snatching the lead, despite running wide 4 Nico Christodoulou; 5 Oliver Stewart;
6 Cresswell. FL Xie 1m23.729s (106.94mph).
Dunne only four points further adrift. and making contact with his title rival.
P Heuzenroeder. S 22.
Voisin boosted his hopes further by Dunne pulled away to record his fifth Points 1 Voisin 484; 2 Dunne 466; 3 Loake 417;
topping a wet qualifying session to claim win of the campaign ahead of Voisin 4 Cresswell 390; 5 Rees 370; 6 Hedley 347.
his fifth and sixth poles of the season, to take the title battle to the wire, while
securing the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup Loake was eliminated from contention by
for the second year in a row in the process. finishing down in eighth. Esterson added
Voisin made good use of his starting some cheer to a largely difficult season
position in race one to score his second with third and a first podium of 2023.
victory of 2023 in a disrupted encounter. Voisin, who started two places behind
JHR Developments’ Matthew Rees ran Dunne from 22nd, needed to finish 12th in
second throughout but it was not enough to the reversed-grid encounter to guarantee
keep his remote title chances alive, while the crown – and that’s exactly what he did.
McKenzy Cresswell’s hopes also came to an He gained those 10 places early on to run
end after retiring in a first-corner collision directly behind Dunne before the safety For full results visit: tsl-timing.com
with Rees’s team-mate Loake that car was deployed when Tymek Kucharczyk
necessitated an early safety-car period. crashed at the Fogarty Esses.
Only three more green-flag laps Dunne passed David Morales and James
followed, with the race finishing behind Hedley at the restart to move into ninth, “Really difficult to put into words,” said
the safety car after Oliver Stewart collided but the race finished behind the safety car Voisin after becoming champion. “It’s been
with Noah Ping at Goddards. Dunne after Loake spun to a halt at Hollywood. a long old year. We’ve made the most of it.
finished third to take the runner-up Hillspeed’s Gerrard Xie scored a maiden Every time we’ve bagged the points, we’ve
spot in the standings away from Loake, win ahead of the Fortec car of Edward done the most we can and we’ve been
who could only muster 10th following Pearson, who capitalised on a battle rewarded with that. We got better towards
his opening-lap skirmish. between Patrick Heuzenroeder and Nico the end of the season and it’s brilliant to
Conditions were largely dry for Sunday’s Christodoulou to nip up the inside of finish on a high. I’m over the moon.”
race two, with Voisin and Dunne sharing the pair at the hairpin for second. STEVE WHITFIELD

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 N AT I O N A L R E P O R T S C L U B A U T O S P O R T

Spin and win

for White en
route to title
DONINGTON PARK
BRSCC
21-22 OCTOBER

Nick White prevailed in his season-long

fight with Ravi Ramyead to win the
Ginetta GT Academy title in the final
race at Donington Park last weekend.
There was little to separate the pair
heading into the deciding round after
factoring in dropped scores, with White Ramyead took title
holding the advantage. Ramyead closed to the final race, but
the deficit by dominating Saturday’s White (57) did enough
damp opener from pole ahead of White,
who climbed one place to second ahead
of the slow-starting Matt Shaw. a trip through the Redgate gravel
WEEKEND WINNERS
Conditions were dry for Sunday’s after making a poor start and then
two contests, which both proved far outbraking himself as he tried to
GINETTA GT ACADEMY
more dramatic. Shaw again bogged retain the lead. Races 1 & 2 Ravi Ramyead
down from the outside of the front White climbed from fourth to first Race 3 Nick White
row in the first of those, allowing into Hollywood and went on to win
White to give chase to Ramyead once the race and the title. Shaw remained GINETTA JUNIOR
more. Under pressure at the halfway within one second of White throughout, Race 1 Hugo Schwarze
Race 2 Reza Seewooruthun
stage, Ramyead locked up and ran wide but suffered a penalty at the chequered
Race 3 Chase Fernandez
at the hairpin, and contact with his flag, promoting Jon Kearney to second
rival put him on the grass on the exit. while Ramyead recovered to third. GINETTA GT
White’s lead only lasted for one “After race two, the mistake I made, Races 1 & 3 Callum Davies (G56)
corner before dramatically spinning I had to dig deep to turn it around,” Race 2 Ruben Hage (G56)
and slipping to fourth, where he said White. “I didn’t dare think it had
GB4
remained until the finish. Ramyead happened until I came in and someone
Races 1, 2 & 3 Cooper Webster
therefore scored his second win of the told me. Ravi has been strong all
weekend ahead of Shaw and Ed Acres. season, so I knew he wasn’t going to For full results visit: tsl-timing.com
That set up a thrilling climax under take it lying down. It’s been stressful, a
fading light in the final contest, with season of just being mentally strong
Ramyead needing to convert his third enough to keep going.”
pole of the weekend into another Hugo Schwarze edged Reza sequel, but he was pipped to victory
victory and set the fastest lap in order Seewooruthun to win race one in by Chase Fernandez in the final bout.
to steal the title from White’s grasp. Ginetta Junior before Seewooruthun Callum Davies scored a maiden
But his hopes effectively ended with took a comfortable triumph in the series win ahead of McKenzie Douglass
and recently crowned champion Luke
Reade in the opening Ginetta GT
contest. Ruben Hage won an incident-
filled race two ahead of Blake Angliss
and Colin White, with Davies claiming
his second victory ahead of Conner
Garlick and Angliss in the finale. Luke
Garlick clinched the GT5 class title
despite retiring in a collision with
chief rival Ella Lloyd in race two.
With the title already wrapped up,
KMR Sport’s Tom Mills sat out the final
GB4 round. Evans GP driver Cooper
Webster secured runner-up spot with
Webster was unstoppable an emphatic victory treble, which
in GB4 and secured a included a recovery from 11th
hat-trick of wins in the full-reversed-grid race.
STEVE WHITFIELD

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 Smith roars to thrilling
Festival win as Murray denied

BRANDS HATCH Chris Middlehurst and two-time Combe and enabling Sharp to power his B-M
BRSCC FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL title winner Luke Cooper starting just Medina JL17 back ahead at Druids. Not that
21-22 OCTOBER behind and all the ingredients were he stayed in front for long. A wide moment
in place for a classic. at Clearways allowed Murray through once
It was a tantalising prospect. Three And the 2023 final proved exactly more and it was clear Sharp was struggling
previous winners of the Formula Ford that. Right from the start, no inch was compared to his heat and semi-final
Festival lining up in the first three places given with the leading trio circulating dominance (see right). “I was fighting and
on the grid for last weekend’s final at as one – and that set the tone for a couldn’t get heat into the tyres,” he said.
Brands Hatch promised an exciting contest. frantic 20 laps in the Kent sunshine. Sharp’s performance blunted, he was
Each of Rory Smith (2020 victor), Jamie First to make a move was Murray on lap soon passed by Middlehurst’s Team Dolan
Sharp (2021) and Niall Murray (2013 and two as he dived down the inside of Paddock Van Diemen LA10 at Paddock Hill Bend,
2016) were feeling confident of scoring Hill Bend to grab second from Sharp. But, while Smith and Murray had paired off in
more success after strong semi-final out of the corner, he banged wheels with the lead. After a couple of cagey tours, a
showings. Add in 2021 National champion leader Smith causing a momentary delay ferocious fight erupted. First, Murray made
a sensational move around the outside of
There was double delight Paddock on lap seven to brilliantly send his
for B-M Racing with a 1-2 Dolan Van Diemen RF99 past Smith’s B-M
Medina JL18. But Smith was having none of
it and instantly tried to retaliate at Druids,
only for Murray to hold firm – for now.
Smith’s next attack came on lap 10 as
he jinked from the outside to the inside
heading into Paddock to boldly grab
the lead back. “I knew I had to throw
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY HAWKINS

something a bit special to get by him,”

admitted Smith. “It was a bit of a kamikaze
lunge but, hey, it’s the Festival final –
you’ve got to do it!”
Murray, in contrast, was disappointed
at losing his hard-won lead. “I was gutted
to let him back in front – that was my fault
for not defending,” he said. Nevertheless,

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Murray (l) and

Smith spent much
SEMI-FINALS, EVENTUALLY,
of the final battling
before Irishman’s
GIVE TASTE OF WHAT’S TO COME
cruel misfire

Sharp topped first semi-final,

after it belatedly began

Last year it was the Festival final that close for comfort behind as Middlehurst
proved an embarrassing and curtailed challenged Allaer at Druids and there was
contest. This time around it was the contact. “I went up the inside of him and
opening semi-final that struggled to reach he didn’t leave me anywhere to go,” said
a conclusion. An early red flag and then Middlehurst. Allaer’s error was a costly one
multiple abandoned starts sadly reduced as he fell back to 14th, putting him in the
it to a nine-lap, safety car affected affair. Last Chance race, which he duly won.
The original race was halted after a The second semi-final was less chaotic
lap with Bob Hawkins in the Paddock and provided a taste of the thrilling fight
Hill Bend barriers. Then, on the restart, that awaited later in the day. Rory Smith
Vincent Jay struggled to get off the grid jumped Luke Cooper at the start, while
so an extra green-flag lap was needed. Niall Murray also relegated the polesitter
But things became increasingly ridiculous further. “I didn’t make a bad start but Rory
as a host of other drivers were stranded, got a better one,” said Cooper. “I was then
including polesitter Nolan Allaer. “You’ve over-cautious into Druids on the first lap
Murray regrouped and completed a trio got to keep calm and your experience and just took it a bit easy and Niall carried
of unforgettable moves in five laps by comes into it,” said Chris Middlehurst, who more speed around the outside.”
braving it around the outside at Druids was starting third, of the situation. “You’ve Smith began to edge away after a mid-
and then squeezing ahead of Smith got to keep an eye on temperatures but race caution before he dipped a wheel on
on the inside of Graham Hill Bend. a few were cooking their engines.” the Graham Hill Bend grass, which meant
Inevitably, their squabbling allowed By the time Jay’s Ray had been the leaders were back as one. Cooper ran
the chasing pack to reel them in and pushed to the pitlane and others were side-by-side with Murray at Druids and
Middlehurst very nearly followed his rebooted, it was decided that a further Graham Hill but could not quite make a
team-mate in passing Smith. A couple of two green-flag laps were needed. move stick, while Murray decided against
laps later Sharp also latched onto the lead When things eventually did get under a lunge on Smith, opting to save that for
group, giving Middlehurst a dilemma as way – over 30 minutes after the original the final. “I had a lot more pace but didn’t
he sought to keep the leaders honest and start – Jamie Sharp again pounced on want to do anything stupid,” he said.
defend from Sharp. “I had to have eyes in Allaer to grab the lead. His launch was The heats – held on a drying track –
the back and front of my head,” he said. not quite as good second time around but were much more tame affairs, not helped
Sure enough, with Middlehurst “boxed he still powered ahead of the Ammonite by the lack of jeopardy with every starter
in” at Druids, Sharp went around the Ray into Druids. And Sharp maintained his guaranteed a place on the semi-final grids.
outside to reclaim third. Up ahead, Murray lead to the flag, a safety car period failing Pick of the bunch was the second one as
had eked out a half-second gap but this was to halt his momentum. But it all got too Allaer claimed his maiden UK Formula
soon erased and it was clear something was Ford victory, although he was helped by
not right. “It was a misfire – it began with Cooper defied Middlehurst traffic giving him a break, just as Smith,
probably eight laps to go,” he said. “It was in the wet opening heat Team USA Scholar Ayrton Houk and
spluttering out of the corners.” Jordan Dempsey were closing in.
This suddenly got worse two laps from Cooper resisted Middlehurst in the
the end and a devastated Murray had to opener, while Murray rose from sixth to
pit. “It’s frustrating as in the last six/eight third off the line having struggled in the
weeks I put a lot of effort in,” he said. “I lost wet qualifying. Sharp was unchallenged in
a lot of weight, Bernard [Dolan] got a lot of a shortened third heat, although he was
weight out of the car and we had got some aided by Jeremy Fairbairn and Morgan
fantastic new engines with Scholar.” Quinn coming together on lap two.
It was a cruel way for such a memorable STEPHEN LICKORISH
drive to end and prevented a grandstand
finish to a thrilling final. Smith was then

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able to keep the rest at bay to secure the Middlehurst dives past Sharp
spoils, with Sharp making it a B-M 1-2 at Paddock Hill Bend early on
after resisting Middlehurst.
“It was like a boxing match,” added
a delighted Smith. “It was an awesome
race and a real shame poor Niall broke
down because I think the last few laps
would’ve been the same again.”
But what made Smith’s victory even
more remarkable was his lack of pre-event
testing. While many of his rivals pounded
around the Brands Indy track for endless
laps in the build-up, for a variety of reasons
Smith did not – instead using his two wins
at the Champion of Brands round here
in September as preparation. Such is his
understanding of the Medina machine
that the approach paid off handsomely. I backed out of the throttle waiting Fairbairn (Ray GR20). Combe champion
While Sharp’s Medina was not quite at for something to happen and Jordan Felix Fisher (a heat retiree after contact
its full potential, he was still pleased to [Dempsey] came up the inside of me.” with Jason Smyth) and Jonny McMullan
be runner-up. “I’ve proven to myself that The reverse happened later with (broken driveshaft on the heat-three grid)
I can be up there,” he said having contested Dempsey battling Sharp but getting delayed also progressed to finish 17th and 18th,
a limited campaign this year. “I’m happy and Cooper pounced out of Paddock. while the two Team Canada scholars had
with second – but I could be happier!” Behind Dempsey, National champion a close tussle and were split by 0.03s for
Just three tenths behind Middlehurst, Jordan Kelly made it three Dolan entries 12th and 13th – Logan Pacza just ahead of
Cooper in his family-run Swift SC20 in the top six, the Irishman recovering Alex Berg, son of the 1980s sportscar racer
finished best of the rest and was both after a few mistakes earlier in the event. and nine-time Formula 1 starter Allen.
encouraged by the pace shown but also Also on the comeback trail were Brandon But the real battle was the one at the
disappointed to miss the podium. “In McCaughan, who crashed out of his heat front. And, after all the trouble last year,
comparison to some of my other Festivals, after suffering damage to the rear of his the 52nd Formula Ford Festival final will
getting fourth is a brilliant result!” he said. Van Diemen JL13, but fought through to live in the memory for the right reasons.
“I got caught out a little bit early on because take eighth in the final behind Jeremy STEPHEN LICKORISH

RACIN G IN TRI BU TE TO FORM ER AUTOS PORT EDITOR H AL LB E RY

There was an added poignancy single-seaters to be on display friends very quickly. He did
surrounding one of the cars in in the paddock that included an amazing things to connect
this year’s event. The Reynard ex-Eddie Cheever Indycar and a me with people for the book,
89FF driven by 1980s Formula Ralt RT3 – felt it was important like Danny Sullivan. He opened
Ford frontrunner Andy Charsley to remember Hallbery at the doors for me.
carried stickers in memory of first Festival since his passing. “It’s a great shame he’s no
former Autosport editor Andy “I met Andy a couple of years longer with us but we needed to
Hallbery, who died at the end ago at this event,” Bowles honour him. Andy Charsley came
of last year. explained. “Andy helped me with on board straight away and knew
Alan Bowles of Kejan writing my book [his account what I wanted to achieve.”
Engineering – who also organised of 50 years of Formula Ford Sadly, Charsley’s event was
a well-attended Elden reunion Festivals] – it fired his enthusiasm a mixed one. He struggled to Kejan-run Reynard
and arranged an eclectic mix of – and we became very good get off the line on the green-flag had Hallbery tribute
lap of the second heat and was
given a penalty for passing other
cars to retake his original grid race in his Van Diemen RF91,
slot, having fallen to the rear while Street fell to an eventual
of the field – a penalty that fourth after their last-lap incident
prevented him from topping at Druids. Higgins had built a
the historic element of the race. decent lead from pole early on
He then dropped out of the but fell into the clutches of Street
second semi-final early on just before a safety car period set
at Druids, before fighting to up a frantic two-lap dash to the
10th in the historic final. flag, from which Henry Chart
Bowles (l) honoured Andy Richard Higgins defied two (RF81) and Callum Grant (RF80)
with car driven by Charsley (r) clashes with Samuel Street’s Swift completed the podium.
SC92 to head that entertaining STEPHEN LICKORISH

7 2 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 N AT I O N A L R E P O R T S C L U B A U T O S P O R T

WEEKEND WINNERS
BOARD LE Y CLAI MS TCR UK T IT L E ON IN C IDE N T-F I LL ED W EE KEN D

Fourth place in the first TCR UK race of

the Festival weekend secured the 2023
championship title for Carl Boardley in his
Cupra, but the race wins were taken by Alex
Ley’s Hyundai and Jac Constable in an Audi RS3.
Jenson Brickley’s Cupra was missing from
race-one pole with a gearbox problem, but
joined in from the pits to reach sixth by the end,
setting fastest lap. Chris Smiley’s troublesome
Honda Civic led until half-distance before
yielding to Ley and eventually stopped with Fourth in the first race
power-steering failure. This allowed Callum was enough for Boardley
FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL Newsham and Adam Shepherd to complete
Heat 1 Luke Cooper (Swift SC20)
an all-Hyundai podium.
Heat 2 Nolan Allaer (Ray GR22)
Heat 3 Jamie Sharp (Medina JL17) The first 10 were reversed for race two, and Racing Club’s Winter Series. Rupert Deeth set
Semi-final 1 Jamie Sharp (Medina JL17) a multiple shunt on the drop down from Druids fastest laps, but a pitstop in race one when a tyre
Semi-final 2 Rory Smith (Medina JL18) caused a red flag before a car off at Paddock at “fell apart” blunted his challenge. Colin Peacock
Last Chance race Nolan Allaer (Ray GR22) the second attempt then brought out the safety and Phil Bullen-Brown finished side by side in
Historic final Richard Higgins car. With racing finally under way, Constable race two behind the leading pair, and class
(Van Diemen RF91, above)
was soon in front under heavy pressure from battles down the order were even closer.
Final (20 laps) 1 Rory Smith (Medina JL18);
2 Jamie Sharp (Medina JL17) +0.372s; 3 Chris Brickley. Ley took third and Bruce Winfield Smith was seemingly denied a hat-trick by
Middlehurst (Van Diemen LA10); 4 Luke Cooper fourth on the road, but the latter fell to ninth a bold passing manoeuvre by Deeth heading
(Swift SC20); 5 Jordan Dempsey (Van Diemen with track-limits penalties applied. into the final lap in Sunday’s bout. Until then,
RF00); 6 Jordan Kelly (Van Diemen RF06). The Fiesta Junior title was also still to be they traded the lead in spectacular fashion but
Fastest lap Niall Murray (RF99) 50.067s (86.85mph). decided, but the teenagers’ first race was a clashed briefly at Druids. Peacock inherited the
Pole Smith. Starters 30.
shocker, 23 starters reduced to nine after two lead, but was soon passed by the recovering
red-flag stoppages and several lesser incidents. Deeth and Smith although the latter was
A multi-car crash between the grid and the subsequently promoted to the win by officials.
first corner left Flame Airikkala’s car on its roof. Two race victories and a championship
A second attempt was halted with a car off at crown at the end of his first season were
Paddock. At the third time of asking, champion- Max Edmundson’s reward in the Civic Cup.
elect Ben Mulryan took the lead but, heading Edmundson’s triumph was at the expense
into the last lap, Mulryan and title rival Daniel of Dan Thackeray’s misery, the former points
Lewis plunged off at Paddock in a final moment leader losing out when his car came to a
of madness. Jacob Hodgkiss was the winner. smoky halt after leading most of race one.
Hodgkiss won again in a more disciplined Dave Marshall inherited a distant second
affair on Sunday, for which a staggered place, and there was a blanket finish for third.
one-by-one grid was adopted. With Lewis The top 10 reversed meant a frantic
demoted places on the grid and docked scramble in the early stages of race two, and
TCR UK points for causing Saturday’s last-lap incident, it took Edmundson until lap 11 of 17 to reach
Race 1 Alex Ley (Hyundai i30 N) Hodgkiss became the only potential rival to the front. He finished clear but, from Alex
Race 2 Jac Constable (Audi RS3 LMS)
Mulryan for the title. Ben still needed to finish, Kite in second down to eighth, the cars were
FIESTA JUNIOR which he did in ninth place. nose-to-tail, with Thackeray’s refettled
Races 1 & 2 Jacob Hodgkiss (Mk7, above) Mini Miglia champion Aaron Smith was Civic at the back of that group.
a double winner on Saturday in the Mini 7 BRIAN PHILLIPS
MINI 7 WINTER SERIES
Races 1, 2 & 3 Aaron Smith (Miglia)

CIVIC CUP
Races 1 & 2 Max Edmundson (EP3, below)

Deeth (l) and Smith battle

For full results visit: tsl-timing.com for Mini Winter Series glory

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 7 3
 C L U B A U T O S P O R T N AT I O N A L R E P O R T S

Shepherd leads
Marshall flock
despite fumes
SILVERSTONE
MSVR/MRL
21-22 OCTOBER

There was drama written all over Fred

Shepherd’s far from straightforward
victory in the Gerry Marshall Trophy
at a Silverstone meeting last weekend
that included a mixture of races from
Motor Racing Legends and the Historic
Racing Drivers Club.
Richard Oldershaw started the race
from pole in his ex-Brian Muir Rover Mustang driver almost
SD1, but Shepherd used his Ford Boss didn’t make the start –
Mustang 302’s extra power to blast into an or finish – of HRDC race
immediate lead before drawing clear to win
the 45-minute race by over 35 seconds from
John and Jack Young’s Chevrolet Camaro. during the weekend, the first in the three- (Shelby Cobra). The biggest entertainment
But things hadn’t been comfortable for hour RAC Pall Mall Cup, held in drizzly and came from Lotus Ford Cortina Mk1 trio
Shepherd, as the 25-year-old explained: then drying conditions on the Saturday. Michael and Victor Cullen and Pete
“In qualifying, the clutch wasn’t returning After a precautionary engine change, Chambers. They ultimately finished in this
so the team [Bill Shepherd Automotive] Harry Barton – driving the first and third order, nose to tail, after spending much of
had the gearbox apart, the clutch off and stints – and Oliver Reuben came through the 30-minute race swapping positions.
did a full driveline strip – we only got the for a convincing win in their TVR Griffith. In the Jack Sears Trophy, Davison – now
car out 30 seconds before the rolling In a close finish, the identical car of in a Ford Mustang – was chased all the
start lap but full credit to them. team-mates John Davison and Nigel way by Tom Sharp (Ford Falcon), just two
“Then, about 15 minutes from the Reuben was just 9s adrift in second after seconds in arrears at the flag. Davison
end, fumes started to come into the Davison caught and passed modern tin-top admitted: “I was getting fuel starvation
cockpit and I was already struggling with ace Rob Huff (sharing a Jaguar E-type with towards the end. Another five minutes
my neck. I was glad when it was over so Richard Meins) on the penultimate lap, and I wouldn’t have been here on the
I could get out and get some fresh air.” his TVR better suited to the now-dry track podium – I’d have been shouting.” In a
Tommy Waterfield and Ben Mitchell took surface. After qualifying on pole, Huff’s fierce duel, David Dickenson (Lotus Ford
third after their Ford Capri was hunted opening stint drive, during which he Cortina Mk1) fought back to regain third
down and passed late on by the Youngs’ built a sizeable lead when conditions position outright from the similar car of
Camaro, which had been badly delayed were at their greasiest, was sublime. British Touring Car ace Josh Cook, who
when it refused to fire back up during Former British Olympic skeet shooter had held the spot mid-race after taking
the pitstops. Oldershaw took fourth while Davison achieved the Reuben squad’s over from Mike Gardiner.
another son/father act, Ben and Richard two other wins, in the HRDC’s Allstars Andrew Smith and Shane Brereton
Colburn, starred with a giant-killing and Jack Sears Trophy races, which (each in a Cooper Monaco) put on a similar
sixth in their Ford Fiesta. both featured stunning 49-car grids. display at the head of the MRL Woodcote/
The Nigel Reuben Racing team In the first, again using the TVR, Davison Stirling Moss Trophy during the first half
celebrated three victories with its cars ended up 16s clear of Bill Shepherd of its 60-minute duration. Soon after the
pitstops, though, Brereton’s car developed
Davison leads Jack Sears Trophy a misfire and Smith eased to a 23s victory.
on successful Reuben Racing event Darren Fielding (BMW E30 M3) had
an eventful drive en route to winning
the MRL Historic Touring Car race on
Saturday. In damp conditions, triple BTCC
champion Colin Turkington (in a near-
identical ex-Bigazzi car) pulled out a 20s
lead before handing over to Mark Smith,
who was unable to prevent Fielding
closing in for the win as the laps unfolded.
“I went through the gravel at Stowe going
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: MICK WALKER

after Mark, which cost me five seconds,”

related Fielding. “When I eventually
caught up, I threw it down the inside
into Brooklands and prayed. Thankfully
there was some grip.” Ric Wood (Nissan
Skyline GTR) had been expected to
threaten for the win, but a gamble to fit

7 4 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 N AT I O N A L R E P O R T S C L U B A U T O S P O R T

3 DRIVERS, 2 CARS, 1 RACE Alex Montgomery, Nick Sleep and Martin Stretton pulled off the rare feat
of racing two cars together in one race in the Pall Mall Cup at Silverstone. The trio’s distinctive ‘Hairy
Canary’ Shelby Cobra (driving order Sleep-Montgomery-Stretton) finished sixth overall. Close behind,
there was an eighth-place result for their Lotus Elan 26R (Montgomery-Stretton-Sleep). “We didn’t
think it was too elaborate a plan – the five-minute pitstops gave us some flexibility,” said Montgomery.

WEEKEND WINNERS

HRDC GERRY MARSHALL TROPHY

Fred Shepherd (Ford Boss Mustang 302)

MRL PALL MALL CUP

Oliver Reuben/Harry Barton (TVR 200 Griffith)

HRDC ALLSTARS WITH CLASSIC ALFAS

John Davison (TVR Griffith)

HRDC JACK SEARS TROPHY

John Davison (Ford Mustang)

MRL WOODCOTE TROPHY &

STIRLING MOSS TROPHY
Andrew Smith (Cooper Monaco, below) HILLCLIMBING FIAT RACES Richard Colburn gave his Westbourne Motorsport squad’s latest
creation, a 1973 Fiat 128C originally built for hillclimbing in eastern Europe, its race debut in the
MRL HISTORIC TOURING CAR CHALLENGE
Allstars contest. “It’s a work in progress – it’s got the wrong gear ratios but they are on order from
Darren Fielding (BMW E30 M3)
Italy,” said Colburn. “It’s taken nearly two years to get it to this stage. Slightly odd for me, because I’m
MRL JAGUAR CLASSIC CHALLENGE a bit older, is that – as it’s a left-hand-drive car – I sometimes go for the gear lever with my left hand!”
Graeme Dodd/James Dodd (E-type)

GT4 CHALLENGE
Alex Osborne (Ginetta G55)

For full results visit: tsl-timing.com

slick tyres failed to pay off as track

conditions deteriorated.
After jumping in to replace father
Graeme, James Dodd’s only real issue in
winning the Jaguar Classic Challenge came BULLET TRAIN CHEETAH? Duncan Pittaway is to explore uprating his Chevrolet Cheetah’s brakes
after the race when his E-type’s driver’s with “the material they use on Japan’s bullet trains” for 2024. “Its drum brakes work fine while they
door refused to open and he had to last but we’re told the stuff they’ve got on the bullet trains could make them last longer,” said the
climb out of the passenger side. Bristolian, who retired from Sunday’s HRDC Allstars race following three spins caused by brake issues.
CARL McKELLAR His Cheetah is the first of only 11 built by Bill Thomas to help Chevrolet beat Carroll Shelby’s Cobras.

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 7 5
 T 01765 609798 E [email protected] W ycsc.co.uk

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 N AT I O N A L R E P O R T S C L U B A U T O S P O R T

Parr was
victorious as woes
for Baxter helped
Blaine claim the
championship

Parr scores three as Blaine plays a WEEKEND WINNERS

cautious game to land Saloons title LIBRE SALOONS/GTs

Races 1, 2 & 3 Paul Parr (SEAT Supercopa)

FORMULA FORD 1600

KIRKISTOWN but all three times to secure the title.
Race 1 Alan Davidson (Mondiale M89S)
500MRCI Joe Yates topped two of the three Race 2 David McCullough (Van Diemen RF00)
21 OCTOBER concurrent GT encounters in his Wildcat
but had to give best to John Newport’s IRISH MINI COOPERS
Storm Babet has been tempestuous for similar car in a paint-swapping finale. Race 1 Darren Gilmore
the UK and, while her effect on Scotland There was title tension, too, in Formula Race 2 Peter Bennett (below)
was little short of devastating, she still Ford 1600. With only four cars on the
MAZDA MODI-5-CUP/FIESTA ZETEC
had enough energy to also provide grid, the two races should have been Races 1 & 2 David Cousins (MX-5)
Northern Ireland with a demonstration boring. But, with enough points still
of her powers – which was not helpful to play for, Alan Davidson had a chance ROADSPORTS
for Kirkistown’s final meeting of the year. of snatching the honours from David Race 1 Jim Larkham (Radical PR6)
Two days before Saturday’s event, the McCullough. He came close to winning Race 2 Steven Larkham (Radical PR6)
circuit was more boating lake than race the opener, having fought hard all the
track. But, when race day dawned, Babet way and he led for several laps before
had fled, leaving a drying circuit and McCullough took the spoils.
sunshine to greet the competitors. However, post-race scrutineering
The first of three Saloon/GT bouts should revealed a tyre legality issue, which
have provided a title battle between the removed the Van Diemen driver from
SEAT Supercopas of Gareth Blaine and the results and left Davidson and his
Peter Baxter, but Baxter’s car decided to trusty Mondiale with a win and a real
spontaneously combust after qualifying chance of grabbing the title. Yet, despite
and was too badly damaged to continue. this unexpected bonus, Davidson’s task
This took the pressure off Blaine, was just too much, and McCullough had For full results visit: speedhive.mylaps.com
who instead left it to the SEATs of Paul other ideas so took race two in style to
Parr and Patrick Corbett to head the keep hold of the trophy for another year.
field as he settled for a canny third The growing Mini Cooper series
place. And not just once, nor twice, provided a bit more variety. Darren large field of Mazda MX-5s. Rob
Gilmore reached the flag first in race one Kennedy finished second in race one
McCullough took title despite by a nose from Peter Bennett, with Ben and Francis Allen in race two, with
failing scrutineering after opener McFall completing the podium. Bennett Damian Moran placing third both times.
made no mistakes in race two, however, It was an all-Radical affair at the front
rocketing off the line and into a lead that of the Roadsports contests, with Jim
he still held when the red flags came out Larkham and nephew Steven taking
after a couple of members of the midfield a victory apiece – Jim took the first race
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: GARY CRAIG

ushered one another into the pitwall after and Steven the second, although Mike
just nine laps. Gilmore was second at Ward beat Jim to the flag second time
that point, ahead of Paul Stewart. around. In the one-litre Class B, Ethan
Megan Campbell took back-to-back Campbell (Locost) and Allen Millar (GMS)
Fiesta honours in their two races, ahead shared the glory while Brian Crawford’s
of Stephen Walker, while David Cousins Vortex scored a brace of seconds.
did likewise among an encouragingly RICHARD YOUNG

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 7 7
 FINISHING STRAIGHT
The story of top-level
two-wheeled racing
BOOK REVIEW
MOTOGP:
THE ILLUSTRATED
HISTORY
(INDEPENDENT
AND UNOFFICIAL)
Michael Scott
RRP £30

There is something unique about the

attraction of MotoGP. While it is widely
accepted that motorsport will never be
100% safe, four-wheeled competitions are
generally environments where a driver will
take to the track, compete and return to the
paddock intact, even if the machinery is
slightly battered and bruised.
For two-wheeled competitions,
however, this is not the case. It takes a
special breed of racer to cling onto a set
of thin handlebars, squeeze their thighs
around a hugely powerful engine and set
off at speeds of over 200mph, knowing that
they could be flung off into the air and
seriously injured with the slightest mistake.
While the speeds and exact nature of
the bikes have changed significantly over
the years, the danger and the thrill has
remained pure and animalistic since 1949, but this is prefixed by a summary of book, the pacing certainly ramps up a
motorcycle racing began. It is this ever- how the championship got to this point, notch. Covering the complete history of
present risk that acts as a magnet for giving mention to how the motorcycle a competition in 263 pages and with a
riders and fans. came into being, with efforts from Edward significant number of photos – more
Now, it cannot be said that reading a Butler and Karl Benz in the late 1800s on those in a minute – and high-profile
book carries the same risk as pushing a highlighted. The infamous 1903 Paris- interviews is no mean feat, so you should
MotoGP bike to the limit, but MotoGP: Madrid ‘Death Race’ and its debilitating not be fooled into thinking that this is a
The Illustrated History works wonders effect on road racing is also explained, with comprehensive guide to every race and
in conveying the raw nature of the this a key factor in pushing motorcycle overtake that has happened since 1949.
competition. For the most part, the competitions off the road and onto the What this does is guide you through
publication is divided into 10-year chunks, track, via velodromes. the key events, the championship-
beginning with the ‘birth of the series’ in Once you get into the real meat of the defining incidents or successes and the
controversies along the way. Imagine it like
Simoncelli (left) had the string section of an orchestra. On its
only a week to live after own, it can be very nice, but then you add
this image was taken the detail of the brass, you dig deeper and
add some percussion and woodwind, and
everything gets richer and deeper.
MotoGP: An Illustrated History is that
single section of the orchestra. If you’ve
watched the competition for a number
of years, you will likely already have the
SUTTON/MOTORSPORT IMAGES

colour to put around the edges, and this

book will remind you of things that you
may have forgotten.
Obviously, images are a key factor in this
publication and you will not be let down. If
you can think of an iconic photo from the
history of the championship, odds are it

7 8 AUTOSPORT.COM 2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3
 FINISHING STRAIGHT

autosport.com/podcast

CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

United States Grand Prix review
Alex Kalinauckas, Matt Kew and Stuart Codling are all in Austin,
joining Martyn Lee to discuss the US GP. Max Verstappen took his
50th grand prix victory as the drama continued to unfold after the
flag, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc being disqualified.

W HAT’S ON

INTERNATIONAL Australian Supercars

UK MOTORSPORT
GOLD AND GOOSE MOTORSPORT Round 11/12
Surfers Paradise, Australia Oulton Park BRSCC
Mexican GP 28-29 October 28 October
F1 World Championship Live TNT Sports 1, Fun Cup, MG Metro Cup,
Round 19/22 Sat 0630, Sun 0630 Super Classic FF1600
features here, from the grainy black-and- Mexico City, Mexico
white pictures of day dot to the crisp 29 October Central Europe Rally Silverstone 750MC
ultra-HD offerings of the modern era. Live Sky Sports F1, World Rally Championship 28 October
A particularly sobering offering comes Sun 1955 Round 12/13 Birkett Six-Hour Relay
on page 219, with a picture of the 2011 Highlights Sky Sports Germany, Austria, Livestream
Australian Grand Prix podium. The caption F1, Sun 2330, Channel 4, Czech Republic alphalive.co.uk
reads: ‘Racing’s highs and lows: [Casey] Mon 0100 26-29 October
Stoner has just won his home GP for the Live TNT Sports 2, Brands Hatch MSVR
fifth time straight, securing the 2011 Super Formula Thurs 1300, TNT Sports 1, 28-29 October
World Championship; Marco Simoncelli Round 7/7 Fri 0845, 1100, 1245, 1545, EnduroKa, Miata
is celebrating a career-best second, after Suzuka, Japan TNT Sports 4, Sat 0700, Trophy, MSVT Trackday
outfumbling Andrea Dovisioso. One week 28-29 October TNT Sports 2, 1000, TNT Championship, MSVT
later, Simoncelli would be dead.’ Livestream Sports 3 1415, 1545, TNT Trackday Trophy,
There are, naturally, the glossy pictures on Motorsport.tv, Sports 4 1700, TNT Sports 3, United FF1600
of riders in perfect formation, taking the Sat 0600, Sun 0600 Sun 0700, 0830, 1100
apex of famous corners but, especially in Highlights Silverstone 750MC
the earlier days, there are examples of NASCAR Cup Series TNT Sports 1, Fri 2300, 29 October
when things went wrong that will cause Round 35/36 TNT Sports 2, Sat 2300 , Alfa Romeos, Bikesports,
you to pause for breath. Martinsville, USA Red Bull TV, Fri 2000, Club Enduro, Hot Hatch,
Adding further colour are the wide range 29 October Sat 2000, Sun 2000 Ma7das, Sport Specials,
of interviews from each era. Stars including Live Viaplay, Sun 1800 Sports 1000
John Surtees, Kenny Roberts, Mick Doohan MotoGP
and Valentino Rossi all share their stories, NASCAR Xfinity Series Round 17/20 Cambrian Rally
with the book taking readers to the end Round 32/33 Buriram, Thailand British Rally
of the 2022 season. Martinsville, USA 28-29 October Championship
If you are a MotoGP fan, and particularly 28 October Live TNT Sports 2, Round 7/7
if you are new to the competition, this is a Livestream Sat 0830, Sun 0730 Llandudno, Wales
great first step into a far wider world. Viaplay, Sat 2000 Highlights ITV4, Mon 2000 27-28 October
SAM HALL

2 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 3 AUTOSPORT.COM 7 9
FROM THE ARCHIVE centre stage for this group photo: Stirling Moss, runners-up in their
Celebrations are in full swing Ninian Sanderson (side on, in works Aston Martin DB3S. On the
following the conclusion of the 1956 conversation), with co-holder of the far right of the group are Ecurie
Le Mans 24 Hours. The victorious floral arrangement Ron Flockhart Ecosse co-founders, legendary
driver pairing, who had shared an behind. Joining them are Peter mechanic ‘Wilkie’ Wilkinson For classic motorsport DVDs and
Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-type, take Collins (plus companion) and and team chief David Murray. downloads head to dukevideo.com
For more great photographs, visit motorsportimages.com
 O L I V E R GAV I N M Y FAVO U R I T E . . . T RAC K

Sebring
Motorsport Network Media UK Ltd, The Power House,
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EDITORIAL
Chief Editor Kevin Turner
Deputy Editor Marcus Simmons
LEVITT

Grand Prix Editor Alex Kalinauckas

F1 Editor Matt Kew
F1 Writer Jake Boxall-Legge
Production Editor Peter Hodges
ebring International Photography
Group National Editor Stephen Lickorish
Steven Tee

S Raceway’s 3.741 miles of

bumpy asphalt is unique.
Performance and Engineering Editor
James Newbold
Deputy National Editor Stefan Mackley
Glenn Dunbar
Sam Bloxham
Zak Mauger
And in choosing it as his Art Director Lynsey Elliott Jakob Ebrey
favourite track, Oliver Gavin makes Art Editor Michael Cavalli Mark Sutton
several references to the airfield venue’s AUTOSPORT.COM Special Contributors
one-of-a-kind nature that, in his Editor Haydn Cobb Charles Bradley
Alan Eldridge
estimation, narrowly elevates it above International Editor Lewis Duncan
Jonathan Noble
News Editor (ASP) Megan White

EHRHARDT
the Circuit de la Sarthe where he took Marcus Pye
News Editor (ASP) Sam Hall Rachit Thukral
five Le Mans 24 Hours class victories. News Editor (ASP/Mcom) Tom Howard Damien Smith
Gavin raced at Sebring every year IndyCar Editor Joey Barnes Gary Watkins
Technical Team Leader Geoff Creighton Tim Wright
from 2001-20, winning on his first visit
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of his 18-year stint with Corvette Racing, to me,” he reflects. “Nowhere else in the Brazil Lito Cavalcanti Germany Rene de Boer
Sebring proved a happy hunting ground. world is like it in terms of the bumps, Greece Dimitris Papadopoulos Italy Roberto Chinchero
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The Briton was a Sebring 12 Hours the corners, the sand that you inevitably
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class winner on six occasions, and also get on the track in certain spots, and USA Jeremy Shaw UK & Ireland Stephen Brunsdon, Dom D’Angelillo,
triumphed in July 2020 when it staged running the 12 Hours there you do get Rachel Harris-Gardiner, Mark Libbeter, Dan Mason, Jason Noble,
Mark Paulson, Brian Phillips, Hal Ridge, Peter Scherer, Ian Sowman,
the first IMSA SportsCar Championship some pretty unique moments. If you Ian Titchmarsh, Steve Whitfield, Richard Young
round after the COVID hiatus. That happen to be in the car when the sun
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