L&T Motorsport - February Edition - Issue 3 by L&T Motorsport

Issue 3

Four Page Special On The First F1 Winter Test Also in this issue

Britains next big star? Enaam Ahmed

Kevinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Return to F1

What can we expect from the all new Jaguar F-Type SVR?

28/02/2016

Contents ETP - Motorsport Photography....................................................................................................................................................................................3 Getting To Know Alex Jones.........................................................................................................................................................................................4 The New Porsche Boxter 718.......................................................................................................................................................................................5 Jack Youhill.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Mexico ePrix Preview......................................................................................................................................................................................................7 Can McLaren Dominate GT Racing............................................................................................................................................................................8 Kevin Returns To F1.........................................................................................................................................................................................................9 New: Jaguar F-Type SVR..............................................................................................................................................................................................10 New: Jaguar F-Type SVR..............................................................................................................................................................................................11 Back The Brits: Matt Parry............................................................................................................................................................................................12 Raw Talent VS Pound Notes........................................................................................................................................................................................13 The Return Of Ford To The WEC.................................................................................................................................................................................14 The Return Of Ford To The WEC.................................................................................................................................................................................15 Caroline Moves To MSA Formula...............................................................................................................................................................................16 Osian Pryce Interview....................................................................................................................................................................................................17 Enaam Ahmed: The Future Of Racing......................................................................................................................................................................18 Bathurst 12H Review......................................................................................................................................................................................................19 Formula V8 3.5 Rising Star - Louis Deletraz............................................................................................................................................................20 Formula V8 3.5 Rising Star - Louis Deletraz............................................................................................................................................................21 Too Much Technology, Not Enough Personality In F1........................................................................................................................................22 Rally Sweden Review......................................................................................................................................................................................................23 Alex Booths Featured Driver: Roberto Moreno.....................................................................................................................................................24 Alex Booths Featured Driver: Roberto Moreno.....................................................................................................................................................25 Andy Neate Returns To The BTCC...But Is He Any Good......................................................................................................................................26 Andy Neate Returns To The BTCC...But Is He Any Good......................................................................................................................................27 Citroen SpaceTourer Hyphen Concept: A New Citroen Van! Is It An SUV Or An MPV...............................................................................28 Moritz Mueller-Crepon Adds Swiss Efficiency To Var F4......................................................................................................................................29 The Future Of Motorsport - With Us Today...............................................................................................................................................................30 The Future Of Motorsport - With Us Today...............................................................................................................................................................31 Daytona 24H Review........................................................................................................................................................................................................32 Lamborghini Return To British GT Championship With Huracan GT3 and Barwell Motorsport...........................................................33 Barcelona Test Day 1 - 22nd February........................................................................................................................................................................34 Barcelona Test Day 2 - 23rd February.........................................................................................................................................................................35 Barcelona Test Day 3 - 24th February.........................................................................................................................................................................36 Barcelona Test Day 4 - 25th February.........................................................................................................................................................................37 First Impressions Of The 2016 Grid.............................................................................................................................................................................38 First Impressions Of The 2016 Grid.............................................................................................................................................................................39 First Impressions Of The 2016 Grid.............................................................................................................................................................................40 First Impressions Of The 2016 Grid.............................................................................................................................................................................41

An Introduction To Alex Jones ©Octane Photos

As a young racing driver trying to get into the higher ranks of motorsport who isn’t blessed with wealth, it is a hard route to take. Since I started karting at 8 years old at Teamworks Karting Letchworth at a go-karting party, I caught the racing bug and my passion for the sport was realised. I remember watching Formula one where I was much younger, the first driver to take me away was David Coulthard winning for McLaren. I wasn’t given the opportunity to race in competitive outdoor karting, but tried to make the most of the indoor karting when we could. On occasion would we visit Rye House a few times also! My dad and mum are members of the CSMA and found out they had a karting region for our area, so I went along in 2012 and did okay. In the year, we tried to find a feasible car championship for 2013 and we had a look at the VW cup, but found it a stumbling block, but we found a very nice family run team, Complete racing, who are sadly not in the championship any more. After some searching, we found Formula Vee and attended the Formula Vee Festival in 2012 with Osport. Since that first meeting, the atmosphere around the championship and paddock influenced our minds to get into the series. Due to only having my dad’s company sponsoring me for these past three seasons, we haven’t been able to do the whole championship. But came very close last season, 2015. We only missed 1 round which was Anglesey. My best result did come last season which was 9th place, which I achieved two times. Despite what everyone thinks Formula Vee is very competitive and we get big grids, the highest was at Silverstone, 37 cars and the lowest was Croft which was 15. I managed to finish 19th in the championship out of 49 drivers. I will admit it is a long road for this season already, but some positive news is starting to come for the Formula 4 championship. Anyone would say, you need results to get sponsorship, that is true, but most young drivers these days do not show how grateful they are to be in; for certain positions, wealth. I won’t get much into it, apart from saying that most jump from a kart into a car too early at a young age. Anyway, what makes me stand out as most have said is my passion and persistence. To get sponsorship now, you need to stand out from the crowd. Particularly in the Vee grid, most just do it for fun, to get that kick of adrenaline, but all of the grid is just down to earth which you don’t see in many drivers. Enjoy your racing while you can, and keep believing in yourself. It will come out for you guys, just keep pushing. As from my position, I know how hard it is.

Porsche's Interesting New Boxster! Euan Campbell - @euancampbell3

This is the brand new Porsche 718 Boxster, no really it is! There may not be many cosmetic changes but underneath is all new. There's a new 2.5litre 4-cylinder ďŹ&#x201A;at turbocharged engine producing 300bhp on the standard model and 350bhp on the S model. The boxster gets a brand new chassis too and much stronger brakes, making this little convertible a fast, nimble sports car!

It boasts 13% better fuel economy, and they are pretty quick too. With PDK and sport chrono package equipped the ďŹ gures are impressive, 0-62mph takes just 4.7seconds for the normal version and 4.2 for the S. The interior isn't half bad either with a new updated cockpit that includes a new steering wheel, a new automatic sports clock in the centre and a brand new infotainment system that comes with apple carplay revised graphics and much more user friendly. So yet again the new boxster will prove to be a great success amongst the hairdressers! Everyone else? It might just be worth a

Jack Youhill debuts in the 2016 Quaife Ford Fiesta Championship with 93R Motorsport Seasoned, motocross rider, Jack Youhill makes the switch from 2 to 4 wheels to take on the challenge of circuit racing for the first time in a Daniels Motorsport prepared Ford Fiesta Zetec S run by 93R Motorsport. Jack, a graphic Designer from Gloucestershire, first started competing on 2 wheels at the age of 9 and, after a successful race career in UK Junior and Amateur ranks and at the age of 22, Jack has decided to take on his long term ambition to race at National level in the popular single make Fiesta series, which this year sees support from Quaife Engineering. “I am a self-confessed ‘Petrol head’ and follow all forms of Motorsport and Motoring news and it was always an ambition to take this to the next level and compete in a series that would give me a good starting point. The Quaife Fiesta Championship appealed due to its good entry numbers, excellent tracks and, of course, the level playing field of the same spec cars for all”, Says Jack. “Of course, I am going to be up against many competitors who have experience in Karts and also in other formulas and I hope that my own experience racing off road motorcycles will serve me well, especially into the first corner!”

The Quaife Fiesta Championship was the chosen route for Jack due to its high profile within the UK which runs with the BRSCC and benefits from television coverage on the Motors TV Channel as well as being part of the iconic Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in October. “Being my rookie season, I am setting my sights at a realistic level as well as respecting the experience of my fellow competitors, however, I plan to enter all rounds of the championship and hope to score some good points throughout the season”. The car is will be run by 93R Motorsports with assistance from Daniels Motorsport and financial backing from Bownham Consultants. Additional assistance is required and the team are particularly interested in non financial sponsorship in the form of help and advice with car repairs and maintenance on the engine and bodywork. Anyone interested should contact Jack Youhill on 07702570153 or email him at jyouhill81@hotmail.co.uk To follow all his racing updates through-out the year find the team on twitter @93RMOTORSPORT

Mexico ePrix Preview

The inaugural Mexican ePrix will take place on March 12, and at race 5 is the mid-point of the series. The 2.14km will use part of the legendary Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, named after Mexico’s most famous racing sons, Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, who both lost their lives whilst racing during the 1960s. Local boy Salvador Duran rejoined the series for Team Aguri in Buenos Aires, just in time for his home race which will no doubt add to the fanbase on race day. Last season Duran raced for Aguri but for whatever motorsport political reason did not re-sign for the start of season two with the Japanese outfit signing Nathanael Berthon instead, who has since parted company with the team. Mexico has provided motorsport with no shortage of drivers, from the Hermanos Rodriguez, Hector Rebaque , Sergio Perez, to name but a few, and Duran heads into the race eager to showcase his talents. Heading it to round 4 at Buenos Aires the championship was might close with just one point separating Buemi from di Grassi. However, in spite of incredulous race day circumstances this gap has opened up to 4 points. Buemi had to charge from last spot on the grid and made it up to second, placing ahead of di Grassi and therefore extending his lead. eDams Renault are really looking strong this season and the Swiss driver will want to secure this lead even further. Compared to the same point last year the championship has been much more consistent, even though the nature of Formula E is so very unpredictable. Briton Sam Bird has had a healthy season so far, and put his mark on this year’s championship with his win at Buenos Aires, his first since the final race of last season. He is now sitting in third spot, albeit some 24 points behind di Grassi, and his team DS Virgin Racing are 4th in the team standings. For di Grassi it almost seems as if history is repeating itself, having dominated so much last year in the first half of the season, in the final stages of the championship things simply did not go his way. However, his Audi Abt team are looking strong behind eDams Renault, and there is all to play for. Dragon racing are having a promising season so far, currently third in the championship and with both drivers Duval and D’Ambrosio placed 4th and 5th overall. Mahindra follow Dragon in 5th spot, with Nick Heidfeld having some sound scores and Senna also scoring in two races.

This season has also seen some other personnel changes besides Duran rejoining. 1997 F1 Champ Jacques Villeneuve has parted company from the series and former F1 driver Jarno Trulli’s entire outfit pulled out of the series completely reducing the championship to 9 teams. The UK is finally going to get some live streaming for the Mexican ePrix, you can find more details on the official website www.fiaformulae.com. This is due to an ITV4 scheduling clash as a result of the ePrix switching date, so race coverage will be available from 11.25pm…unless of course you prefer to tune into ITV4 for the world snooker championship instead!

Could McLaren dominate GT racing this season with new project manager Bas Leinders? Ben Green - @benosenna

Last week we saw McLaren step up to the mark with an emphatic win at the Bathurst 12 hour alongside Shane VanGisbergen smashing the fastest lap ever set at the infamous Mount Panorama track. McLaren have always been there or thereabouts when it comes to GT racing but this year sees the start of something new. With former Marc VDS head honcho Bas Leinders at the helm things are set to get bigger. With a win at the Spa 24H last year Leinders sure knows how to get a team to perform and deliver the goods. And with the forever evolving McLaren 650S GT car proving to be a massive title contending winning machine Leinders sure has the equipment to achieve this. Bas Leinders, Sporting Manager, McLaren GT: "It is great to be joining McLaren GT at the start of what is looking like a very exciting and strong year. The 650S GT3 is a proven race winner at the highest level, and was extremely successful in 2015 and has continued that success in to this year as well, and I am excited by the opportunities and challenges the season ahead will hold. I am extremely proud to be re-joining the McLaren family after so many years having raced briefly with the team back in the late 1990s, and cannot wait to be back on track." (Quote taken from Blancpain series website).

Megan Mallory - @meggle280

Kevinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return to F1

The future for Kevin has suddenly becoming alot more promising after securing a full time race seat only months after he was dropped as a reserve driver for Mclaren. But can he still fulfil the role he had two seasons ago? It seems Kevin has still got the skills to be championship winning material and with Renault he could be completing for race wins in the next few seasons.

At the Renualt launch in Paris, Kevin Magnussen was revealed as his replacement along with Esteban Ocon as their new reserve driver. After a year away from the sport, Magnussen is back on the grid hoping to be competing with the top teams in a few years. His team mate Jolyon Palmer believes that "He's now going to be unbelievably motivated to do a good job" [autosport]

After Lotus were taken over by Renault in early January, the team confirmed it would keep its original line up of Jolyon Palmer and Pastor Maldonado. But after his main sponsor PDVSA and Renault has some disputes over it was confirmed that he would lose his seat after a 5 year career in Formula 1.

After being replaced by Fernando Alonso and the dropped as reserve driver. The future in F1 wasn't looking to bright for Kevin Magnussen. But after a sponsor for Pastor Maldonado fell through, the opportunity suddenly became available for another seat which Magnussen gladly took.

New: Jaguar F-Type SVR Euan Campbell - @euancampbell3

To me there’s just something very “Britishness” about Jaguars especially the beautiful ones such as the E-Type and F-Type! Every time I see one either here in the UK or when I was in Europe, I get a feeling of pride about the engineering and beauty of these truly epic sports cars. Since the F-Type was first announced a way back in 2012 I’ve always dreamt about owning one. To me it’s one of the most beautiful cars in the world, even more so with the coupe, and the sound of the V8 version just makes me drool for hours upon end! It also just happens to be one of the best cars to drive in the world, and now Jag has launched a very hot racy version called the F-Type SVR!

Let me just give you a moment to take in the beauty of this thing!.. Done? Good! That wide aggressive front side grills and main grill, the low menacing stance, those huge lightweight 21inch alloys with jag’s new improved carbon ceramic brakes and to top all that racing affixation off, a retractable carbon rear spoiler of course! It also comes standard with a carbon fibre roof, which means this F-Type has shed a whole lot of weight! A new cooling system along with more vents adds tons of new air into the car for performance and aerodynamic purposes. The SVR will get Jag’s 4-wheel drive system, an eight-speed gearbox and new uprated titanium exhaust pipes to make that will give the SVR according to Jaguar a new signature sound, I hope its just as magnificent as the current models.

Euan Campbell - @euancampbell3

So the performance enhancements? Well with those juicy new pipes the SVR gets a totally remapped V8 supercharged engine now with 567bhp and 700Nm of torque! This means it will go like hell yeah? Oh yes! 0-62 time takes just 3.7 seconds! This is supercar figures here! And to top the supercar vibe off the top speed of the SVR is a tad over 200mph! Which means this will be the most powerful car ever produced by Jaguar pretty much matching the limited run Project-7. Jaguar say it can reduce lift by up to 80% but I’m a bit sceptical. It also has a huge bulging bonnet like a 1960’s muscle car; this is obliviously for improved aerodynamics and to guide more air into those huge vents at the side of the bulge. The interior then? Well it’s a jaguar young sir! Expect the usual lush sport seats caked in a thousand tons of cowhide; no creature comforts have been spared here. You still get everything from heated & ventilated seats, heated steering wheel and 4-zone climate control. Satellite navigation, parking sensors and 360degree camera, Adaptive cruise control, the list is endless really, oh and hey presto! It comes with Apple Carplay too! As most new cars are these days! Don’t worry android is also available to spec. So the only real clue’s that you’re in an SVR is quite a bit of carbon trim and also the repetitive SVR logo slapped, stitched, moulded and glued to almost anything jaguar could stick it on. Full details will be revealed at this years Geneva motor show and won’t be coming to showrooms till around autumn. Price? Hmm it’s been estimated to be around £115,000-£120,000, that’s quite a figure, but then again it will be quite a car! I for one love the aggressive look of this thing and it’s still sitting as pretty as ever, therefore if I had that sort of money I would consider buying one! I mean you could buy an Audi R8, Porsche 911 or a Mercedes AMG GT. But why would you? It’s very fast, looks like a panther dressed in a beautiful colourful frock, as luxurious and comfortable as a Burberry cashmere jumper and its designed and built right here in Great Britain! So I say get rid of those German Pieces of reliability and go buy a Jag! After all “It’s good to be bad”.

The original Jaguar F-Type

Back The Brits - Matt Parry Joe Clark - @joe96clark

Matt Parry took the more conventional route into taking his GP3 seat at the Koiranen GP in the 2015 season. This as opposed to Jann Mardenborough’s route into the higher formulas as found in our last issue of the L&T Motorsport magazine. Finishing in P.8 for the 2015 season, he had an impressive rookie season having stood on the podium three times. Parry’s reward for a great season was another go for a second time round in 2016 for the Koiranen team. Matt ‘Matthew’ Parry was born in South Wales, Cardiff on 14 January, 1994. Beginning his career by karting, he took the conventional route by entering the Hoddesdon Kart Club in 2006. Finishing second, this is what spurred him on to become the racer that he has become today. It took just nine years for Parry to get the where he is now in GP3 and no doubt wants to continue his swift rise up into Formula 1. Having moved into Formula Ford in 2011, this season did not go so well for him, where he made his debut in single seaters, finishing eighth overall with eighteen points finishes out of the twenty-four races he took part in. He moved out of Formula Ford into the Inter-Steps Championship the following year and this career move was for the best, Parry managed to win this championship on the back of thirteen pole positions. Securing thirteen race wins on top of this led to him dominating the championship and impressing onlookers and competitors alike. Not sticking with the Inter-Steps Championship, Parry did what he does best and moved on up again, this time into the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC series. Again winning this series, he took five race wins and four more podiums on top of this in an ever impressive set of stats Parry was building up by this point. A lesser impressive season in 2014 saw Parry take part in six races of the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps, taking one podium. Having taken part in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, both for Fortec Motorsport, it was from here he progressed into the GP3 series. Parry made his debut for the Koiranen GP racing team alongside Jimmy Erikson and Adderly Fong. 18 races, no wins, no poles and 3 podiums are the stats behind the 2015 season for Matt. Securing a trio of third place trips to the podium, one of which being his home grand prix in the Silverstone feature race, Parry was a regularly expected to be finishing in the points in both the sprint and the feature races. Having secured his 2016 season in the GP3 with the Koiranen team, it allows Parry to skip the formalities of meeting a new team and getting to work, he knows that his only target for the season has to be to win the series and with the Koiranen team he feels that a title bid is on the cards. Who is to say that he is not capable?

Raw Talent VS Pound Notes Tim Farmer - @tim_farmer

Copyright: http://www.samwhitfieldphotography.co.uk/ With the news this week that three of the 2015 BTCC fans favourites will not be returning to the grid in 2016 and many still not yet confirmed it begs the age old question in motorsport, 'talent or money?' It has always been the case that money and motorsport come hand in hand but are we, the fans, missing out on some of the best talents as they struggle to secure the budgets required to race in Britain’s ultimate tin top series. Kieran Gallagher who last year drove for the majority of the year for TEAM HARD revealed his switch to the new B-TEC Development Series as he will drive for team BKR in either one of Team BMR's retired VW CC's or Vauxhall Insignia's. This week Mike Bushell confirmed that he is returning to the Clio Cup Championship on the TOCA support package with the aim to regain the championship he won in 2014 before stepping up to BTCC with AMDTUNING.COM. Both of these series although highly regarded and seen as a stepping stone up to the BTCC offer racing packages for substantially less budget. So is this the way to go or are we depriving the highly skilled from getting to the top of their chosen field? Look at it the other way, and you'll see astute business minded drivers maintain their hand in the championship as they develop teams in the series. You only have to look what the likes of Warren Scott, Shaun Hollomby and Tony Gilham have achieved in a short space of time although with vast amounts of grit and determination and now Simon Belcher and Stewart Lines are hoping to emulate them too. Scott rapidly expanded to a four car team in 2015, and collected silverware and accolades along the way despite his main driver Jason Plato narrowly missing out on the ultimate prize and now has a works deal with Subaru in 2016 to reward his efforts along the painstaking way to push for the drivers’ title.

Mike Bushell (GBR) VitalRacing with Team Pyro Renault Clio Hollomby and now Gilham have stepped into the British GT series too as they aim to develop their talent pools through their teams as well as running drivers in the VW Cup like Lines. Maybe this is the way to go to secure your place in the BTCC as Simon Belcher has this week conﬁrmed that he will concentrate on Team Principal duties to cement his Handy Motorsports place in the championship as they step up to a two car team. So what we are seeing in the majority, business men racing cars, or racing drivers being business men?

The Return Of Ford To The WEC Jonathan Earle - @jon_earle95

2016 marks the return of Ford to Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship; the brand had numerous wins at the famous French race in the late 60’s. The American brand returns to the 2016 championship with a brand new car, but does the brands great legacy leave people expecting too much too soon of this unproven brand new car? The new Ford GT certainly looks like a piece of art with clever aerodynamics that arguably creates one of the best-looking GT cars to grace the WEC field. But will its on track performances live up to its great looks. No doubt the passion behind the project will be a tell tale sign of just how serious they are for success, the cars have been handed over to front running team in 6 different series Chip Ganassi Racing. The American team have a proven track record to develop cars from scratch will certainly have the resources and personnel to make this project a success. Ganassi himself has been quoted in saying ‘This effort is what motorsport is about- Passion & Technology.’

The Drivers Of course in motorsport no car is better than the drivers piloting it, which is why Ford have signed up some of the most respected and experienced sports car drivers in the world. Ford has confirmed Andy Priaulx, Stefan Muecke, Olivier Pla and Marino Franchitti for the 2016 WEC. Priaulx joins the Ford factory effort off the back of 13 year stint as a factory BMW driver in multiple disciplines. Including three successive World Touring Car Championships, a Nurburgring 24 hours victory and wins in both the European & American Le Mans victories so he certainly has the CV to back up his reputation. Muecke joins the Chip Ganassi run team with 4 years experience in the WEC driving for the factory Aston Martin Racing outfit. He also drove the car in its first race in the Daytona 24 hours. Olivier Pla comes into the team with a long-standing history in the WEC, mainly in the prototype categories. The Frenchman moves to the team from the now disbanded Nissan LMP1 programme with 4 LMP2 class wins in 2014. Franchitti has a long standing relationship with the American team, however it will be his first experience of the championship however he has proved over his long career he is no slouch behind the wheel with success in the prototype categories in America including helping the Ford powered Riley Daytona Prototype to its first win at the 12 hours of Sebring in 2014.

The pairings haven’t been announced for the WEC yet but however you pair them the drivers are formidable and will give any team in the championship a run for their money. The team has also confirmed a four-car entry for the Le Mans 24 hours.

The First Major Test

Jonathan Earle - @jon_earle95

The first major test for the new GT was its first ever race at the ever-challenging Daytona 24 hours. A tough place for any car, let alone a brand new machine. Going into the race the team said they would be surprised if they got through the whole race with out any mechanical hiccups. In qualifying and practice they showed the cars had some serious pace in them, but the real test was the race. Both the cars entered finished the race, however the highest place car of Joey Hand, Dirk Muller and Sebastien Bourdais finished in 31st overall and more than 30 laps behind the eventual GT Le Mans class-winning No.4 Corvette. Both cars were plagued with gearbox issues throughout the 24 hours, with the first failure coming in just the 10th lap of the race. When Ryan Briscoe had to pit the No. 67 due to the car being stuck in sixth gear. Meanwhile the No. 66 car had to have a full gearbox change after it was hit with electrical gremlins, dropping the car a long way down the field. The race turned into a long test session for the team after these problems. Helping the Chip Ganassi team to gather as much useful data from the cars as possible to help diagnose the problem and find solutions for the season ahead. The team are determined to get to the bottom of the reliability issues by Le Mans, which the team have outlined as their focus for the 2016 season. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next? Next up for the Ganassi Team and the new GT is the first round of the World Endurance Championship. I am not too sure how far the car will have come by the opening round, but judging by the pace that it was showing at Daytona it should be close to the front of the pack, it will just be a test of whether the team have fixed the reliability issues for the car. I do expect the car to be challenging for wins quite early on within the season and highly anticipate one of the four cars entered at Le Mans will be on the podium come the end of the 24 hours if they have fixed the issues found at Daytona. Only time will tell whether these predictions will be proved true or not, come the end of the championships I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t got a prediction on where the team will be. Consistency is key but all the elements are there for the car and team to be successful with a proven team and proven drivers. This season is set to be an exciting one for Ford and the new GT.

Caroline Switches To MSA Formula Sam Hall - @samhallsport

The 2016 Ginetta Junior Champion is the latest driver to confirm his place on the MSA Formula grid for 2016 and is looking to make an instant impact on the championship. Speaking to AUTOSPORT, Caroline said, “I think single seaters is the best thing for an aspiring driver. I’m still young and it would not be a wasted year. Most professional drivers have done years in single seaters – Jason Plato has, Andy Priaulx has.” Despite his Ginetta title rival joining the Renault Clios on the TOCA support package, Caroline insisted that they didn’t fill him with the same excitement as the MSA Formula and that he had chosen to join Jamun because he would be the team’s sole focus. Speaking about their new driver, team manager Toby Mundy said that they had been determined to get Caroline signed ever since he tested their car last year and had shown ‘raw speed and natural talent’ that the team hadn’t seen for some time. Caroline is just one of nine fresh faces for 2016 with only Rafael Martins (Arden), James Pull (Carlin), Sennan Fielding and Jack Butel (both at JHR) currently announced as returning to the championship.

Up And Coming Stars Osian Pryce Chris Evans @cptchris2010

Who was your inspiration to start rallying? Colin Mcrae, I idolised him from a very young age and always wanted to achieve what he has. Who is your favourite driver of all time ? Colin Mcrae or Richard Burns - Both are brits and heroes of mine. What was the first rally car you had? Ford Escort Mk2, it’s being rebuilt but other plans take priority so it’s taking a long time. What was the first rally and car you ever drove? Rally Kalnamuiza - in Latvia, aged 16 driving a Renault Clio Sport N3. What is your favourite rally car of all time? Tough Question - but based on what I’d like to own it would be the Subaru Impreza 555. With you joining MSA team UK what does this mean for your career in the sport? It means a lot, great to have the MSA backing me as one of the UK's elite drivers, there’s so much they can help me with to help make me get to the top level in my career. In the current WRC calendar what rally would you like to race the most? Finland - crazy place, fast roads and a great atmosphere. What are your long term goals in the sport? To make rallying my full time career. How old were you when you first raced competitively? 16 years old. Did you always want to be a rally driver? Yes. Have your relatives always been supportive in your career choice in rallying? Massively! They’re 110% behind me. Where is your favourite place to rally? Poland has been my favourite so far. Do you have any future plans to do any other motorsport other than rallying? At the minute no, but would love a go at rally cross or BTCC. What is your favourite rally in Wales? Mine has to be either Epynt or sweet lamb. Dyfi Forest - Rallying at home is great

Enaam Ahmed: The Future Of Racing Ian Cutting - @iancutting77

After winning the 2014 World Karting Championship, Ennam Ahmed was on our TV screens and our radios being touted as the next Lewis Hamilton. As the new season gets ever closer, we thought we would check how the former World and European Karting Champion is getting on and what his plans for the 2016 season are after his first year in race cars. Enaam embarked on his first season away from karts with the MSA Formula Ford Championship and running alongside this, the SMP F4 Championship including the SMP F4 Winter Junior Challenge. During the Formula Ford season he was on the podium several times towards the end culminating in a win at Brands Hatch on Finals Weekend. In fact, he should have won earlier in the season at Knockhill but a broken steering column put an end to that. Second place though wasn't a bad result driving with a broken car! He was also the 2015 MSA Formula Ford Rookie Champion! In the SMP F4 series, he scored 5 wins, won the SMP F4 Winter Junior Challenge and along with that the â&#x201A;Ź75,000 prize money. That prize money will certainly help towards the 2016 season. He is taking each season as it comes, doing his best each year and will hopefully be heading towards F1. Having recently just turned 16, Enaam still has to juggle his education with his racing. This academic year is GCSE time, however he has taken some of these exams already and has achieved A*s! He says that he takes his education and studies seriously as he wants something to fall back on if his plans for racing don't happen. In fact he has taken it seriously throughout his karting days too, unlike others who were out with their karts and practising most days and missed out on

Enaam has been training hard in the off-season and is fitter than ever and ready for the new season. He hasn't revealed his plans for 2016 as yet, but if the results from the end of 2015 are anything to go by and the fact that we have a fitter, better prepared Enaam, the rest of the field in whichever series he chooses to race in had better watch out!

Bathurst 12 hours: McLaren Conquer The Mountain

The famous Bathurst 12 hours took place on February 7th and featured a world class grid of GT race cars, with a few touring cars thrown in for an invitational class. Headlining the entry was the defending champions Nismo who had brought factory drivers Florian Strauss, Katsumasa Chiyo and Rick Kelly from V8 supercars to help defend their title. Behind them, a field of 35 other teams who want to take their title from them. However, it was Tekno Autosport’s Mclaren who took pole, setting a new lap record on the way. Shane Van Gisbergen lapped the mountain in 2:01.286, the defending champs lined up 13th overall. Class B pole went the way of the #1 Grove Hire Porsche GT3 cup and the Daytona Coupe would take pole in the invitational class. The race started with drama, with Mika Salo’s #88 Ferrari being turned around after just 2 corners as the 36 car field headed up the mountain for the first time. The first safety car came out well inside the first hour, as one of the MARC cars Australia Mazda 3 V8s suffered a tyre failure going into chase, the fastest corner in Australia. The race saw a monumental battle between the top 6 cars from Tekno’s Mclaren, Nismo’s GTR, the Factory Bentleys, Erebus’s Mercedes and Phoenix Racing’s Audi. None of them would have a trouble free run, the Mclaren rolled to a halt during the third hour, the quickest car was now in 6th playing catch-up. Bentley provided relief for the Mclaren, with the #31 suffering a puncture dropping it down the order. The superior pace of the Mclaren meant it could pass the Phoenix Audi, which meant by hour 7, the top 5 was covered by less than 20 seconds. An hour later just 10 seconds covered the top 10 with Phoenix leading from Erebus after the pit stops. However, an issue during the pit stops dropped followed by a crash would Erebus out of contention for the win. A further puncture for the #10 Bentley dropped it out of contention as well.

The final 15 minutes saw Chiyo hunting Van Gisbergen down, making up 6 seconds in the last 2 laps. In the end Shane Van Gisbergen, Alvaro Parente and Jonathan Webb won by just 1.3s from the #1 Nissan, only the third time the pole sitter has won the race. The #10 M-sport Bentley finished 80 seconds down in third. The Mclaren also set a race lap record of 2:01.567 and set a distance record of 297 laps, 1,845km. Bathurst has traditionally produced fantastic racing, and this year’s edition of the 12 hours was no exception with 5 different cars in the top 5 positions at the end. And to have less than 1.5 seconds covering the top 2 after 297 laps of the mountain is just amazing. Next year is set to be even bigger with new cars joining the field. This race will surely go down as a classic, proving that it’s not over until the chequered flag falls.

Formula V8 3.5 Rising Star – Louis Delétraz Phil Martin - @philmartinGSY

When I watch Motorsport these days, I find it hugely fulfilling to see a young, genuinely talented driver go through the ranks from the junior series all the way up to Formula 1. In this article, we focus on upcoming star Louis Delétraz.

Who is your favorite driver? I like very much Vettel and Romain Grosjean in Formula 1. Marcel Fässler is a role model for me, what he has achieved in Racing is amazing. I have known him since I was very young too and he has always been helping me.

Delétraz is an 18-year-old and has just been signed up to the newly formed Renault Sport Academy. The son of the former Formula – racer Jean-Denis Delétraz, he is the reigning Formula Renault 2.0 champion, and as you will see from my interview, he is focused very much on reaching the highest level…. Louis, you are driving a full season in Formula V8 3.5 in 2016, what are your expectations for this season? I will be driving the 2016 Formula V8 3.5 season with Fortec Motorsport and I'm really excited about this new challenge. After our amazing year in the NEC & Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 I want to keep going on winning races and fighting for championships. The level will be very high again this year and I will have to fight against more experienced drivers but I'm motivated as never to beat them. A good objective would be to finish in the top 3 but I want to win and I will give it all! Which drivers do you expect to be at the front this season? I think Mathieu Vaxiviere will be at the front, he will be in his 3rd full season, he has a lot more experience. Tom Dillmann is also very much more experienced. But as I said earlier I will work very hard to beat them. I might be one of the youngest drivers on the grid right now but I will fight hard. Your father Jean-Denis drove in Formula 1, how much of an influence has he been in your career so far? Thanks to my father I've been into racing since always. I'm almost born on a race track and I've been following all his races since I was 1-year-old. He has always helped me with his experience and I wouldn't have achieved what we've achieved without him. I really like to share racing with my father/Family.

What is the best race you have ever driven? This is a very hard question! This year we won 12 races and all of them felt special. If I had to choose one, it would be Hockenheim Race 2 of Formula Renault NEC when I clinched the title. I didn't have much pressure as I only had to score 1 point and I was starting on Pole but I wanted to be Champion in style. It was raining, I took a good start and then pulled away 7 seconds to P2 before a safety car ruined everything. Race gone green again with one lap to go, I did a good restart pulled away and Won! All the team was standing on the pit wall and we were the 2015 Champions for the team and drivers! Felt so good!

Phil Martin - @philmartinGSY

How much would it mean to be the next big star from Switzerland? Motorsport in Switzerland is very difficult as we are not allowed to race and don't have any race tracks. It would be amazing to succeed and make Motorsport bigger in this small but important country How exciting is it to be part of the Renault Sport Academy and how much support will they give you during the season? I'm very happy and proud to join the Renault Sport Academy. It's very important to be backed by an F1 team if you want to succeed. I'm looking forward to all the work we will do together and I'm sure there are no better places to be for me. The program is based on many things but mainly the integration to the F1 team, driver development and physical preparation. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also thankful and happy to be with BMW Motorsport after winning the Junior programme last year. It's great that I can do both programs in completely different categories. My BMW programme should be announced soon. If there was one track you could drive which you haven't driven before which would it be? I would like to have a go at Suzuka or Le Mans (24h track). I think these are special tracks that you need to drive once in your life. What is the biggest difference between the Formula 3.5 V8 car and the Formula Renault 2.0 car? Well everything is bigger on the Formula V8 3.5. Renault Sport has always delivered quality race cars. The main difference is the aerodynamics, the carbon fibre brakes and of course the power.

What activities do you like to enjoy outside of racing? I like boxing, cycling, running, I mean most of the sports that you can do outside. Spending time with family and friends is obviously very important as well for me. What are your thoughts about your new team mate Pietro Fittipaldi? I'm very happy to have Pietro as a teammate. We've been meeting many times and we have a very good relationship together. I think we can achieve great results this year. Where do you see yourself in your career in five years? In five years I hope I will be in Formula One. At this points I will be 23 years old and it is the perfect timing.

Too much technology, not enough personality in F1? Rebecca Thomas - @rebeccathms

Technology has, without a doubt, changed the world. Any information you could possibly wish to find is right at your fingertips, it helps to save millions of lives, and it can find you a hookup within minutes. But does technology have such a positive affect on F1? F1 has always faced comments that it is too 'boring' and too 'predictable', and the increased use of technology in the sport is factor that has fuelled towards these opinions. Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger believes that there is too much technology and not enough driver input in racing these days. “Back in my time a F1 car was like a loose cannon,” he told the Salzburg Nachrichten. “You have to go back to a system where the driver is the key to success in F1. There should only be four or five drivers who are able to pull it off.” Once upon a time, F1 was just man and wild machine, the best driver won because he was the best driver. Nowadays it is more man, machine and team. The driver is told what buttons to press and when to press them to get ahead. Sure, the teams are competing for a win too but that is in the design, creation and support in running the car - not for impacting the racing through technological radio commands. The hybrid technology was a big change for Formula 1 in 2014 when the 2.4 litre V8 engines were adapted in order to 'go green'. A great step for the environment, but a further step into more technology for F1. Last year, new rules were introduced ahead of the Belgium race; drivers had to prepare the clutch start setting themselves without help from the team engineers before the race. This was not an advantage for most drivers. Was this F1 realising that technology has made it too easy to watch? As Toto Woolf explained: "We wanted to make the starts more variable and unpredictable [...]. This is the first exercise in tuning technology down for the sake of the entertainment." Of course, in this day and age we cannot escape technology and increases in health and safety, but are these advances at the sake of the sport's entertainment?

Rally Sweden Review Chris Evans - @cptchris2010

This month we saw the snow, ice and the world famous Colinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crest. This month it was rally Sweden. With the event under threat by unusually mild weather. Rally Sweden was cut from 21 stages down to just 13. Only to lose another stage later on in the rally. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at the bigger picture with Sweden being the only full winter round in the WRC calendar. it is an event no one wants to loose but the cold weather came in just in time. With the Thursday night stage being cancelled it did not stop the red bull show going ahead with stunt shows from snow mobiles opening round 2. On the first day Ogier took an early lead even after an early scare hitting some melted snow and colliding with a tree luckily for Ogier he only lost his front wheel arch. With the leading driver crashing out or incurring mechanical failures throughout the weekend it was down to one unlikely driver to challenge Ogier and put the pressure on him Haydon Paddon showed what he has got to offer in the championship. Pace and consistency was the main factor on the weekend and Paddon showed he has this. Ogier felt his position up the top was under pressure from the young kiwi, he was making small mistakes and taking large risks but being able to keep control of the car. Haydon Paddon is one driver we will be following to see if he can keep pressure on the world champion. With Kris Meeke having a rather rocky start (mind the pun) to the season but he is up there with Ogier he has shown on both outings this season he has the pace but no fault of his own has had to retire from the top fight. Meeke will not be joining the WRC in the next round in Mexico. With Sweden the home of the world famous Colinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crest a competition, In the memory of the late rally legend Colin McRae. the person who jumps the furthest wins the award. with Neuville holding the record last year at 44 meters it was a tough challenge for the drivers. This year Neuville was beaten by WRC2 driver Eyvind Brynildsen driving a Fiesta R5 with a distance of 45 meters. The next round in the championship is rally Mexico but who will be challenging Ogier there, will we see the return of the flying fin Latvala or will another driver take the challenge. We will have to wait and see.

Alex Boothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Featured Driver: Roberto Moreno Alex Booth - @alex_booth_93

Roberto Moreno endured one of the most unfortunate F1 careers in the history of the sport, for he was far more talented than his results suggest. Moreno won karting titles in his home country before arriving in England in 1979. He won the British Formula Ford championship and the Formula Ford Festival in 1980. For the next two years Moreno made a name for himself as quite a prodigy, he competed in Formula Three, Formula Atlantic and Formula Mondial and won races in all categories. This attracted the attention of none other than the late Colin Chapman who signed Moreno as a test driver for the Lotus team. Being a test driver for an F1 team in the 1980s did not always reward in the way it would become known to do in the decades to follow, Moreno barely sat in the latest Lotus. He would make his first attempt at an official F1 race at the 1982 Dutch Grand Prix but it proved to be disaster. Thrown in at the deep end after Nigel Mansell injured his wrist in Canada and at the eleventh hour confirmed he would not be fit enough, Moreno was unprepared. He failed to qualify after struggling to get to grips with the car. After showing such promise in the junior formulae it was a major disappointment for the little Brazilian and his reputation was damaged. His recovery process began by finishing second in the 1984 European Formula Two championship. Earlier that year, his old pal Nelson Piquet had been keen for Moreno to partner him at Brabham but Italian sponsors Parmalat wanted an Italian driver. For 1985 a seat at Toleman went begging as the team had no tyre contract. Instead he drove sporadically in the inaugural F3000 championship and Indy Car. A full time drive in Indy Car for 1986 was eagerly anticipated but poor reliability left him falling short again. Two sixth places was the highlight for Moreno. 1987 saw Moreno back in F3000 on a full time basis and he finished third overall after winning at Enna in Italy. At the end of the year the small French F1 outfit, AGS, signed Moreno to compete in the final two rounds of the season in Japan and Australia, over five years following his nightmare start. Moreno did not disgrace and scored the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever point with sixth place in Adelaide. But even this was not enough for Moreno to earn a full time F1 drive. Instead he spent another year in F3000 and four victories earned him the title. As if Moreno had not suffered enough misfortune in his career, not even the F3000 title could get him a full time race seat with a competitive F1 team. By now he was almost 30 and was perhaps considered too old to make it. The Brazilian signed a testing contract with Ferrari who helped him find a drive with the tiny Coloni team. Moreno started the 1989 season with an old outdated chassis although he did a superb job to get on the grid at Monaco. Then at the

Canadian Grand Prix the team, after spending virtually all the money they had, introduced a new car. With no testing it was difficult to find the right set up for the car but Moreno qualified for the race, only for the wheel to fall off in the race. At midpoint in the season, the qualifying schedule was reorganised. At the time there were 39 cars going for 26 grid places. 13 cars would pre-qualify with the 4 fastest going through to the qualifying session itself. Failure to make the cut would mean your weekend was over. Some of the drivers who were in the pre-qualifying sessions had scored points in the first half of the season and were promoted, while the unlucky and pointless Moreno was forced to go through the pain. This made making the grid even more difficult, although in Portugal he qualified a remarkable 15th. For the Coloni team this was like winning the whole race!

Alex Booth’s Featured Driver: Roberto Moreno Alex Booth - @alex_booth_93

1990 looked no better than 1989 had been as Moreno spent another year with a small team, Euro Brun. He failed to qualify in 12 of the 14 races the team participated in before it folded. Then came the breakthrough. Benetton’s Alessandro Nannini suffered terrible injuries to his arm in a helicopter accident and Moreno got the call to fill the vacany. Attrition in the race played a part but still Moreno kept pace with team mate Piquet and finished an excellent second. The Brazilian was overflowing with emotion as he climbed out of the car. The result and the backing of Piquet encouraged Benetton to keep him for 1991 but yet again it seemed as if F1 and Moreno was never a combination set to work and the Brazilian’s luck had all been used in one race. The Pirelli tyres the team were using gave them a disadvantage, although he did finish 4th in Monaco and at Spa and regularly matched Piquet. At the Italian Grand Prix the Benetton team poached a certain Michael Schumacher from the Jordan team, much to the surprise of Moreno who was paid off. At the last minute he took the vacant seat at the Irish team but only on a two race deal. A one-off appearance in Australia for Minardi followed but his big shot in F1 was gone. 1992 saw Moreno literally grabbing any opportunity he could, as he drove for the Andrea Moda team (formerly Coloni). The team was a farce run by a shoe designer who thought running an F1 team was a great way to advertise his company. Unsurprisingly the team was not up to the task. Moreno did provide the one highlight of the year, getting onto the grid at Monaco. A final crack at Formula One came in 1995 with the Forti team. A three-year old design and a heavy chassis resulted in a pathetically slow car. A potentially bright career which had been one disappointment after another was finally over.

old age of 41, Moreno showed everyone how much he had been overlooked as a consistent year saw him fight for the championship. After a dominant drive in Cleveland he won his first competitive race for 12 years. His Indian summer of racing provided another victory in Vancouver in 2001. Better late than never. Today Moreno is retired from professional motorsport but works as a driver coach and occasionally participates in historic racing. His F1 career may not have been what he had hoped for but he still achieved success in racing which many would not doubt him.

Further proof of how good Moreno was came incidentally after his F1 career had finished. In the late 90s he became known as ‘Super Sub’ as he would frequently fill the void left over from injured drivers, such as Christian Fittipaldi and Mark Blundell. Second place at Laguna Seca in 1999 earned him a full time drive in 2000 with Patrick Racing. That year, at the ripe

Andy Neate Returns To The BTCCâ&#x20AC;ŚBut Is He Any Good? Sam Hall - @samhallsport

Andy Neate is one of the long line of team-mates to partner perennial runner up Jason Plato in the British Touring Car Championship, got dropped and then attempted to set up his own team back in 2013. After two years out, he returns to partner Matt Neal and 2015 champion Gordon Shedden, but is he a good addition to the team? One thing to say straight off the bat about Neate, he certainly is persistent. After graduating from karts in 1998, Neate competed in the Formula Opel Europa Cup and the Ford Fiesta Championship before making the ambitious step up to join Team CAM, driving their Production Class Mitsubishi Carisma in the BTCC in 2001. Neate only lasted for two rounds, retiring in both races at Brands Hatch and failing to even start a race at Oulton Park. This though was more a reflection of the car than of the man. Undeterred, Neate went back to the drawing board and set about finding another route into the BTCC. He spent several years flitting between championships including the British GT Championship, the Clio Cup and the SEAT Cupra Championship; he even had a brief reprieve in the BTCC in 2005 where he competed in three rounds driving the former works Vauxhall Astra Coupe for Team Nuts. His biggest career success to that date came in 2007 when he and his team finished second in the Britcar 24. The team had competed in a Mosler GT3 RS and it looked as though things were finally on the up for this truly spirited racer. Things were so good that, by the time the 2008 Britcar 24 came around, Neate was in talks to join West Surrey Racing in the BTCC for the following year.

Sam Hall - @samhallsport

As they tend to though, things took a huge turn for the worse. During the early stages of the 24 hour race, Neate was involved in a serious accident. He suffered major injuries, mostly notably a broken back which could have seen his career ended there and then. This ended the talks with WSR but eighteen months later, when he had completed his recovery, Neate was back and WSR were still interested in completing a deal. 2010 was a steep learning curve for Neate but he refused to give up, constantly knocking on the door of the top ten. At times his exuberance got the better of him, most notably at Oulton Park when he was disqualified from a career best result of ninth place for causing an avoidable accident with future champion Andrew He joined Team AON for 2011 and was a frequent figure in the top ten, a sixth place at Oulton being his best result but he then moved to partner Jason Plato in the brand new MG 6 GT at Triple8. The move damaged Neateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career to a point where his ability behind the wheel came under heavy fire as Plato finished third in the standings while Neate floundered down in 16th so it came as no surprise when, in the close season, it was announced that he would not be continuing with the team. After briefly running a Chevrolet Cruze in 2013 under the Club 44 banner, Neate faded out of the BTCC despite trying desperately to find a drive somewhere. Now he joins Team Dynamics who will certainly be expecting strong performances. He still has a lot to prove in this championship and there will be a lot of doubters but both car and man have changed a lot in his two year absence so anything is possible. With the reverse grid in race three, there is every chance that we will see Neate standing on the podium this year so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go writing him off just yet.

Citroën SpaceTourer Hyphen Concept: A New Citroen Van! Is it an SUV? Or an MPV? Euan Campbell - @euancampbell3

Do you want a Van that looks like its been mated with a Ford Transit and a Citroen Berlingo? One that comes with a special paint called “We ran out of paint half way through production”, and with an interior that looks like a rainbow has threw up all over it? Well good news! The new Citroen SpaceTourer Hyphen Concept is for you! Okay so it may not be coming out for another year or so, or at all! So why have you bothered to write about this hideous weird van/SUV/MPV thing Euan? And yes that’s literally what Citroen describe this! Well questionable reader, 1. Because I think it looks pretty hilarious and 2. Because if you really think about it, this is actually a genius idea! I mean why haven’t other car makes thought of an MPV/SUV crossover? I think it would make marketing sense considering how crossovers as in hatchback/SUV crossovers became so popular. This maybe just a concept for now but Citroën are actually on to something here, okay some folk might find this pointless as 99% of us never go off road, but it does give you a brilliant nearby parking space on the beach for example, you could drive up that national trust trail you’ve always secretly wanted to do!, em.. I mean no we don’t drive up national trust trails, that is wrong! Shhh! Or if you go off the beating track abroad at least you know you have the 4-wheel drive backup. Anyway back to the Citroën thingy, they claim this is a car for your friends and family, and is for and I quote “ everyday journeys and brings to life the experience of travelling where fun and freedom awaits you”. That’s just to describe the purpose of the car! They go on to describe the interior of the car by saying “The purpose is to guarantee an energising experience, where all the occupants can enjoy fun, freedom and unlimited adventures”. I’m sorry Citroën but where you’s on drugs whilst you wrote this?

As it doesn’t make any sense what so ever, that’s like saying I like Ferrari because It’s mostly owned by Fiat! Makes no sense! Anyway I need stop ranting about this van/SUV/MPV. It’s a great idea as a concept Citroen, but your choice of words to describe it aren’t and neither is that thing by the looks of it!

MORITZ MUELLER-CREPON ADDS SWISS EFFICIENCY TO VAR F4

For the second time in the rich history of Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) the team welcomes a racing driver from Switzerland. 19-year-old Moritz Mueller-Crepon will race a full season in the German ADAC Formula 4 with the Dutch based outfit. After gaining valuable experience during last year’s ADAC F4 season Moritz has chosen to transfer to Frits van Amersfoort and his team in 2016. “We worked with Moritz during multiple test days on different circuits and he showed non-stop progress during his sessions. He drove fast and faultless, helped the engineer with good feedback and fitted into the team immediately”, says Frits van Amersfoort. The young gun from Switzerland is also thrilled about working with the Dutch based outfit: “Van Amersfoort Racing has a great pedigree in racing, which has enabled me to learn how the team works, while I was testing with them over the winter months. Their focus on driver development has been a great asset, preparing for 2016. That fully convinced me to join Van Amersfoort Racing for my second season of competition.” The first out of eight weekends in the German ADAC Formula 4 is scheduled for 15-17 April at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. The calendar also includes rounds at Sachsenring, Lausitzring, Nürburgring and races outside Germany at the Red Bull Ring in Austria and - the home track of VAR - Circuit Park Zandvoort. “Our goal is to give Moritz the right equipment and environment to achieve the best possible results. He has both the experience in ADAC F4 as well as the skills to play an important role“, says Frits van Amersfoort. Moritz Mueller-Crepon is open in his ambitions towards his second full season in the highly popular German single seater category. “I’m really motivated by our performance during testing, and can’t wait to join my new team in the Netherlands. I want to continue my progress through an intensive learning curve, as well as striving for a top result in this year’s championship.”

The Future Of Motorsport - With Us Today Jack Haywood - @jackhaywood2605

With the driver announcements coming in thick and fast from Formula 1 teams, and the season getting ever closer, it seems a fitting time to concentrate on the newly signed drivers of the season Almost a decade ago, only a select few had heard of Lewis Hamilton’s racing credentials, yet in the 2015 season we crowned him a triple world champion. Most of us know Hamilton’s story, starting off in 1993 at the tender age of only eight years. Fourteen years since his first race in karting, Lewis started his first Formula one race, finishing in third place. Hamilton’s success story can clearly inspire the young generation of the motorsport community starting at the bottom. Motorsport as a community is forever getting younger in age, and the skill level of these less experienced drivers forever developing, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the youth of today. We have had the privilege of talking to Jordan Albert, Beechdean’s newly signed driver for their Aston Martin British GT team. After impressing last season in Formula 4, finishing sixth for Sean Walkinshaw Racing, winning 2 races, Albert is one of the many young talents of British motorsport, and he explains his early days in motorsport, along with advice and aspirations for the future. Is there any advice you would give to young drivers, starting in karting and lower formulas? “Honestly my best advice is to always give 100%. No matter what it is, whether it is a local kart race or an F1 Grand Prix. You never know who is watching at the end of the day. Making a lot of contacts is also very important because I've learned that your contacts can grow into bigger opportunities in the future.” What is it that has inspired you to strive in motorsport, and if any, who are your idols? “I was first inspired when I visited Silverstone circuit when I was a young lad. I've lived in Silverstone Village since I was four years old, so I've grown up knowing motor racing. I wasn't a huge fan until I first gave racing a go with Karting in Milton Keynes. That was when I realised It was something that I both enjoyed and was quite good at. I started quite late at 14 so my karting career was quite short, at 15 I took my ARDS driving test and passed and by the time I was 16 I entered my first car race.” What are your best memories of your racing career? “My best memory of my career so far was winning my first race in F4 last year in April. The weekend started off really badly with my suspension failing in qualifying so I had to start the race from the back of the grid for the first two races however, I managed to pull out a new lap record in one of the races and put it on pole for the last race, taking a lights to flag victory by around eight seconds.”

Jack Haywood - @jackhaywood2605

© Jakob Ebrey What are your aspirations for the next few years, will we expect to see you in Formula One in the next few years? “My aspirations for the next few years are to progress through the GT categories. Formula 1 isn't really an option anymore because nowadays it unfortunately relies on huge financial backing. Although I still like watching F1, I am fully focussed on GT racing. My ultimate dream is to achieve a full time career as a racing driver. Getting paid as a racing driver would be unreal!” What are the lowest points of your career and how did you overcome them? “My lowest point in my career so far was in last years F4 season when we reached the half way point of the year at Snetterton in Norfolk. I kept having a lot of misfortune up to this point with mechanical issues, crashes, etc. but in the last race of the weekend I got taken out at the first corner of the race and had to sit in the pouring rain watching my rivals collect loads of points. That was definitely hard to deal with.” You’ve recently moved to GT racing after a successful 2 seasons in Formula 4. Are you excited for this change? “I am very exited for the change. There is going to be a lot to learn because GT racing is a completely different world, but I am looking forward to the challenge.” It’s been announced that your team, Beechdean, will be able to compete in the Le Mans 24 hour, what’s your view on this? “Yes it's good to see Beechdean enter Le Mans. Obviously it would be a dream come true to be involved but I highly doubt the opportunity of driving in the Le Mans this year is a possibility because it is only my first year in sports car racing.” There’s no telling what the season will hold for Britain’s young drivers; Jolyon Palmer is the new kid on the block in Formula 1, aiming to impress, and other drivers such as Jordan progressing in GT racing, only one thing is certain, it will always be entertaining watching younger drivers fight against their more experienced counterparts!

Daytona 24H Review Alex MacDonald @clivethecactus

Taking place on the 3.56 mile Sports Car Course configuration of the Daytona International Speedway, the event marks the start of the aforementioned series and the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, which covers the four longest races on the calendar. In Prototype, the class and overall win was taken by the #2 Tequila Patron Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier JS P2-Honda of Scot Sharp, Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek and Pipo Derani. Second, 26 seconds behind, was the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype of Rick Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and Rubens Barrichello; the podium was completed by the #90 Corvette DP entry of VisitFlorida.com Racing driven by Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Good pace was also shown by the DeltaWing Racing and Mazda Racing squads, both have suffered with reliability issues over the past couple of seasons, unfortunately, the Mazda’s both suffered mechanical gremlins and the DeltaWing made contact with a stationary Protottype Challenge class car. Even so it looks like both teams may be on an upwards swing this year, which will only mean more competition in the top class. In Prototype Challenge, reliability troubles were abound which meant it was partly a war of attrition to just reach the end of the race. A great performance from the #85 JDC/Miller Motorsports saw them take the class victory with Chris Miller, Mikhail Goikhberg, Stephen Simpson and Kenton Koch driving. Four laps back was the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports #52 entry of Robert Alon, Tom Kimber-Smith, Jose Gutierrez and Nicholas Boulle. BAR1 Motorsports and their #20 entry completed the podium with Marc Drumwright, Johnny Mowlem, Tomy Drissi, Ricardo Vera and Brendan Gaughan piloting. The closest finish came in the GTLM class where the two Corvette Racing C7.R entries were separated by just 0.034 seconds after 24 hours of racing! The #4 of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fassler led the #3 sister car of Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller over the line to give Corvette it’s first ever one-two finish at Daytona. Porsche North America continued their form from the end of last year with Earl Bamber, Fred Makowiecki and Michael Christensen brought the #912 entry home in third. The Ford GT’s had a bit of a low-key debut, even though Ryan Briscoe in the #67 set the fastest GTLM lap of the race, both cars suffered numerous issues which hampered their progress. GTD had lots of action in the last 10 minutes with the #28 Konrad Racing Lamborghini Huracan running out of fuel whilst in the class lead. The win was eventually taken by John Potter, Andy Lally, Marco Seefried and Rene Rast in the #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 LMS. Second over the line was the #540 Black Swan Racing Porsche GT3 R of Tim Pappas, Nick Catsburg, Patrick Long and Andy Pilgrim and third was the #93 Dodge Viper GT3-R of Ben Keating, Jeff Mosing, Damien Faulkner, Gar Robinson and Eric Foss, run by Riley Motorsports. The GT3 cars seem to have taken well to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and it looks like it will be great season with every manufacturer in with a shot at victory. O’Gara Motorsports did show well at the Rolex in their Lamborgini Huracan, the new team ran last year’s champions Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler alongside Super Trofeo North America champion Richard Antinucci and 2014 Super Trofeo Europe champion Eduardo Piscopo. News has emerged in recently, however, stating that they have withdrawn from the series with immediate effect, this leaves the future uncertain for 2015 GTD champions Sweedler and Bell but it is understood that they are working on getting themselves, and the #11 Huracan, back on the grid for the 12 Hours of Sebring and beyond. The second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, the Mobil 12 Hours of Sebring fuelled by Fresh from Florida, takes place on March 19th.

Lamborghini Return to British GT Championship with Huracán GT3 and Barwell Motorsport Gavin Finlayson - @2712salesrec

This June’s Silverstone 500 will be the first time in eight seasons that three Lamborghinis have contested the same British GT round. It last happened at the same venue on 17 August 2008. The record for most Lamborghinis to start a single race was also set that year when Tech 9 and Team Modena each ran a pair of Gallardo GT3s at Rockingham and Snetterton. The Surrey-based Barwell squad, has signed a three-year deal featuring significant factory support. Indeed, its close alignment with the Italian manufacturer will see the team rebranded as Barwell Motorsport supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse. A new commercial deal with MP Motorsport has enabled Barwell to acquire three of the new-for-2015 Huracán GT3s, one of which claimed victory on its Blancpain Endurance Series debut at Monza earlier this season. Two of the cars will replace Barwell’s pair of trusty BMW Z4 GT3's that have been a mainstay of its British GT program since 2012. And despite continuing to run at the front in 2015, team principal Mark Lemmer believes the time is right to switch to a new-generation GT3 contender. “We are delighted to announce our plans with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 from 2016 onwards,” he said. “To have secured a three-year deal with factory support from such an iconic brand, with its rich sports car heritage is exactly what we need going forward. I have no doubt that the Huracán GT3 is the right tool for the job and we are very much looking forward to building a strong working relationship with Lamborghini Squadra Corse.”

Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. added that it was important for the marque to be competing in British GT. “As Lamborghini Squadra Corse we are glad to announce the partnership with Barwell Motorsport in the GT3 program,” he said. “We consider it strategic in the British GT Championship where we want to show the performance of the Huracán GT3, and of course to be a protagonist with Barwell in the key international GT series. ” Certainly the car looks striking and if the old motor racing adage of 'if it looks good it goes fast is true then the Lamborghini/Barwell combo looks set for a great season in 2016.

Barcelona Test Day 1 - 22nd February Alex Booth - @alex_booth_93

F1 2016 officially begun with Ferrari providing an exciting early glimpse of a potential championship fight with Mercedes on the opening day of testing in Barcelona. Former World Champion Sebastian Vettel clocked a fastest time of 1:24.939 to outpace the reigning title holder Lewis Hamilton by half a second as Ferrari and Mercedes gave the full debuts to the cars which many expect to be the two heavyweights this season. However Ferrari may have been fastest on the timing pages, but their rivals Mercedes easily topped the mileage charts with their W07 clocking an astonishing 156 laps. Staggering as this was almost double that of any other new car. Daniel Ricciardo was third in the new Red Bull TAG Heuer RB12 and Valtteri Bottas fourth in Williams' new FW38. But after Ferrari and Mercedes the attention was on McLaren and understandably after the team's worst season in history, plenty of eyes were on the Woking-based squad and engine partners Honda as the MP4-31 made its track debut at the Circuit de Catalunya. One year had passed since the 2015 car completed a disastrous six laps on day one at Jerez, the new McLaren encouragingly proved far more reliable out of the box with Jenson Button able to rack up 83 laps. Reliability may have been better but speed was still to be found after team boss Eric Boullier remarked that their performance was "not good enough" during the morning session. Indeed, Button finished sixth and 1.8 seconds off the Ferrari pace, in spite of using the faster soft compound which Ferrari had put to good use. Work still needed to be done at McLaren. As for newcomers Haas, the American outfit experienced teething problems as their first F1 car, the VF-16, made its long-awaited debut. The Ferrari powered car suffered a front-wing failure down the circuit's main straight which kept their key signing, Romain Grosjean in the garage for several hours. The Frenchman returned in the closing stages and finished 10th with 31 laps. After a delayed start, new Mercedes engine customers Manor finished ninth with highly-rated rookie Pascal Wehrlein. But it was not such a good first day back at school for fellow newcomer Jolyon Palmer whose Renault ran into problems and rounded out the timesheets. More homework was required as the French manufacturer made its return as a full works team.

Barcelona Test Day 2 - 23rd February Mark Donaghy - @mdd7

Following on from the excitement of seeing the new cars on track for the first time on day 1 of the test the teams were able to settle down and get some proper running completed, at least that was the plan. The big talking point of the day in fact of the test as a whole was the reliability and the miles the Mercedes car was able to cover, this time in the hands over Nico Rosberg. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just the Mercedes that managed to break the 100 lap mark. 8 of the teams completed the century of laps, Rosberg lead the way with 172 followed by Bottas in the Williams with 134, Vettel in the Ferrari with 126, Verstappen in the Toro Rosso with 121, Alonso in the McLaren with 119, Ricciardo in the Red Bull with 112, Ericsson in last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sauber with 108 and Perez just cracked it with 101. Whilst it was a good day in terms of mileage for these teams the same could not be said for the returning Renault team. Palmer was the cause of the first of two red flags when his Renault ground to a halt on the track on his 42nd lap bring his first 2 days as a full race driver to an unsatisfying conclusion, hopefully it is just small issues relating to the changes in design brought about by the late switch in engine supplier. The second red flag was brought out when Verstappen also stopped his car out on track, however unlike the Renault he was able to get going again soon after his car was returned to the pit lane. Following the first day front wing failure the new Hass team were back on track with a hastily modified version being shipped down to the track overnight. Gutierrez managed to complete a respectable 79 laps and ended the day 6th on the time sheet 2.7s down on the pace setter Vettel, these times however are far from a fair reflection on how the teams are preforming with many factors such as fuel load being unknown. What is known is the tires the times were set on, the Ferrari and the Red Bull in 2nd gave the new for 2016 Pirelli ultra-soft its debut. So whilst Vettel set the fastest time of the day the most eye catching figure is the lap count of Mercedes which seems to be running like clockwork.

Barcelona Test Day 3 - 24th February

Mark Donaghy - @mdd7

The time sheets at the end of day three had quite a surprise at the top, Force India set the fastest time of the day in the hands of Nico Hulkenberg but the bigger surprise were slightly further back where Hass finished the day with the second fastest time, an impressive feat for such a new team. The other team in a position it would not be expected to be was Renault who finished 4th on what was Kevin Magnussen first day in the car after being confirmed as a race driver only a couple of weeksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; prior after the deal with Pastor Maldonado came to an abrupt end. This was in stark contrast to the first two days where Palmer broke down on each day, and struggled for pace. Magnussen managed a total of 111 laps. Following on from their two jaw dropping number of laps from the first two day Mercedes changed their driver plans to try and avoid driver fatigue, they split the running between their two driver with the pair again managing to cover in excess of 150 laps. Whilst they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t chasing lap times they were putting in impressive and reliable long runs which is an ominous sign for the rivals who have been hoping for the silver arrows to falter. Alongside the debut of Magnussen in the Renault we also had the debut in F1 as a race driver of the last driver to sign to race this year with Rio Haryanto making his first appearance on the track with the Manor team. Unfortunately, the day didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to plan for the Indonesian driver as he caused a red flag in the morning as he spun his car at turn 5, the first driver related incident we have seen so far this year. Ferrari ended the day 3rd on the time sheets but the day was far from straight forward as Kimi Raikkonen was confined to the garage for all but a handful of installation laps in the morning due to a fuel pump failure. The other big failure befell Jenson Button in the McLaren as his car ground to a halt with smoke pouring from the back of it after just 5 laps in the afternoon session, he would not be seen again for the rest of the day. The busiest driver of the day was by far and away Carlos Sianz Jr in the Toro Rosso who managed to complete a mammoth 161 laps to end up 6th in the times, this was 3 places ahead and over double the laps of the sister team, down at red bull Daniil Kvyat only managed 74 laps.

Barcelona Test Day 4 - 25th February Mark Donaghy - @mdd7

The final day of the first test was again a day of contrasting fortunes, the worst of which befell the McLaren team where talk of improved reliability seems to have been misplaced as Alonso managed only 3 installation laps due to a coolant leak early in the morning. As has been the case for the last 3 days Mercedes were turning heads this time it was not just the huge number of laps they completed (185) but the radical new nose the car was supporting, it was the most extreme example of minimizing the contact patch required between the nose and the front wing, Alongside the innovative wing supports the new nose featured Mercedes first interpretation of the s-duct and a very though and well-engineered example it seemed to be as well.

pace but rather the Force India in the hands of their new test drive Celis Jr who managed to end up 3rd just 1.2s behind the ultra-soft Ferrari in his late run on super softs. As ever with this test wrapping up we have a few answers to the questions from the start of the test, we have now seen 10 of the 11 new cars, they will a louder sound thanks to the new exhaust rules introduced here. There are still far too many unknowns that we will only be able to answer come the checkered flag in Australia in just over 3 weeksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time.

Kevin Magnussen showed improved reliability on this final day following the dismal first two days in the hands of Jolyon Palmer in which he only managed to complete 79 laps, Magnussen was able to add a further 153 laps to the 111 laps he completed on day 3 of the test. Even with this improved reliability the Renault did bring out the second red flag of the day when the car ground to a halt with 15 minutes of the session remaining. The first red flag was caused by Rio Haryanto who brought his first test as a Formula 1 race driver to an unceremonious end as he was the only man to crash their car during this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s test. Following on from his harmless spin on day 3 he managed to find the wall at turn 4 bring an end to his and Manorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running. The new Hass team completed what can only be described as a successful first test for the team with Gutierrez adding a further 89 laps and managing to outpace the vastly improved Manor car, the most impressive time of the day did not come from the leading Ferrari nor either of the Mercedes drivers who again concentrated on their long run

First Impressions Of The 2016 Grid Alice Holloway - @ alice_holloway_

The first week of pre-season testing showed us the new line up for the 2016 grid. In some cases the teams have gone for radical new looks and innovative changes, whereas others appear to be running updated 2015 cars. The only team not to release a new car for this season yet is Sauber who used their 2015 car for the first test. Some questioned why they even bothered showing to the first test when most of the data they acquired would be not useful in the upcoming season. They will bring the new challenger to the second test commencing on the 1st of March. This article will take you through the ten other cars on the grid, highlight points where they are different or fairly similar to last years cars. Mercedes W07 The Mercedes new challenger looks, livery-wise, exactly the same as last year. There are some interesting aspects to the body work like the ‘vented’ side pods and the interesting S duct that runs from the underside of the front of the nose with the exit being just behind the driver’s number. Mercedes brought a new front wing with them to the final days of the first test donning a skinnier front nose fixing and what appeared to be a slightly wider front nose ending. However there was speculation that this new front nose was given so much attention to distract photographers and media of another part of the car that could have been new. The mileage set by the Brackley outlet was ominous, with the drivers having to share the last two days because the car was able to set a ludicrous amount of mileage whereas the drivers were getting too tired, setting over three times race distance some days.

Ferrari SF16-H Ferrari are one of the only teams to have made a more radical change to their livery, with the top of the car bearing more white than it has on previous years. The majority of the car remains red with highlights of the Italian flag surrounding the white section at the top. One of Ferrari’s innovative tech parts is the second small wing just behind the air intake at the top of the car. It’s purposes to disperse the air more and bring more down force to the car. The Scuderia also use the front wing to channel the air around the car, using the wings on the front wing strategically to force this affect. This year Ferrari also jump on the bandwagon of not having a rounded nose at the front of the car but using the small knob design as can be seen on most of the grid.

Williams FW38 If Williams have made any major changes to their car this year it is not necessarily obvious. The livery appears to have not changed and the car looks similar to last years. That being said, Williams could have focused on internal changes and so may be why the car doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look especially different this year.

Red Bull RB12 Red Bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest change can be seen in the livery. The matte coating makes the bright colours of the car beam off it, looking almost luminous. A livery that originally appeared quite samey is one of the nicest liveries to look at in the flesh. There is also some speculation as to whether the matte finish on the Red Bull has anything to do with trying to make the car faster; maybe it is a friction resistant coating on the car as Red Bull bid to try and close the gap to the cars ahead. Adrian Neweyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inputs are not left off this car either. Looking at the floor underneath the nose there appears to be a small wing used to, again, generate more down force on the car. Red Bull are the only team to run something like this on their car, so it will be interesting to see the effects it has when we get to racing.

Force India VJM09 Nico Hulkenberg has come out and said the livery on the new Force India is the same as last years. There may be a few sponsor changes but apart from that the VJM09 looks almost identical to its predecessor. Force India are still running the snout-like nose on there car and are still the only team to do so. Whether that is as helpful as they wish to believe remains to be told, although Nico Hulkenberg had the car on a pace to be noticed on the third day of testing, setting the fastest time and getting a lot of competitive pace miles in. They may not be up the front with Mercedes but they are a team to be watched if their initial pace has anything to say.

Toro Rosso STR11 The Toro Rosso made a very low-key appearance at the first test. Apparently still awaiting the announcement of a new sponsor they ran what could be called a ‘naked’ Toro Rosso in the first test, with the car and driver’s suits void of any kind of logos or advertisement. Not even the Red Bull that dons the back of the car. However the team has done well to get the car ready and racing for the first test, considering they had been building a package to hold Renault engines and only recently had to change their package to accommodate for Ferrari engines. But it may be more than engines Ferrari has offered the junior Red Bull team. A small wing, very similar to the one found behind the air intake on the Ferrari, can be found on the Toro Rosso. Also Toro Rosso run a small batwing on the underside of their car, no doubt using idea generated from Red Bull.

Renault RS16 The matte black finish smoothing into the shinny livery of the Renault looks very striking indeed. Old school fans will be sorry not to see the dazzling yellow and blue of the old Renault livery but this new livery gives homage to the departing Lotus and can almost be read as a transition between the two. As Renault appear to have focused a lot on the engine side of things the front of their car looks only a little different to the 2015 Lotus. Whether they will be fighting forwards or plagued with issues is yet to be discovered, though their first two days saw them complete limited running as the car was main in the garage up on stands.

McLaren MP4-31 The McLaren livery has changed a little, but the most radical change to the Woking-outlet is the team wear that is supposedly depicting a blurred chequered flag. McLaren are running a similar idea to Mercedes with a front nose S Duct and have two waste gate entrances at the rear of the car, producing what is being named the ‘micky mouse’ design. It appears McLaren’s ‘size zero’ idea from last year has proved it’s worth as it is no longer a bespoke design as most cars, bar Mercedes, run this tight package at the rear of the car. It looks a bit more promising for McLaren Honda this year as they set just over 250 laps through the first test. But that could have been more. Hydraulic and coolant leaks in the internal parts of the car made for difficult locating and repairs, seeing McLaren’s last day and a half stopped with limited running.

Manor MRT05 The first car solely run as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Manor Racingâ&#x20AC;? is a beautiful red, white and blue colour. The livery is simple yet affective and looks stunning as it whips around the track. The Manor picked up Mercedes engines this year and appears to have put them to good use. With two new rookie drivers in the car, their biggest issue could be rookie mistakes as Haryanto proved by stopping his car on both of his testing days due to his own error. The car has promise and with a Mercedes 2016 engines and a Williams gearbox on board they could put in a good showing this year.

Haas VF-16 No stars and stripes aboard the new team on the grid, just a simple grey with the logo of Haas donning most of the side pod. It is clear that Haas have been aided in a way by Ferrari for the new season as aspects of the car, like the small wing on the air intake, are replicated by the American team. This was also seen when Ferrari personal were witnessed walking down the pit lane to the Haas garage, potentially to make sure everything was all right with the team. That is not confirmed but Ferrari personal were seen heading down to the Haas garage through the first test. With new Ferrari engines Haas could be a team to watch out for, especially for teams like McLaren, Manor and Sauber, but new team teething issues have held the team in the garage for a while and restricted their first two days of testing. Getting the team to work together and stick together through what could be hard times coming for Haas will be crucial to their success.