L&T Motorsport - January Edition - Issue 2

Issue 2

28/01/2016

Double Page Spread On The New Honda NSX

Also In This Issue Alex Brundle Interview – Double Page Spread

The Unsung Heroes The Unsung Heroes Of Motorsport – Of Motorsport – Marshals Marshals

Fans Article – Why I Love Motorsport

A World Rally Championship Driver Market Special

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Contents Overcoming The Struggles Of Racing – Piers P io ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

NEW FOR 2016 – Peugeot

‘H

id…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Interview With Alex Brundle – Pa t ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Interview With Alex Brundle – Pa t ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ge i Ni osia s

“easo P epa atio s…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….7

Ollie Coles – Background and 2016 Aspirations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

British GT Championship Review,

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………….8

The New BMW M2………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I te ie With “tephe Letts………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Fans Article – Why I Love Moto spo t……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2016 Honda NSX – Pa t ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2016 Honda NSX – Part 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The Unsung Heroes Of Motorsport – Ma shals……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Formula V8 3.5 – A Ne Da

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Back The Brits – Ja

o ough………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ma de

The New Alfa Romeo Giulia…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Richard Hawken – I te ie ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Richard Hawken – I te ie ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Fans Article – 40 Years Of Motorsport…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

A Look At Who s Goi g Whe e i The W‘C…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Formula E – A Sustainable Future………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Po s he Do i atio ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................

Morgan Jones – I te ie ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

WTCC “easo P e ie …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

V8 SUPERCARS PREVIEW 2016………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

V8 SUPERCARS PREVIEW 2016………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

C edits…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Overcoming The Struggles Of Racing As a young Racing driver, it is very hard to make your way into professional motorsport, it s made harder if you e e t fortunate enough to have been born into wealth. There are many reasons why it is so difficult even for talented drivers to make a career in racing. In this article, I am going to touch on a few of them.

There are so many series and championships to choose from, then, once ou e chosen a series, which team?

They want how much!? . This is likely to be a familiar sequence of events for the seasoned racer. Sponsorship is often the only way for many drivers, especially young drivers looking to be able to afford to race.

Sponsorship is famously hard to acquire particularly if you do t have the money to hire a manager or PR expert, both of whom will charge a significant fee. Many will unfortunately fall at this first hurdle due to the lack of experience, knowledge, expertise, guidance, and some, the determination to succeed. However, there is hope for those willing to put the effort in.

Above: Piers on the podium at the Henry Surtees Challenge, Photo Property of Piers Prior

Everyone will have something that they can use to help their cause. You have to use everything at your disposal, for example if your best friend is a keen photographer, get them to take some killer promotional shots for your website, social media, and sponsorship presentation. This sort of thing can help make you stand out and look like a much better investment proposition.

Moreover, if there is something you a e t so strong at, you can improve to make it an asset of yours.

Creating opportunities and opening doors is something that needs to be learnt early on in your career as a racing driver. I a strong believer that people invest in people. What I mean by this is, people will see your passion and be drawn to you because of that. If you're doing everything within your power and giving 100%, also if you have that steely determination to do what it takes, then you will eventually succeed through serendipity.

Motorsport is quite an incestuous sport and can seem cliquey, therefore knowing the right people can be a huge help. Introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Initially, it is hard to build up the courage to do this but the more people you know, the better chance you have of being given an opportunity. You o t meet these people out and about, find out which events the right people will be attending and go. Practice what you will say alone, then once you meet them you will be fully prepared.

Remember Lewis Hamilton first met Ron Dennis when he was just a kid, his Dad said, Look there is Ron Dennis, go and introduce ou self. The rest is history.

A wise friend of mine once said to me Piers, if you go all out and give everything ou e got you cannot fail. Even if you do t succeed in what you originally set out to do, something completely unexpected but great may come of it. Failing that you will have learnt so much ou ll be set for life.

This is so true; I have already learnt so much about myself on my journey to becoming a racing driver. I have also become so much more of a confident and assured person, and ultimately this will mean I am better off for when I do succeed as I will be that much of a stronger person in the long run.

To finish I shall leave you with a quote from the great Winston Churchill, this just about sums up the tone of this article. Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.

Above: Piers sitting in an MSA Formula Car, Pre-Test, Photo Property of Piers Prior

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NEW FOR 2016 – Peugeot 308 R Hybrid With this latest edition to the hot hatch market, Peugeot really are pulling out all the stops with this one. They really are upping the ante on this, the conventional hot hatch which has up to about 270bhp. The 308 R Hybrid has a 1.6-litre engine with a turbo that puts out 267 bhp. This engine is the same as the one that will commonly be found in the Peugeot RCZ R. With the added extra of two electric motors, there is an extra 114 bhp available from each motor, taking the total engine output up to 495 bhp, along with 730Nm of torque to compliment it.

The result of all this extra added power is that the very 'hot hatch' will now make it from a standing start to 62 mph, in less than 4 seconds. All his has come as a result of the car being handed over and developed by Peugeot's Motorsport outlet.

With this latest edition to the hot hatch market, Peugeot really are pulling out all the stops with this one. They really are upping the ante on this, the conventional hot hatch which has up to about 270bhp.

The 308 R Hybrid has a 1.6-litre engine with a turbo that puts out 267 bhp.

A o e: The Peugeot s e i te io

With the added extra of two electric motors, there is an extra 114 bhp available from each motor, taking the total engine output up to 495 bhp, along with 730Nm of torque to compliment it. However, the car does have a limited top speed of 155mph.

There have also been some obvious modifications made, most evident in the handling department. The brakes have been beefed up along with the tracks being widened by 80mm. To make sure that all the power of this little beast can be put down, the conventional front wheel drive hatchback has now been converted into an all-wheel drive car. Other modifications have also come in the exterior department. If you compare it to the conventional 308, the ducts and air scoops are now much more apparent and evident.

This new 308 R has four different modes that you can select when driving. They are as follows: ZEV, Road, Track and Hot Lap. Obviously, the more confident you are with the car and especially if you're on a track, you want the highest mode possible, this will ensure you will get the most out of your car.

While this 308 will be kicking out nearly 500 bhp, as it's a plug in hybrid, it has a very low CO2 emission, just 70g/km. This is also helped by the fact that it can be driven on just electric power on its own.

The director of Peugeot Sport said: "With our experience in hybrid vehicles developed with the Peugeot 908, the highperformance hybrid powertrain fitted to the 308 gives us a glimpse of the potential for ultra-sports models in the future.

Seeing as all this could be yours for an estimated £35,000, what cars will this rival? Getting to 60 in less than four seconds and going on to 155 mph, it's no slouch and at a reasonable £35,000 for what it packs, you'd have to presume that it would sell out quickly.

Above: The new Peugeot 308 R Hybrid

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Alex Brundle – Interview Alex Brundle Interview. Tuesday 8th December.

How was the Johnny Herbert Karting challenge you competed in last weekend?

Yes, we had a good time, I was on team 'Project Brabham' with David and Sam Brabham. We had a good race after a shoddy qualifying, we finished up P4 which is good considering the competition which was there.

How was it racing back in Karts? Was it nice to race with no pressure?

Yeah it's always fun to do those events. You need to watch yourself though, especially in the one before the Le Mans 24 hours, the pro guys can get a bit rough and with a season of racing coming up you have to watch the ankles and knees! Everyone goes to these events in the best of spirits and this one was for a good cause which is Karting for injured troops. They're great guys, I've seen them at lots of karting events and they are tops guys who really enjoy their motorsport. It's great to see motorsport being used in such a positive capacity. They drive really well despite their various handicaps which is incredible.

You were out this season with an injury but made a return in China, how was that for you?

Yes, I was out with an abdominal muscle problem and I jumped back in to racing at Shanghai. We had decent race actually, we didn't qualify so well but we were in old spec LMP2 without the latest aero update so we struggled in the dry. Luckily we had the Michelin tyre, so when it rained we had a significant advantage over the Dunlop competitors and I was able to drive to the front of the field. I was in the car for nearly half the race (three hours) which is the longest stint you are allowed to do. When I handed over to my team mates unfortunately it dried out and the advantage we may of had in the wet faded away and we eventually finished fifth.

Speaking of the LMP2 class, do think that it is the toughest class in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) as not only do you have to lap the slower GT cars but you also have to deal with the extremely quick LMP1 cars passing you?

All the classes in the WEC are tight, the intra tea s battles are sometimes more aggressive than the rival team battles. LMP2 is very, very close between all competitors, it's full of very good drivers all shooting for positions in LMP1 cars. I think it would be unfair to say LMP2 is the toughest class as all the classes are equally tough in their own way. It's hard to drive an LMP2 car because you are so quick in the corners, in most of the LMP2 cars you are the same (speed) as an LMP1 car in the corners. With GT cars being so good on the brakes as well there are not many options in terms of overtaking them. The reality of being passed by the LMP1 cars is that they are so quick in a straight line they are quite happy to wait for an apex and just blast pass you on the exit under acceleration.

Is that the ultimate goal for you? To be in LMP1?

Yes, I think it is the ultimate goal and still a realistic goal despite the forced absence this year. I am 25 years old and sports car d i e s careers are not Max Verstappen like, it's more of a slow burn and you need to gain the experience so the guys in LMP1 know you aren't going to find a tyre barrier at 3am and they end up putting the car back together. I think I am prepared and ready to be in LMP1 it's just a case of working though and finding an opportunity with a drive.

In 2016 you will be spearheading United Autosport's LMP3 assault on the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). You have experience of the Ligier P2 car, have you driven the P3 car yet?

No, very few of them actually exist. They are being built very quickly and professionally by Onroak Automotive, teams are receiving their orders as we speak. I can't wait to get going, Onroak can build a good car and I know Olivier Pla who has been doing the development of the car is right on top of things. I know it will be an excellent piece of kit.

The United Autospo t s guys are a top class outfit so I can't see anything going too far wrong. I can't wait to get out there racing; it seems way too long until April.

Above: Alex and Martin Brundle at Silverstone

5

Is it a long term deal with the team? Maybe to move up the classes together?

It's in the back of everybody's mind, whether I am involved with it is completely dependent on our performance this year. They have seen me in different cars and categories but they want to see how I fit into their team and their car and whether I am someone they want to work with on a long term basis as they get a feel for the prototype classes. It's not my call and nor should it be. If all goes well this year, I'd like to think we could move on to bigger things in the coming years.

United Autosport’s look after some pretty cool historic cars don't they?

I went down to the factory in Leeds and they have an incredible collection of cars down there, some old F1 machinery, DTM and sports cars, it was like a playground down there! Richard Dean showed me around all the cars available.

It's not like a museum, they actually use them don't they?

Yes of course, they keep cars there for various customers, that's the way historic cars should be maintained, kept and driven. They are not made to be polished and sit still. It's great to see those cars being shown off and driven around the race tracks of the world.

You have done some presenting work for Formula E. Are you surprised by Formula E's success in its first year?

I think it has been very successful in some ways such as engaging fans and the way it has generated interest. There were always the gripes from the paddock about the equality of the machinery but what paddock is totally content with the set of regulations governing the series? It's not surprising that when you promote something so well that people are going to be interested in it. The proof of the pudding will be how the series develops the cars into the future years. I think it is fair to say that in some races the spectacle hasn't lived up to the hype but they have done such a good job of promoting the series they have developed a good fan base. I think if they can make the cars more exciting and the racing stays as interesting as it has been then they are really on to something.

As a driver do you think the Formula E cars look exciting? Would you like to drive one?

I think the circuits look incredibly exciting, the street circuit layout is a great initiative which is allowing the series to put those races on in the streets of major cities and that is what's critical to the series. They have been trying to do that in Formula One, they have been try to get a race on the streets of London for years. But when you present one in an environmentally stable way then the powers that be put a tick in the correct box and off you go. Do the cars look particularly exciting? Around a traditional racetrack, no. If you had a Formula E race around Spa, it wouldn't work. The cars would look too slow. But that is not what they are putting together, what they are putting together is very tight street tracks, which is interesting to watch at that speed. The venues are exciting in a manner which brings the cars to life.

As you are racing in ELMS next year do you have separate plans to race at Daytona or Le Mans?

I am working on some plans to add to the ELMS programme, I would love to be at Le Mans in a P2 car, that is a high priority. I am now with United Autospo t s but I would like to keep the fire burning at Le Mans and in America as much as possible. United Autospo t s are being very fair and helpful with me working on some Le Mans and endurance race options in the states. I have some very strong options for Le Mans and looking forward to closing in on a deal and also to get me on the grid at Sebring and Daytona next year.

Above: P3 Ginetta from the Britcar 24H

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Ge i Ni osia s

P epa atio s

2016 pre-seaso p epa atio s a e ell u de a afte a ea of ups a d do s i , ut e e o fide t e a ake this year something to shout about. 2015 was a difficult year, with a mixture of driver errors, mechanical issues and some shocking luck playing a part in a challenging first season in the Ginetta Junior Championship. So, would we get a winter break to relax and prepare for next season? Of course not!

Pre-season preparations are well underway for 2016, and ha e ee fo a lo g ti e too. We e o ki g o a new deals and we have many exciting opportunities for the e seaso . A o e all, e ha e o e a , to i . It s ot goi g to e eas a ea s, ut e e more than apa le of getti g good esults, s that s e a tl hat e intend to do.

It helps e e al ead got deals so ted fo the seaso with the likes of L&T Motorsport, there are many things we are doing to put the finishing touches on before the sta t of the seaso . This ea s e ll hopefull fi ish with something to celebrate.

Above: Geri Nicosia at Oulton Park 2015

Ollie Coles – Background and 2016 Aspirations Ollie Coles, 22, currently racing in the MG Trophy with Preptech UK, previously had two wins, two pole positions and his ambition is to one-day race at Le Mans.

Ollie got i to oto spo t th ough a pu e lo e of a s a d guida e f o so e f ie ds, e e si e that da , he has t looked ack yet. The best race Ollie has had to date was when he was racing at Silverstone, typical English weather meant it was raining. He stalled o the g id, ot the est sta t to ou est a e e e , guessi g thi gs a o l get ette f o he e o i . the time he th had exited the first corner, he had dropped down the order to 8 . However, by pure determination and by being on a different planet in the wet, astonishingly Ollie was leading by the end of the first lap. Just to round the race off, he came home first to win nd and finish over 15 seconds ahead of the 2 placed car.

His aspi atio s fo a e fi stl , to e o the pa e of his tea ate, Ja k ‘o e ts. This is a ai he does t a t to ait half the season for, but to be on the pace from the offset, round 1. As the MG Trophy is a highly competitive championship, Ollie hopes to pick up as many trophies along the way. As long as he picks up a few, he will see the season as being a success. However, he will be taking it round by round and simply seeing what the future brings.

Ollie will be looking forward over the course of the 2016 season to see any L&T Motorsport eade s trackside and if he has a spare moment during the course of a race da , do t hesitate to app oa h hi a d ha e a hat.

Over the course of 2016, also make sure you keep our eyes peeled as Ollie will be giving way some tickets to one of his races.

Above: Ollie s MG )‘

, from Rebecca Louise Photography

7

British GT Championship Review, 2015 The British GT Championship continues to go from strength to strength with the 2015 campaign arguably the strongest yet and fully justifying the claim of Stephane Ratel of series organiser SRO Motorsports Group that it was a vintage season .

Certainly grids of 30 or more cars comprising 10 different manufacturers continued to set British GT apart from other domestic and global series in 2015 and with the four-way GT3 title decider played out on live TV and the GT4 class crowning British GT s first ever female champion in Jamie Chadwick the 2015 Championship will live long in the memory of race fans. Whilst the history books will tell us that the winners of the GT3 class were Andrew Howard and Jonathan Adam in their Aston Martin V12 Vantage with Ross Gunn partnering Jamie Chadwick to win GT4 class honors they probably o t do justice to the depth and quality of the other drivers and teams in 2015 who delivered close fought and exciting racing with unpredictable and sometimes controversial results.

A total of 103 drivers and 32 teams took part in the 9 rounds which were held across 7 venues and featured races of differing lengths to mix things up with 2x60 mins, 1x120 min or 1x180 min formats all featuring at some point during the season. The field of big, powerful, fast and noisy cars powered by a variety of engines all the way up to 12 cylinders combining to create a championship which saw 5 different pairs of winners in GT3 and 6 different pairs of winners in the GT4 category. It is currently fashionable to question the quality of racing in F1 with fans bemoaning the lack of teams able to fight at the front, predictable results and lack of noise and spectacle. One look at the figures and format for this ea 's British GT Championship is enough to tell you why the British GT Championship is proving so popular with the series reporting a 20% increase in likes on the British GT Facebook Page and 42% increase in followers on Twitter.

So let us take a look at how the season unfolded in both classes starting with GT3.

A season long battle saw the teams arrive at the season ending Donnington Park round with four teams in with a mathematical chance of securing the crown. Reigning champion Marco Attard and Ecurie Ecosse co-driver Alexander Sims held a slender twopoint advantage but, unlike their closest rivals from Beechdean AMR, Andrew Howard and Jonny Adam, they would not have to serve a 20-second pit-stop success penalty.

Victories at Oulton Park and Snetterton meant Oman Racing Tea s Liam Griffin and Rory Butcher e e t out of the reckoning either, while the Triple Eight BMW of Lee Mowle and Joe Osborne retained its first British GT win to remain in contention.

The race would see a titanic see-saw battle from which the Oman Racing team entry crashed out, Ecurie Ecosse were eliminated by a controversial incident involving Bee hdea s GT4-entered Aston, and Triple Eight s battle-scarred BMW valiantly chased the leaders. It was left to Adam and Ho a d s incident-free run to fifth place to secure their first and second British GT3 crowns respectively, with Adam also being rewarded for his performances with the Sunoco Challenge title. Barwell Motorsport might have seen its Ecurie Ecosse-entered car miss out on the D i e s crown but they had some consolation in the form of winning the Tea s title following a season-long scrap with Oman Racing Team.

In the GT4 category things were no less fiercely contested despite the battle not going down to the wire. Indeed, the GT4 class saw British GT history made when Jamie Chadwick and Ross Gu s Beechdean AMR Aston Martin pulled into the soggy Snetterton pit-lane in August 2015. The duo s consistency and early season consecutive maximum points victories meant the teenagers were always in the driving seat and ISSY ‘a i g s Brands Hatch retirement ensured they were able to wrap-up the GT4 D i e s crown with a race to spare.

Their combined age of 35 years and 330 days ensured Gunn and Chadwick were the youngest crew ever to win a British GT title, while the Chad i k s 17 years and 95 days eclipsed the previous mark set by Jonny Cocker in 2004. Chadwick also became the first female driver to win any British GT title since the se ies inception in 1993. Six pole positions for ISSY ‘a i g s Oz Yusuf and Gavan Kershaw meant they frequently had the fastest car on Saturdays but despite converting these into three victories it as t enough to derail the Beechdean AMR express. Ginetta also visited the i e 's circle courtesy of three teams – PMW Expo/Optimum Motorsport, Tolman Motorsport and Fox Motorsport, but it was Academy Moto spo t s two-car Aston Martin operation that sealed the Tea s title with victory at the final round.

With a change to Pirelli in 2016 after 10 years on A o s the announcement of several exciting new driver and team combinations things look set to go from strength to strength for the British GT Championship. The 2016 calendar will see the European GT4 Series also running with Pirelli tires joining the grid for the Silverstone and Spa rounds.

Above: Alexander Sims, Snetterton Pole Position

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The New BMW M2 M , probably one of the most powerful letters i the alpha et, i the a o ld a a . Wh s that the ? Well fo those of ou ho do t k o a d ha e p esu a l ee li i g u de a o k fo last de ade o so, the lette M is mostly associated to BMW, a d the e ade a e spe ial little oupe!

Meet the e BMW M , a d I thi k it s the current line-up? Let s fi d out shall e?

ost eautiful M a I e e e see ! Plus, could this be the best around M car in the

BMW designed this car with heritage in mind, as throughout the whole exterior and some of the interior there is subtle hints of M cars from the past, for example the little silver line through the side grill is from the previous gen M3, and that pointy noise and fla ed a hes ha e a slight tou h of M f o the late s, a d ost of all BMW want this car to homage the great 2002 Turbo! “o e ough a out the desig hat a out the pe fo a e? Ah ell the e s ple t of that o offe he e, u de the o et the e s a 3.0litre in-line 6 with a turbo stuck to it. The figures are somewhat mesmerising, 370bhp with 369lb-ft of torque, 0-62MPH in 4.3 seconds and limited to 155MPH off course, but rumours have been going around saying this thing can hit over 190MPH! You can spec this car with either a 7spd M-DCT gearbox or a 6-speed a ual! A d hat s the bets the manual will be 10 times more fun!? Believe it or not though this car is a fuel saver! Yes, it has start/stop as standard, it also has something called brake regenerative system basically charges up your battery whilst braking saving fuel and atte po e , a d ou ll eed to sa e battery power as the new technology in this car is the best yet! In the new connected drive syste the e s o a app alled GoPro app, for those unfamiliar with GoP o, the e the o ld s most versatile action camera, anyway this allows you to record, time laps and measure braking points with the integrated dash cam! How cool is that!? The system is all linked to the car so you can go back and analyse your video to improve your lap time, you can share it to the world in an instant to Facebook, Twitter etc.

This is all done straight from the car.

BMW e tai l a ts to i p ess the ou g ith this e e uip e t, ut hat else is a aila le? Well the e s a e utto alled M dynamic mode which basically turns all the s ste s t a tio o t ol s off a d ou get to d i e ou d the t a k like a o plete a d utte hooliga , e ause hat s ette tha i a hp, speed a ual, ea heel d i e i i supe oupe tha d i i g a ou d side a s fo % of ou o e ship! I only joking, I am sure if you get one you will drive very responsibly (wink, wink).

So when this car gets released later this year it will certainly be a head turner, but what about the price? ÂŁ , sta ti g the sa , ot ad o side i g that s the same price the 1M came out at. It will also launch with 4 basic colours Sapphire Black , Mineral Grey , Long Beach Blue and Alpine White . I would have liked some more vibrant colours like yellow or that amazing orange colour the M4 was launched with. Ove all I d sa this a is going to be a BMW icon of the future! And could potentially be the best all round M car of the current line-up!

Above: The New BMW M2

9

Stephen Letts – Interview What's the biggest challenge to karting?

I find that the biggest challenge is being in the right place at the right time of the race. With so many drivers being so close it is very hard to pull a gap as a leader. Sometimes being in second or third going onto the last lap can benefit more than being in the lead.

Thinking about the X30 Class, would you say it's one of the most competitive classes within UK karting?

At the moment it is the most competitive, with having such close engines with so many different teams and karts, it really comes down to the driver with the size of the grids.

Where are you looking to go from X30? Or are you interested in staying in the series for a while?

I am always looking for other opportunities in motorsport, however the budget is depending on how much and what I race.

What's your ultimate goal within Motorsport? What series are you hoping to get to or are you just doing it for fun at the moment?

My ideal goal would be to end up racing in the world touring cars, or some sort of single seater such as GP2 etc.

If you had the budget, would super karts interest you?

As my father used to race super karts, it would always be good to have a go myself, even if it s just for a few races or a season in them.

Are you in a long term deal with intrepid?

There is no contract with intrepid. I have recently had an offer for 2016 with awning space and a kart which is yet to be accepted.

However, I can leave the team at any time.

Have you ever thought of having a go at commentating instead of racing?

I ha e t ever considered commentating, although it could be a thing to try out one day.

What would you say the most exciting series is at the moment on TV? I enjoy watching the World Touring Cars (WTCC), as well as British Touring Cars (BTCC), as the races are close and always entertaining.

What are your opinions on the relatively new series within Motorsport, Formula E? My first impression of Formula E is that the cars need to be a lot faster, as that s what the spectators go to see and expect. The racing is close which is what they need to keep at the same time though.

Above: Stephen Letts racing at PFI

10

Fans Article – Why I Love Motorsport The reason I love motorsport is because of my love for cars. Seeing all these different types of cars racing each other with their big racing body kits and the noise they make. With the likes of touring cars, you can see cars you can buy going door to door around the likes of Brands Hatch and the racing can be close not knowing who is going to win unless they have developed the car better than everyone else. But this love of motorsport started from finding out about the skyline from 2 fast 2 furious and playing the need for speed games. I watch different types of motorsport, touring cars (BTCC), V8 super cars the odd time and of course Formula 1. But my love of more goes on from 4 wheels, I also love the bikes watching the British Superbikes, MotoGP and even going to my local race which is the North West 200 road race.

My favourite is Formula 1 because of the technology and the noise they used to make, the screaming V10s and V8s. From 20052009 it was hard to pick a winner and the cars got to a stage where they were equal enough which was good for racing, not like today. I like reading and researching the tech stuff on the F1 website talking about updates to the cars and just learning more about the high tech used to get ahead.

Touring cars is the one I love to watch, for the closet door to door, wheel to wheel action and just seeing something like a Ford Focus take on a BMW 1 series, both have their strengths at different tracks but they can fight side by side.

With the bikes it's all about just watching their skill on the track and on the roads. Being from Northern Ireland, road racing is a big part here because of the Dunlops and the Joey Dunlop from my home town of Ballymoney. Joey was in his 40s and still winning road races before his death. British Superbikes and MotoGP are two of the different types I love, BSB is road going bikes done up and sometimes one bike might just walk away with the wins like Josh Brooks on the new Yamaha R1 this year and Johnny Rea on the Kawasaki ZX10 in the World Superbikes, but, sometimes they are close. In MotoGP that's the high speed high tech world, it's like F1 and they are the best and fastest riders in the world. However, road racing to me is the best as it s not always about speed, it's more about skill and courage. With road racing one wrong move and they won't be walking away with just a broken shoulder, like many MotoGP riders often have. Arguably, that's the thrill the likes of Guy Martin and all the boys get, I'd say. The TT is the biggest event for them, just watching those guys through a bike around that track and even seeing them up close at the North West, you can see just how brave them guys are.

My love of Motorsport started with road cars and now it covers different types of racing even rallying. But the biggest thing is, you never know what will happen, who will win the race, and who will win the championship. Lastly, the noise of racing engines screaming when they go past. @TJA_StreetRacer

11

2016 HONDA NSX The Power Of D ea s Ho da s now signature brand quote, but up until a year or so ago I did t think Honda made anything relevant to represent that quote. But 26 years ago this quote would need no back up, why? Well Honda created something that literally took the automotive world by storm, even Ferrari were wiping little wet tears off their forehead. They called it the NSX, a car that was not only a supercar but was an everyday drivable supercar! Sure it as t as fast as a Lamborghini or as beautiful as a Ferrari, but it was as easy to get in and drive to the local shops as your dad s old Ford Escort, and even today the NSX redefined the supercar genre and every other manufacture decided to build everyday drivable supercars!

So it s now 2016 and its eagerly long wait is almost over! And a long wait it has been, fans have had to wait 8 years for this car! So where did it all begin? Well Once upon a time at the 2008 North America motor show, Honda unveiled a concept of the next NSX and would be powered by a mouthwatering V10! But the excitement was short lived and in that same year Honda announced that they were cancelling the NSX due to the economic Crash in late 2008, fans got emotional and the next NSX dream was over. But 3 years later after a huge recovery, Honda announced they were going ahead with the NSX, however it took them another 4 years before the 2nd generation NSX became a formidable reality and the fans were filled with joy yet again! THE END. Erm...?? No it s not because now it s finally being released into the world, what are my first impressions and the full details about the car?

12

Let s start with the engine, it s going to be a 3.5litre twin turbo V6 that pumps out 500bhp, its direct injection and is dry stumped to keep the center of gravity low. But what amazes me is what they have done to counteract turbo lag. Attached to the flywheel is a 47bhp electric motor and at the front Honda have added another 2 smaller electric motors making 36bhp for each wheel, the result makes the N“X s total power output at 572bhp (the electric motor to the fly wheel does t count as its used to create resistance to charge the tu o s quicker). The result from the few journalists that were lucky enough to have a go is astounding, they have actually cut lag, one journalist said It feels like a naturally aspirated V6, as soon as my right foot hits that pedal it goes, no lag, no hesitation, just one continues momentum of po e ! Honda has some mightily impressive engineers by the sounds of it. Paired with the motors is an electronically controlled differential with individual wheel torque, making it effectively a 4-wheel drive car, however all these electric goodies have taken its toll on the NSX, although it has a Carbon Fibre body it still comes in at 1,725kg, and with the 9 speed twin clutch gearbox it will surly make it into the mid 3 second mark for 0-62 sprint, and yes it can run on electric mode alone.

The handling? Hmm this is a tough one, you see Honda have worked for almost 4 years on this car and you do get a feeling that it s going to be over engineered , and first sneak test drives have confirmed my suspicions. It has a very intelligent ECU that stays in contact with the torque vectoring system and the magnetorheological damping system (which is an engineering way of saying the individual braking program and suspension system.) It also has E-motor assisted cornering! Which sounds cool and Si-Fi ish, but it s just the electric motors on each of the front wheels, can apply power to them individually by measuring the road ahead and anticipating the deviation of the corner. The result is a car of which journalists have said is a bit CGI in other words the car feels like it s driving you, not the other way round and that to me and most car enthusiasts is t a good d i e s car, they said it just feels like everything is controlled or can be controlled by the car itself, you never feel the car through the road, it s like it s saying I can do ette .

So the interior of the car, is this any better? Well no, unfortunately, apart from the spo t seats , new steering wheel and TFT dials, the dashboard just looks like it s been plucked straight from the Civic. It just does t feel special like the old car did a way back in the early s.

New features though! You can get apple CarPlay fitted to the car which is a bonus in my world, you can get a choice of 4 seat colours with trim details of Carbon Fibre (obviously) and a few oak variations, oh Honda, you going to the lush and luxurious German side now are you? Plus, a choice of 3 seat fabrics, oh and I forgot to mention you can have the NSX in a choice of 8 exterior colours. It comes with a 9 speaker Hi-Fi system with Sat-Nav, some rather convenient parking sensors and a tech safety specification longer than the car itself. Now comes the serious and important matter of the price, and it certainly is a wallet muncher! About ÂŁ130,000 when it comes to the UK. Ouch! Just think what else you could buy with around that sort of dosh, Audi R8 V10 Plus, Mercedes AMG GT, Porsche 911 Turbo or even a McLaren 570s! I think I would reconsider my options, rather disappointed Honda! Not the menacing come back I was hoping for, maybe if I get to drive one I might change my mind?

13

The Unsung Heroes Of Motorsport – Marshals For some, Friday afternoons mark the start of a relaxing weekend. For others, it means the continuation of their working week but this time, voluntary, dressed in orange and braving the best of the British weather. The lifeblood of motorsport not only in the UK, but around the world, the marshals play an integral part in the running of race meetings around the world. So, what does a marshal do? I hear you ask. Well, below is a brief list of the key roles carried out by various marshals around the UK on a weekly basis:      

Course/Incident Marshals – standing on the side of the track behind the tire walls, ready to clear debris and tidy up after a d i e u s out of tale t .

Flag Marshals – waving brightly coloured pieces of cloth at the drivers as they race around the circuit.

Pit Lane Marshals – ensuring that competitors adhere to competition regulations within the pit lane.

Scrutineers – checking that the cars used by the drivers are safe and within the technical regulations.

Timekeepers – accurately recording the timings of competitors at the race meeting.

Race Control – communication to all marshal posts, and to the services used at the event such as medical staff, rescue crews and breakdowns/recovery crews.

Fo e, I p efe to get stu k i to the a tio a d I a out the oles of t a kside a shals so at eeke ds, I a e found at a marshal post at my local Snetterton Circuit, acting as a Post Chief leading a team of marshals (if there are enough numbers!), or I am displaying flags to the drivers, and dealing with incidents should they arise. I have been passionate about motorsport and have follo ed Fo ula si e a d the su ess of Da o Hill i that ea s Wo ld Cha pio ship. Ho e e , it as t u til that I marshalled my first race meeting, the MG Car Club at Snetterton. There have been many mornings that I have woken up and looked out of the i do thi ki g a d h a I up at this ti e i the o i g i the ai to sta d at a a e t a k? The a swer is simple – because of my passion for motorsport. There is nothing better than hearing engines roar at full revs, tires scrubbing along the tarmac and the sweet smell of petrol and rubber. Of course, with any sport, there can be dull moments where unfortunately due to costs, there are a small number of cars on the grid, but with the camaraderie of my fellow marshals, and each day spent marshalling is thoroughly enjoyable.

My initial marshalling goal was to marshal at a British Grand Prix at Silverstone and in 2013 my dream came true. I was selected to e a flag a shal at the e it of the Maggots-Be ketts se ies of o e s. This was an amazing experience, and one that will live for e fo the est of life. I additio to this, I as also sele ted as a flag a shal at the a d B itish GP s. Due to my passion for motorsport, I have been lucky enough to be accepted by overseas race meetings and have marshalled at two circuits in mainland Europe; Zandvoort in The Netherlands for the 12hr Endurance race and Spa in Belgium for the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix. Both of these circuits have given me the opportunity to experience first-hand the marshalling systems in different countries and make new friends who I have kept in contact with for a number of years. It is my ambition to marshal at the Monaco Grand Prix in the future and in the 2016 Formula 1 season, I am again hoping to be selected to marshal at the British, Belgian and Abu Dha i G a d P i s.

We are continually looking for new marshals to come and join the Orange Army, so, if you are interested and for more information go to http://www.gomotorsport.net/ or the British Motorsport Marshals Club – www.marshals.co.uk.

Ricky Hawkins Twitter: @MrRHawkins Above: Marshals, known as the orange army, helping a Honda BTCC car get out of the gravel.

14

Formula V8 3.5 – A New Dawn As we approach the 2016 season, you would be forgiven for thinking that the loss of Renault's manufacturer support to the series coupled with the departure of the powerful DAMS outfit would weaken a series quite significantly. However, all is not as it seems.

The newly rebranded Formula V8 3.5 series will feature a perfectly healthy grid of 24 cars, and while at the time of writing there are numerous seats to be filled, those that have been contain a number of highly talented young drivers. Names such as the highly talented Louis Deletraz (the son of the former F1 driver Jean-Denis Deletraz), the impressive Egor Orudzhev, the experienced Tom Dillmann, series veteran Matthieu Vaxiviere, and the young Force India protégé Alfonso Celis Jr spring to mind.

The series this year features 9 rounds, featuring 2 races per round, at a number of high profile circuits. The calendar for the season is as follows: 16/17 April 2016 23/24 April 2016 21/22 May 2016 25/26 June 2016 23/24 July 2016 10/11 September 2016 1/2 October 2016 29/30 October 2016 5/6 November 2016

Ciudad del Motor de Aragón, Alcañiz Hungaroring, Mogyoród Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet Silverstone Circuit Red Bull Ring, Spielberg Autodromo Nazionale Monza Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona Spain Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera

A look at the archives of this series in its previous guises will give an idea of the springboard to success that the series has provided. Names such as Fernando Alonso (1999 champion), Heikki Kovalainen (2004 champion), Robert Kubica (2005 champion), as well as the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Jules Bianchi and Carlos Sainz Jr evidence the credibility of the championship. Seen by many as a more viable and affordable option, certainly in comparison to GP2, the one make series continues to harness talent.

I will bring to you a full length preview prior to the start of the championship, including an interview with one of the drivers, as well as the full confirmed driver line up and full car specifications for the season ahead.

This promises to be another classic season, and I certainly look forward to seeing which talents can rise to the challenge of emulating Oliver Rowland, the deserved 2015 champion.

ROWLAND Oliver (GBR) Fortec Motorsports (GBR) ambiance portrait during the 2015 World Series by Renault from September 3 to 5th 2015, at Silverstone, England. Photo Alexandre Guillaumot / DPPI.

15

Back The Brits – Jann Mardenborough

Jann Mardenborough is well known on the racing scene as the kid who made his way to the higher tiers of Formula racing, not by conventional means of karting onwards, but by taking part in a gaming competition, winning, and being given a racing seat as a reward. To become a racer in Formula One, most racers begin their careers in karting and move their way up through the formulas, an example of this career step are rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Jann Mardenborough was born in the north of England, Darlington, 9 September 1991. As mentioned, his rise to becoming a driver in the GP3 series (in 2014 and 2015) is not the route in which racers will take. Jann won a competition on his PlayStation 4 that was set up by the GT Academy. Against 90,000 other competitors he won and his reward for winning was his entrance to the Dubai 24-hour race. At just 19 years old and with no previous racing experience, in 2012 he indeed took part in the race, this was poignant in his career development as it sparked his racing career into life.

On his way to racing in GP3 and after racing in the 24 hour Dubai race, he was given a race seat in the British GT Championship in 2012, that among other race experiences particularly under the name of Carlin, a race team for which he raced in the GP3 series in the 2015 season. Jann won one racer along with Alex Buncombe but finished the season in a lower 7th place overall in the standings.

It took only 3 years to enter the main formula races and he got his first GP3 seat with Arden International. His rise to being on the brink of the big time in Formula 1, he became one of only four British drivers to compete in the 2015 GP3 Championship, this time for Carlin, as he left Arden International team. Both in 2014 and 2015 he finished 9th in the overall standings. Mardenborough scored 77 points in his first season, compared to the 58 he scored in the second season. As a disclaimer for those unaware though, he did compete in the GP2 championship as well temporarily as a part of his progression in his career for Carlin Racing team. The GP2 drive was obviously a highlight for him in a somewhat dull season individually overall in his GP3 season.

To this point it is unknown what Jann Mardenborough is doing this year in 2016 but one thing is for sure that his promise as a race driver will not go amiss by any teams that are still looking for drivers in any form of motorsport.

2015 GP3 Series Round 3. Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England. Saturday 4th July 2015. Jann Mardenborough, (GBR, Carlin). Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP3 Media Service.

16

The New Alfa Romeo Giulia Want to learn something new? A.L.F.A, did you know it stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili which in English ea s Lo a d Auto o ile Fa to , Pu li Co pa ! I e e k e this u til e e tl , I as talki g to a f ie d hilst he took me for a spin in his new M4 (Brilliant car, fast but still a slight turbo lag!) anyway he asked me if I knew what Alfa meant, and I said no thi ki g he ould tell e, ut he did t k o eithe , so e googled it a d fou d out hat it ea t, o the e s o e fo the pub oast! No ou e lea ed so ethi g e , let e get o to i t odu i g ou to Alfa s e st iki g -door saloon.

It s alled Giulia a d it is o e eautiful saloo ! Fie e a d a g looki g, the ki d of a ou do t a t to see i ou ea ie i o let alo e get it a o ed. But fo o e i life I e fou d a Italia a a e that o d p o esso does t highlight as being misspelled , is it an English word too? I might have to find out. Poor Alfa though, throughout the last couple of years it has been hard for them to sell their cars, but they have kept fighting on and creating beautiful cars like the 4C, but could this Giulia save the day!? Anyway I need to stop waffling and talk more about the car itself.

So once again Alfa have exceeded in the styling department, though this is the top of the range cloverleaf model and a rival to my mates M4, it will feature a 3.0litre V6 twin-turbo engine with 510bhp and good for a 0-62 time of 3.9 seconds! There are other normal engines available but this is the one that impresses me the most. Not only is this faster and more powerful than the M4 but the power to weight ratio is 50/50, Phenomenal! So how have they done it? With new weight saving components like the multilink rear suspension system made from lightweight materials, but Alfa ensuring that all-important performance and driving apa ilities a e t affe ted of ou se, a d the f o t? Well it also gets e suspe sio ut this ti e it s a dou le ish o e s ste with semi-virtual steering axis to give a more accurate feel sa Alfa, I a it autious ut I ll go ith it fo o . I fo got to sa that some bits were nicked from the Alfa 4C, oh and that the engine had a little help from the boys over at Maranello.

Alfa have also renewed their Alfa DNA system which now features Dynamic , Natural , Advanced Efficient and Racing (The one everyone should press). Also it has an active aero front splitter, this actively manages downforce for higher performance and grip through corners, Genius Alfa, imagine explaining that down at your local pub!

The interior gets a complete fresh look with nothing old in here, new steering wheel, infotainment system, seats, everything has been redesigned! And the new screen in the middle now comes with apple CarPlay, a new 1000W speaker system to blow your eardrums to a million pieces and in this model you get carbon fi e a i g seats, i fa t the e s quite a lot of carbon in here from the dash to the door handles and even the steering wheel inserts. Everything looks expensive and built to very high standards, and it needs to be, as Alfa will be hitting up with the est of those ight Ge a s.

That now brings me neatly to the cost of this car, Alfa prices this car at ÂŁ53,000 which categories it into the BMW M4, Merc C 63 & Audi RS5 territory and that is a very dangerous place for Alfa to be.

Above: the new Alfa Romeo Giulia, for 2016

17

Richard Hawken – Interview How are your plans progressing to be on the BTCC grid next year (speaking back in December)?

I have met with a few decent teams with a very credible product recently and all I can really say at the moment is plans are well underway for 2016 with a few commitments, but it s a race to race. Essentially whoever gets the budget first gets the seat, but nothing is 100% yet. Getting people to commit to anything in December is almost impossible, so I am hoping I will have more to say in January. Be great to announce something at the show, but I think I am being a little bit too optimistic. For 2017 however, I am working very hard on an exciting new project with a new manufacturer, and not who ou d expect either.

2015 was your first time racing in the BTCC, now you have raced in the country's premier series, is that where you want to stay for the foreseeable future?

Yes, definitely. BTCC is something I aspired to for a long time, now I am here-ish, I intend to stay. I love almost everything about the BTCC. I grew up watching household named drivers compete in household looking cars (I own a Super Tourer and they are anything but) so it was inevitable I would worm my way into the series eventually. I decided that to be taken seriously I needed to demonstrate I could both race and win championships so set about reaching the peaks of club racing which my team and I achieved 3 times in total in the Nissan Primera Super Tourer, not an easy car to run on a club budget.

Is a BTCC championship challenge the ultimate goal?

Yes, though a bit of work to do. I think when you enter a championship like the BTCC the e s no point just running, you have to set yourself goals and targets and always have one eye on the end result. It s also important to know achieving in this Championship is very hard work. It s why you get such emotion from new drivers that win or do well. It takes such a huge commitment to even get a car onto the grid, let alone get on the podium. I think Tom I g a s pure elation at his Rockingham result was testament to that; thoroughly deserved in my opinion too. Earlier this year I had set targets for the whole season, top 20, 15 then a break into the top 10 with an eye on a podium finish, however despite everything that happened with the team, I am not convinced the Q50 package would have been strong enough to achieve that.

You have raced a Super Touring Nissan Primera, how does it compare to a modern NGTC? Funny, a lot of people ask me that. They are very different cars so quite hard to compare. But to put it simply, in car feedback terms the Primera shouts at you, whereas the NGTC cars, the Q50 especially whisper at you. But one also has to respect the fact one cost millions to develop, and the other did t. However, I understand from speaking with a few drivers the new RML kit has improved the cars greatly so a t wait to drive a revised car. I was also lucky enough to have tested the Speedworks Toyota so as a comparator that felt racier - a lot more like the Primera. The one thing I think has improved greatly over the 2 decades is the gearbox, much smoother and easier to drive now. Both my Super Touring Cavalier and Primera require slightly bigger muscles to drive.

Why do you think the BTCC is so successful at the moment?

Other than the early s under a different promoter, the BTCC has always been a success. Recently though I think Alan Gow and TOCA have made a lot of effort and got the mix just right - exciting cars, exciting drivers but all within the familiar framework of cars we can all recognise and relate to on the road. People all over the world just love the BTCC, it has a great British heritage, enormous and still growing spectator statistics and proudly stands at the pinnacle of British motorsport. I mean who as a young lad ould t want to race in the BTCC? Do think there is too much handicapping in BTCC in terms of ballast, tire compounds and random grids (in race three)?

Two answers to that question.

1. For drivers, maybe if ou e at the front, but it adds strategy and means that drivers in my position (rookie) genuinely have a shot of a podium with reversed grids etc. As a race driver that keeps your mojo going. What was interesting is Jason Plato and others throughout 2015 made some perfectly legitimate calls on races well within the rulebook to their advantages.

2. However, for the fans I think it adds a lot more. Without it you may see the same driver winning the whole time and as t that one of the reasons people tired of Formula 1? The rules allow drivers with a bit of determination the chance of running at the front. Variety is the spice of life.

What would you like to see changed in the BTCC? Partly talking my own book here, but driver changes other than totally under force majeure should be ruled out at the risk of losing the TBL. I had raised a budget to run the full 2015 season from sponsors, but the rules allowed me to be side-lined and changed. Drivers deserve a little more protection from unscrupulous team management.

18

Which driver do you most admire on the BTCC grid?

For several reasons Jason Plato. He s a top class driver but also a savvy businessman, strategist and like me did everything himself.

He had, and am sure still has absolute focus on his goals and has delivered. I was a bit peeved JP missed the championship both for him and BMR back in October. He has also helped the BTCC along its way bringing in large name sponsors. Plus, he s also a character is t he with his boyish provocation of others.

Which is your favourite circuit to race on?

I just love the picturesque Oulton Park, but as a favourite to drive I think Brands Hatch Indy. It s a short lap, not particularly high speed, but to get a decent lap time, one has to be millimeter perfect and I like that challenge. It s also my local track and one where I have won the most. Unless ou e walked down Paddock Hill you ould t believe how steep it is.

Ok, any car on any track, past or present, what would they be?

I would just love to race or drive an old DTM BMW CSL from the early s the batmobile version around Oulton Park. Such a beautiful car at a beautiful place. I own a modern M3 CSL so would just love to drive its forefather.

Thanks for your time Richard, we wish you the best of luck in getting a seat for this season.

Photo above: Richard Hawken, courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Fans Article – 40 Years Of Motorsport 2 a ks ea s si e I fi st e a e i te ested i oto a i g a d I a t e e e a sta t of a seaso I e looked fo ard to more. The reason for my excitement is sports car racing. While single-seaters from Formula 1 down have become less relevant a d dulle to at h, o e the past fe ea s spo ts a s ha e u de go e so ethi g of a e aissa e. Whethe it as the Wo ld Endurance Championship, Blancpain Series, Super GT or British GT Championship, the racing in 2015 was almost always superb a d has all the aki gs of ei g ette still. I e e e pla ed he e I ll e at hi g li e e t ea : WEC a d Bla pain at Silverstone, British GT at Oulton Park and Donnington.

In the WEC it looks like there will be three fully competitive teams due to all new cars from Audi and Toyota to challenge the Porsche 919s that dominated the latter half of last season. Only the withdrawal of Nissan clouds the series ho izo ut hopefull that will be a small blip on an otherwise upward growth curve, especially if the rumoured programmes from Peugeot and BMW o e to f uitio . A d the good e s is t o fi ed o l to the top lass; the ig sto of the ea is p o a ly going to be the return of Ford to the GTE class with a car that looks more like a prototype than a road car. On both sides of the Atlantic they will have to battle crack teams from Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin and Corvette and in the US the new BMW too. Even if there were no prototypes on the grid the GT field would be more than worth watching on its own.

The the e s GT . The a iet of a s a aila le to a e is huge ut the a i g is kept lose tha ks to the i positio of pe formance balancing and the absence of a proscriptive rule book. Over the past two years the Bathurst 12 hrs has only been decided in the fi al ouple of hou s a d it s ee a si ila sto i a of the Blancpain Series rounds. Even the British GT Championship looks to be taking a significant step forward with a greater variety of cars set to take part next season.

The only downside is going to be trying to find the time to fit it all i !M i e pie addled ai a t e e egi to al ulate the number of hours racing there are from the Daytona 24hrs in Ja ua to the Bah ai h s i No e e ut I su e it ll e o e than enough to cause some conflicts with others in my household wanting to watch less entertaining television.

Above: Spa-Francorchamps

19

A Look At Who s Goi g Where in The WRC With the e seaso just ki ki g off let s take a lose look at hi h d i e s ha e go e he e a d h the

ade that hoi e.

Let s sta t ith K is Meeke ith his a ee ha gi g i the ists his decision shocked many in the motorsport industry he had 2 contracts offered to him both with teams developing their cars in 2016 and both with a 3-year contract. Kris decided to stay with Citroen who will not be running a car of their own this season but will be under the name of Abu Dhabi Total WRT with PH sport.

Running as team leader, he will also be joined by not one or two ut th ee othe d i e s, that s ight, his tea ates a e tea patriot Khalid al Qassimi, StĂŠphane Lefebvre and surprisingly Craig Breen.

Kris has explained the reason for his decision to stay with Citroen is because they can offer a partial season with the rebranded team and also keep his skills sharpened in the season.

Above: Kris Meeke at Rally Argentina

Well Mads, where can we start with him. He spent the last half of the season fighting to save his position within Citroen, then Malcolm Wilson gives him a call and jumps ship back to M-Sport. With an up and do seaso ith Cit oe i , he did t look to comfy in the DS3 as much as he did in the Fiesta. Since changing contract and testing the Fiesta in Monte Carlo, Mads has said in a statement I am glad to be back in the Fiesta it feels like home and that I ha e t ee a a it feels so u h ette ei g a k in a Fiesta it will be nice to see how he fits back into the car!

Yes, that s ight C aig B ee i a W‘C a e t ea alo gside e pe ie ed K is Meeke, the I ish a but not contesting all 14 rounds of the season.

ill e d i i g a Cit oe DS3

The first time we will see Craig in the DS3 will be in Rally Sweden, alongside Kris Meeke of course. Craig is not too unfamiliar with the car he said in a previous interview as it is much like his Peugeot 208 T16 he was racing in 2015, but with the 25-year-old Irishman stepping up to play with the big boys, there are high hopes for him, he is talented, fast and consistent in his racing.

Could he be a new world champion in the making, I guess we will have to wait and see?

After watching him this season I have high hopes fo ou g C aig. It as a d as t a surprise Craig signed with Citroen, the surprise was he is inexperienced and Citroen have been known to go with experienced drivers in the past, but the part that was no surprise is that he has been driving for Citroens sister team Peugeot for the last 3 seasons, starting off in their academy team.

Above: Craig Breen in his Peugeot 208 nd

Yves Matton has been watching the youngster for some time, with fellow Irishman securing Citroens 2 in the championship, fresh talent was needed to help develop the new look 2017 car which we should see first glances of in the spring.

20

Formula E – A Sustainable Future I

ase ou ha e t tu ed i to

oto spo ts e est a d hugel e iti g fi st ele t i se ies, he e s a e ie of hat to e pe t.

Launched in 2014, the concept was to run 10 teams in a 10 event season, staggered over the Northern Hemisphere winter rest break from October to June. The circuits are short (less than 3km) city centre based tracks (with the exception of the Berlin ePrix at the former Templehof airport and the London ePrix in Battersea Park. CEO Alejandro Agag is committed to the sustainability and green energy of the series. He has cleverly marketed the concept towards a contemporary audience by having some core motorsport backers and names to raise the profile of the support, and he certainly succeeded in season 1. Ever thought you would see the likes of Senna, Prost and Piquet racing together again? You can in Formula E where ex F1 drivers Bruno Senna (who drives for Mahindra) and Nelson Piquet Jr (reigning FE champion and NEXTEV driver), as well as Nico Prost have proved worthy racers in the series. There are also some big names involved in the team outfits such as Prost Sr who runs eDams Renault.

The d i e s sig ed to the tea s hail f o a a ge of oto spo t a kg ou ds a d e ause the seaso is elati el sho t d i e in other series, particularly the WEC. Current drivers to watch are Sebastian Buemi (season 2 leader by 1 point), second placed Lu as di G assi, as ell as Je o e D A osio, Loi Du al a d B it “a Bi d ho o his ho e a e at Batte sea pa k a k i June.

To promote the fan engagement Formula E have introduced a concept called Fanboost, where you can vote for your favourite driver to win an additional power boost during the race using the FIA Formula E app.

The car concept has to follow the FIA guidelines and if these are infringed penalties will be enforced – Lucas Di Grassi found this to his cost after being disqualified from the Berlin ePrix in May for running an illegal front wing. The races last approximately 50 i utes, ut the atte ies do t, so o e eall e iti g aspe t is the pit stop he e ea h d i e has to ha ge i to the se ond car.

The cars are restricted to 170 kw of power in race mode which means their top speeds are around 140 mph. The Fanboost winner gets an extra 100kj of energy which can be vital for overtaking, especially on straights.

In season 1 all the teams were supplied with a kit car with components created by various different motorsport outfits. The chassis was designed by Dallara, Williams Engineering designed the battery, the motor was the supplied by McLaren (the same one used in their P1 sports car and the car itself was built by Spark Racing Technology. All tyres were supplied by Michelin. For season 2 the rules have changed and the teams can now build the electric motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system. The chassis and the battery are unchanged. This has seen some real competition with Renault eDams, ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport; Dragon Racing, DS Virgin and Mahindra occupying the top 5 spots in the team standings.

Having been to the final race of the season at Battersea I can really say that the race and the concept really does do what it says on the tin. From a spe tato poi t of ie , it s e iti g to get u h closer to the track than you can at F1, closer to the d i e s as the ha e tea sig i g sessio s, it s amazing value for money in terms of ticket entry and it is a great family day out thanks to the entertainment put on the spectator paddock.

Recently another European race was added and in April fans can hop on the Eurostar from London to watch the Paris ePrix. In fact, you could go to the London and Paris ePrix for the price of going through the gates at “il e sto e i Jul a d ou o t eed earplugs!

Wat h out o ustio , the futu e s electric!

Emma Upton @zumester

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2015 Porsche Domination 2015 was an incredible year for the Factory Porsche LMP1 outfit, total domination in the second year of the 919 Hybrid. Topped off by a fantastic win at Le Mans and taking home the drivers & manufacturers championships. In this article we will take a look back at just how the German team claimed the title.

Silverstone started well for the Porsche factory outfit claiming a front row lock out in qualifying, howe e the a e did t fi ish so well for the team. A DNF for the No.17 car, however the No.18 took second place to limit the damage to the teams start. The win was taken by the No.7 Audi with the No.1Toyota rounding off the podium.

The second round of the championship was the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Qualifying was a total Porsche domination with a top 3 lock out. The race however was not such a dominating from the German brand, with the No.7 Audi taking a second straight win, Porsche did however secure two podiums with the No.18 finishing second and the No.17 in third.

The third round of the 2015 season was the big one, The 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is where some would say the Porsche domination really kicked off. Another top three lock out in qualifying set the team up perfectly. The race was just as dominating for Porsche claiming the top two steps on the podium with the win being taken by the additional car of Nico Hulkenberg, Nick th Ta d & Ea l Ba e . The i as Po s he s win at the prestigious event and second being taken by the No.17 car. They were joined on the podium by the No.7 Audi ending their 5 year winning streak in the 24-hour race.

After Le Mans the teams headed to Germany for the 6 Hours of Nurburgring. The weekend was another story of Porsche domination, with the team taking a front row lock out in qualifying and this time converting it to a one two in the race on the brands home soil. The No.17 took the win closely followed home by the No.18 with the No.7 Audi finishing in third.

After the European leg of the championship was over the teams headed to the USA to compete in the 6 Hours of The Circuit Of A e i as COTA . Po s he agai lai i g a o e t o i ualif i g ho e e the did t o e t it i to a othe a e o e t o, the did win the race with the No.17 car coming home for another win but the final two podium sports were claimed by the No.7 and No.8 Audi respectively.

Fuji & Shanghai were next on the calendar, in both rounds Porsche claimed a front row lock out in qualifying and carried it into the race with two successive one two finishes, with the No.17 winning both races & the sister No.18 finishing second, the No.7 Audi rounded off the podium in both rounds too.

The final round took the teams to Bahrain, qualifying was very much the same story as the previous race with Porsche claiming another front row lock out, meaning that only Porsche took pole in the 2015 season. The race as t as eas fo the Po s he tea , the No. championship leader hit problems during the race th meaning they could only finish in 5 , the race was however won by the No.18 Porsche followed by the No.7 Audi and the No.1 Toyota in third. th

However, 5 was just enough for the No.17 Porsche of Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernahrd to take the title after a dominating 2015. Second in the championship was claimed by the Audi team of Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer and third was claimed by the No.18 Porsche team of Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Neel Jani.

Photo Credit: Š Nick Dungan - AdrenalMedia.com

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Morgan Jones - Interview How would you say the transition is between karts and cars? What's the biggest challenge?

I found the transition a pretty smooth ride, racing games on the PS3 helped a lot with this especially Gran Turismo 6. The biggest differences are gears and weight transfer, everything happens much slower in car. In karting the karts are very direct, stop and turn on a knife edge. However, cars, although going much quicker, react slower.

Thinking about the Cooper Class, would you say it's the most competitive class within the mini challenge?

I think all classes are extremely competitive and close. I didn't want to jump in at the deep end and go straight into the F56 class. I want to gain as much experience as I can in coopers and hopefully progress up through the ranks of the mini challenge UK. All the classes offer close racing which is something that attracts the crowds especially at the Mini festivals.

Where are you looking to go after the mini challenge? Or are you interested in staying in the series for a while?

I happy where I am at this point in time, the Mini Challenge is the best place for me at the moment to learn and gain experience.

Budget permitting, I would love to do single seaters. Even if I don't do too well it's still a great thing to have on your racing CV. I'm old enough now to realise the F1 dream isn't going to happen, however Le Mans is still on the cards!

What's your ultimate goal within Motorsport? What series are you hoping to get to or are you just doing it for fun at the moment?

My ultimate goal is to become a factory driver for a big manufacturer. However, there are so many opportunities outside of F1.

Racing in America is definitely on my bucket list. I think at this level of racing I just need to take what comes in my stride and learn from everything I am faced with.

Are you in a long term deal with Coastal racing? Are you looking at moving up the classes together?

At the moment I'm only signed to Coastal Racing for one year, however they are such a great group of people that if I was to continue in the Mini Challenge then it would definitely be with them. The team are running the F56 car for the first time this year, so this will be a learning year for the team. If I were to move into the F56 class, then they would have a better understanding of the car which would benefit me. Given the track record of Coastal I wouldn't put it past them to title contenders in the F56 class this year.

Have you ever thought of having a go at commentating instead of racing?

Commentating is something I've never really thought of, but now you mention it, it does seem like a fun thing to do. I guess it would be great media experience too, which can only benefit me.

What would you say the most exciting series is at the moment on TV? For sure the Mini Challenge UK across all classes, maybe I'm being bias but in my opinion it offers the closest and fairest racing.

With the cars being so equal you really can't tell who's going to be quick and who's not. You always have a pretty good idea but someone always surprises you.

What are your opinions to the relatively new series within Motorsport, Formula E and the TCR International Series?

I've never really heard of the TCR international series but Formula E I am a huge fan of. I think it's great the sport is finding new ways to develop and also has found eco-friendly ways of doing this. Most people should take a look at what FE are doing and try and adopt it into their forms of racing. It's going to be a little while before we see it in club racing as the costs of development are so high and no one has that sort of money. I do believe though that it is the future of Motorsport.

Above: Morgan Jones, ready for his test in the Mini.

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WTCC season preview 2016 as a othe do i a t ea fo Cit oe , lai i g oth the Now we look to 2016 and what is in store.

a ufa tu es a d d i e s ha pio ships ith Jose Ma ia Lopez.

The championship will run over 11 rounds, visiting all but one of the circuits seen in 2015 with Russia missing from the calendar. rd th th The season is set to start in France on April 3 and finish in Qatar on November 25 . Currently there is a slot for a 12 round th which would run on March 20 but no venue has been named as yet. The Moroccan round will be run on a new, Semi Permeant version of the Moylan El Hassan circuit, one of two street circuits on the calendar for 2016, Vila Real in Portugal being the other.

One of the biggest additions will be the MAC3 race which will take place after final qualifying. Here all of the manufactures will st nominate 3 cars to take place in a 10km time trial. The 3 cars will run together with the clock starting when the 1 car starts the rd run and finishing when the 3 placed car crosses the line. The concept, which has been taken straight from Olympic cycling, forces drivers to work together to score points towards the manufactures championship, with 10 points for the win.

The driver line-ups for 2016 will also be notably different, with Gabriele Tarquini out of the factory Honda team, having been replaced by Former Lada driver Rob Huff. He will be partnering Tiago Monterio and Norbet Michelisz, who moves into a factory drive this year. Other big news is Citroen scaling back its team to two cars before leaving the championship at the end of 2016. It has etai ed defe di g Cha pio Jose Ma ia Lopez a d Y a Mulle , lea i g “e astie Loe ithout a d i e i the WTCC. Loe s team has confirmed it will run up to three Citroens next season with Mehdi Bennani & ex Craft- Bamboo driver Gregoire Demoustier confirmed for next season.

2016 will also see Volvo return for a full campaign with two S60s. Run under the Polestar Cyan Racing banner, the team will field cars for Thed Bjork and Fredrik Ekblom. Both have raced in the WTCC before and have had huge success in the STCC in Scandinavia winning the championship for Volvo 4 times since 2012. The addition of Volvo means that there will now be four manufactures competing in 2016 alongside Citroen, Honda and Lada, the most since 2011.

Lada u e tl ha e t o fi ed thei d i e s ut it s elie ed that Ga iele Ta ui i ill head to the ‘ussia Ma ue alo g with Hugo Valente and a returning Nicky Catsburg. Nika racing have also stated their intent to race next season with their Honda Civic, the team was plagued with financial difficulties meaning they completed less than half the season. Many other drivers have said that they want to be in the series next year, but with the huge budgets that are eeded to a e, it s u lea ho a of the privateers will be on the grid next season.

In short, 2016 could turn out to be a classic year for the WTCC, with more manufactures than ever and the unknown that is the Volvo. Citroen will be looking for 3 titles out of 3 before they leave the sport, while Honda and Lada and Chevrolet will be looking to close the gap that the French marque has had over the last two seasons. Can anyone take the fight to the Citroens? Only time will tell.

Above: Lada Vesta WTCC.

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V8 SUPERCARS PREVIEW 2016 V8 Supercars 2016 is nearly upon us with the first race of the year the Clipsal 500 held on the Adelaide street circuit on March 3-6.

The off season has seen many driver changes, the most amount of change the series has seen in a long time and it's going to be exciting. Also in an era of Formula E and hybrid power this year will be the final year of the current generation of V8 supercars.

Next year the rules open up to include different formats of engines including the use of turbo power and different body styles for the cars including two door styles. How it will work is yet to be seen so we had all better make the most of the last season of solely V8 noise and power. What has happened in the d i e s usi al hai s ga e?

FORD 2015 champion Mark Winterbottom will be defending his title in the Prodrive run Ford Falcon but will be in different colours as he goes green in the Bottle-O sponsored car. Winterbottom will be joined by Chaz Mostert who has not raced since his leg breaking crash at Bathurst last year. He will be looking to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

Super Black Racing have only one confirmed entry thus far for Chris Pither. Last year motorsport giants Penske team up with DJR to run a solo Falcon for returning champion Marcus Ambrose. Ambrose was unable to show previous pace and handed driving duties over to Scott Pye who just got better and better as the year went on. This year Pye will be joined by the experienced and quick Fabian Coulthard who will be wanting that little bit more in order to mount a serious championship assault.

HOLDEN 2015 team champions Red Bull Racing (Triple 8) will continue with Australian racing legend Craig Lowndes and multiple champion Jamie Whincup. But another rooster has entered the hen house in the form of Shane Van Gisbergen. The Kiwi's speed is not in question as his all out, guns blazing driving style proves. Shane will need to show consistency with that speed if he is too threatening the two top class drivers has been partnered with. Erebus has given up on the Mercedes which means there will be one less manufacturer represented on the grid. They have gone for the safe option of Holden. The Holden is a proven car and Erebus' new driver David Reynolds could be just the man to help the team to more wins. Reynolds will be partnered by V8 rookie Aaren Russell from the Dunlop series. HRT will continue with ex champions Garth Tander and James Courtney but will be hoping they stay out of each other's way a bit more this season. Tekno Autosports have lost their best asset in Shane Van Gisbergen but have replaced him with Will Davidson from Erebus.

VOLVO Gary Rodgers will continue to run the Volvos this year with his super quick young driver Scott Mclaughlin. Scott had a trying and character building year in 2015 but the speed was still there. This year he will have to be on top his game as he will finally be tested by a team mate. The fast and aggressive James Moffat will be joining Volvo from Nissan and will be desperate to move up the grid in a car which is a proven winner. Scott and James are good friends, whether they will be by the end of the season is anyone's guess.

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NISSAN Nissan will continue to run four cars this year for the two Kelly brothers Todd and Rick. Michael Caruso will also stay on. Joining them and replacing James Moffat will be Dale Wood who has spent the past couple of seasons running near the back in a Holden. Will he make the most of his works team deal and show some more potential? He has established team mates as good measure.

Calendar changes will see Philip Island in an earlier slot as the third round of the championship. After the first round at Adelaide the teams will again support the Australian Grand Prix with 3 non championship races. The new addition to the calendar will be the Kuala Lumpur street race. A demonstration run happened last year and teams are excited to take their brand of racing to a new audience.

It will be a brave person who bets on a championship winner this year as there are several contenders from several different teams and manufactures. I am looking forward to finding out though!

For more information, www.v8supercars.com

visit

Chris Brown (@racinglines1)

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Credits Editor – Alex Lane Overcoming The Struggles Of Racing – Piers Prior NEW FOR 2016 – Peugeot 308 R Hybrid – Alex Lane Interview With Alex Brundle – Part 1 – Alex Brundle Interview With Alex Brundle – Part 2 – Alex Brundle Ge i Ni osia s

“easo Preparations – Geri Nicosia

Ollie Coles – Background and 2016 Aspirations – Ollie Coles British GT Championship Review, 2015 – Gavin Finlayson The New BMW M2 – Euan Campbell Interview With Stephen Letts – Stephen Letts Fans Article – Why I Love Motorsport – @TJA_StreetRacer 2016 Honda NSX – Part 1 – Euan Campbell 2016 Honda NSX – Part 2 – Euan Campbell The Unsung Heroes Of Motorsport – Marshals – Ricky Hawkins Formula V8 3.5 – A New Dawn – Phil Martin Back The Brits – Jann Mardenborough – Joe Clark The New Alfa Romeo Giulia – Euan Campbell Richard Hawken – Interview – Richard Hawken Richard Hawken – Interview – Richard Hawken Fans Article – 40 Years Of Motorsport – Mark Bowley A Look At Who s Goi g Whe e i The W‘C – Chris Evans Formula E – A Sustainable Future – Emma Upton 2015 Porsche Domination – Jonathan Earle Morgan Jones – Interview – Morgan Jones WTCC Season Preview – Tom Gibson V8 SUPERCARS PREVIEW 2016 – Chris Brown V8 SUPERCARS PREVIEW 2016 – Chris Brown Photographer: Barneshaw Motorsport Images, Rebecca Louise Photography, Piers Prior, Jakob Ebrey, Sam Bloxham, Alexandre Guillaumot, Nick Dungan

Contact us: Facebook: L&T Motorsport Twitter: @ltmsport Instagram: @ltmsport YouTube: L&T Motorsport Website: http://ltmsport.weebly.com/ Email: ltmsportinfo@gmail.com

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