Early start for drivers, fans

UNLESS you are an unusually early riser, by the time you read this editorial the competitive stages that comprise the 2020 Drivesouth Otago Rally Fest will be under way.

After last night’s ceremonial start in the Octagon, the first competitors left Dunedin before 7.20am this morning, bound for the first of today’s seven special stages, all but one of which use roads around Lawrence.

As well as being an early start for the competitors, it’s been an early start for the Drivesouth team, with both Catherine Pattison and me outandabout on the rally.

While the focus of New Zealand motor sport is on Otago this weekend, it’s also a big weekend for motor sport internationally, most obviously with the Imola circuit in northern Italy hosting the second round of this year’s Formula One championship.

The opening F1 round in Bahrain produced a great scrap between Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull), with all the indications being that Mercedes has serious competition on its hands this year. Ferrari is also showing muchimproved form but sadly, Italy’s Covid19 restrictions mean that the hordes of Ferrari fans will not be trackside.

Meanwhile, the 2021 Indycar championship roars into life in Birmingham, Alabama. There’s double the Kiwi interest this season, with defending champion Scott Dixon joined on the grid by our V8 Supercars hero Scott McLaughlin.

Dixon should be quick from the outset as he seeks a cracking start to the season, but McLaughlin is on a steep learning curve as he moves from the world of saloon cars to the much more technical realm of singleseaters. At least McLaughlin is getting to make his start on a conventional circuit rather than a highspeed oval. I’m not sure what goals he has, but I’d count any result in the top half of the field as a great effort. David Thomson

Editor