WORKING OUT HOW TO WIN
Ash Sutton has already put his name pretty near the top of the all-time greats in terms of British Touring Car Championship success. His third title, taken in some style at Brands Hatch on Sunday, has assured him of that. He is hungry for even more success, and there is little doubt that it will come for the Bishop’s Stortford driver. His armoury behind the wheel shows no real weak spots. He has qualifying pace, he has supreme skills when the track is unpredictable, his overtaking prowess is among the best and his speed is unquestioned.
What 2021 has added to his skill set is the ability to think about the longer game. If there was one criticism of his run to the 2020 title, it was the elements of impetuosity that crept in when they didn’t need to. He was all about going for the gap when the points were already safely tucked up in his locker. That made his previous title much more stressful than it should have been.
His run to this year’s spoils has been far more accomplished with very few speed bumps of his own causing. He has caged his inner tiger, and while that might be a shame for the fans, it is a mark of how far he has come in his BTCC development.
He will remain on the grid next term but there is some highly interesting conjecture about what he might be driving and for which team. Whichever machine he does step into will only benefit from having the best in the business at the wheel.
Max Verstappen will only be regarded as the best in the business when he beats Lewis Hamilton to a World championship and he took another stride towards that in the USA last weekend. He held on despite severe pressure from the seven-time champ and will need all of that guile over what will be an intriguing run-in to this year’s Formula 1 season.
Also watching on in Austin was Kelvin Burt, who was working at the US Grand Prix as a driver coach. Before he jetted off, Burt, the 1993 British Formula 3 champion, was kind enough to take some time out to tackle the Motorsport News readers’ questions. Burt is a refreshingly honest bloke who tells it like it is but was never one to thrust himself into the limelight during his motorsport graduation, and it is that attitude he thinks might have meant he missed out on the big opportunities. His excellent interview starts on page 20.
Also, don’t forget, the first ever Motorsport News awards is in full swing and to find out how to vote for your standout rally and racing drivers of the season, visit page 13. Your votes really do count, and we will be announcing our winners in the November 11 issue.