AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL IS HERE
PREVIEW TO THE NEC SPECTACULAR
There are so many opportunities at the start of a fresh motorsport season, and those chances are never more apparent than in the halls of the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Autosport International is where it all kicks off, and this week the prospects start to become a reality.
As fans walk around the show, all the promise of the season ahead comes into sharp focus, and the promises are many: just remember, no one has been beaten in the first week of January so the hyperbole can go into overdrive.
The stars will be out in force in Birmingham. Formula 1 driver Lando Norris, one of Britain’s latest grand prix prospects, will be out to meet the fans along with Mclaren team-mate Carlos Sainz. Sky Sports F1 presenters Simon Lazenby, Johnny Herbert and Karun Chandhok will also be on hand, all to be grilled by central stage presenter Alan Hyde.
Stars from all disciplines will be grilled, along with myriad stands and vendors to explore. The opening two days, Thursday and Friday, are designated trade days while Saturday and Sunday will be open to the general public and autograph hunters alike.
WRC on centre stage
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the show will be the Super Saturday launch of the World Rally Championship.
The wraps came off the top-flight rallying campaign at Autosport International in 2018 during the opening day, the trade day on Thursday. However, in an effort to reach out to the fans, the reveal has been switched to Saturday this time around.
All of the WRC’S main players will be there: defending teams’ champion Toyota will attend with its driver line-up of Ott Tanak and Jari-matti Latvala, along with new recruit Kris Meeke. Meeke is likely to be a huge draw for the home crowd.
But Meeke is not alone as M-sport will be represented with Ford Fiesta driver Elfyn Evans, while world champion Sebastien Ogier will be on hand to talk about his prospects on his return to the Citroen fold.
Hyundai completes the line-up of marques that will officially launch their attacks before heading out to Monte Carlo for the beginning of the new campaign.
F1 Racing’s on parade
Thanks to MN’S sister title F1 Racing, Autosport International offers fans the chance to get closer to modern day grand prix cars than even at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Situated in Hall 2, the machines will spark the excitement for the season ahead, and a special dedicated stage will deliver some of F1’s inside stories to the audience.
There are further F1 delights as part of the Motorsport Images display in Hall 1, where Jackie Stewart’s March 701, which the Scot took to victory in the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix, can be found.
That will help highlight the vast 23-million strong image archive that Motorsport Images has, and 25 limited edition prints will be on show to the fans – all of which can be purchased.
Rumblers assemble
Members of the Historic Sport Car Club will doff their collective caps to 50 years of Formula 5000 at Autosport International.
Some of the most iconic cars from the category’s history will be gathered at the NEC and plenty of stars from F5000’s history will be on hand to offer recollections of some of the most fearsome cars to take to the circuits.
Among the cars on show include the 1970 ex-mike Hailwood Surtees TS8 and a former Peter Gethin Mclaren M10B from 1971.
The championship first came to the UK in 1969 and featured a number of works cars from leading manufacturers. The age range of chassis on display at Autosport International ranges from a 1969 Lola to a 1975 Lola.
More iconic cars will be going under the hammer at the Silverstone Auctions in-house sale. Among them will be a rare MG Metro 6R4, which was originally owned by Williams Grand Prix Engineering and spent much of the time at the Williams Conference Centre, and is expected to fetch in the region of £200,000. The Group B-spec car has only covered 175 miles and it is one of only 200 cars built at the time.
Virtual is real
Ten of the participants have been selected with pre-qualifying before the weekend, but two final spots will be determined at the show before the big showdown on Sunday.
In a 12-simulator line-up, next to the dedicated World Endurance Championship stand at the NEC, the two-hour final on Sunday will be the climax of the event.
Winners will go through to the final, which will take place at Le Mans in the summer. 60 years in 2019, and the party gets started at the Live Action Arena at the Autosport Show.
The diminutive car will be put through its paces while Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft and vloggers Shmee150 and Miss Emma Walsh call the action.
As well as a selection of cars from across motorsport, inspirational racer Billy Monger, who lost his legs after a single-seater accident at Donington Park in 2017, will take part in the fun. He will perform a demonstration in his Carlin-run BRDC F3 car, which he took to four podiums in the 2018 campaign.
Engineering is key
One of the most fascinating parts of Autosport International is the Engineering show, which will take place on Thursday and Friday.
More than 250 specialist companies will showcase the latest technological products with awards to be collected for the most stand-out performers.
Alongside that, the Performance and Tuning Car show will feature an array of supercars and exotic performance machines.
It is also a must-see destination for those who enjoy taking car modification seriously. ■