Reigning champion Ash Sutton took the first pole position of the 2021 British Touring Car Championship season on a drying track at Thruxton.
Qualifying started off with a wet track and dried over the course of the 30 minute session, with the likes of Sutton, Josh Cook and Rory Butcher all exchanging fastest times throughout.
Sutton kicked off his title defence in style. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
BMW’s Colin Turkington set the first competitive time of the session, and of the season, before Ford’s Jake Hill went faster. Tom Ingram, in his first qualifying session with Excelr8, was fastest five minutes in.
The track was starting to dry at a quick pace, which meant the times were starting to tumble. Cook went fastest and then Sutton regained the top time soon after. Dan Cammish, who returned to the grid with BTC Racing following Michael Crees’ shock departure this week, went third with ten minutes remaining.
With just eight minutes remaining the action began, as Hill went fastest by just under a tenth of a second. Tom Oliphant in the BMW then set a 1:19:7 before Butcher set a 1:19:4.
Josh Cook lines up on the front row for tomorrow’s first race. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Not to be upstaged, Hill’s next lap was a 1:19:0, showing how fast the track was drying out. Butcher then snatched top spot straight back as the first driver to break the 1:18’s.
With just under two minutes to go Jade Edwards spun and collided with the tyre wall. She was on slicks and must have hit a damp spot as she hit the wall but soon got going again, but brought out the yellow flag.
Hill was looking to be on a fast lap to try and retake pole, but was held up by Jason Plato into the final chicane. The Vauxhall driver, who was not on a hot lap, had ample opportunity to move out of Hill’s way, but decided to hold him up into the final corner before peeling into the pitlane.
Ingram went fastest as time ran out with a 1:18:7 before Sutton smashed the fastest time, setting a 1:18:3, and taking pole position in the process.
Cook was second, with Turkington’s quiet session finishing third. Ingram, Butcher Oliphant and Hill followed, with Gordon Shedden, Ollie Jackson, and Chris Smiley rounding off the top ten.
Toyota are currently a motorsports powerhouse. They’re an omnipotent force in the World Rally Championship, had all but monopolised the LMP1 class in sportscar racing, and have now given their full factory backing to a British Touring Car Championship team.
The Japanese marque have offered manufacturer support to the Speedworks Motorsport team, who were previously using the Toyota Corolla with Tom Ingram. However now Ingram has moved on, and Speedworks have two works Corolla’s to be driven by talented Scot Rory Butcher, and the returning Sam Smelt.
The Corolla has shown itself to be a fast car at the hands of Ingram since its introduction in 2019. It has won seven races over the last two years and has kept Ingram in the title fight for large proportions of those seasons. Now with two cars, Speedworks has the chance to really push for honours this season.
Butcher and Smelt are spearheading Toyota’s challenge this season. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
They’re no strangers to the BTCC, they won two drivers and manufacturers championships in 1986 and 1987, courtesy of Chris Hodgetts. Also two of the most memorable moments in BTCC history include Toyota’s, but perhaps not for the best of reasons. In 1992 at Brands Hatch team mates Andy Rouse and Will Hoy collided and took each other in to the wall and out of the race while running first and second.
The other incident came a year later at Silverstone. Hoy was involved again but this time with Julian Bailey as a team mate. Going into Brooklands, Bailey dove down the inside of Hoy, sending him onto his roof. The moment entered folklore thanks to the late Murray Walker’s famous line, “The car upside down, is a Toyota.” They were again leading one-two.
In terms of the drivers, Rory Butcher has proven himself to be a fast and consistent driver over the last couple of seasons. Six wins in the last two years with AMD CobraSport and Motorbase. His expertise is front wheel drive, having spent his whole BTCC career in front wheel drive machinery. Therefore he’s well suited to lead the new manufacturer team.
Sam Smelt only has one season of BTCC experience under his belt, in the AMD Audi S3 in 2018. While he hasn’t quite hit the heights of his team mate, Smelt has potential, having spent 2020 in British GT with Speedworks in the Toyota Supra GT4.
Toyota’s latest motorsport offering has all the ingredients to be as successful as its stablemates, it’ll have its challengers from other teams on the grid, but the Corolla, and two talented drivers, mean it could well be a start of a beautiful relationship for Speedworks and Toyota.
We will have articles throughout the week to preview the 2021 BTCC season as well as race reports at the weekend from Thruxton.
A famous philosopher once said ‘There is no harm in repeating a good thing.’ This is the mantra of the British Touring Car Championship’s record wins holder going into the new season.
Jason Plato makes his return to the British Touring Car Championship for the 2021 season after sitting 2020 out. He is ‘itching’ to return to the paddock and to the grid, and will take part in his 600th race this weekend. Proving the theory of his ancient Greek namesake to be true, there is indeed no harm in repeating a good thing.
The veteran, returning with Power Maxed Racing, is the sport’s record wins holder, with 97, the same amount of wins Lewis Hamilton has in Formula One. Plato is keen to hit the century of BTCC wins before he retires, and there’s nothing to suggest he can’t achieve that in 2021.
The 53 year old has been described as ‘rejuvenated’ in the press this week and his 12 month lay-off will have him raring to go at Thruxton this weekend. Six of his 97 wins have come at the Andover circuit and he qualified on the front row there in 2019, before being penalised for not parking in his grid slot correctly.
While Plato may not be a frontrunner for the title in terms of the odds, he will be doing all he can to be fighting at the front end, and in a car which still has a lot of potential, he and his team have the ability to surprise without the burden of expectation.
The Vauxhall Astra is a race winning car, with Jason himself picking up his and the team’s most recent win in the 2019 finale at Brands Hatch. The car is still quick, and after a selection of guest driver outings in 2020, the team are coming back to launch a full scale attack on the BTCC in 2021.
Power Maxed Racing’s Astra is a nimble front wheel drive car, which will be handy around circuits such as Brands Hatch and Croft, which require agility, and Plato is a driver who can easily get the best out of this car.
Plato was quick in pre-season testing, there’s life in the old dog yet. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
In pre-season testing at Donington Park he was fourth fastest in the first session, and while testing times, as Formula One has shown us, should always be taken with a pinch of salt, Plato’s times are impressive when you consider he’s been out of the car for a year. The encouraging sign is he’s showing no sign of ring rustiness. But can he achieve them final three wins?
With the often madcap nature of the BTCC, reverse grids and success ballast affecting cars at the front, Plato has every chance of being in a position to pick up the final three wins he needs. He won’t be solely relying on the lotteries of the BTCC to get his wins though, he will be getting his elbows out in his famous yet effective racing style in order to fight for those wins.
While most of the faces remain the same for Plato’s return, one which won’t be on the grid with him is his old sparring partner Matt Neal. The pair have famously butted heads on many occasions over the last 20 years, including an almost fist-fight in the pit-lane at Rockingham in 2011.
Neal is taking a step back from racing in 2021, with Gordon Shedden returning to the BTCC in his place. Matt remains in the paddock as he takes on a role in the Team Dynamics garage. Meaning one of Plato’s biggest rivals is out of his way. But that doesn’t mean his task will be any easier.
Plato is a vastly experienced driver, and it will be intriguing to see how he gets on this season. But statistics don’t mean everything, as ‘A good decision is based on knowledge and not numbers,’ which Plato has in abundance.
We will have articles throughout the week to preview the 2021 BTCC season as well as race reports at the weekend from Thruxton.
It’s all change for Team Dynamics as they sign a new driver, gain a title sponsor, and lose another as title sponsor Yuasa have left the team after ten glorious years in the British Touring Car Championship.
After news broke of Dan Rowbottom taking the second Honda seat alongside the returning Gordon Shedden, it was confirmed that Cataclean, a partner of Rowbottom would become a sponsor of the team alongside the long-standing Halfords.
Rowbottom made his BTCC debut in 2019 with Ciceley Motorsport, and after sitting out 2020, he returns after a ‘lifeline’ from one of the sport’s most famous names.
Rowbottom had a season in BTCC in 2019 with Ciceley Motorsport. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
“I was thrown a bit of a lifeline with a call from Matt Neal suggesting we should get together and have a chat about the future! To be honest it was a real ‘pinch yourself moment’ one moment no racing, then next I had the main man of BTCC suggesting that it might be possible to join Team Dynamics,” Rowbottom stated in a press release on his website.
Neal was happy to have Rowbottom in the team and will play a more mentoring role in his development. “It’s great to have Dan join the team, he’s got previous experience in the BTCC, so he knows what to expect and how competitive it is. I know he has set himself some pretty realistic, yet tough goals and I’ll be there to help and mentor him and make sure we achieve the best results we can for him and for the team”
Dynamics and Yuasa is one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the BTCC. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
This therefore means Yuasa leave the team, after 11 trophy laden seasons with Team Dynamics. In a press release from the battery brand, they stated: ‘During their 10 years (11 seasons) in the sport, Yuasa has enjoyed phenomenal success with the team and their drivers Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden and Dan Cammish.
‘With Yuasa’s backing Matt and Gordon both became three-time BTCC champions, and Dan narrowly missed out on his first BTCC title at nail biting season finale in 2019. In fact, since the relationship began in 2010 Yuasa and Team Dynamics have shared a phenomenal 78 race wins, 232 podiums, 4 drivers’ championships, 5 teams and 5 manufacturers titles.’
This of course means Matt Neal won’t be on the grid next year, but he is expected to remain heavily involved in the team and the garage.
Three-time BTCC champion Gordon Shedden is making a return to the series with Team Dynamics, replacing outgoing Dan Cammish.
The Scotsman, who won his three titles with the Honda backed team, returns to the sport after a three year absence, having last raced in 2017. In a somewhat poetic twist, it was Cammish who replaced Shedden three years ago, and now the roles are reversed.
Shedden, or ‘Flash’ as he is known, needs no introduction to BTCC fans. He made his debut at Knockhill in 2001 as an independent and secured a full time BTCC drive with Team Dynamics in 2006. He won his first race at round seven at Oulton Park.
Shedden last raced in the BTCC in 2017. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
He stayed with the team until a small stint with Seat in the second half of 2009. Shedden returned in 2010 with the squad now a manufacturer backed Honda team. Incredibly between 2010 and 2016 he wasn’t out of the top three in the championship standings. He won his first title in 2012 before adding two more in 2015 and 2016.
His last BTCC season in 2017 secured three wins and fourth in the championship before he left for World Touring Cars, with Cammish replacing him.
This won’t be the first time he’s driven the Honda Civic FK8, as he had a demo run last year when Matt Neal was injured in a bike crash, but Shedden says he ‘can’t wait to get back in the car.’
Shedden has 48 wins to his name and will make his 350th appearance this season. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Shedden told the official BTCC website: “I’ve been keeping an eye on the Championship, and it looks mega competitive, but my fight and determination is as high as it’s ever been, so I’ll be giving it my all.”
This news comes after Cammish announced he was stepping away from the BTCC, with Shedden’s teammate to be announced in the coming weeks. The strong speculation is we will see Dan Rowbottom in the second seat but time will tell.
One of the most exciting things about pre-season is seeing the cars, seeing what colours we need to look out for on the grid. While most cars look great, there are some that just stand out for all the right reasons.
Whether that be an iconic livery, a moment you associate with your favourite team or driver, or simply you think it looks good and therefore becomes a favourite of yours.
We’ve delved into the archives and found five of our favourite liveries from the last five years of the British Touring Car Championship, with so many to choose from creating a list wasn’t easy.
5. 2016 Team Dynamics Honda Civic
Shedden attacks Knockhill in his Honda Civic FK2. (image credit: BTCC Media)
Honda and Halfords, it’s a combination we’ve become used to over the years watching the British Touring Car Championship. Gordon Shedden took the title for Team Dynamics in his orange Honda with some beautiful black accents to compliment the design. The FK2 Civic is one of the most successful BTCC cars of all time, and suited the colour scheme perfectly.
4. 2020 Excelr8 Hyundai i30N
The beautiful Hyundai i30N from 2020. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting fans to watching on TV, the Hyundai ran by Excelr8 often caught the eye. Driven by Senna Proctor and Chris Smiley, the vivid blue and black colour scheme really helped accentuate the i30N’s features. The red around the grille stood out and made the car easy to spot during races.
3. 2018 Motorbase Ford Focus Pink Edition
This one off livery definitely caught the eye. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
As part of the BTCC’s 60th anniversary celebrations at Snetterton, Sam Tordoff revealed a pink liveried Ford Focus which definitely caught the eye. When asked about why he chose it, Tordoff stated: “We wanted to choose a colour that really made an impact on the track and also on TV. Bright pink has become my signature colour over recent years and we wanted something special for the car, so it was a no-brainer to run with it!”
2. 2019 WSR BMW 330i M Sport
Tom Oliphant at Thruxton in the stunning BMW 330i M Sport. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
BMW’s M Sport brand is one of the most recognisable in motorsport, and while the iconic colours were used on the 1 Series in the few seasons prior, the colours really shone on the new-for-2019 330i. Colin Turkington drove to the title in the white BMW, with splashes of red, light blue and dark blue. Side note, the Pirtek livery used by Andrew Jordan also really suited the 330i, but the white machine used by Turkington and Tom Oliphant, was just a cut above.
1. 2017 WSR Pirtek BMW 1 Series
Andrew Jordan’s beautiful Pirtek livery. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Our favourite livery of the past five years is this stunning metallic Pirtek livery used by Andrew Jordan. It was used in 2016 on his Ford Focus but following his move to WSR, the livery followed. A shining blue with Pirtek’s signature yellow and red logos, this livery caught the eye and really shone. A move to a matte finish akin to Red Bull’s recent liveries followed in 2018, and while pleasant it wasn’t as striking as the metallic versions.
These were just five of our favourites, honourable mentions include Tom Oliphant’s metallic green Ciceley Mercedes Benz A Class from 2018, and BTC Racing’s matte grey Honda Civic FK8 with pink accents.
As we wait for the cars to hit the track, we will sit back and marvel at these beautiful machines a little longer.
Dan Cammish will not be in the 2021 British Touring Car Championship after it was revealed he has left Team Dynamics.
The news broke on Tuesday morning as the Yorkshireman departed after three stellar campaigns in the championship. In what appears to be an amicable split, Cammish leaves the team and means that the Honda backed outfit has yet to name either of its two drivers for this season.
Dan Cammish departs Team Dynamics on good terms. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Cammish amassed eight wins in his three seasons with the team. He has been in the hunt for the title in both 2019 and 2020, finishing third on both occasions. This including a dramatic and heart-breaking final race battle in 2019, where brake failure saw him retire in spectacular fashion at Brands Hatch, handing the title to Colin Turkington.
After a flood of supportive tweets came in for Cammish, he was quick to thank the fans for their support over the last few years.
First of all I would like to say thanks to so many of you for the kind and positive tweets. I really wasn’t expecting it and I have to say it is much appreciated today. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in BTCC and much of that enjoyment comes from you guys. Cheers https://t.co/97uNykapxO
Team Dynamics’ lynchpin Matt Neal paid tribute to Cammish and his effort with the team.
Truly gutted about @DanCammish he is a class act, we worked our socks off to make it happen but devastated we couldn’t keep him on the grid 😩
Thanks to the few individuals who blocked our attempts but real thanks to those who welcomed the competition and supported our efforts.
The move brings up a conundrum for the Team Dynamics side, what is their next move going to be?
Series veteran Matt Neal has been strongly rumoured to be retiring and taking on a leadership role in the garage. The move may mean Neal has one more season, or he sticks to his plan and brings in two brand new drivers for the new season.
There are various contenders for the two seats, and ones which will be the most coveted, in what is a race and title winning outfit.
Dan Rowbottom has been strongly linked with a move to Team Dynamics, having had one season in 2019 in the BTCC with Ciceley Motorsport. Neal could remain with the team and shelve his retirement plans. His son Henry could be drafted in but some believe it’s too early for him to make the step up.
Alternatively some outside bets for the seat could arise, including Senna Proctor, whose yet to sign for anyone. Another outside bet could be Harry King, who romped to title success in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB series in 2020, and has a similar pedigree to Cammish.
The first driver is said to be revealed on Friday 5 March, with the second being announced over the coming weeks.
Preparations are well underway for the 2021 British Touring Car Championship season, with drivers being announced throughout the off-season, with changes afoot up and down the paddock.
Laser Tools Racing
Car: Infiniti Q50
Drivers: Ash Sutton, Aiden Moffat and Carl Boardley
The one team who have their squad confirmed is Laser Tools. Drivers champion Ash Sutton remains with the team as does Aiden Moffat. Joining the pair in a third Infiniti Q50 is Carl Boardley. He joins from Team HARD where he drove a gold BMW 1 Series last season. With the team confirmed, they can focus on maintaining last season’s impressive pace.
Toyota Gazoo Racing
Car: Toyota Corolla
Drivers: TBC, TBC
Our Predictions: Rory Butcher and Dan Rowbottom
One of the more seismic changes for 2021 is that Tom Ingram has departed the Speedworks side after seven years with the team. The now works Toyota outfit are opting for two drivers with neither being confirmed. Rory Butcher has been strongly linked with the team and with Motorbase being acquired by rival team AmD last week, Butcher looks to be replacing Ingram in the Toyota. A Jack Sears Trophy contender would be good for Toyota to be battling on all fronts. Rowbottom fits the bill having raced for Ciceley in 2019. He has front wheel drive machinery experience and is a capable points scorer.
Ciceley Motorsport
Car: BMW 330i M Sport
Drivers: Adam Morgan, TBC
Our Prediction: Tom Chilton
Ciceley Motorsport are another team with changes being made for 2021. They have replaced the race winning Mercedes A Class with two BMW 3 Series cars. These have already had great success with WSR for the last two years and this represents a step up for Ciceley. Adam Morgan has already been confirmed for the new season with Tom Chilton being hotly tipped to join him. Chilton has plenty of backing, and has the pedigree to back it up with 14 race wins. His specialty would appear to be front wheel drive but he’s a strong driver who can often adapt to whatever he is driving.
Team HARD
Car: Leon Cupra
Drivers: Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Glyn Geddie, TBC
Our Prediction: Rick Parfitt Jr
Team HARD are going for it this season, with a brand new car, the Leon Cupra, replacing their trusty old workhorse VW CC’s. Last season’s drivers Goff and Geddie are signed up with Aron Taylor-Smith returning to the sport after a three year absence. He’s won four races in the BTCC and has been racing in British GT for the last couple of seasons. Our pick for the fourth seat is Rick Parfitt Jr. He’s stated he’s keen to race in the BTCC this season and signing with Team HARD would be a real statement of intent by the team.
Motorbase/MB Motorsport
Car: Ford Focus ST
Drivers: Jake Hill, TBC, TBC, TBC
Our Predictions: Sam Osborne, Ollie Jackson and Andy Neate
As mentioned earlier, MB Motorsport/AmD have acquired Motorbase, one of the finer teams on the grid. They showed promise with the Ford Focus last season and will be keen to build on it. Jake Hill is the only confirmed driver but with one of the directors now being Pete Osborne, it’s safe to assume his son Sam will be in a Focus after driving for MB last season. They’ve stated they’re in talks with Senna Proctor and Chilton to join the team, however it would be remiss of the team to overlook Ollie Jackson considering the pace he showed in the latter half of the 2020 season. Andy Neate would likely fill the fourth car with plenty of backing behind him to help the team.
Team WSR
Car: BMW 330i M Sport
Drivers: TBC, TBC, TBC
Our Predictions: Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant and Stephen Jelley
WSR were Manufacturer and Team champions last season, but Turkington lost out on the drivers title to Sutton. It’s almost certain he’ll return to try and take that title back, with 2020 team mate Tom Oliphant returning to the team as backup. WSR will be running a third 3 Series for 2021, and many drivers are being linked with what will be one of the most sought after seats on the grid. Our guess is Stephen Jelley, who won two of his three race wins with WSR in 2009, will join the team having raced for Team Parker for the last few seasons.
Team Dynamics
Car: Honda Civic Type R FK8
Drivers: Dan Cammish, TBC
Our Prediction: Matt Neal
Dan Cammish is one of the strongest drivers on the grid, and remains with Team Dynamics for 2021. The speculation is rife about whether team mate, BTCC legend Matt Neal, will call it a day or keep racing for another year. The veteran is 54 now, but still shows his speed. We believe Neal will give it one more season before giving the seat up.
Excelr8 Trade Price Cars
Car: Hyundai i30N
Drivers: Jack Butel, TBC, TBC, TBC
Our Predictions: Bobby Thompson, Chris Smiley and Tom Ingram
Excelr8 enjoyed a good season with the Hyundai last season with Senna Proctor and Chris Smiley behind the wheel. They have merged with Trade Price Cars for the 2021 season with a fleet of four Hyundai’s. Smiley is tipped to remain with the team, with Bobby Thompson coming over with Trade Price. Jack Butel is the only confirmed option with Tom Ingram being rumoured to join in a Ginsters liveried Hyundai.
BTC Racing
Car: Honda Civic Type R FK8
Drivers: Josh Cook, Michael Crees, TBC
Our Prediction: Senna Proctor
BTC suffered a challenging season last year, with reliability dragging them down. Cook and Crees remain, with the third seat being vacant. Senna Proctor would be a good signing for the side, with plenty of front wheel drive experience, ability to fight for positions, and has partnered Cook at Power Maxed Racing in 2018, holding his own.
Power Maxed Racing
Car: Vauxhall Astra
Drivers: Jason Plato, TBC
Our Prediction: Rob Austin
Speaking of Power Maxed, they’re hoping to be back full time this season after running several drivers over the course of the 2020 season. BTCC legend Plato is contracted to race for the side, with Rob Austin our tip to return having impressed in his one-off outing with PMR last season.
In any sport it’s an incredible feat to be able to compete whilst having a physical disability. Motorsport is one of those sports where the differences between a driver without a physical impairment and drivers who do, can be highlighted in some areas but can be completely unnoticeable if you weren’t aware of a driver’s disability beforehand.
To mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we decided to talk about a few drivers who are breaking down barriers in racing for those with disabilities.
Alex Zanardi
Having competed in F1 for many years, Alex was competing in the CART World Series at the Lausitzring in 2001. Exiting the pits 12 laps from the end of the race, he lost grip on cold tyres and slid into oncoming traffic, where he was hit by another car at over 200mph. He survived despite losing nearly 75% of his blood volume, but lost both his legs in the crash.
With the use of hand controls Alex went on to race again in the World Touring Car Championship, Blancpain Sprint Series, Spa 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hours, and also made a one-off appearance in DTM in 2018 at Misano. However he made a real name for himself by competing in the Paralympics.
Alex won a handcycling gold and a relay silver in the London 2012 Paralympics (both events taking place at Brands Hatch) and another gold and silver in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, as well as plenty of other accolades in the Para-cycling World Championships.
Unfortunately Alex was involved in a para-cycling road race accident in June of this year, when he lost control of his handbike on a hill and hit an oncoming truck. He suffered severe facial and cranial trauma, and was placed into a medically induced coma.
We all know from the ordeals he’s had to go through that if anyone can overcome this, it’ll be Alex Zanardi. A true hero to disabled people all around the world.
Billy Monger
After great success in karting, Billy Monger was competing at Donington in British F4 in 2017. In race three he collided with a slow moving car and his legs were buried in the wreckage. He was extracted and airlifted to hospital, but unfortunately had to have his legs amputated.
But this didn’t break Billy Whizz’s spirit. With the help of hand controls, Billy returned to single seaters in the 2018 British F3 championship, scoring four podiums and two pole positions to end the season sixth in the standings.
Billy moved up to EuroFormula the following year, where he achieved the seemingly impossible in a wet Pau Grand Prix. Making a clever call to pit for wets on the formation lap, Billy rose through the field to third then held his nerve in the tricky conditions to win after the two leaders collided.
You’ll see Billy as part of Channel 4’s F1 coverage, and he’s expressed interest in joining the new Extreme E off-road electric series for next year. I certainly hope this happens as Monger is one of the most inspiring individuals you could ever know and he deserves to race.
Nathalie McGloin
McGloin is a British racing driver who is also a tetraplegic. She injured her spine in a road traffic accident as a teenager and has been competing in the Porsche Sprint Challenge against able bodied men. She’s the only disabled woman in the whole of the UK to hold a race and rally licence in the UK, and competes with radial hand controls that she pushes forward to brake and backward to accelerate, meaning she steers with one hand at all times!
Not only has she managed many podium finishes in the Porsche championship (including an outright victory at Silverstone in 2018), she’s also the President of the FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission. Definitely deserving of a place on this list.
Perhaps the most well known name on this list. He enjoyed huge success as the first Polish driver in F1, including his famous win with BMW Sauber in 2008. However all that changed in the lead up to the 2011 season.
After testing his new Renault F1 car, Robert entered an amateur rally event and collided with a guardrail, resulting in elbow, shoulder and leg fractures and partially severing his right forearm. He thankfully survived, but the injuries put him out of F1 for the foreseeable future.
Robert stuck to the rallying scene on his road to recovery and won the WRC-2 championship in 2013. But in 2017 he returned to F1 machinery with a Renault test, which ultimately led to a fairytale opportunity to return as a full time driver with Williams for 2019.
He scored their only point of the year at Hockenheim but wasn’t kept on for 2020. Nevertheless seeing Kubica back in F1 did feel right, and he has since took up a position as Alfa Romeo’s development driver while also competing in DTM this year, where he took a podium at Zolder.
Nic Hamilton
The first thing you’d think of is that he’s the brother of a certain seven-time F1 world champion. But the younger Hamilton has been making a name for himself for years.
Nic has had cerebal palsy since birth, resulting in physical impairments his whole life. But having initially gotten a taste for competition on video games (long before Esports was in the mainstream), he started competing in the BTCC-supporting Renault Clio Cup and then in European Touring Cars.
2019 however was when he finally got to where I feel he belonged, British Touring Cars. Seeing someone with cerebal palsy in the headline races on a terrestrial TV channel is incredibly uplifting to witness.
Frédéric Sausset
When on holiday in 2012, businessman and motorsport enthusiast Frédéric contracted a life-threatening infection from a scratch on his finger, which resulted in him becoming a quadruple amputee. However he didn’t let this prevent him from fulfilling his lifelong ambition of racing the 24 hours of Le Mans.
OAK Racing converted one of their LMP2 cars so Frédéric could drive it in the 2016 race. He used a special steering wheel which connected to a prosthetic on his right arm, and he had two thigh operated paddles built into his seat insert for the accelerator and brake.
The result was that Sausset and his teammates entered into the grueling round-the-clock race and finished it. A remarkable achievement and one that cannot even be imaginable for someone in his position, but he did it.
Caleb McDuff
Caleb McDuff (Photo courtesy of Ian McDuff)
Last but not least, Caleb McDuff is a 12-year old kart racer who is profoundly deaf. When he competes in karting, he can’t utilise his implants and so he races in total silence. Which, when you consider how reliant a lot of drivers are on the sound of their vehicle to race, is just incredible to think about.
Not only is Caleb able to compete in karting but he’s actually pretty good. Last year, he won the Super One National Karting Championship’s Honda Cadet category so he’s clearly capable of overcoming his impairments. I would very much hope he’s able to make the step up to cars in the future, whether that be single seaters or tin-tops.
Every single one of these people are so incredibly inspiring and serve as reminders that the human spirit is impenetrable. Whatever the cards you are dealt with in life, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to and we are bound by absolutely nothing. So happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities to you all!
Ash Sutton won his second British Touring Car Championship title as he finished sixth and did enough to take the title from Colin Turkington.
Rory Butcher won the final round of the 2020 championship with Tom Ingram and Jake Hill rounding off the podium in a rainy third race on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit.
The Scotsman took the lead and never lost it as he passed Aiden Moffat and Chris Smiley off the grid. Dan Cammish passed Sutton on the first lap to keep his slim title chances alive.
On lap four Stephen Jelley went off at Druids after a collision with Andy Neate, meaning both ended the season in retirement.
Cammish was driving quickly in his Dynamics Honda as he made a double move on Moffat and Ollie Jackson into Clearways. Meanwhile Turkington was passed by Ingram, who no longer could win the title so was free to race without that added pressure.
Lap 12 and Sutton was on the back of Turkington, but having lost points back at Croft for making a silly overtake, Sutton learned his lesson and was content to sit behind Turkington.
Up front Jake Hill and Josh Cook collided at Clearways, both losing positions with Cook coming off worse, falling from second to sixth. Adam Morgan, in his final race in the Mercedes A Class as Ciceley prepare to bring in a new car for 2021, was passed by Ingram. He was then tapped by Cammish as he made a clumsy move down the inside at Druids.
Hill recovered from his tap with Cook to pass Cammish into third place, while Sutton finally passed Turkington into Paddock after seven laps sat on the BMW’s gearbox.
Sutton then repeated this move as he passed Cook into Paddock for sixth place where he would finish, with Moffat passing Turkington too to compound the BMW driver’s misery.
Butcher cruised to the win in the end, with Ingram and Hill rounding off the podium. Cammish, Morgan, Sutton, Cook, Moffat, Turkington and Ollie Jackson rounded off the top ten.
Sutton took the title, adding to his 2017 triumph to become a double title winner in a hard fought campaign which went all the way to the 30th and final race of this truncated season.
It’s the first time the ToCA provided engine has won the title outright, and Sutton’s Laser Tools Racing is an independent outfit, which only makes Sutton’s victory all the more impressive.
