Image

Ads help us keep this site online

Motorsport Update – Xmas Special

21st December 2020
Posted by Gateway 97.8

The Covid-19 pandemic caused disruption to all motorsport events as countries around the world implemented lockdowns to slow the spread of the virus.

On the 5th July 2020, F1 launched their season following the cancellation of the Australian GP in March due to the pandemic with a whole new system and a raft of social distancing measures. Valtteri Bottas won the season opener in Austria with McLaren’s Lando Norris finishing 3rd to score a maiden podium.

Below are some highlights of the 2020 F1 season:

  • Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton wins his historic 7th World Championship,
  • Pierre Gasly won his maiden F1 GP at the Italian GP in Monza to claim Alpha Tauri’s first win their since 2008, (Previously known as Toro Rosso),
  • Racing Point’s Sergio Perez takes his maiden GP win in the Sakhir GP,
  • A multi car plieup during after the first saftey car restart at the Tuscan GP on the pit straight,
  • McLaren finishes 3rd for its highest position in the constructors championship since 2012.
  • Haas’s Romain Grosjean survives a horrifying crash at the 2020 Bahrain GP.

Huge congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for winning the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award for 2020.

F1 will also have plenty of driver changes in 2020 with two new confirmed announcements. Yuki Tsunoda will be the first Japanese F1 driver since Kamui Kobayashi when he joins Alpha Tauri in 2021, whilst Sergio Perez signs for Red Bull for 2021 and beyond as he replaces Alex Albon at the team. Perez will partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2020. More news on the F1 2021 driver line ups will be available in the new year.

BTCC

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship launched in August after being delayed 4 months due to the pandemic and what a year it was. 27 races across 9 UK racing circuits, what more could you ask for. The season started at Donnington Park in Leicestershire and finished in Kent at Brands Hatch Indy in November. Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton secured his second BTCC Crown beating WSR Team BMW’s Colin Turkington and Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish in a nail biting contest.

Highlights from the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Include:

  • Motorbase’s Ollie Jackson claiming his maiden BTCC win at Silverstone National in Race 3,
  • Motorbase’s Rory Butcher survives a frightening crash at Silverstone National in Race 3 whilst GKR Trade Price Cars’s Bobby Thompson suffered an airborne crash at Croft in Race 3. (Thompson had to pull out of the season after crash due to injury).,
  • The final lap collision in Race 3 at Snetterton involving Toyota Gazzo Racing UK with Ginsters, Tom Ingram and Motorbase’s Rory Butcher at Murray’s,

In some BTCC Driver News:

  • Jack Butel will switch from Ciercly Motorsport to Excelr8 Trade Price Cars for 2021 driving a Hyundai I30N,
  • Glyn Geedie make his full return to the BTCC in 2020 has he signs for Team Hard, which will be running Seat Cupra Leon’s.

Both motorsport series provided us this year with great thrills and spills during an uncertain year.

We will see you again in January for another motorsport update live on Gateway 97.8. Tune in every Monday from January to listen live to the motorsport update Gateway 97.8 on Daytime with Aston Avery.

Listen to this week’s motorsport update with Charlie and Aston above.