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WE’RE READY… WE’EWE’R’R’RERE R RE TO DEFEND OUR BTCC 2020 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES! RIVERS CHAMAMPIO BTCC 2 20 DR 020 D 20 ND H BTCC 2 INDEP ASHASHASASA PEN SH T DANT BTCC 2020 DRIVERS CHAMPION & INDEPENDANT DRIVERS CHAMPION ASH SUTTON HS H SUTTSUTT S CHAM TTO BTCC 2020 INDEPENDENT TEAM’S CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER LASER TOOLS RACING LASER TOOLS RACING TEAM LINE UP NOW HAS THREE DRIVERS FOR THE 2021 SEASON! Carl Boardley • Aiden Moffat • Ash Sutton www.lasertoolsracing.co.uk FOLLOW US
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POOL FIA The little things Lewis is getting right that Max needs to address Max Verstappen did the fastest laps in both qualifying and the race at the Algarve Circuit last weekend, but he didn’t start from pole position and he didn’t set fastest lap. And he didn’t win either. Red Bull and many fans are frustrated by the track limits rules, but it’s not a problem that’s going to go away. It’s irritating, but it’s a small price to pay for safer circuits. And they need to be policed so drivers don’t take advantage of them, which has happened many times before. As Alex Kalinauckas points out on page 14, Verstappen needs to cut out those sorts of errors. They’re minor but they have already cost him 15 points in his fight with Lewis Hamilton – the 14-point swing in Bahrain after he had to hand the lead back to the Mercedes, and the lost point for fastest lap in the Portuguese Grand Prix (a rubbish rule, but that’s for another time!). Hamilton is only eight points ahead… By contrast, Hamilton bounced back after his restart snafu to take another victory that at times looked unlikely, and overcame many challenges to do so (p16). Red Bull and Verstappen need to make the most of their new-found competitiveness s00n, and surely the aerodependent nature of the Barcelona circuit this weekend will provide the perfect opportunity for the RB16B to equal the score in 2021. The British Touring Car Championship also finally kicks off at Thruxton this weekend. Turn to page 46 for Marcus Simmons’s guide on what – and who – to look out for. Kevin Turner Chief Editor kevin.turner@autosport.com NEXT WEEK 13 MAY Spanish GP and BTCC Report from Barcelona and all the Thruxton tin-top action HAVE YOUR SAY, GET IN TOUCH Autosport editorial Autosport Media UK Ltd 1 Eton Street Richmond TW9 1AG @ E-mail autosport@ autosport.com Visit our website autosport.com Twitter twitter.com/ autosport Facebook facebook.com/ autosport Instagram instagram.com/ autosport YouTube youtube.com/ AUTOSPORTdotcom COVER IMAGES Steven Tee/ Motorsport Images PIT & PADDOCK 4 Penske joins Porsche for Le Mans 6 Turkish GP replaces Canada 8 Formula E targets race in Vancouver 11 Obituary: Bobby Unser 13 Spanish Grand Prix preview 14 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas 15 Opinion: Charles Bradley RACE CENTRE 16 Portuguese GP report and analysis 32 Toyota wins as new WEC era begins 38 IndyCar: Dixon, O’Ward share honours 43 World of Sport: Euroformula Open; NASCAR Cup; MotoGP INSIGHT 46 BTCC preview: Shedden’s return 52 BTCC preview: the rise of Ciceley 56 BTCC preview: things to watch 60 FIA F3 preview: Vesti and ART’s challenge CLUB AUTOSPORT 70 Strong CityCup gets GT support slot 72 Moss to be celebrated at Goodwood 74 Turner back behind wheel a er crash 75 Opinion: Stefan Mackley 76 National reports: Donington Park; Thruxton; Brands Hatch; Mallory Park; Castle Combe 84 TOCA supports preview FINISHING STRAIGHT 86 What’s on this week 88 From the archive: 1972 Belgian GP 90 In defence of: balance of performance SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 26 Special deals for Autosport VISIT AUTOSPORT.COM For other ways to read Britain’s best motorsport weekly 6 MAY 2021 AUTOSPORT.COM 3

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POOL

FIA

The little things Lewis is getting right that Max needs to address

Max Verstappen did the fastest laps in both qualifying and the race at the Algarve Circuit last weekend, but he didn’t start from pole position and he didn’t set fastest lap. And he didn’t win either.

Red Bull and many fans are frustrated by the track limits rules, but it’s not a problem that’s going to go away. It’s irritating, but it’s a small price to pay for safer circuits. And they need to be policed so drivers don’t take advantage of them, which has happened many times before.

As Alex Kalinauckas points out on page 14, Verstappen needs to cut out those sorts of errors. They’re minor but they have already cost him 15 points in his fight with Lewis Hamilton – the 14-point swing in Bahrain after he had to hand the lead back to the Mercedes, and the lost point for fastest lap in the Portuguese Grand Prix (a rubbish rule, but that’s for another time!). Hamilton is only eight points ahead…

By contrast, Hamilton bounced back after his restart snafu to take another victory that at times looked unlikely, and overcame many challenges to do so (p16). Red Bull and Verstappen need to make the most of their new-found competitiveness s00n, and surely the aerodependent nature of the Barcelona circuit this weekend will provide the perfect opportunity for the RB16B to equal the score in 2021.

The British Touring Car Championship also finally kicks off at Thruxton this weekend. Turn to page 46 for Marcus Simmons’s guide on what – and who – to look out for.

Kevin Turner Chief Editor kevin.turner@autosport.com

NEXT WEEK

13 MAY Spanish GP and BTCC Report from Barcelona and all the Thruxton tin-top action

HAVE YOUR SAY, GET IN TOUCH

Autosport editorial Autosport Media UK Ltd

1 Eton Street Richmond

TW9 1AG

@ E-mail autosport@ autosport.com

Visit our website autosport.com

Twitter twitter.com/ autosport

Facebook facebook.com/

autosport

Instagram instagram.com/

autosport

YouTube youtube.com/ AUTOSPORTdotcom

COVER IMAGES Steven Tee/ Motorsport Images

PIT & PADDOCK 4 Penske joins Porsche for Le Mans 6 Turkish GP replaces Canada 8 Formula E targets race in Vancouver 11 Obituary: Bobby Unser 13 Spanish Grand Prix preview 14 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas 15 Opinion: Charles Bradley

RACE CENTRE 16 Portuguese GP report and analysis 32 Toyota wins as new WEC era begins 38 IndyCar: Dixon, O’Ward share honours 43 World of Sport: Euroformula Open; NASCAR Cup; MotoGP

INSIGHT 46 BTCC preview: Shedden’s return 52 BTCC preview: the rise of Ciceley 56 BTCC preview: things to watch 60 FIA F3 preview: Vesti and ART’s challenge

CLUB AUTOSPORT 70 Strong CityCup gets GT support slot 72 Moss to be celebrated at Goodwood 74 Turner back behind wheel a er crash 75 Opinion: Stefan Mackley 76 National reports: Donington Park; Thruxton; Brands Hatch; Mallory Park; Castle Combe 84 TOCA supports preview

FINISHING STRAIGHT 86 What’s on this week 88 From the archive: 1972 Belgian GP 90 In defence of: balance of performance

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 26 Special deals for Autosport

VISIT AUTOSPORT.COM For other ways to read Britain’s best motorsport weekly

6 MAY 2021 AUTOSPORT.COM 3

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