AUTOSPORT International ASI 2014 Live - Sunday
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Bunker
But that's 12 months away, so for now it's goodbye from the AUTOSPORT news bunker (it's as glamorous as the picture suggests, but even less fragrant).
If you've liked the look of AUTOSPORT International but have only been able to follow from afar this year, then you should keep an eye on the show website for full details of and tickets for next year's event in January 2015.
AUTOSPORT Live returns with Race Centre Live coverage from the World Rally Championship-opening Monte Carlo Rally across Thursday to Saturday next week, and then with our usual comprehensive Live coverage of F1 testing starting with the January 28-31 Jerez sessions.
If you want to relive AUTOSPORT International 2014, you can still browse our live blogs from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, or you can watch video highlights from the stage:
AUTOSPORT's YouTube channel
There will also be a comprehensive recap of the show in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine.
AUTOSPORT's YouTube channel
There will also be a comprehensive recap of the show in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine.
Henry Hope-Frost
This is what an AUTOSPORT Stage host looks like as he returns to the bunker for the final time for another 12 months.
He's now celebrating with a Kit-Kat and a coffee, like all champions.
We're pretty sure he didn't have that beard on Thursday morning.
And that's it for the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX at AUTOSPORT International 2014.
The list of guests that host Henry Hope-Frost has interviewed over the past four days stretches well into three figures, headlined of course by John Surtees, Martin Brundle, Adrian Sutil, Max Chilton, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Petter Solberg.
Even though Shaun Hollamby himself admitted that he perhaps wasn't the highest-profile finale, Henry did his best to hype the crowd by introducing the AmD chief as "four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel."
Hollamby duly approximated a Vettel 'victory finger'...
The list of guests that host Henry Hope-Frost has interviewed over the past four days stretches well into three figures, headlined of course by John Surtees, Martin Brundle, Adrian Sutil, Max Chilton, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Petter Solberg.
Even though Shaun Hollamby himself admitted that he perhaps wasn't the highest-profile finale, Henry did his best to hype the crowd by introducing the AmD chief as "four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel."
Hollamby duly approximated a Vettel 'victory finger'...
AmD was a winner in 2013 in the now defunct S2000 class and, with Motorbase looking to develop a satellite operation with Hollamby's outfit, he sees a bright future ahead, especially in the financial sense.
"What will help us massively is we can borrow spares and we can draw on their resources," he says.
"What will help us massively is we can borrow spares and we can draw on their resources," he says.
Caterham stand
Most civilised section of AUTOSPORT International 2014?
We'd nominate the 'hospitality area' of Caterham's sumptuous stand.
It's like a little section of an English living room (clearly from a house owned by a man who's done rather well in Caterham racing) in the middle of the NEC.
AUTOSPORT news editor Glenn Freeman spent a while there earlier in the weekend, to the delight of the Caterham stand staff - who are only allowed to lounge on the sofas when they have guests!
Neil Simpson, Skoda
AUTOSPORT rallies editor David Evans bumped into Neil Simpson on the way into the show earlier in the weekend.
Now probably best known for selling Skodas in Colne, Neil was one of Britain's brightest rallying talents in the late 1990s.
And now he's finally seen sense and brought the best Skoda ever made – the Fabia S2000 – and he's going to be driving it himself.
Simpson's Skoda is on display on the Pirelli stand.
Last up on the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX is AmD boss Shaun Hollamby. Fellow tin-top tearaways Jack Goff and Dan Welch should also be up there with him, but have mysteriously vanished...
Live Action Arena
We're coming to the close of AUTOSPORT International 2014, but the Live Action Arena still has one more show to go.
While the wild stunts and the historic Lotus Formula 1 cars grab a lot of attention, there's some real racing to watch as well.
As well as Smarts, VWs and BMWs from the UK club racing scene, there are F1 and F2 stock cars in proper flat-out action.
You'll notice Alex Lynn is in full Red Bull gear, courtesy of his new deal with the firm behind the rise of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat.
That doesn't phase Lynn, though.
"I think it's been a very aggressive in past years, but if I don't win races I'm going to be more disappointed than Dr [Helmut] Marko," he declares.
"We all race to win and if you don't win, you don't make it to the top.
"If I do win, I stand a very good chance of making it to F1. It's a simple equation."
Lynn's Macau GP win (pictured) was his 2013 highlight, and he admits it was the clincher for Red Bull.
"We were having a few conversations beforehand, but Macau really sealed the deal. It's one of those races that really puts your name in lights."
Alex Lynn
That doesn't phase Lynn, though.
"I think it's been a very aggressive in past years, but if I don't win races I'm going to be more disappointed than Dr [Helmut] Marko," he declares.
"We all race to win and if you don't win, you don't make it to the top.
"If I do win, I stand a very good chance of making it to F1. It's a simple equation."
Lynn's Macau GP win (pictured) was his 2013 highlight, and he admits it was the clincher for Red Bull.
"We were having a few conversations beforehand, but Macau really sealed the deal. It's one of those races that really puts your name in lights."
While four young drivers talk about their prospects of making it to F1, here's a man who is already there talking on the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX earlier today - Adrian Sutil:
British F3 champion Jordan King expects to stay with Carlin to race in the European series this year, though he says some final sponsor details needs to be sorted before the deal is fully done.
It's a change of plan for Harvey this year, though.
He had a successful time in GP3 last season but is now crossing the Atlantic to race in Indy Lights with Sam Schmidt.
Harvey is far from worried about dropping off the F1 ladder. Calado was citing some of the budgets required for F1 seats now, and Harvey is quite comfortable with the prospect of making a career in America instead.
His first oval test is coming up at Homestead shortly.
"People look at it and say you've got two left hand corners, but the team make it clear that the ovals are the hardest part of the season.
"The balance is really hard to get right, and swapping from Europe and not coming from that American school will be hard.
He had a successful time in GP3 last season but is now crossing the Atlantic to race in Indy Lights with Sam Schmidt.
Alex Lynn, Jordan King, Jack Harvey, James Calado
Harvey is far from worried about dropping off the F1 ladder. Calado was citing some of the budgets required for F1 seats now, and Harvey is quite comfortable with the prospect of making a career in America instead.
His first oval test is coming up at Homestead shortly.
"People look at it and say you've got two left hand corners, but the team make it clear that the ovals are the hardest part of the season.
"The balance is really hard to get right, and swapping from Europe and not coming from that American school will be hard.
Calado had some GP Friday practice outings with Force India in late-2013, but is remaining coy about his '14 plans.
Asked if he might get more Force India outings, Calado replies: "I don't know... Maybe... We'll have to see what happens. I'm sure I'll still be involved in Formula 1 and at the races."
Asked if he might get more Force India outings, Calado replies: "I don't know... Maybe... We'll have to see what happens. I'm sure I'll still be involved in Formula 1 and at the races."
Single-seater time again, and four rising British stars: GP2 frontrunner James Calado, Macau F3 GP winner Alex Lynn, 2012 British F3 champion Jack Harvey and his successor Jordan King.
Ford Mondeo
The BTCC stars and their cars have been among the biggest draws all weekend, unsurprisingly, and veterans Plato and Neal have been doing plenty of reminiscing.
Both were around in the Super Touring era, as was this ex-Anthony Reid Ford Mondeo.
One element of AUTOSPORT's Super Touring special last summer was a feature on how the once-mighty category met its demise.
How Super Touring went off the rails
And it's fair to say that this Mondeo is a car people often think of when pondering the end of the era. Prodrive's 2000 Ford effort was famously big-budget, and the car featured little F1-style tweaks like the aerodynamic wheel covers you can see on the rear tyres here. There's none of that in NGTC...
There's another classic late-Super-Touring touch on the car too: the yellow window strip denoting that Reid has not yet made his mandatory pitstop.
Ever wondered who are some of the top touring car drivers' favourite racers? One young member of the audience asked such a question...
Rob Austin: Win Percy; Matt Neal: John Cleland; Jason Plato: Neal(!) and Gilles Villeneuve; Gordon Shedden: Cleland; Andrew Jordan: Neal and Plato. Oh, and Dale Earnhardt.
Rob Austin: Win Percy; Matt Neal: John Cleland; Jason Plato: Neal(!) and Gilles Villeneuve; Gordon Shedden: Cleland; Andrew Jordan: Neal and Plato. Oh, and Dale Earnhardt.
M-Sport Ford 2014
We've been tracking the progress of the 3M stand's livery mission with M-Sport's Ford Fiesta RS WRC through the weekend.
The car began Saturday morning in plain white, and its 2014 colour scheme was steadily applied by the 3M crew in front of the AUTOSPORT International crowd as the event progressed.
When you see it out in the World Rally Championship this year with Mikko Hirvonen and Elfyn Evans, it will look like this.
This is a car show, so there is an abundance of music pounding out of stands.
But one member of the AUTOSPORT team was lured across the hall today by the sound of the iconic opening of New Order's 'Blue Monday' (original 1983 12" version rather than any of the inferior later remixes) earlier today and found it was the Beetle Juice cocktail VW crew that was displaying such good taste.
They flirted with sacrilege by not playing its full 7m32s duration, but followed it with Michael Jackson's 'Don't stop 'til you get enough', which was a sufficiently fresh choice.
Beetle Juice
But one member of the AUTOSPORT team was lured across the hall today by the sound of the iconic opening of New Order's 'Blue Monday' (original 1983 12" version rather than any of the inferior later remixes) earlier today and found it was the Beetle Juice cocktail VW crew that was displaying such good taste.
They flirted with sacrilege by not playing its full 7m32s duration, but followed it with Michael Jackson's 'Don't stop 'til you get enough', which was a sufficiently fresh choice.
Discussion on stage turns to the new estate-shaped Honda Civic which Neal and Shedden will be driving this year.
"Look at that thing over there, that van... thing!" jests Plato, while Neal suggests it looks uncannily similar to the Ecto-1a (Google it) from Ghostbusters!
"Look at that thing over there, that van... thing!" jests Plato, while Neal suggests it looks uncannily similar to the Ecto-1a (Google it) from Ghostbusters!
Honda sidepod
Only a few hours left to go of AUTOSPORT International 2014, but good chances for shopping remain.
The Race to the Finish stand has some very intriguing items that have caught AUTOSPORT's attention this weekend.
Edd Straw was definitely tempted to buy a Chevrolet IndyCar V8 engine (less than £3000!) on Thursday, and there are plenty of chunks of Formula 1 car to use as unusual ornaments as well. Bit of 2007 Honda sidepod, anyone?
Those unruly touring car drivers are back and making a racket in the backstage bunker. Tsk!
Here are Brundle and Surtees discussing the current issues facing aspiring race drivers, particularly those with ambitions of reaching the upper echelons of the sport.
Live Action Arena
The Live Action Arena organisers always try to rustle up some crowd-pleasing random shows, and one of this year's involves... these.
They begin their performance as two car fronts joined back-to-back with a driver at each end, race each other in that bizarre form for a bit, then split in half and do donuts on what we can only really describe as shopping trolley wheels on their cut-off end.
And they're flourescent.
AUTOSPORT Stage with KX host Henry Hope-Frost has invited the crowd to quiz McNish and Kristensen, and the Scot is asked if he really, really does want to retire and there's honestly no other category he fancies racing in.
"I don't want to be in a position to have to put in the effort of full campaigns," McNish replies. "At the moment I've got absolutely no thoughts or desires.
"I'd like to do the Baja [cross country rally] or something similarly off the wall at some point.
"But that's something that's in the heart. Right now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching."
"I don't want to be in a position to have to put in the effort of full campaigns," McNish replies. "At the moment I've got absolutely no thoughts or desires.
"I'd like to do the Baja [cross country rally] or something similarly off the wall at some point.
"But that's something that's in the heart. Right now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching."
McNish
It seems like in the halcyon days of the Kristensen/McNish/Dindo Capello driver combination, Kristensen was the best organised.
McNish admits reports of him spending a lot of time asleep while Kristensen drove them around are close to the mark, and they agree that Capello was prone to getting lost on the way to circuit.
We already know that Porsche is joining Audi and Toyota in LMP1 in 2014, that Nissan is doing the same in '15, and that Ferrari is poised too.
McNish reckons there are "two more manufacturers beyond the ones we already know about" planning to come in as well.
He predicts that 2014-6 will be "very bright" for top level sportscar racing.
"Le Mans brings iconic names back because it's an iconic place."
McNish reckons there are "two more manufacturers beyond the ones we already know about" planning to come in as well.
He predicts that 2014-6 will be "very bright" for top level sportscar racing.
"Le Mans brings iconic names back because it's an iconic place."
McNish and Kristensen are back on the AUTOSPORT main stage and, unlike earlier on today, the Scotsman has figured out how to successfully sit on a chair.
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Moffat admits that the autograph hunters took him by surprise when he joined Britain's highest profile car racing series.
"When you see someone coming up to you with a camera, you turn around to see who's behind you," he says.
"When you see someone coming up to you with a camera, you turn around to see who's behind you," he says.
Aiden Moffat
More British Touring Car Championship chat on stage now as Aiden Moffat talks about becoming the series' youngest-ever racer when he made his debut aged 16 at Knockhill last year. He's switching to the ex-Andy Neate Chevrolet for this year.
Chris Stockton is with Moffat. He's talking about the never-raced RML-build NGTC Chevrolet that he's bringing out in 2014.
The German racer also confirms that Sauber will be attending the first pre-season test in Jerez at the end of the month, describing it as "necessary" for them to clock in as many miles as possible, given the raft of changes this year.
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Sutil says he is looking forward to the season ahead and reckons the performance between the cars will be less dramatic than in previous years.
"I don't think there will be one team that will dominate everything and the midfield will be very close" says Sauber's new driver. "Normally regulation changes are good for the smaller teams to gain positions and to have exceptional results."
"I don't think there will be one team that will dominate everything and the midfield will be very close" says Sauber's new driver. "Normally regulation changes are good for the smaller teams to gain positions and to have exceptional results."
Back to contemporary F1 with Adrian Sutil now on the AUTOSPORT Stage. He was introduced to a Curly Wurly before stepping out in front of the crowd, but politely refused. That's one more for the AUTOSPORT team to munch on...
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Thoughts turn to the impending F1 season, which Brundle believes could be a disorderly affair to begin with.
"There is so much change and so much to learn; I reckon it will be chaotic at the start of the season," he says. "One thing for sure, we're heading to Melbourne with a lot of unknowns."
Surtees, meanwhile, suggests those with the extra-brainpower will capitalise on the changes.
"I think in the early stages it will require the drivers to use their intelligence," says 'Big John'. "Quite the way the driver uses the car and its gizmos adds another dimension and I think it will be quite exciting."
"There is so much change and so much to learn; I reckon it will be chaotic at the start of the season," he says. "One thing for sure, we're heading to Melbourne with a lot of unknowns."
Surtees, meanwhile, suggests those with the extra-brainpower will capitalise on the changes.
"I think in the early stages it will require the drivers to use their intelligence," says 'Big John'. "Quite the way the driver uses the car and its gizmos adds another dimension and I think it will be quite exciting."
AUTOSPORT International 2014
With Martin Brundle and John Surtees talking about their very first steps in racing (banger racing for Brundle and club motorcycle racing for Surtees, who needed his £5 of prize money to buy petrol), it seems like a good chance to reiterate the wealth of opportunities for getting involved in racing at AUTOSPORT International.
The MSA's Go Motorsport initiative and many of the country's leading racing clubs have stands here, showing off the many possibilities for getting on the grid.
Motorsport is rarely genuinely cheap, but if there's anywhere in the world where you can find out how to race on the most limited of budgets, it's ASI.
Brundle
The duo are currently discussing the current issues facing young aspiring drivers, namely the importance of money to fund their racing endeavours.
"There are opportunities out there - Red Bull and the Racing Steps Foundation are doing a good job - but there needs to be a change for youngsters to be able to come through," says Surtees.
"It's not exclusive to this sport," counters Brundle. "But on talent alone, you have to be absolutely outstanding to get anywhere. Budgets are now a necessity, unfortunately."
And so begins the afternoon session of interviews, and who better to begin than two giants of the sport - John Surtees and Martin Brundle.
Live Action Arena
After their most recent AUTOSPORT Stage with KX appearance, the McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalists once again had to hurry back over to the Live Action Arena, where they are performing throughout the weekend.
The sextet are let loose in Caterhams around the indoor course, but are not technically allowed to race or show off too much.
They have confessed that things do get a bit "lairy"...
We're also eager to find out if 2013 winner Matt Parry has got around to trying a donut yet.
We understand that in rehearsals at the start of the weekend they were all egging each other on to misbehave during the show. Pressure was on Parry as designated pack leader, but he realised he hadn't actually tried a donut before, so went over to the Caterham Experience to get some lessons.
Wonder if he's put them into practice yet...? The final show of the afternoon might be one to watch.
By: Dan Cross, Matt Beer
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