AUTOSPORT International ASI 2014 Live - Sunday

Still a few more chances today to catch the Live Action Arena show.

Here are hosts David Croft and Pollyanna Woodward with some hints of what to expect:

Peugeot 205 T16

At least a James Hunt t-shirt was both available to buy and within David Evans's price range (ish).

The regular (frankly any excuse) appearance of the Peugeot 205 T16 WRC car in feature illustrations on AUTOSPORT might owe something to one member of the newsdesk's 205 obsession.

Over in the PistonHeads area, there's a roadgoing T16, but it's not for sale and even if it was it would be beyond AUTOSPORT's wages and family tolerance. As would the Ford RS200 next to it (just in case we fancied pretending to be Martin Schanche).

So we just had to stare in respectful silence.

M-Sport

Speaking of rallying, M-Sport has had a heavy presence here this weekend.

Its new star signing Robert Kubica couldn't be here at AUTOSPORT International so sent a video message for the crowd that he recorded after his amazing Janner Rally win last weekend.

Kubica snatches last-gasp ERC win

Team chief Malcolm Wilson was full of praise for Kubica when he appeared on the main stage, while the Ford Fiesta RS WRC that the Pole will drive under the Lotos banner this year has pride of place on our display.

M-Sport already amazed by Kubica

Around the corner, M-Sport's other WRC colour scheme has been taking shape in front of show visitors.

Yesterday the Fiesta on automotive wrap firm 3M's stand was in plain white livery. By the end of the day it was freshly bedecked in the colours that Mikko Hirvonen and Elfyn Evans will carry in this year's WRC.

Here's a shot of the work in progress yesterday lunchtime, and we'll show you the finished product later.

T-shirt

AUTOSPORT rallies editor David Evans doesn't just shop for mud-related motorsport merchandise:

"Now, a dilemma... should we spend £34.99 on a James Hunt t-shirt? It's not hard is it?

"I now have 1p instead of £35 in my wallet. But I also have quite possibly the most fever t-shirt at the show."

With the news that live World Rally Championship action is returning to UK television screens, you may well see that t-shirt appearing in the background at stage ends as our rally expert joins the scrums around the drivers.

KX is the sponsor of the AUTOSPORT International main stage this year and is also playing a massive role in nurturing young tin-top and GT talent in the UK.

This video explains more about the KX Akademy scheme and features the graduates on stage this weekend:

Greg Moore

AUTOSPORT's Matt Beer just grabbed some of Adrian Sutil's time for some thoughts on F1 2013 and '14 that will appear in these pages over the coming weeks, including driver numbers.

Sutil hadn't realised that his choice of #99 was Greg Moore's CART number and was thrilled to find out.

He's a big supporter of the move to permanent numbers and the possibilities it offers, and sharing the #99 of "a driver I really admired when I was growing up" left Sutil beaming.

BRDC

The six McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award are next up, all in their nice pristine racesuits.

Inaugural BRDC Formula 4 champion Jake Hughes says he is proud of what he achieved last year - and rightly so - with a subtle hint that he is perhaps eyeing a move to Formula Renault NEC.

Charlie Robertson is expected to join BRDC F4 rivals Hughes and Seb Morris into FR NEC, while Jack Aitken is expected to chase the coveted Formula Renault 2.0 crown in 2014.

Speaking of the Live Action Arena, David Croft and Pollyanna Woodward are now on the AUTOSPORT Stage to promote the indoor event. The Sky Sports F1 commentator says he is looking forward to the season ahead.

"Last year wasn't all that great, but 2014 will be a lot, lot different," he tells the audience. "I think F1 needs a change and I think - and hope - that Red Bull will come under intense pressure from the likes of Mercedes and McLaren."

Shane Lynch

Look who we have spotted taking an interest in the plethora of automotive eye-candy dotted around the Birmingham NEC - it's none other than Boyzone singer and proficient drift car driver Shane Lynch.

The Irishman has been sliding his Japspeed Nissan around the Live Action Arena all weekend. His poor tyres...

Plato and Neal are joking about their many, many spats on and off-track. They reckon that about "80 per cent" of the animosity is real!

They're getting on just fine this weekend, but Shedden reminds the crowd that "it's only January."

And it's not just limited to Plato and Neal, as the former points to Jordan and promises "you're going to get some too!"

Honda Estate

Neal is asked about Honda's switch to the Civic Tourer shape for 2014, which brings the estate concept back to the BTCC for the first time since Volvo's infamous 1994 car.

He admits that Honda's marketing desire for "something quirky" was behind it but is utterly confident that it will be quick enough.

We've seen the drawings for months, and the car is here in the flesh at AUTOSPORT International.

It was one of the first things we were keen to see when we arrived here 300 years ago (or on Thursday morning, one of the two), and AUTOSPORT's verdict was that it doesn't look as outrageously oversized as you might've feared.

It's certainly going to be an intriguing addition to the grid.

Champion Andrew Jordan alludes to the very juicy gossip sweeping AUTOSPORT International 2014 when he mentions that given rumours about who might appear in the series, it could be "one of the best in history."

Motorbase is the team at the centre of this talk. AUTOSPORT understands that it has been in touch with some former champions.

Rob Austin

Austin had some good news to reveal this weekend.

After his breakthrough 2013 campaign, the loss of last year's title sponsor WIX raised some question marks, but he's been able to announce new backing from Exocet and intends to have two Audis on track again in '14.

Austin tells the crowd he's looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight. The social side of AUTOSPORT International can be pretty heavy for some racing drivers.

Plato declines the offer of a chair because a sitting posture will "show my winter belly".

Because Plato isn't sitting down, Neal won't either...

Backstage has just become unruly: it's full of touring car drivers.

Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato, Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden and Rob Austin are about to head out to meet the crowd.

Terry Grant

Stunt driver Terry Grant is a Live Action Arena stalwart, and has been donut-ing his way around the hall relentlessly again this year.

His 2014 trick is to set his Legend up spinning by itself, climb out of it, run across to the crowd, pinch a spectator's camera, climb back into his pirouetting car, then film the rest of his donut display from the cockpit with the camera he has just commandeered.

Grant raises the stakes further by donut-ing around the compere of this section of the show - a move that has got literally too close for comfort on at least one occasion this weekend.

Kristensen reckons Mark Webber will revel in his return to endurance racing with Porsche.

"Mark is a sportscar driver and we just lent him out to Formula 1 for a few years," says the nine-time Le Mans winner. "He'll fit in again and maybe he'll have a better time with Porsche than he did in F1 in the final years.

"It'll be a grand battle between us (Audi) and Porsche."

Alfa Romeo 156

One burgeoning national racing series that meets with AUTOSPORT's approval is the HSCC's Super Touring Trophy.

Earlier this week we revealed that the championship would support the current BTCC at Oulton Park in June, while yesterday 1997-2000 BTCC superstar Anthony Reid promised our features editor Kevin Turner that if he found a 1998 Nissan Primera on good tyres, he'd be up for doing the race and trying to beat the 2014 BTCC pole time!

Here's a Super Touring car we never saw racing in the BTCC: the Alfa Romeo 156, as used by Fabrizio Giovanardi and others in Italy.

Alfa famously took the BTCC by storm with Gabriele Tarquini and the 155 in 1994, but was gone by the start of '96.

For more Super Touring nostalgia, check out the special feature package we ran last August.

Asked who might replace McNish as his team-mate this season, Kristensen jovially replies: "There's no new McNish, and thank god for that. I have only heard one name bandied around as a replacement and that's Dindo Capello!"

McNish takes it more seriously: "Anyone in the current Audi driver pool would be a good replacement."

AUTOSPORT International doesn't just offer massive diversity in terms of motors, but also in terms of shopping.

You can, for example, buy spend hundreds of pounds on a lovely Caracalla leather bag. And then you can pop to the stand next door and buy a metre of 12mm split tubing for £1.

Here's the video of the first of Adrian Sutil's AUTOSPORT Stage with KX appearances of the day:

McNish is waxing lyrical about his love of the Circuit de la Sarthe. It's fair to say he's going to miss pounding round the place now he's retired from sportscar racing.

"When I went in 1997 for the first time, the hairs on the back on my neck where standing on end." said the Scotsman. "It's unlike any other circuit in the world and once it's in your veins, it's impossible for it to get out."

The crowd - a dozen-deep - can't help but stifle their guffaws as Allan McNish makes hard work of trying to sit on a chair.

Tom Kristensen's feet

Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish will be joining us on the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX shortly.

The Dane's feet have been the subject of plenty of backstage conversation this weekend, as he has accompanied his sharp suit with a pair of classic Adidas trainers, which AUTOSPORT respects.

Other sartorial observations from the weekend so far: we liked Corvette sportscar star Oliver Gavin's shirt, and that Caterham F1 team protege Will Stevens chose a particularly... intriguing... shade of blue for his suit jacket.

After spending his whole Formula 1 career so far at various incarnations of what is now Force India, Sutil is heading for Sauber this season.

He tells the AUTOSPORT International crowd why he was ready for a change, and the advantages of working with his new employer.

"It's a refreshing change. I had a good time with Force India for many years.

Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil

"I started in 2006 as a test driver when it was the Midland team. The car was 3s off the pace, and always second to last or last.

"We brought the car up to the front, and sometimes almost on the podium. I was on the front row at Monza and had fastest lap in 2009, and my team-mate [Giancarlo] Fisichella was on the podium at Spa. We had good results and a very good time.

"I felt it was time for a change for me. New team, new regulations, new car and it's very close to home - just a one-hour drive from where I am in Switzerland.

"I can speak German there, and use my time more efficiently.

"I hope to start the season as Sauber finished it, that would already be quite a good success.

"Force India and Sauber have been fighting against each other for quite a few years. Last year Force India started strong, it finished a bit more difficult and it was hard to get into the top 10, whereas Sauber was very strong at the end, so let's see.

"From my point of view, hopefully Sauber will be in front of Force India this year."

Back to F1 2014, and Sutil jokes that a V6 engine isn't his absolute preference in life...

"My priority engines are V12, not V6. It's just half the size!

"But that's the way we're going, and it'll be good to have much more economic engines."

Sutil's appearance starts with happy birthday wishes. He turned 31 yesterday.

Back to Formula 1 now, and our second member of the 'class of 2014' to visit AUTOSPORT International 2014.

We'll have Sauber's new signing Adrian Sutil on stage in just a moment.

Kx Akademy

Ash Hand - the youngest of the KX Akademy graduates at 19 - confirms he will be competing in the Renault Clio Cup with Scuderia Vittoria this year.

Joining him will be Anthony Whorton-Eales and Alex Morgan, who made his comeback to racing in 2013 after several years out of the sport.

David Pittard steps up from the GT5 Challenge Category to the GT4 Supercup.

A little retro gem that caught AUTOSPORT's eye while wandering around the hall.

Classic Team Lotus

This massive banner depicts Colin Chapman with his Lotus team and drivers Nigel Mansell and Elio de Angelis lined up for a promotional event at Brands Hatch in 1981 (we reckon, based on a squint at the cars).

The Classic Team Lotus stand offers a wonderful snapshot of the marque's greatest days.

A gaggle of KX-backed drivers have just arrived on stage, led by GT Supercup champion Tom Ingram who has recently graduated from the scheme which aims to assist young British drivers in touring and sportscar racing.

A very special video from the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX earlier this morning.

Martin Brundle gives his thoughts on his friend and 1992 Benetton F1 team-mate Michael Schumacher's recent accident, his recovery chances and how the seven-time champion's character had changed in recent years - including developing a love of skydiving.

A show guest asks Surtees why his Durex-sponsored F1 car isn't part of the exhibition, which he puts down to AUTOSPORT's shyness!

Vern Schuppan, Surtees

That leads to a reminisce about his first meetings with London Rubber Company about what was at the time a highly-controversial deal, and the assurances he sought about making sure promotions related to the branding were dignified - "despite the excitement that it might create".

Here's a shot of the 1977 Durex Surtees being driven by Vern Schuppan at that year's Austrian Grand Prix.

Last month, AUTOSPORT broke the news that Ferrari was taking a serious look at an LMP1 programme and its first bid for outright Le Mans 24 Hours victory in four decades.

Surtees took part in Ferrari's sportscar programmes while racing for its F1 team in the 1960s.

While he says he would welcome the sight of a Ferrari LMP1, he hopes it would not detract from Ferrari's F1 efforts - admitting that he used to resent how much attention the Le Mans programme required in his day.

Surtees MV Agusta

And here is the MV Agusta that Surtees rode to the 1960 500cc world title. This is one of an array of bikes and cars from his career that you can see in the special exhibition at AUTOSPORT International.