AUTOSPORT International ASI 2014 Live - Thursday
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AMR-One
Richards also addressed the failure of Aston Martin's bid to win Le Mans outright with its shortlived AMR-One LMP1 project in 2011.
"We had to be realistic in the end and we didn't have the resources and budget to do it," he said.
"We couldn't spend what Toyota, Audi and in those days Peugeot were. A small company like Aston Martin is never going to be able to have the funds to challenge them.
"That's not to say it might not be possible again at some point in the future. But let's concentrate on GT for the moment."
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Andy Priaulx
As for his USC prospects, Priaulx (here testing at Sebring) says he is honoured to have been retained as a works BMW driver.
"It's very exciting to be a works driver, and I think the move will be really good for me and my career.
"As a sportscar championship I think the USC has a lot of potential. They seem to have merged the classes and that means massive grids – what everyone wants to see – and a lot of big manufacturers all taking it very seriously.
"On top of that you go to some fantastic circuits, and it seems to have a great atmosphere. It is as tough as you’ll get anywhere."
Ex-Formula 1 driver and MotorSport Vision chief Jonathan Palmer is now on stage. He says ticket sales for events at his UK circuits were good in 2013, and one of the keys to his year was launching the BRDC F4 series.
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Andy Priaulx
Three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx is our next guest, who will be switching DTM for USC machinery in 2014.
"DTM is awesome, and I’m really pleased I had a few years to enjoy that. It came arguably at the wrong side of my career, but I'm pleased I contributed as we developed the car and won in our first year.
"You have to do a good job in every session, the cars are very sensitive on set-up, and you’re racing against guys who have been there for many years.
"What makes it so tough is that it is so, so close – one tenth can be the difference between top six and 18th."
Prodrive chief David Richards reveals that his company is likely to have a role in Formula E. It isn't on the initial list of 10 teams, but some of those squads are likely to be looking for technical partners...
"We're interested in it two-fold, from an involvement point of view - and we will be announcing something about that next month - and the technology side and our engineering division. We've got quite a bit of technology that's appropriate to that."
"We're interested in it two-fold, from an involvement point of view - and we will be announcing something about that next month - and the technology side and our engineering division. We've got quite a bit of technology that's appropriate to that."
Jason Plato believes he and MG let the 2013 BTCC title 'get away' as Andrew Jordan took a maiden crown:
Plato 'should have won' 2013 title
Plato 'should have won' 2013 title
The bunker isn't glamorous, but it does provide a great opportunity to see the guests mingling before and after their interview slots.
David Richards just came off stage and bumped straight into Andy Priaulx, who will now be coming up against Prodrive's Aston Martins in his new role as a BMW GT driver. A fascinating discussion about the state of play in sportscars ensued.
David Richards just came off stage and bumped straight into Andy Priaulx, who will now be coming up against Prodrive's Aston Martins in his new role as a BMW GT driver. A fascinating discussion about the state of play in sportscars ensued.
Rejoicing in the AUTOSPORT International backstage bunker as an influx of chairs arrives, making this possibly the first year in recent show history that the whole news team can sit down to work.
New for 2014, we'll be running videos from the AUTOSPORT stage in our Live blog.
First up is M-Sport chief Malcolm Wilson, who spoke to our host Henry Hope-Frost about signing Robert Kubica for this year's World Rally Championship.
First up is M-Sport chief Malcolm Wilson, who spoke to our host Henry Hope-Frost about signing Robert Kubica for this year's World Rally Championship.
Next to join Henry Hope-Frost on the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX is Prodrive chief David Richards, whose organisation is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month.
Tractor
We all like seeing super fast racing machinery up close, but equally AUTOSPORT International can throw up a few little gems that don't quite have that same attraction of pure speed.
Every year Coys holds an auction of cars and motor racing memorabilia with the items on display to show attendees throughout the weekend.
One item that caught AUTOSPORT's Jonathan Noble's attention boasts a top speed of just 20 km/h – but he "would still love to have it if I had a back garden big enough."
It's an Allgaier Porsche AP22 tractor from 1952, which produces a whopping 22 bhp. It is expected to fetch around £8000.
The badge on the back is brilliant though and would be sure to raise a wry smile for anyone stuck behind it on narrow country roads.
The 2014 KX Akademy crop – announced today – are now on stage. This year’s scheme is supporting BTCC star Sam Tordoff, Ginetta GT4 Supercup racer David Pittard, and Clio Cup trio Ash Hand, Alex Morgan, and Ant Whorton-Eales.
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If you want an insight into the thinking behind the KX Akademy, here's frontman Plato's view:
"We have a wealth of talent in the UK. A lot of the potentially great drivers just don't have that final bit of budget to get themselves in the right place at the right time.
"But we don't want to be the sole provider of the budget. If a driver can't find his own sponsors he's not going anywhere in motorsport.
"We want to discover young up and coming talents who put in the effort to make it work."
"We have a wealth of talent in the UK. A lot of the potentially great drivers just don't have that final bit of budget to get themselves in the right place at the right time.
"But we don't want to be the sole provider of the budget. If a driver can't find his own sponsors he's not going anywhere in motorsport.
"We want to discover young up and coming talents who put in the effort to make it work."
Today and tomorrow are AUTOSPORT International's trade days, before the show opens to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
Full details and tickets on the show website.
Full details and tickets on the show website.
Plato has been joined on stage by his fellow judges on the panel for the KX Akademy that supports young drivers. Team boss Danny Buxton, AUTOSPORT's Kevin Turner and Motorsport News's Matt James are explaining the judging process, and how it's about far more than just being quick behind the wheel.
Breaking news
Here's the full story of how Robert Kubica has already wowed the M-Sport WRC team:
M-Sport already stunned by Kubica
M-Sport already stunned by Kubica
Jason Plato is now on the AUTOSPORT main stage. He's started off by talking about the British Touring Car Championship, and says he believes that he "let the title slip away" in 2013.
He's also warned his rivals that his Triple Eight team has made improvements to the MG package for 2014.
He's also warned his rivals that his Triple Eight team has made improvements to the MG package for 2014.
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WRC 2013
And asked about Ford's WRC interests, Quinn said the door is still open to a full manufacturer return.
"Never say never.
"We are still very much involved anyway - we're in close contact with the sport, and obviously we have the Fiesta running. So we're still very much involved even if we aren’t running our own team."
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Quinn, head of Ford Racing in Europe, said interest in the new-look series was increasing.
"At this stage this year we have a lot more interest [compared to 2013].
"We're very lucky to have such a competitive package that allows us to be on TV and stay affordable.
"We have several teams expressing an interest in coming in, so we’re looking at a stronger 2014".
"At this stage this year we have a lot more interest [compared to 2013].
"We're very lucky to have such a competitive package that allows us to be on TV and stay affordable.
"We have several teams expressing an interest in coming in, so we’re looking at a stronger 2014".
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Formula Ford chiefs Gerard Quinn and Roleant de Waard are next up on stage, and both laud the series' 2013 'slicks and wings' switch.
"If you look at the amount of consumers today, we've adapted to the market and that says slicks and wings are what people want," Quinn said.
"We've also focused heavily on costs, and kept it possible for privateers to race. It's still very much an introductory category, but as a manufacturer pioneering the latest technology is important to us."
Roleant de Waard added: "In the old days you had much more time to develop as a race driver.
"Now the guys and girls coming out of karting don't want to do six or seven steps, so we accelerated it and there was clearly a demand for that. That was absolutely the right decision."
"If you look at the amount of consumers today, we've adapted to the market and that says slicks and wings are what people want," Quinn said.
"We've also focused heavily on costs, and kept it possible for privateers to race. It's still very much an introductory category, but as a manufacturer pioneering the latest technology is important to us."
Roleant de Waard added: "In the old days you had much more time to develop as a race driver.
"Now the guys and girls coming out of karting don't want to do six or seven steps, so we accelerated it and there was clearly a demand for that. That was absolutely the right decision."
Malcolm Wilson
The third member of Wilson's WRC line-up this year is top-class rookie Elfyn Evans.
The Welshman graduates after running Kubica close at times in WRC2 last year and finishing a superb sixth on a one-off in a World Rally Car in Sardinia.
No pressure on Evans yet, though, as Wilson emphasises on stage that the priority for him this year is to finish rallies and gain mileage.
March
Here's some STP March 711 fever that AUTOSPORT features editor Kevin Turner encountered on his way in earlier.
This also marks the first time that Turner has successfully used a 21st century mobile phone that does things like taking pictures and emailing them. Congratulations to Kevin.
M-Sport is also welcoming Mikko Hirvonen back into its fold this year after his two seasons at Citroen, which didn't turn out as either party hoped.
Wilson says reviving Hirvonen's morale will be the key.
"He's had a difficult couple of years. I just hope that we can get him back to winnning ways.
"What I want to see from Mikko is him smiling at the end of a stage. We haven't seen that for the last few years.
"He ran Sebastien Loeb close for the championship on a couple of occasions and I hope that by bringing him back we can relight the touchpaper."
Wilson says reviving Hirvonen's morale will be the key.
"He's had a difficult couple of years. I just hope that we can get him back to winnning ways.
"What I want to see from Mikko is him smiling at the end of a stage. We haven't seen that for the last few years.
"He ran Sebastien Loeb close for the championship on a couple of occasions and I hope that by bringing him back we can relight the touchpaper."
Malcolm Wilson admits that, as revealed by AUTOSPORT at the time, Kubica came close to an M-Sport deal last year before opting for Citroen for his WRC2 campaign.
But that wasn't the first time Kubica popped up to M-Sport's Dovenby Hall base in Cumbria...
"He actually visited M-Sport about four years ago, even before his accident, so he's always been very interested in rallying.
"Even when he was doing Formula 1, he was probably doing more rallies than people realised."
But that wasn't the first time Kubica popped up to M-Sport's Dovenby Hall base in Cumbria...
"He actually visited M-Sport about four years ago, even before his accident, so he's always been very interested in rallying.
"Even when he was doing Formula 1, he was probably doing more rallies than people realised."
Honda BTCC 2014
While Wilson is on stage, AUTOSPORT's roving reporters have been checking out Honda's new BTCC Civic Tourer estate, which is near the main stage in Birmingham.
Team boss Steve Neal says the project has gone well so far.
"It was straight forward," he told AUTOSPORT. "Just the extra bodywork and changing the rear splitter.
"We've pretty much lost the extra weight as well."
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Malcolm Wilson is effusive about his first impressions of working with Robert Kubica.
"What's really shocked me is the amount of dedication and commitment that he puts into it.
"As an example, with the restrictons on his arm, he was at the workshop till 11pm the other night working with the engineers to reconfigure the handbrake and gearshift mechanism.
"For Rally GB he'd actually made his pacenotes by video before the event, which is very unusual."
"What's really shocked me is the amount of dedication and commitment that he puts into it.
"As an example, with the restrictons on his arm, he was at the workshop till 11pm the other night working with the engineers to reconfigure the handbrake and gearshift mechanism.
"For Rally GB he'd actually made his pacenotes by video before the event, which is very unusual."
Robert Kubica isn't here this weekend, but he's provided a video message for the fans that is playing out prior to his new boss Malcolm Wilson taking to the stage.
Henry
AUTOSPORT Stage with KX host Henry Hope-Frost heads out to address the crowd for the first time this weekend.
Among the guests he will be interviewing today are Prodrive chief David Richards, M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson, 2003 World Rally champion Petter Solberg, sportscar-bound Andy Priaulx, MotorSport Vision chief Jonathan Palmer, ex-Formula 1 designer Nick Wirth, racing returnee and former Formula 2 champion Dean Stoneman and 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack.
Postbox
The motor racing world has been united in its sadness over Michael Schumacher's skiing accident that has left him with serious head injuries.
AUTOSPORT has been inundated with fans' well wishes for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion – and there have been many requests on how best to send messages of support to the German and his family.
On the back of that, AUTOSPORT has set up a special box near the main stage this weekend so fans can drop off their cards, messages and letters, which will be collected and then sent on.
Schumacher remains in a stable but still critical condition in hospital, with everyone hoping for more positive news over the next few weeks.
First guest on the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX this morning will be M-Sport chief Malcolm Wilson at 10.30am.
He'll be talking to our host Henry Hope-Frost about signing Robert Kubica for the 2014 World Rally Championship, plus masterminding Bentley's return to top-level sportscar racing.
He'll be talking to our host Henry Hope-Frost about signing Robert Kubica for the 2014 World Rally Championship, plus masterminding Bentley's return to top-level sportscar racing.
Throughout the four days of the event we'll be bringing you all the news from the car and team launches around the hall, plus snippets from the on-stage interviews and video highlights.
ASI
Welcome to AUTOSPORT Live's coverage of AUTOSPORT International 2014, brought to you as it happens from the backstage bunker and around the hall at the world's premier motorsport exhibition.
By: Matt Beer, Sam Tremayne, Glenn Freeman
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