Stage Set For Season Opener

A host of stars and sensational machinery from every level of the sport are in Birmingham to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Europe’s biggest motorsport show, Autosport International, which opens to the public on Saturday.

Following two industry-focused days, fans of the sport will flock to the NEC on Saturday and Sunday to start the new motorsport season. There, they’ll hear from the likes of 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, FIA World Endurance Championship-winning drivers Allan McNish and Anthony Davidson and recent F1 debutant Will Stevens.

British Touring Car Champions Colin Turkington, Andrew Jordan, Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden will also be present, along with new Audi factory sportscar driver Oliver Jarvis, 2014 GP3 Champion Alex Lynn and former FIA World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff.

Accompanying them, Autosport International will feature exclusive displays, including the popular F1 Racing Grid, which is led by Lewis Hamilton’s World Championship-winning Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid.

The Dunlop MSA BTCC is in the spotlight, with three-time FIA World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx announcing at the show that he’ll return home to join 2014 titlists West Surrey Racing. His new BMW takes pride of place on the Autosport Stage, while former champion Andrew Jordan’s new MG headlines the special BTCC feature.

Fans can also get up close to the Porsche LMP1 919 Hybrid and the Renaultsport R.S. 01, check out 60 Years of Motorsport News and Wales Rally GB features, and inspect a special collection of Track Icons and Wild Road Cars like the Mercedes C11 and Ferrari F40 in a feature presented by Classic & Sports Car Magazine and Silverstone Classic.

Among each show in the Live Action Arena, the UK’s largest indoor racetrack, Solberg will wow fans aboard his ex-WRC Citroën Xsara.

“I started my 2014 season at Autosport International, had a great weekend and ended up winning the FIA World Rallycross Championship, so it’s great to be back in Birmingham,” Solberg, also a former World Rally Champion, said.

“I’m having a blast driving my Citroën Xsara in the Live Action Arena, I can’t wait for the weekend’s shows and catching up with guys like David Coulthard, Anthony Davidson and Allan McNish.”

Under the same roof, the Performance Car Show, presented by Landsail Tyres, in association with Autocar and PistonHeads.com is packed with supercars and high-performance favourites, including the LaFerrari, Lamborghini Huracán, BMW i8 and a special showcase of winners from Wednesday’s What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2015.

Finalists from Autocar’s Britain’s Best Driver’s Cars 2014 will also fire up the Live Action Arena, led by the winning Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ariel Atom 3.5R and McLaren 650S.

Doors open at 9am with adult tickets available for £35, children’s tickets priced from £21 and children under five years admitted for free. For more information, visit www.autosportinternational.com.