WITHAM GROUP NEWS

Exciting F4 and BTCC opening weekend ahead for Motul at Thruxton

As the long awaited BTCC package returns to our TV screens this weekend, Motul’s involvement will be at a higher level than ever before, with both its partnerships with Speedworks and Toyota Gazoo Racing UK and with Formula 4 its new status as mandated lubricant selection for the series. 

Motul-sponsored Toyota Gazoo Racing UK stand ready for the opening three rounds of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, Hampshire this weekend (8-9 May).

Run by the title-winning Speedworks Motorsport, the team’s pair of Toyota Corollas – featuring a striking new colour scheme in Motul’s branding for the season ahead – head south to the 3.1-mile circuit – ‘the fastest in the UK’ – for the start of another nail-biting campaign.

Rory Butcher joins the team off the back of a successful 2020 season, with the Scot taking three victories and a further five podium finishes en route to fifth overall in the standings.

For the first time in Speedworks’ history, the team will field a two-car line-up as GT racer Sam Smelt makes a welcome return to the BTCC grid for 2021.

The 24-year-old endured a character-building debut season back in 2018, before switching to GT racing, which eventually resulted in his linking up with Speedworks’ British GT programme last season.

His return to ‘tin-tops’ will be a boost to the team, which heads into the new season ready to fight on all fronts for a quartet of championship titles on offer.

Motul is proud to supply not only the engine oil but other key automotive fluids and lubricants to the team in their challenge for honours in 2021.

As competitive as ever, this season the UK’s premier motorsport category returns to a full 10-event, 30-race schedule, and with 26 of the nation’s best drivers ready to battle it out for the ultimate prize.

Although the restrictions still prevent spectator attendance, fans can settle back and watch all the action from Thruxton live on ITV4 on Sunday (9 May).

The ‘stars of tomorrow’ get ready to stake a F4 claim …

Also marking the start of the 2021 season at Thruxton this weekend is the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost, the UK’s entry-level category for aspiring racing drivers.

This year marks Motul’s first involvement as a controlled engine oil supplier, another step taken by the championship’s already-thorough scrutineering process to ensure a level playing field and put driver ability front and centre in the quest for success.

Motul is delighted to put its name to a new fastest lap initiative which will run throughout the season.

A field of 17 rising stars from all four corners of the globe, backed by six of the continent’s leading junior race teams, will battle it out in three races around the Hampshire speed bowl, as they look to stamp their authority on the rest in the opening exchanges.

Of particular note will be Motul Ambassador Abbi Pulling, who enters her second season with the JHR Developments team. JHR have a perfect record – six wins from the last six races – at Thruxton and Pulling herself took a podium finish here last August, so the ingredients are there for a successful start to the campaign.

“It’s been a lot of waiting but the testing programme is finally finished, everything we’ve spent the early months of 2021 preparing for starts this weekend – I’m so excited” enthused Abbi.

The second and third British F4 races of the weekend will also be live on ITV4 during the BTCC broadcast on Sunday.

Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK:

“It’s been a long winter, but by the same token a very productive one, with a phenomenal effort from the whole team to build a second Corolla and a positive testing programme with both cars – and now finally we are ready to go racing!

“Thruxton as a circuit is unique, which is part of its enduring appeal. Having raced around there myself, I can certainly vouch for its daunting, take-no-prisoners nature. It has been kind to us in the past – particularly last year – but there’s obviously no guarantee that we’ll be able to replicate that performance. In a series as fiercely competitive as the BTCC, the key to success is hard work, nothing else, and we need to ensure we keep our heads down and continue to dig deep, which has always been our approach.

“I think both drivers can justifiably feel very optimistic going to Thruxton. “It was interesting to gauge ourselves against our rivals during the group test at Silverstone last week. We stuck to our plan and ran through various set-up changes and refused to get lured into draining the fuel or bolting on fresh tyres in an effort to post a quick lap time, like some did. I’m very confident that where we ended up was not at all representative of our true pace, and that qualifying at Thruxton will reveal an altogether different picture. We can’t wait to get there!”

Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“I’m absolutely raring to go! I feel very well-acquainted with the team now – Christian, Amy [Dick], my engineer Paul Ridgway and all the Speedworks guys and girls have helped me to feel totally at home – and I’m increasingly comfortable in the car.

“There’s no other circuit like Thruxton in the world – it’s old-school, bumpy and abrasive and just so, so quick, which makes it a massive challenge for drivers and teams alike. You really need a good, stable chassis underneath you to deal with the fast corners and I think we can take a lot of encouragement from knowing how well the Corolla went there last year. Significantly, one of the car’s biggest strengths is the way in which it looks after its tyres, which is hugely important at Thruxton.

“Ultimately, I would love to score a podium in my first event for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK. To leave the circuit with some silverware on the Sunday night would make me a very happy man travelling back up to Scotland.”

Sam Smelt, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“I’ve had a lot of very constructive seat time recently, and whilst of course you always want more, I can’t complain and I’m continuing to gain in confidence and speed and take steps forward every time I go out.

“Thruxton is a track I enjoyed when I raced there before, even if the results weren’t necessarily the best. It’s ultra-fast and very much a confidence circuit, and if you don’t have complete faith in the equipment underneath you, it can definitely be a bit of an eye-opener. To be going back with a much more competitive car this time around is hugely motivating, and the Corolla obviously performed extremely well there last year, so I’m optimistic we will have a strong package.

“Overall, we’re happy with the progress we have made over the winter, and going into the season, I think we are pretty much where we were hoping to be and realistically, I’ve got to be targeting three decent points-scoring finishes.”

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