HONE

Chandhok helps Autosport delve into F1’s driving secrets

Modern cars and halos make it quite tricky to see today’s drivers at work, but dig a little deeper and it’s still possible to discern differences in style, even among the top drivers in Formula 1.

This week Alex Kalinauckas has teamed up with Sky F1 pundit Karun Chandhok to analyse the approaches of the drivers in the top five teams from the 2023 constructors’ championship (page 16). Not only is it enlightening in terms of explaining some of the trends we see among the current aces, but it also shows how the challenges change slightly across eras and even at different points of a weekend.

Before launch season begins in the world of F1, two major events kick off this week. The Monte Carlo Rally opens the World Rally Championship and, with reigning champ Kalle Rovanpera only committing to a part-campaign, the door is open for others. We ask whether Toyota’s Elfyn Evans is ready to take the title in the face of an invigorated Hyundai challenge in our preview, which starts on p26. Tom Howard is your guide to what’s new, including the baffling points system (p32), and visits Hyundai’s WRC HQ (p36).

The Daytona 24 Hours is again the IMSA opener. As well as the burgeoning GTP top class, the GTD category is packed with manufacturers. And two of the biggest American automotive names – Mustang and Corvette – are finally squaring up in the tightly contested category. Gary Watkins tells the story of how both programmes came about on p40, while Charles Bradley talks to Dane Cameron about his IMSA return with Porsche and Penske on p46.

Kevin Turner Chief Editor

kevin.turner@autosport.com

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE Special deals for Autosport p56

Autosport editorial Autosport Media UK Ltd

The Power House

Isleworth TW7 6QG

@ E-mail autosport@ autosport.com

Visit our website

autosport.com

Twitter twitter.com/ autosport

Facebook facebook.com/

autosport

Instagram instagram.com/

autosport

YouTube youtube.com/ AUTOSPORTdotcom

Cover images Zak Mauger/Jake Grant/Motorsport Images; Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool

PIT & PADDOCK 4 Cadillac secures Daytona pole 6 Madrid gets 10-year Spanish GP deal 8 Porsche plans new engine for Le Mans 11 DTM eyes mixed-power grids 13 Opinion: Matt Kew 14 Opinion: Rachit Thukral 15 Feedback: your letters

FEATURES 16 Driving secrets of F1’s best WRC PREVIEW 26 Evans to take his chance? 32 What’s new in WRC this season 36 Hyundai’s renewed challenge DAY TONA 24 HOURS PREVIEW 40 Mustang vs Corvette at Daytona 46 Cameron returns for IMSA title push

RACE CENTRE 50 World of Sport: Dakar Rally; Formula

Regional Middle East and Oceania

CLUB AUTOSPORT 59 Lotus back in British GT with new team 60 BTCC winners Lloyd/Jelley to Carrera Cup 62 The end of Brighton Speed Trials 65 Opinion: Stephen Lickorish 66 Rating the new series of 2023… 69 …and what’s coming up this year

FINISHING STRAIGHT 70 What’s on this week 72 From the archive: 1971 Canadian GP 74 My favourite track: Christophe Bouchut

Visit autosport.com for other ways to read Britain’s best motorsport weekly

25 JANUARY 2024 AUTOSPORT.COM 3