TEE

The right driver for the new job

at hand?

It’s been clear for some time that Lando Norris was a potential Formula 1 star. He’s been a winner since his karting days, dominated the 2016 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, won the 2017 European Formula 3 Championship against powerhouse Prema and had an impressive rookie F1 season alongside Carlos Sainz Jr at McLaren.

In the past, a break from racing as long as the one we are currently facing could have really sapped the momentum from a young driver’s career but, if anything, Norris is increasing his profile at the moment. As Norris says in Alex Kalinauckas’s cover piece on page 16, his year in F1 has given the 20-year-old more of a voice – and he is prepared to use it. The data he has available means he can still stay in the F1 mindset too, and help push the team forward for when the time comes.

His confidence has also been apparent in his approach to Esports and social media (p24). Norris was already very much ingrained in the virtual racing world, but his personality has helped to bridge the gap between online fans and real racing. He’s helped provide the sort of escapism many of us could do with during this extraordinary time.

Elsewhere in this issue, our new technical consultant Rodi Basso looks back at his remarkable career with Ferrari and Red Bull (p26), we tell the story of the secret Tyrrell (p32), and highlight some of the big stories in British GT (p42) and BRDC Formula 3 (p47).

Kevin Turner Editor kevin.turner@autosport.com

NEXT WEEK

16 APRIL Forgotten Formula 1 We look back at the non-championship

F1 races

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COVER IMAGE Motorsport Images

PIT & PADDOCK 4 Silverstone could hold multiple GPs 6 WEC abandons winter-series format 8 Detroit cancelled; Norisring in doubt 11 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas 13 Opinion: Gary Watkins 15 Feedback: your letters

INSIGHT 16 Norris: the new star F1 needs 24 How Norris made an Esports impact 26 Rodi Basso’s remarkable career 32 The secret Tyrrell

36 Autosport 70: Lancia’s crazy rally car 40 World of Esports

CLUB AUTOSPORT 42 The key British GT questions 47 Can Jewiss be stopped in BRDC F3? 60 Historic organisers to work together 62 Dorset team buys back special Chevron 64 Scottish Esports gets bumper entry 65 Opinion: James Newbold

FINISHING STRAIGHT 66 What’s on this week 69 Have-a-go hero: Guy Smith 70 From the archive: 2002 Brazilian GP 72 From the archive: 1959 Dutch GP 74 Autosport 70: Hakkinen’s title hopes

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 68 Special deals for Autosport

9 APRIL 2020 AUTOSPORT.COM 3