Autosport International to host WRC 2018 season launch

By  Azertac 

The 2018 World Rally Championship is to launch at Autosport International ahead of the season-opener in Monte Carlo. It is the first time a top-tier FIA World Championship has launched at the show in its 27-year history, according to autosportinternational.com.

All of the lead drivers, co-drivers and team principals will be in one place and on hand to talk about the 2017 championship and share their opinions on what the new season will bring across all four days of Europe’s biggest pre-season motorsport show at the NEC Birmingham from 11-14 January 2018.

Each manufacturer team contesting the 13 rounds of the 2018 season, Citroen, Hyundai, M-Sport and Toyota will parade their 2018 rally cars on the Autosport main stage across the Thursday of Autosport International in what will truly be a WRC takeover day. All of the cars will remain on display at the show throughout the weekend.

Recent Wales Rally GB winner Elfyn Evans supported the launch at Autosport International, outlining the benefits to fans as well as those inside the industry. Evans said: “The Autosport show is something that, certainly the likes of Kris [Meeke], Craig [Breen] and all of our co-drivers, have grown up with and it’s a good show in its own right. There’s a bit of everything from across all aspects of motorsport and for the World Rally Championship to be right at the heart of that is very good news.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be good to do something a bit different and it’s a great chance for the fans to come over and have a look – it’s good for Britain to have a second major event in the WRC season.”

M-Sport Team principal Malcolm Wilson added his delighted to see the series being given a high-profile boost ahead of the opening round.

The 2017 WRC season saw some substantial revisions to the technical regulations aimed at improving the look and the performance of the cars, while allowing a greater degree of technical and design freedom for teams. The series is supported by the WRC 2 and WRC 3 championships with the Junior World Rally Championship at selected rounds. Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia successfully defended their WRC title at the last rally event – Wales Rally GB.

Visitors will be able to get up close to the cars, drivers and team personnel who will be at the show and on the Autosport stage to talk to host Henry Hope-Frost across the four day event.

A dedicated WRC stand at the show will be the perfect place for rally fans to get up to speed ahead of the 2018 WRC season, a little under two weeks after Autosport International. The Dayinsure Wales Rally GB stand will also form a significant part of the rally celebrations at the show, with cars and drivers from both the world and British Rally Championships present.