FIA World Rally Championship
As any self-professed motorsport fan should know, the ‘flying Finns’ have a certain affinity for getting from A to B in a spirited, adventurous manner. We think that the ‘swift Swedes’ deserve a bit more attention for their love of speed and racing off the beaten path, which is exactly what they’ll get this month thanks to the FIA World Rally Championship’s second round in… you guessed it: Sweden!
The most advanced racers in the business will be looking to break a long-standing duck in the icy wastes, where Scandinavian drivers reigned from the inaugural championship in 1973 to Sebastien Loeb’s shock victory in 2004. The 2015 world champion, Sebastien Ogier, is the only other non-Scandinavian driver to take top honours in Sweden, and the current rally roster face a hefty challenge if they’re to make history this time around. Frozen roads and snow-lined banks mean that drivers will have to acclimatise to light steering and low levels of traction, but who will get the job done? Catch our daily highlights programmes to find out!
Daily highlights Rd 2, Sweden – Friday 12 February, Saturday 13 February and Sunday 14 February at 22:35Andros Trophy
Have you ever wondered what ex-grand prix winners such as Alain Prost and Olivier Panis get up to in their down time? The gym or snazzy parties spring to mind, but we think you’ll be far more interested in the highly competitive Andros Trophy – France’s elite ice racing championship – which skids back into action this month for the final round of the season in Saint-Die-des-Vosges.
An eclectic grid of experienced racers from various disciplines will do their best to negotiate the typically treacherous track conditions, but luckily they have some four-wheel-drive hatchbacks with serious attitude to keep them on the straight and narrow. The similarly homologated nature of these whacky racers makes the competition particularly enticing, with drivers having to deploy every trick in the book to overhaul their opponents. Frequent frontrunners Benjamin Riviere, Franck Lagorce, Jean-Baptiste Dubourg and his brother Andrea are sure to be in the mix for the last blast, so you can expect a scorching climax to this year’s enthralling campaign!
Delayed-as-live Rd 7, Saint-Die-des-Vosges – Sunday 14 February at 12:10MXGP
Disciples of everything two-wheeled and fast take note: the king of all Motocross contests – MXGP – is back this month for the first round of the brand new season! Sunny Qatar is the first stop on this hotly contested tour, and things in the arid desert state will certainly become a bit fierier when the riders get the hammer down.
It was at this point last year that Yamaha’s new kid on the block, Romain Febvre, began his MXGP journey in solid fashion and left the round a comfortable sixth in the standings. Little did anyone expect the series of victories and dominant championship win that he would go on to achieve, so it looks as if anything could happen once again this year! Can the young Frenchman continue his success story and truly get his quest to dethrone MXGP legend Stefan Everts underway? Or can Everts’ hotshot protégée Shaun Simpson replicate his performance in the UK and take the fight to the reigning champion? Guess there’s only one way to find out!
LIVE Rd 1, Qatar – Saturday 27 February at TBC (Moto 1) and TBC (Moto 2)Road Racing Series
Every professional racer possesses bravery and skill that few are able to match. However, even the most courageous motorcycling nutters would find the thought of the British road races that we’re showing this month hard to stomach! The Ulster Grand Prix, the Scarborough Gold Cup, the Isle of Man’s Southern 100 race – these are the ultimate battlegrounds for the masters of this terrifying two-wheeled trade, who negotiate the twists and turns of public roads at speeds exceeding 200mph. Blink and you’ll miss it, so don’t hang around!
Southern 100, Isle of Man – Thursday 4 February at 21:30Billown, Isle of Man – Thursday 11 February at 21:30Ulster Grand Prix, Northern Ireland – Thursday 18 February at 21:30Scarborough Gold Cup, England – Thursday 25 February at 21:30Hawkstone International MX
The motorbike madness doesn’t stop there, folks, as the UK motocross season gets off to a flying start with this month’s Hawkstone International MX extravaganza. The historic Shropshire venue’s variable surfaces and fearsome hill course never fail to throw up a tricky challenge for the throngs of talented riders that take on the notorious event, and thus provides the perfect ordeal for the likes of MX2 World Motocross star Jeffrey Herlings and crowd favourite Shaun Simpson to flaunt what they’re truly made of. If you want a masterclass in technical off-road racing, this is where to find it!
Wednesday 24 February at 21:00All times are GMT
Broadcast time and dates subject to alteration
