The Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association Ltd Motor Sports House Tel: +44 (0)1753 765000 Riverside Park Fax: +44 (0)1753 682938 Colnbrook www.msauk.org SL3 0HG twitter.com/msauk 2014 Company Report United Kingdom facebook.com/msauk & 2013 Group Financial Statements COMPANY REPORT 2014 1 INTERNATIONAL 8 INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS 12 INTERNATIONAL EVENTS 14 WALES RALLY GB 2 DOMESTIC 18 ENGLAND 20 NORTHERN IRELAND 22 SCOTLAND 24 WALES 3 THE SPORT 28 TYPES OF MOTOR SPORT 30 LICENSED UK VENUES 32 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 4 DEVELOPMENT 42 Companies MSA ACADEMY 4,300 44 GO MOTORSPORT 46 TRAINING & EDUCATION Events 4,900 5 COMMUNICATIONS Volunteer marshals 50 PUBLIC AFFAIRS 9,500 and officials 52 PUBLIC RELATIONS Competition 30,000 licence holders 6 GOVERNANCE 56 FUNCTIONS & REMIT Employees 41,000 58 BOARD & STAFF Event entries 7 REPORT 135,000 62 BRITISH CHAMPIONS Active participants 64 GROUP STRATEGIC REPORT CONTENTS 200,000 in UK motor sport 65 DIRECTORS’ REPORT 66 FINANCIALS Value of the UK £9billion motor sport industry 68 LICENCE & EVENT STATISTICS COMPANY REPORT 2014 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE We often say that it has been a great a truly exceptional year. UK drivers of a solicitor, he is the right person to year for the Motor Sports Association won the premier titles at virtually lead the governing body forward as we GOVERNING SUCH A LARGE, and UK motor sport; as a world leader every level of single-seater racing, refine our strategic direction to lead the in the sport, that is almost always with further success in sportscars development of the sport. DYNAMIC AND COMPLEX SPORT the case. However 2014 really has and an unprecedented clean sweep The MSA has achieved a great deal IS NO EASY TASK BUT I AM been quite extraordinary and a year of of the world and European kart in 2014, as you will read throughout which everybody in the sport can be championships. We even saw two UK this report. It speaks volumes that it DELIGHTED THAT WE HAVE DONE incredibly proud. drivers competing at the highest level nudges 70 pages despite being as SO MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN Most visibly, the international talent of the World Rally Championship for concise an overview as possible of the produced by this country has enjoyed the first time since the early 2000s. last 12 months’ activities. EVER THIS YEAR Domestically, the MSA continues Finally, having been honoured to to oversee the most richly diverse serve as Chairman since 2006, I am motor sport scene in the world; it delighted to have been re-elected is populated by tens of thousands for a further three-year term by the of competitors and volunteers MSA Board and I will endeavour to participating in thousands of events, continue steering the company and run by hundreds of clubs all over sport towards even greater health the country. Governing such a large, and prosperity. Of course, I could not dynamic and complex sport is no do that without the on-going hard easy task but I am delighted that we work and dedication of the MSA have done so more efficiently than staff and the sport’s 9,500 volunteers ever this year. and officials. To them all I extend my Within the company itself, the MSA sincere thanks. Board was delighted to confirm Rob Best wishes for 2015. Jones as Chief Executive, following a successful winter period as interim CEO. Combining the passion and enthusiasm of a competitor with the pragmatism Alan J Gow 2 3 COMPANY REPORT 2014 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S MESSAGE Having been involved in our sport in one the icing on the cake, Lewis Hamilton’s It has certainly been a challenging and busy way or another for many years I was second F1 title. start to my tenure as Chief Executive but incredibly proud to be appointed MSA Chief One of our objectives is to create a virtuous I will continue to do my best for the sport Executive at the Board’s first meeting of the circle whereby international success and for all of those who continue to enjoy year in March. To be entrusted in this way inspires grassroots participation, such that their motor sport in whatever capacity. is an honour and a privilege, to say the very the tip of the pyramid helps to grow the Have a safe and enjoyable 2015. least. base and the wider base subsequently Having joined the MSA as General increases the quality at the tip. You can Secretary in 2006, I have witnessed a read more about these great initiatives later period of change that has seen the MSA on in this report. Rob Jones transform its approach to the governance Success takes many forms in our sport of UK motor sport. Compared to its 2006 and whilst we are not quite there yet, the iteration, the 2014 MSA is a more dynamic closed roads campaign for a change and forward-thinking organisation; one in the law to facilitate closed road that is communicating far better with its motor sport on mainland Britain is stakeholders and increasingly fulfilling its another success example in 2014. responsibility to grow the sport, and to grow After an awful lot of work behind it from a strong clubman and volunteer the scenes at Westminster, base. those in government – right up This is now as much a part of our role to the Prime Minister himself – as administration and regulation and are now recognising the world- predominately involves club development leading status of UK motor sport under Go Motorsport, talent development and its outstanding contribution to through our MSA Academy programmes the economy and society. and raising the profile and involvement It would be remiss at this time however of volunteers at the heart of MSA. For not to reflect on the tragic events that example, the regulation making body, Motor have cast a long shadow over the sport Sports Council, will now have a seat for this year. Safety must be our overriding Marshals, placing them at the core of all concern at all times and the sport will decision making within the sport. Some learn the lessons from every other early incentives for the sport include accident and every review licence fees frozen up to and including to manage the risks National B, insurance per capita fees appropriately. also frozen (this on top of a 30 per cent insurance rebate to organising clubs this year), reduced prices for Kart starter packs, the fixture list now on line together with a risk assessment site for clubs, all part of a great new website. Within the sport itself it has been a uniquely successful year, with UK competitors crowned champions at the very highest levels globally. These are Jolyon Palmer and Alex Lynn in GP2 and GP3, Anthony Davidson in the World Endurance THE 2014 MSA IS MORE Championship, Callum Ilott, Enaam Ahmed and Lando Norris in the European and DYNAMIC, FULFILLING world karting championships, and of course ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO GROW THE SPORT 4 5 INTERNATIONAL 1 INTERNATIONAL COMPANY REPORT 2014 INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS Another F1 title capped an incredible year for UK motor sport, with Union Flags flying above podiums across the globe. Formula One Lewis Hamilton was crowned the 2014 FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Champion after dominating the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Hamilton scored 11 victories throughout the season – including his home race at Silverstone – to surpass Nigel Mansell’s British record of 31 grand prix victories. He also became the first Briton to win multiple F1 titles since Sir Jackie Stewart more than 40 years ago. He first won the title in 2008, having missed being a rookie champion in 2007 by a single point. McLaren’s Jenson Button had another strong season, scoring more than twice as many points as his team-mate. Max Chilton returned to the grid with the Marsussia team, while MSA Team UK graduate Will Stevens made his F1 debut with Caterham at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Sportscars Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson won the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title – alongside Toyota team- mate Sebastien Buemi – with a round to spare. Davidson was a regular winner and also took his second consecutive podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours. GP2 Jolyon Palmer was the class of the field in GP2, the main feeder series to Formula 1. Palmer, aged 23, claimed the crown with his fourth win of the season at Russia’s Sochi Autodrom. He is the first GP2 champion from the UK since Lewis Hamilton in 2006. HAMILTON’S SEASON GP3 MSA Team UK member Alex Lynn was dominant in GP3, which also appears on the F1 bill alongside GP2. The 21-year-old Essex driver took three race wins and scored more points than 11 wins any other champion in the series’ history. Fellow Briton Dean Stoneman finished second after a strong season. pole 7 positions Other racing • MSA Academy racer Ben Barnicoat won the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup in his first full season of car racing. • Rob Huff, former FIA World Touring Car Champion, recorded 16 podiums his seventh victory on the streets of Macau. • In the US, MSA Team UK member Jack Harvey fastest narrowly missed out on the Indy Lights title, tying for the 7 laps championship but finishing second overall on countback. 8 9 INTERNATIONAL COMPANY REPORT 2014 INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS Karting An unprecedented run of success yielded Lincolnshire’s PF International. Ilott, aged 15 Just a few weeks later Ahmed won the world British champions in the World and from Hertfordshire, took the title with victory title in the same class by winning the final European kart championships at both senior on home soil, having also won the season- round at Essay in France.