Motorsport is in a renaissance, and it might be worth checking out other classes on four wheels. Here’s why.
The COVID-19 pandemic sent the world into repeated lockdowns throughout 2020 and 2021. Sim racing kept us entertained, but post-lockdowns, real-life motorsport has kicked back up to even greater lengths than before.
F1 viewership may be at its peak right now, but general motorsport viewership rates are much greater. Whether it be Formula E, BTCC, V8 Supercars, or WEC, post-pandemic racing is encouraging new teams, drivers, and formats, and it makes you love motorsport all over again. In part, it’s due to sim racing. Stuck at home during 2020 and 2021, professional racing drivers mixed in with content creators in events such as the F1 Virtual GPs on the F1 2019 game, while series such as V8 Supercars completed a virtual season driving their real cars in iRacing. Sim racing content creators have even progressed further into their own careers in physical racing.
In an effort to distance themselves from the difficult times during the lockdown period, motorsport organisers are putting more effort into their series, and the results are obvious. In 2021, there were just three cars in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar class (all WEC class breakdowns can be found here) – Toyota, Alpine, and Glickenhaus. Now, in 2023, there are 7 different cars racing for 9 different teams – Toyota and Glickenhaus as before, now joined by Cadillac, Vanwall, Porsche, Ferrari, and Peugeot.
Formula 1, with the new regulations introduced last year, has appealed to a far larger audience than ever before, attracting the interest of Audi, who are taking over Sauber (currently Alfa Romeo) in 2026 at the next regulation change, as well as many other prospective new teams. Formula E and V8 Supercars have both moved to the Gen3 of their car design, both radically changing how they drive – Formula E with the aim of better promoting the speed and performance of environmentally friendly racecars, with the new V8 Supercars attempting to bring greater road relevance to the models you can buy in showrooms, as well as lessening the aero to create better racing, with a far greater focus on driver skill.
Jake Dennis leading in the Avalanche Andretti Autosport race car at the Mexico ePrix 
Shane van Gisbergen leading Bryce Fullwood in the new Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro V8 Supercar at the Newcastle 500
For 2023, TCR has launched a new “TCR World Tour”, which replaces the 3-season TCR International Series, visiting highlights from each continental series, beginning at Algarve International in Portugal, and ending at the infamous Guia Circuit in Macau. Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini have brought in new GT3 cars; the 296 GT3, Huracan GT3 Evo 2, and 911 GT3 R respectively. Even fans of trucks will be better catered to, with the 2023 European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC) calendar expanding to 9 races.
TCR Europe 2022 at Monza 
Ferrari 296 GT3 racing at the Daytona 24 Hours 
IVECO S-WAY ETRC Racing Truck
There are so many more different classes not mentioned here – IndyCar, BTCC, and NASCAR, to name a few. All these changes to all these different classes mean that there has been a great refresh to motorsport action, and one of the best times to branch out into watching other types of motorsports. A quick search will determine how to watch races wherever you are in the world. Make this year a year of more motorsport, because what’s wrong with more wheel-to-wheel action?
