NEWS

Motorsport UK Confirms Motorsport will restart in England from 29th March

Tuesday 23 February 2021

Motorsport UK is pleased to announce that organised Permitted motorsport can resume in England with effect from 29 March, subject to local restrictions and in accordance with its own Restart Guidance.

This confirmation follows the announcement on 22 February by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the third lockdown imposed on 4 January will be lifted, and formally organised outdoor sports – for adults and under 18s – can also restart but should be compliant with guidance issued by national governing bodies.

As the applicable governing body for the sport, Motorsport UK will now begin granting Permits for all disciplines, and applications are invited in the usual way.

Motorsport UK will resume the sport in accordance with its Restart protocols, which have guided the safe resumption of motorsport through the lifting of the two previous lockdowns. Updated guidance relevant to the latest restart will be available on MotorsportUK.org in due course.

Motorsport UK guidance in relation to Exemptions and Elite Sport still applies.

The governing body acknowledges the target of late spring for allowing spectators on a limited basis and will follow those developments in order to keep its stakeholders informed.

Motorsport activities in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands are subject to prevailing government guidance in those devolved territories and we look forward to announcing updates relevant to those nations in due course. The Isle of Man is not subject to a lockdown at this time.

Motorsport UK CEO, Hugh Chambers, commented: “We are extremely grateful to government for providing the opportunity for motorsport to resume in England from 29 March. This will be very welcome news for our community, which extends from professional drivers and teams, through to the grass roots of the sport with tens of thousands of enthusiasts. Collectively they fuel an industry employing 41,000 people and generating over £10 billion for the economy, so this is a vital step in securing the UK's future as leaders in motorsport around the world.

“Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we can announce similarly positive news from the other home nations. Clearly strict protocols still apply, as our sport needs to play its part in supporting the NHS and wider frontline community in keeping infection rates under control, and our Restart Guidance has enabled us to accomplish that objective on two previous occasions. I would like to thank the Motorsport UK community for their support during lockdown, and for their spirit and fortitude in keeping the sport together for when this announcement came. We now look forward to getting motorsport up and running at the end of March.”