Downton has unveiled its new car for 2023 in a surprise midnight launch at the teams factory in front of 200 competition winnings fans before it hits the track later on for a filming day at their local Thruxton circuit. The car – which features more black and less blue than recent seasons – has been named the BD11, and described as an “evolution” of their 2022 car, both in terms of the design and the livery. Last year was the first season since 2016 where the team didn’t win at least one of the World Championships. “We always knew it would be a difficult season,” team principal Bradley Downton admitted. “We were embarking on a new era with a new line-up, which consisted of a complete rookie in Matteo. But he performed admirably and Klaas really stepped up as team leader, and it resulted in us being much closer to Mathershaw Porsche than we realistically expected, especially given the situation of them departing the series.” “Looking forwards, I think it puts us in a great position for the season ahead. Both drivers are prepared and raring to go, and the simulations suggest our car is a step up from last year too. It’s definitely an evolution of the BD10 rather than a revolution.” While the team adopted a somewhat more simplistic design in 2022, they have reverted to a more detailed one on the BD11, featuring more black, a revised array of sponsors and a couple of tributes to the now departed Mathershaw team. “Firstly, we need to thank our designers for this year – both Sven (Porsche) and Nick (North Star) have done a fantastic job, but I think I’m especially pleased as it’s the first year in a while I’ve been properly part of the design process too, though I’m sure at least Nick wishes I hadn’t been!” “We knew we wanted something that looked a bit more aggressive, and I think the black down the side of the car has really done that. For years we’ve been trying to strike that perfect balance between simplicity and design, and sometimes we’ve been closer to the mark than others, but this year I think we’ve absolutely nailed it.” “In addition, the main body of the car transitions from Downton orange to Mathershaw red on the engine cover. We wanted to honour our friends and rivals at Mathershaw and keep them a little bit on the grid this season, so from the moment we started planning, I knew the car would feature some red.” “We’ve also managed to include a small design feature that appeared on various Mathershaw cars over the years. Whilst discussing liveries with Rob over a pint, we agreed that his airbox design with the two swooshes was the most iconic element collectively of the Mathershaw liveries, so we’ve tweaked our design to include that too. I’m absolutely delighted with how it’s all turned out, I think it’s the best looking Downton yet – but then I am a bit biased! I just hope we can do it – and Mathershaw – justice.” Also notable was the addition of some new sponsors for the team. RayBan have replaced Oakley as the teams official eyewear partner, whilst the Google Chrome logo now appears alongside Android. BP have also made a reappearance as the teams fuel supplier, with Lloyds Bank joining as a financial partner in addition to a raft of new personal driver sponsors. van Snelheid is now sponsored by Dutch airline KLM – which features on both cars – as well as yacht company VanDutch and booking.com. On Zetticci’s car, these sponsors will be replaced by his own personal backing from his families bakery – Zetticci’s – and Piazza, an Italian restaurant located in Amesbury near the teams headquarters.
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