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Scalextric C4242 Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo - British GT 2020 - De Haan & Kujala. RRP £49.99. Scheduled Winter 2022-3.

Although not expected for a couple of months or so, Scalextric have just released these stunning images of their brand new AMG GT3 Evo, which models the 2020 evolution of the real racing car. The most noticeable change from the original 2016 version is the front radiator grille, which gives the car an aggressive new look. Scalextric decided a completely new body shell was required and new tooling has been produced. The chassis remains the same, so the same top-rate handling and performance is guaranteed.

       

The first livery on the Evo is the #69 RAM Racing car driven by the Silver pairing of Sam De Haan and Patrick Kujala in the 2020 British GT Championship. Apart from being a very striking livery, the car is also a piece of recent social history - marking a motorsport season delayed by the Coronavirus pandemic and the global movement against racism that followed George Floyd's death in May of that year.

The 2020 British GT Championship was squeezed into nine rounds across six weekends, starting at Oulton Park at the start of August and ending at Silverstone in November. RAM Racing entered two purple cars - the #6 Pro-Am entry for Yelmer Buurman and Ian Loggie, plus the #69 for De Haan and Kujala. The #EndRacism message on the #69 car echoed the high-profile campaign by Formula One drivers and is explained by Sam De Haan on Twitter...

   

However, the 2020 wasn't just about hashtags - De Haan and Kujala made a strong statement on track, putting themselves in a championship battle with the Barwell Lamborghini driven by GT specialist Sandy Mitchell and ex-BTCC star Rob Collard. A steady start to the season for the #69 RAM Mercedes stepped up a notch with a glorious win in the 3-hour race at Donington in September...



Despite a first-lap spin, Kujala and De Haan worked their way through the field to take their first victory of the season - leapfrogging Collard and Mitchell in the championship, after their race was hampered by a slow puncture and a 20-second success penalty...

       

De Haan and Kujala went into the penultimate weekend at Snetterton with a nine-point advantage, but also facing the maximum success penalty. De Haan put the car on pole for Race One, which took place in heavy rain. The 60-minute sprint race saw the pair battle to overcome their extra pit time, Kujala scrapping with RAM teammate Buurman and Blancpain champion Andrea Calderelli for fourth place. Fifth place limited the damage to their championship rivals who finished second. Race Two was another thriller in the wet - the #69 crew grabbing the final step on the podium, ahead of Collard and Mitchell in fifth...

       

Three pairs went into the final 3-hour race at Silverstone in contention for the 2020 British GT Championship title - De Haan and Kujala had the advantage, but the Barwell Huracáns of Collard & Mitchell and Phil Keen & Adam Balon looked to be the class acts in the cold and damp conditions - both starting from the front of the grid...



Clever tactics under the safety car by Collard and Mitchell gave them control of the race. The championship battle was effectively over when their rivals tangled - the Keen/Balon Huracán dropping back to ninth and the RAM Racing Mercedes to eighth after serving a penalty for causing the collision. De Haan and Kujala had to make do with runner-up spot. De Haan would team up with Rob Collard and German driver Fabian Schiller to race a RAM Racing Mercedes in the 2021 Fanatec GT endurance championship - Scalextric are releasing the early-season livery on a set-only car in the forthcoming ARC Pro Platinum set.

A big thank you to the Scalextric team for making the images of the new Mercedes available to us.