Craig Lowndes and Valtteri Bottas are among a host of leading motorsport names to further support the Adelaide Motorsport Festival by forming the Ambassadors’ Club.
Three-time Supercars champion Lowndes and 10-time F1 grand prix winner Bottas headlined the revived event that took place on the weekend prior to this season’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Alfa Romeo driver Bottas, in particular, stole the show by driving the 2016 Bathurst 1000-winning VF Commodore Supercar as well as an Alfa Romeo GTV Group A touring car around a shortened version of the Adelaide street circuit.
To build on the success of the Festival, the Club will now form an integral part in future years.
Inducted in the Club alongside Lowndes and Bottas are an additional trio of Supercars drivers in Todd Hazelwood, Tim Slade, and Thomas Randle.
Former Ferrari and McLaren F1 driver Stefan Johansson is also included, along with 24 Hours of Le Mans victor Vern Schuppan, Le Mans and Bathurst winner David Brabham, World Rally Championship winner Hayden Paddon, drag-racing champion and Supercars team owner Peter Xiberras, and New Zealand racer Andy Higgins.
Adelaide Motorsport Festival event director Tim Possingham said: “The event has received such a tremendous amount of positive feedback from everyone, but most importantly from those who are at the top of their game.
“The general feeling amongst this cohort is that they want to support and grow the event, they want to act as ambassadors for the event as we move forward.
“So we have formalised this group and we plan to grow it over the years.”
Next year’s Festival is again scheduled to take part on the weekend prior to the Australian Grand Prix.
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