Steve Sutcliffe
Journalist
Steve Sutcliffe has been a car journalist for over 30 years. Having cut his teeth as a local newspaper journalist, he joined Haymarket Publishing so long ago he can’t even remember, then became editor of Autocar before going freelance in 2004.
Since then he’s contributed to publications as varied as The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Auto Express, Evo, Octane and Golf Punk.
Sutcliffe is also a successful racing driver, finishing second in his first ever car race driving a Caterham at Silverstone. He has also driven for, and won with, the factory team in the TVR Tuscan Challenge, dallied in the BTCC with Lexus and has competed in the Nürburgring and Silverstone 24 Hour races numerous times.
He remains one of the few car journalists to be allowed to drive a current F1 car, lapping the Silverstone National circuit within half a second of Honda’s then test driver James Rossiter in Jenson Button’s 2007 Honda RA107. In the wet.
Sutcliffe also has a strong YouTube following, his car vids having attracted over 500m views over the years.
First car:
Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid. A great car in which to establish the importance of car control. Actually, just a great car full stop
Professional hero:
Colin McRae. Sat next to him once in a WRC Ford Focus. My world has never been quite the same since
Dream job:
Sitting here, writing this, not being told what to do by anyone else – and just occasionally, getting paid for it
"I have a love-hate relationship with cars. The great ones (and there aren’t many) I love – such as the Maserati MC20. But the bad ones – such as the Mk8 VW Golf – I have no time whatsoever for because, honestly, there is zero excuse. Most of all, though, it’s the ride we’re all on that intrigues me the most. And right now I have no idea in which direction we’re all heading, and I find that weirdly exciting, if a little scary at times"
