It’s Simola Hillclimb time, folks!

MOTOR RACING NEWS - Believe it or not, it is once again time for the Simola Hillclimb. And with this year the 13th edition of the annual motoring spectacle, things look set to make it the biggest one to date.

From former Formula 1 drivers to world rally champions, this year is set to have it all.

Since the very first Hillclimb in 2009, it has gone up a gear every year, consistently reinventing itself to allow for better, more widespread, fair and inclusive competition.

Over the years the owners and organisers of the Simola Hillclimb, Knysna Speed Festival, have made several changes to the format of the competition, including the introduction of Classic Car Friday in 2012 and the splitting of the King of the Hill competition into its current three categories (Supercar Shootout, Modified Saloons, and Sports Cars and Single Seaters) in 2017.

While there are many more, these are arguably the two that have proved most popular with competitors and fans.

Former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo is one of the high-profile driver additions to this year's Hillclimb. Photo: Blake Linder

Motorsport pedigree on show

This year won't see format changes, but what it will see is big growth in momentum, as the profile of some of the drivers will likely catapult the prestige of the Hillclimb to heights it has never seen before.

For the first time, the Simola Hillclimb will feature a former Formula 1 driver, with Finnish racer Mika Salo making the trip to Knysna to steer his way up the hill at the helm of a Mercedes-AMG A45S.

He's joined by legendary World Rally Championship and World Rallycross veteran and champion Petter Solberg, who alongside his older brother Henning (who holds a fair bit of rally pedigree himself) will be racing on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport.

If these three names aren't enough to get you pumped for the weekend, then perhaps the fact that there are six manufacturers on board for the 2023 Hillclimb will. Suzuki, BMW, Hyundai, Honda, Volkswagen and Ford have all joined up as partners this year, and all but Hyundai will have representative cars taking on the Simola Hill.

PHOTO GALLERY: They'll be racing up the hill again for Simola Hillclimb

André Bezuidenhout will be aiming for his sixth consecutive triumph in the Sports Cars and Single Seaters category this year, with another potential record in sight. Photos: Blake Linder