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An eminently logical decision, since by the weekend prior to theF1 GP all of the infrastructure and GP-related paraphernalia is in-situ and, given the scale of the event, two full days are required to accommodate the practice sessions and ten-lap races for each of the seven classes of historic racing machinery. All races were over the full GP circuit. Within each of these categories are sub-classes reflecting age, engine capacity, supercharging etc. All practiced on Saturday and raced on Sunday. The spread of classes produced an amazing array of superb machinery driven by a veritable who's who of the historic racing world. The weather for Saturday practice alternated between heavy and even heavier rain, which resulted in some bent motor cars. Sunday's races were run in perfect sunny conditions, which also resulted in some bent motor cars.
Pole position was secured by Julian Majzub's Type 35B Bugatti with Charles Dean second in the Type 51 Bug. and American Ed Davies third with an Alfa 8C Monza. Race Dean overtook Majzub for the lead on lap 1 and the pair continued to race hard thereafter until Majzub hit the tyre wall at St. Devote, sustaining a light injury to himself and significant damage to the front of his car. Ed Davies reired on lap 2, one of the other Type 35 Bugattis completed nearly half a lap with flames emitting from beneath the car, whilst its driver gamely drove on until engulfed by smoke. The driver was OK but the car was well seared even before the marshals got to work. Results
Pole position was gained by Julian Bronson driving Donald Day's ERA. Stefan Schollwoeck's 6CM Maserati was second with Martin Walford driving Dean Butler's ERA 1A (the ex-Sandy Murray car and first of the line). After his excellent run at Spa two weeks previously, Robert Fink spun the Alfa and stalled it, whereupon he dismounted, cranked it into life, reversed and re-joined - good practice, since he did a repeat in Sunday's race. Race Bronson led from start to finish, with laidlaw coming up through the field and R1A retaining its grid position by finishing third in the race. Results
Richard Wills made third fastest time before he hit the armco in the tunnel, severely damaging the Lola Mk. 1. A Lotus 9 spun at the hairpin and continued towards the tunnel backwards, whilst the driver worked out how to get it pointing the right way. Stirling Moss was driving Frank Sytner's Frazer Nash Le Mans replica - the engine died on him at the swimming pool but he managed to re-start it and make it back to the pits. Pole position went to David Franklin driving Carlos Monteverde's Ferrari 750 Monza (the Ice Racer). Jeremy Agace made second with the Maserati 250S. With Richard Wills out, fourth place was taken up by Irvine Laidlaw's 250S Maserati. Phil Hill was down to drive Lawrence Auriana's Alfa 3000 CM but did not practice or compete. Race Agace dropped back from second to third before retiring. Frank Sytner's Aston DB3S had problems on lap 3. Stirling Moss was in good form and really trying hard with the Nash replica, much to the delight of the spectators, who gave him a standing ovation at the end. Likewise Nick Wigley, who drove the ex-Cliff Davis Tojeiro Bristol with considerable verve drifting it beautifully and lifting a front wheel each time through Casino Square. Results
Quick and effective marshalling kept practice going despite various calls on their time, resulting from the wet track. Bscher's 250F Maserati sustained a dented tail from one incident but was able to continue. "Whizzo" Williams spun the Connaught without damage and continued, not so Neil Davies, who damaged the front end of his Cooper Alta on the armco. Willie Green was driving Peter Neumark's 250F Maserati, a particular model for which he has great affection and, according to commentator Ian Titchmarsh, he has driven 22 of the 34 250Fs built. Flavien Marcais took pole with the amazingly quick Cooper Bristol. Martin
Stretton was second with the "Toothpaste Tube" Connaught and
Thomas Bscher was third with another 250F Maser.
34 entrants were reduced considerably through a combination of mechanical maladies and wet track incidents. Dennis Welch took pole. Race Duncan Dayton held the lead for six laps but retired, leaving Dennis Welch to take the top step of the podium after setting the Class Lap record on his final lap. Results
All entrants seemed mindful of their machinery in the wet. Laidlaw spun the stack-pipe BRM but was able to continue. Thomas Bscher took pole with the BRM 261, Rod Jolley's Cooper was second and Frank Sytner third with his Brabham BT4. Race Sytner came up from third to take the lead mid-way through the first lap. Thereafter the gap between himself and second-placed man Bscher widened to just over nine seconds. There was a very high level of attrition in this race but the marshalls were very efficient and the Safety Car was not required. Results
The adverse track conditions produced a somewhat unreal grid, with the faster cars keeping their powder dry and hoping for conditions to improve on race day. Takumo Sato was driving the Classic Team Lotus 49B only six days after his accident in the Austrian GP and was looking to gain track time for the following weekend's Monaco GP. Unfortunately the opportunity was lost when he crashed and damaged the car, thus losing the chance of ten racing laps the following day. Alex Yoong was another F1 driving in this class who managed 15 practice laps in the Lotus 72 without incident. Bahlsen drove the rare Brabham-Alfa to a creditable grid position. Marcais took pole with the BRM 180, with Bahlsen second and Yoong third. Race Marcais led initially but Bahlsen's Brabham-Alfa fell back. Yoong took the lead and was challenged by Trevor Reeves' Tyrrell 008. A major incident on lap 5 resulted in the Safety Car being deployed for three laps, leaving only two remaining racing laps. Yoong led but his car was stuck in fifth gear, enabling Martin Stretton to close rapidly in the six-wheeler Tyrrell and win comfortably on the last lap. Results
Final Thoughts ........A superb weekend of Historic Racing, not to be missed when it happens again. The venue and infrastructure will always attract top class entries from both Europe and the USA. Being British and proud of it, it is good to record that the Brits won all seven races but the competition is getting stronger all the time - particularly from across the "pond". The marshalling and management of the event was a credit to all those involved. There was a cavalcade of Ferraris, both road-going and competition cars, during the lunch interval on Sunday. Among the road cars were 275, 246 Dino, 328, 348, 355, 360, 550, F40, F50, whilst the competition cars included 166MM, 212E, 250TR, 225S, 312T, 340MM, 500TR, 555 Supersqualo, 625TR and the 750 Monza Ice Racer. If Historic Racing is your scene - it doesn't get any better. (Additional material by Edward Brown) Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.
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The
first Historic GP was held in May of 1997 under the control of the Automobile
Club of Monaco who took the decision to hold similar events at regular
intervals thereafter. Thus it was that the third Historic GP was held
on 18/19 May 2002.
