24/01/2018
NEWS STORY
F1 fans of a certain age can expect to be left a little teary-eyed, while younger fans are set to learn what their elders were always moaning about, when the Masters Historic Formula One series holds two races as part of this year's British Grand Prix support programme.
Featuring 3-litre F1 cars from the mid-60s to 1985, the Masters Historic Formula One series represents an era when garagistes could build a chassis, bolt on a Cosworth engine, Hewland gearbox and a set of tyres and go F1 racing.
This was the era of instantly recognisable drivers who became household names, driving iconic machines created on drawing boards not wind tunnels. It was an era when F1 cars sounded and looked like they should.
Furthermore, the Masters Historic Formula One series insists that the cars must run in their period livery.
Entries for the British Grand Prix support events will be invited from both the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship in Europe and Masters USA series, which will undoubtedly result in a spectacular grid of cars hailing from the sport's most glorious era.
The British Grand Prix support races will be the only occasion this year that fans will be able to see historic F1 cars in anger on a European Grand Prix circuit during an F1 race weekend, in a direct comparison with their counterparts from the 2018 championship.
"It's great to know that British F1 fans will now have three opportunities to see our cars compete on British soil in 2018 – at the Silverstone Classic, at our own Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch at the end of May, and now too at the British Grand Prix", says Masters Historic Racing founder Ron Maydon.
"The fact that we have been asked to organise a support race at the British Grand Prix certainly reflects the quality of the show we put on at Montreal, Austin and Mexico City last year. I'm sure that we will evoke many wonderful memories with the spectators that were also present at Silverstone and Brands in the seventies and eighties as well as fascinate the younger part of the crowd."
"We regularly ask our fans for feedback on how we can further improve their British Grand Prix experience and requests for more track action and the opportunity to see classic Formula One cars are always high up on the list," added Stuart Pringle, Managing Director of Silverstone. "I believe that the inclusion of the two Masters Historic Formula One races to the timetable will tick both those boxes and will not only be a fantastic crowd-pleaser but also a great addition to the weekend in a year which sees Silverstone celebrate its 70th anniversary."
The British Grand Prix support races come after the success of Masters Historic Racing support races at the US and Mexican GPs in 2017, and earlier races during the Canadian and Singapore GP weekends. This is the first time that Masters Historic Racing will organise such a support race at a European leg of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.