Event: 2016 Silverstone Classic - FIA Masters Historic Formula 1

Race 5: FIA Masters Historic Formula One

The pair of 25-minute FIA Masters Historic Formula One races are always two of the big draws at the Classic. The huge crowd was treated to the spectacle of a rolling start for 29 DFV-engined Formula One cars from the late 70s and early 80s.

At the start, Ollie Hancock made a fantastic pass around the outside of pole-sitter Nick Padmore to lead in the 1978 Fittipaldi F5A, but Padmore would have none of it, wasting no time in re-gaining the lead at Brooklands.

Martin Stretton, who struggled to get heat into his tyres in qualifying, fell back to fifth in the ex-Michele Alboreto Tyrrell 012. Ahead of him, Hancock was under pressure from the fast-starting Loic Deman, the earlier Tyrrell 010 up from seventh to third on the first lap. The Belgian made a bold but necessary move up the inside going into Copse as the iconic black and gold Lotus 91/5 of Gregory Thornton was catching them both. The Fittipaldi fell back down the field, but took the victory in the pre ’78 class.

Thornton continued to press Deman in his Lotus, raced by Elio de Angelis in period, but couldn’t quite find a way past, pirouetting at Abbey on the last lap. He caught the spin after one rotation and continued without losing a spot.

Championship front-runner Nick Padmore claimed his fifth consecutive victory this season and a fitting one at Silverstone, where Clay Regazzoni took Williams’ first-ever Grand Prix win racing a similar FW07 in 1979.

• Nick Padmore (Williams FW07C) 14 laps
• Loic Deman (Tyrrell 010) +3.861s
• Gregory Thornton (Lotus 91/5) +8.402s

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Report from the Sunday race:

Race 4: FIA Masters Historic Formula One

The second of the fantastic 25-minute races for 3-litre FormulaOne cars of the period 1966-1985 kicked off the afternoon’s proceedings, withyesterday’s race winner Nick Padmore on pole in the Williams FW07C.

28 cars – all still in evocative period liveries – took thestart, shaking the earth on the Silverstone pit straight and filling the airwith the roar of DFVs and a lone Matra.

Once again it was Ollie Hancock who made a demon-like start inthe Fittipaldi F5A, leading from fourth on the grid. Padmore tried to pass intoBrooklands as he had done successfully on Saturday but this time Hancock heldon gamely, despite the Williams crawling all over his gearbox.

Padmore wasn’t to be denied, though, and made a great movearound the outside of Village at the start of lap two to take the lead, whilethe Tyrrell 010 of Loic Deman made its way on to the back of the brewing battlefor second.

With the Fittipaldi holding up a train of cars, fans weretreated to a truly astonishing race-long spectacle as six cars squabbled forrunner-up honours. The JPS Lotus 91/5 of Greg Thornton and Deman’s Tyrrell wereswapping places behind Hancock but neither was able to get past the heroicFittipaldi. They were quickly joined by Martin Stretton’s Tyrrell 012 andChristophe D’Ansembourg’s Williams FW07 before the two of them made contact atBrooklands; with the latter spinning down the leaderboard. Then, as Strettonrecovered, Rob Hall, aboard the ex-Jacques Laffitte 1981 Austrian Grand Prixwinning Ligier JS/17, also joined the high-speed train.

On the penultimate lap Hancock, Deman and Stretton wentthree-wide into the loop, somehow coming back out in the same order but Hallsqueezed past Stretton at Brooklands.

A furious final lap saw Deman first pass Thornton and then thegallant Hancock to grab a last gasp second. In the confusion Hall also slippedby the Lotus to grab fourth.

Incredibly, as the cars flashed past the chequered flag littlemore than a single second covered the second to seventh place finishers in whatwill go down as one of the most breathless and thrilling races ever staged atthe Classic.

1. Nick Padmore (Williams FW07C) 14 laps
2. Loic Deman (Tyrrell 010) +29.223
3. Ollie Hancock (Fittipaldi F5A) +29.722