Historic F1 Part 1 - Dan Puddicombe

F1 is renowned for its history, so when the F1 Masters visited Brands Hatch Dan Puddicombe sent a 2 part report on it. Enjoy..

(c) Dan Puddicombe

Brands Hatch. Synonymous with Formula One and other formulae, having hosted 14 Grand Prix and 'invented' the Race of Champions - a far cry from today's stadium based version - so it’s fitting that not only does the Kent circuit host the UK round of the FIA Historic Formula One championship, but also hosts the Masters Historic Festival, a series that has been growing and growing over the seven years that it has been held on the glorious Grand Prix circuit.

This year's Masters Festival theme was Formula One, so to celebrate it, fans were treated to a twenty minute long race for pre-66 Formula One cars, a twenty minute 'Historic Race of Champions' for 66-71 cars and finally, a twenty five minute race for GP Masters cars for cars from the mid-70s to the  early 80s. Additionally, during the lunch break, we had the pleasure of watching Ayrton Senna's 1984 Toleman, a 1993 Benetton, a 1967 Lotus 49 (driven by Clive Chapman, the son of founder, Colin), a rare Beatrice Lola from 1986, and finally March and BRM cars from the 70s driven by the legendary Derek Bell, Jackie Oliver and Howden Ganley. In short, there was a lot of Formula One machinery doing what they were built to do – go rather fast.

(c) Dan Puddicombe

For those of you who have never attended a historic race meeting, you'll be surprised how relaxed everyone is; more so when you're talking about cars with real significance and rarity involved. For example, the support paddock – for the 1950s Sports Cars, the '70s touring cars, the pre-'66 touring cars, the World Sports Cars and the '60s sports cars – is open to the public, for free, for people to get a closer look at the cars. I counted no less than seven Ford GT40s, including a rather rare road going model, and a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, just parked up, by their proud owners for all to look at. Also, the pit lane, which houses the Formula One cars, is open for the public to look around. In previous years I have stood in the pit lane itself while a McLaren MP4/1B was fired up and nearly got run over by a speeding JPS Lotus as it went back out on track. You wouldn't get that kind of access at a modern day Formula One event, or even a BTCC event, unless you worked for the press or had a lot of money. It's worth remembering, that all of this was achieved with a standard entrance ticket for £21 and nothing else.

(c) Dan Puddicombe

I know that you're all thinking that these are museum pieces driven in a parade, but think again: All cars that competed were driven as hard and as fast as they were when they first raced; the air smelling of Castrol GTX during the Pre-66 Formula One cars race and your ears filled with the tuneful sounds of '30s Maserati’s, '50s Coopers and various Lotus' (or is it Loti?). And don't even get me started on the GP Masters event, which featured the six-wheeled Tyrell P34, the unique Amon and a Ensign MN01 that hadn't raced for over thirty years before Sunday. Just hearing 19 Cosworth DFVs all fire up and trundle around on their formation lap made the hair on the back of my neck feel like it had suddenly been connected to the National Grid and a smile come out. Looking around, everyone else felt the same way; these beautiful, rare cars were around to be driven as they were meant to be: quickly. 

I was at Druids hairpin, mainly to get the photographs you see here, but also because it's slowest part of the circuit, and you can watch the cars squirrel under braking as they rise Hailwood Hill, every now and again emitting sparks as the underside of the car scraped the Tarmac like a shovel to stones, and flames as unburned fuel got released into the ether. I like the DFV engine cars because, unlike  today's 2.4 litre V8s, that scream and shout for more, they go up to the rev limiter, and then politely ask for another gear, and go on to make a glorious noise once again. And because they rev a lot lower, they're quieter than today's breed. I'm not suggesting for one moment that they're too quiet: No, their noise is just right as you can hold (quite a loud, I admit) conversation and listen to the PA system to tell you who's winning. Not that it really matters because you're just watching the cars go around, and if you are a certain age I guess (I'm not, I'm 17!), they bring back memories. For the record though, ex-Formula Renault and GP2 racer, Brendon Hartley won in a Lotus 92/5.

(c) Dan Puddicombe

The next race was the RAC Woodcote Trophy for Sports Cars from the fifties. Again, I stayed put on the inside of Druids, to get some of the photos you see on this page, but also to watch some of the cars slide their tails in gracious manner coming out of the hairpin, regain traction and then poer on to Graham Hill bend. Unsurprisingly, considering the value of some of the cars, it was supported by a private bank. And what a list of cars! Evocative cars such as Jaguar C and D-Types, Aston Martin DB2s and DB3s as well as Bristols (I counted four, is that a world record for the number of Bristols in one place?), Frazer Nashes and even a Maserati 300 took to the track in the fifty minute race. Again, I really didn't know who was winning or doing well, but once again, I didn't mind as my ears were being filled with lovely noises from the 50s and my eyes filed with stunning cars. My personal favourite was one of the D-Types or the Maserati 300.

(c) Dan Puddicombe

The Grand Prix loop then beckoned me over, just in time for the Race of Champions. It always amazes me how close you can get to the track around the GP Loop; I was at Hawthorn Bend, a very fast right-hander, just after a long straight and was barely 10 feet from the circuit, without any catch fencing to interrupt my view (and camera), either. Again, all of the cars, bar one – a Merlyn Mk9 – were using the DFV, so my ears were in for a treat once more, as were my eyes, as the cars braked heavily, sometimes drifting around the bend on their cross-ply rubber, making a fantastic spectacle, and in front of about ten people, too: nobody seems to venture out into the woods, unless they are a hardened fan, which is great for me, as I can choose my vantage points easily, but those who don't are missing a lot. I guess that because there is no PA system or any kind of facilities, that is a downside, but the pros outweigh the cons, as you can hopefully see from the pictures. Again, I have no idea what cars finished where, but surely with these events, it's better to enjoy them?

Check out Part 2 where I shall talk about the sports cars races and the touring cars races, as well as the demonstrations. I hope you enjoyed it, and do feel free to follow me on Twitter!