OCTANE RECOMMENDS
In-depth details on six of the year’s greatest happenings
Having started in 2014 to pay homage to the pre-war Bernina Grands Prix, the Bernina Gran Turismo inexplicably remains one of the best-kept secrets in classic motorsport. Inexplicably, because it is a nearfixture on the shortlist at Octane’s Historic Motoring Awards, a reflection of its quality and the esteem it is held in within the Historic racing community. The appeal is obvious, this unique event combining the temptations of blasting up serious mountain scenery on closed Alpine roads with a raft of all-out competition cars from saloons and GTs to F1 single-seaters. It all makes for a thrilling event to be part of, and a sensational one to watch.
Based close to St Moritz, with an 80-strong entry list that rivals the world’s leading Historic festivals, last year’s hillclimb attracted Bugatti Type 35, Ford GT40 and McLaren F5000 alike – not to mention motor racing legends such as a genuine Jaguar D-type and the fabulous ‘Breadvan’ Ferrari.
Many participants are attracted to this testing event (although there is also a regularity class) precisely because it does not have tens of thousands of paddock-cramming spectators, and entrants can enjoy their motorsport in a relaxed and convivial, relatively remote environment. That doesn’t mean the event itself is a cakewalk, though, with more than 50 turns on the course as it rises 460m over 5.7km from La Rosa in Switzerland at 1871m to Ospizio Bernina in Italy at 2330m.
Swiss driver Ronnie Kessel took the spoils in 2019, a year in which the extremes of weather on each day made for a very interesting set of runs in the fog and drizzle on the Sunday. Kessel guided his F1 Ensign N177 up the hill in 3min 12.31sec, while winner of the rather more sedate regularity was Tommaso Zeriali in his 1965 Porsche 911. Also in 2019 there was a special celebration for 99 years of Moto Guzzi, which attracted a wealth of motorcycles dating from 1924 to 2019.
There will be four timed runs up the mountain in 2020, and it will be limited to 80 entries dating up to the early 1980s. If you can’t grab one of those spots, there are plenty of incredibly attractive spots along the course to watch the action from – spectating is free!