A TRUE HISTORIC CELEBRATION
There was a lot of talk about heritage and history in motorsport over the last week or so. Firstly, the Formula 1 battlers took on the notorious challenge of Spa, which is always a grand prix track to stir the soul. And then a gorgeous array of historic machines and some superbly talented drivers travelled to Silverstone last weekend for the latest edition of The Classic. The Classic delivers on so many levels, and the event shows no signs of slowing down in its popularity. But far from being merely a few classic machines driven around at a deferential pace, it is a hotbed for competition and, as you can read in Paul Lawrence’s report on page 16, the on-track action this year was as fierce as it ever has been.
Our particular soft spot is often held in reserve for Group C racing, the sportscar category that prevailed in the 1980s, and the collection of hardware on offer last weekend was enough to make the mouth water.
But that was only one element of the all-encompassing showpiece as the thousands who flocked there will be able to attest.
In Belgium, Max Verstappen was, as his team boss Christian Horner described, simply in a class of his own. The World title holder should, by rights, not have been able to be as rapid as he was. Sure, other teams have had their struggles, but the Red Bull man so far above the others and even his own team-mate Sergio Perez it was unreal. It makes you wonder just how far Max can go in the sport. He is only 24 years old...
Talking of heritage, it seems the future of Spa has been given a short-term reprieve with a new race deal as you can read on page five. That is a huge relief for everyone, but there are still some tough questions for F1 bosses to ponder. They need to take F1 forward and engage with new audiences without ripping up the fabric of what made us all fall in love with the sport in first place.
The incumbent of our readers’ Q&A this week is a voice you will all be familiar with. David Addison has been talking about motorsport for 30 years as a leading commentator, but it was his promotion to the ITV British Touring Car Championship team in 2013 that has brought him to a wider world. Before that, there were two decades spent in trackside commentary boxes. His knowledge of all aspects of motor racing – from short oval banger racing to the GT World Challenge – is unparalleled. If you see him in the paddock go and challenge him on some motorsport trivia: our money says he will have the right answer waiting for you.
Addison was at Thuxton’s BTCC meeting last weekend, and it was a dampened affair after the enormous accident that befell Ginetta racers
Colin White and Mike Brown. Both are recuperating in hospital as we went to press, and we send them our best for a speedy recovery.
Also, don’t forget to make your voice heard in our latest Motul
UK-backed MN poll, which is launched on page 27. We are on a mission to unearth your most-missed F1 venues. We’ve picked our shortlist – now it is over to you!