How one retro event could prove an alluring prospect for Formula 1 stars

It never fails to pique the interest when a current Formula 1 driver gets their taste of historic machinery. But as Autosport opined back in May, shortly after Charles Leclerc shunted an ex-Niki Lauda Ferrari 312B3 during a run at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix weekend, these demonstrations can be a poisoned chalice.

The ever-present risk of stuffing a car of great provenance, especially when it’s down to a random mechanical failure, or simply the act of pootling around at slow speeds ensure these promo events are often a thankless task.

The Goodwood Revival, as the flagship old-timer race meeting, is a reminder that the two can be reconciled. If any kind of motorsport national service could be instated, surely it would be to have F1’s leading lights going hell for leather in 60-year-old sportscars.

To make an AC Cobra 289 or a semi-lightweight Jaguar E-type competitive for the flagship Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy Celebration bout necessarily entails a breathed-on engine and tuning well beyond what would be considered ‘period correct’. That and the very act of accepting an invite from the Duke of Richmond and Gordon to enter said car means the owners are accepting some degree of risk that panels may be dented. Those factors go a long way to negating the cons of a museum piece being wheeled out only to be driven at half-speed, breakdown or damaged and then repaired at a cost of total originality.

And since a win in the Goodwood TT only then enhances what these race-prepped machines are worth, there’s absolutely an incentive for their owners to call up Alpine and request the services of Fernando Alonso, or see if Lewis Hamilton has a weekend going spare. Plus, it can be a two-way street. Mercedes can offer up George Russell in a 300 SL(R!) and Ferrari can send Carlos Sainz in one of its own Dino 246s. Valtteri Bottas in a classic Alfa Romeo and so on where appropriate. Although, strict measures would need to be in place to stop teams excessively interfering with prepping the cars.

In the case of the TT - or the more recent creation that is the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy (formerly the Kinrara) for 1960s GT racers that now arguably offers the better spectacle, where there’s a beautiful blend of straight-sixes, big-banger V8s and some V12s - the rules would have to be tighter than they are now.

A personal aside, at the 2018 Revival there were two Aston Martin DB4 GTs parked side by side. One was proudly original but slower for it. The other sat about three inches lower to the ground in a state of tune much more 21st century than it was 1960. At least on TV, however, colour aside, you couldn’t tell them apart.

Jenson Button, Jaguar E-Type

Photo by: Gary Hawkins

Last weekend’s Revival was a little less subtle. In the TT, 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button stormed off into a 20s lead aboard Adrien Newey’s E-type. It was visibly pulling away from the Cobra-led competition on the straights, just like it wouldn’t have done in period.

Even on a screen, it looked squatter and more slammed than its fellow Jags. To enter the race, the car obviously passed scrutineering. But this appeared very much a Goodwood ‘hot rod’ special.

Had it not been for a post-pitstop gearbox failure that paved the way for a decent three-way climax (before Tom Kristensen spun the Lister Costin Coupe and the Romain Dumas Cobra hit trouble), Button and Harrison Newey’s victory would have been dominant but dull.

Reserving one race for current F1 drivers feels as though it’s in line with where the event is currently at and therefore not a distasteful distraction

For Autosport’s F1 experiment, that kind of disparity really wouldn’t do. Checks and balances would have to be tighter to ensure repeat business - why else would Max Verstappen come back each year if he’d felt hard done by thanks to running a slower car? The rate of development at Goodwood isn’t something to be sniffed at when formerly frontrunner Lister Tigers and Projects Astons are now not even mid-pack.

One solution might be to keep F1 drivers in historics but pop them into a different, less high-profile race. A one-make event such as the Mini-only grids we’ve seen, or last weekend’s Lavant Cup for MGBs might do the trick. If the spec and prep of all cars was similar enough, this historic motorsport experiment would also appease the case for sticking all F1 drivers in the same car to see who really is fastest - as many have called for.

The Goodwood Revival is serious business now. See the private testing pre-event, the vast sums spent on special engines, sticking the cars up on four-poster rigs and the pukka list of ex-grand prix drivers, Le Mans 24 Hours winners and even Formula E champions (Stoffel Vandoorne) who have been courted to drive. Reserving one race for current F1 drivers feels as though it’s in line with where the event is currently at and therefore not a distasteful distraction.

In return, surely more eyes would tune in to watch these proper cars and one of the most-entertaining motorsport spectacles around as drivers manage cross-ply tyres, four-wheel drifts and big braking zones. If Autosport came to power, it’d be a clause in every active F1 driver’s contract. Sound far-fetched? Surely no more so than certain episodes of Drive to Survive…

Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration Button Alex Brundle Jaguar E

Photo by: Jeff Bloxham / Motorsport Images