Masters Historic Festival 2023: Masters Racing Legends for 66/85 F1 Cars

Mark Hazell soaked up the pressure all race to win the first Masters Racing Legends race for 1966-’85 Formula One cars at the Masters Historic Festival. Hazell’s Williams FW07B was chased throughout by Nick Padmore’s pre-78 class-winning Lotus 77 and Jamie Constable’s post-82 class-winning Tyrrell 011B but held the fort until the red flag came up for Steve Hartley crashing his McLaren MP4/1 after a storming drive from the back of the grid all the way up to fifth place.

“F***ing hell, that was some pressure!” said an elated Hazell.

“I want a ground-effect car!” said Padmore. “The car was good in a straight line but the corner were difficult. Mark drove so well, I just couldn’t get him.”

“The car was a bit understeery”, said Constable. “Nick was good on the back straight, but in the corners it was just too tight to pass. I had a go a couple of times, but couldn’t do it.”

Ken Tyrrell in the Tyrrell 011 closed up on the lead fight right at the end, the American having dealt with Kiwi teammate Warren Briggs in the McLaren M29 earlier. In sixth overall, Mark Higson (McLaren MP4/1B) decided a lengthy fight with James Hagan’s Tyrrell 011 and Mark Harrison’s Shadow DN9 in his favour.

In tenth overall, Ian Simmonds took second in the post-82 class in his Tyrrell 012, while Ewen Sergison (Shadow DN9A) won the battle for second in the pre-78 class from Peter Williams in the Lec CRP1.

“We had a real good fight”, said Sergison. “Every time I looked in my mirrors, he was there. And every time I made a mistake I saw him do the same, so we were having the same issues!”

“I could have”, said Williams about attempting to pass Sergison, “but it might have ended in tears…”

In bright sunshine, the 1966-’85 Formula One of the Masters Racing Legends lined up for the first of two 20-minute headline races of the Whitsunday. With Mark Hazell on pole in the ex-Alan Jones Williams FW07B and Nick Padmore sitting next to him in the ex-Gunnar Nilsson Lotus 77, the field stormed off into Paddock Hill Bend, with two cars troubled in qualifying right at the back – Steve Hartley’s McLaren MP4/1 and Simon Fish in Hartley’s Arrows A4.

Hazell duly led away from Padmore, Jamie Constable in the Tyrrell 011B, Warren Briggs in the McLaren M29, Ken Tyrrell in the Tyrrell 011 and Mark Harrison in the Shadow DN9. Soon, though, Padmore was right on the back of the Williams but Hazell held his own, with Constable now closing up on the Lotus. At the back, Hartley was up into 14th, with Fish in 15th. Sadly, Bruckner was in with the Arrows A6, the Austrian’s race seemingly over after a single lap.

The top three had broken away from the fight between team mates Briggs and Tyrrell, with Harrison continuing to hold off Mark Higson in the McLaren MP4/1B and James Hagan in the blue Tyrrell 011, followed by Ian Simmonds’ Tyrrell 012 and Neil Glover in the Arrows A5 who now saw Hartley closing rapidly.

With fastest lap of the race, Hazell pulled out a 1.1-second lead over Padmore on lap 3, with Constable less than a second behind in third. Six seconds further back, Tyrrell finally made it past Briggs for fourth, as Hartley was now up to eighth, having passed Simmonds and Hagan. In the pre-78 class, meanwhile, Ewen Sergison in the Shadow DN9A was fighting tooth and nail with Peter Williams in the Lec CRP1, with second place in class at stake. Max Werner, meanwhile, had withdrawn from that particular battle, his Hesketh 308 having lost fuel pressure.

Halfway into the race, the top trio were still tied to a string, now with just half a second in between them, as Tyrrell behind them had eased away from Briggs, now chased by Hartley. 22 seconds down, Harrison, Higson and Hagan warred over seventh, with Simmonds on their tail as the second car in the post-82 flat-bottomed car, with Constable well out in front in class.

On lap 8, Mark Hazell still had no time to breathe easily, but now Constable was harrying Padmore as hard as the Lotus was chasing the leader. As the top three were watching each other, Tyrrell was sneekily approaching the lead battle, now just three seconds in arrears. Hartley, while lapping faster than anyone on track, had taken another spot, now at the cost of fellow McLaren driver Warren Briggs. In the Higson, Harrison, Hagan fight, the former had stolen a march on his rivals to now run a fairly solid seventh.

With five minutes remaining, the leading group was expanded to four, as Hazell continued to soak up the pressure, but for Hartley the fight was over, as he spun away his fifth place, resulting in a crash that brought out the red flag. With racing not resuming, Hazell was declared the winner from Padmore, Constable, Tyrrell, Briggs, Higson and Hagan, with Hartley still classified eighth. Mark Harrison was ninth, ahead of Ian Simmonds who took second in the post-82 class, while Sergison held off Williams for second in the pre-78 class.

For the second time this season, Nick Padmore recorded a shock overall win for a pre-78 car, the Lotus 77 driver profiting from Steve Hartley’s demise six minutes from the end

From the reverse pole, Hartley had led the second Masters Racing Legends race for 1966- ’85 Formula One cars from the front before it all came to an end at the same spot where he was forced to retire in race 1.

“On the opening lap I got past two cars, and after the safety car I was just fully lit!” said Padmore. “It’s been all right this weekend, from the Mini to the Lotus…”

Padmore then ran home the win ahead of a strong Ken Tyrrell in the Tyrrell 011 and race 1 winner Mark Hazell in the Williams FW07B. Warren Briggs did well to take fourth in his McLaren M29, with Mark Higson yet another man to rack up his best finish in the series with fifth in the McLaren MP4/1B.

“Nick was little tough to catch, but what an experience, with these great competitors on a great track”, said Tyrrell.

“They did really well”, said Hazell of his fellow drivers on the podium. “Jamie went off on cold tyres, and after that I just hung on.”

“I was really pleased to hang on to Mark – great track, great place, great weather”, said Briggs.

In sixth, Ian Simmonds’ Tyrrell 012 claimed post-82 class honours, as Jamie Constable’s Tyrrell 011B spun off on the opening lap, while Max Werner stormed through the field to capture second place in the pre-78 class in the Hesketh 308, with Peter Williams once again coming third in class in the Lec CRP1.

“It was amazing here at Brands Hatch, such an iconic circuit. It was a great race, I’m super happy to be here, on the podium for the first time”, said Werner.

A second highlight of the Masters Historic Festival Sunday, the Masters Racing Legends lined up their 1966-’85 Formula One cars for the second time, and it was Steve Hartley whose repaired McLaren MP4/1 found itself on pole position on the reversed grid for the first five, ahead of Ken Tyrrell’s Tyrrell 011, Jamie Constable’s Tyrrell 011B, Nick Padmore in the Lotus 77, Warren Briggs in the McLaren M29 and race 1 winner Mark Hazell in the Williams FW07B.

Three corners into the race, however, Padmore dived inside of Constable who came under pressure of Hazell and subsequently spun into the grass at Sheene Curve. Hartley still led from Tyrrell, but Padmore was now also harrying the American, and on lap 2 he was up into second place to set after Hartley in the lead. Meanwhile, Ewen Sergison was out of the race as well.

Hartley and Padmore continued to fight into lap 3 while pulling a gap of three seconds to Tyrrell, who found Hazell all over the back of him. Briggs and Higson were up next, after which a seven-second space opened up to Mark Harrison in the Shadow DN9, who was chased by Ian Simmonds in the Tyrrell 012. Simon Fish (Arrows A4), James Hagan (Tyrrell 011) and Max Werner (Hesketh 308) fought over ninth, with Fish coming through.

Four laps gone, Hartley had eeked away to a 1.2-second lead, as Padmore began to drop Tyrrell who on his turn had left Hazell behind by two seconds. With Constable now plum last after having rejoined, Simmonds led the post-82 class in ninth, with Arthur Bruckner’s Arrows A6 second in 15th overall. Behind Padmore, Max Werner was second in the pre-78 class, leading Peter Williams in the Lec CRP1 and Paul Grant in the March 761.

Hartley now truly put the hammer down, leaving Padmore to chase him by 2.7 seconds. Tyrrell continued to move away from Hazell, who now saw Briggs closing in on him, with Higson a further six seconds behind. Harrison and Fish warred over seventh, 27 seconds down, with Simmonds still just ahead of Hagan.

A new fastest lap of the race followed on lap 6, as Hartley further widened the chasm between himself and Padmore to 4.8 seconds. Further back, Fish got the better of Harrison to take that seventh spot, but then suddenly, Hartley had gone! He had stopped at the same spot where he found his nadir in race 1, and the McLaren being parked in a dangerous position, race control was forced to employ the safety car.

Padmore was the new leader, followed by Tyrrell, Hazell, Briggs, Higson, Fish, Harrison, Simmonds, Hagan and Werner. As the field was bunched up again, Hartley got going under his own power but he retired to the pits after a weekend to forget. So it was going to be three-minute sprint to the line. Upon the green flag Padmore powered away to create a safe gap, leading Tyrrell by 1.5 seconds after their first hot lap, with Hazell down four seconds, with Briggs looking for the place. Behind them, Fish lost power to see Harrison, Simmonds and the rest fly past with just one more lap to go…

So Padmore brought home the win from Tyrrell, Hazell, Briggs and Higson, with Harrison and Simmonds inheriting sixth and seventh. Simmonds took post-82 class honours, while Werner and Williams in eighth and ninth overall took the remaining spots on the pre-78 podium.