Masters Historic Race Weekend 2024: Masters Racing Legends for 66/85 F1 Cars

David Shaw’s pre-78 Williams FW06 claimed a shock overall win in the first Masters Racing Legends race at Donington Park, when both front row starters faltered halfway into the contest – first Matthew Wrigley’s Tyrrell 011 broke a driveshaft, while on the next lap, Steve Hartley’s McLaren MP4/1 had its engine cut out. Shaw thus completed a strong race with a dominant victory and a pre-78 class win as an added bonus.

“That was good, I enjoyed that”, said Shaw. “I thought after Matt pulled off and then Steve, it was just about keeping pace. And then the rain started to spit and you never quite know, do you? But I kept pushing, I was still doing decent lap times at the end, so yeah, I was really happy and the car was absolutely immaculate.”

After an early tussle, Simon Fish in the Arrows A4 overtook Warren Briggs’ McLaren and was elevated to second place when the two top runners dropped out. Initially, Fish was closing on Shaw but fell away towards the end, keeping some four seconds in hand over Briggs in third. Mark Harrison in the Shadow DN9 was fourth to complete the post-78 podium.

“It started raining and I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to get him in time so I just backed off a little bit for safety”, said Fish about his decision to abandon his chase of the leader. “Maybe save the car a bit for later and the tyres for later. So yeah it was really good.”

“Yeah, pleased with that”, said Briggs. “I always want to have a bit more pace. I would have liked to stay with Simon, but I noticed he was coming back towards me at the end. Qualifying was that really pleased me.”

“Well, it was quite gap in front and to those behind me”, said Harrison about a rather lonely race. “I couldn’t really keep Warren honest.”

All race long, Peter Williams and Ewen Sergison waged war over second place in the pre-78 class, and only towards the end, Sergison’s Shadow DN9A found a way past Williams in the Lec CRP1.

“I’ve got to do no mistakes and I’ll be all right, won’t I?” said a smiling Williams. “It was about three or four laps from the end, coming onto the straight up here, I just run a bit wide, you know. And that was it.”

“It was awesome”, said Sergison, “and about time! We finally got the car up working how we want it, near enough, finally going in front of Pete Williams for once. Through the Craner Curves, my car’s still a bit unstable so he got a lot on me there. Going into Redgate we were pretty well matched, but through the chicane around the back I was a lot quicker and I just had to stay there until he made a mistake. Eventually he went a little bit wide coming onto the back straight and I got alongside him. I didn’t mind pushing him a little bit just to make sure it stuck, because he did it to me four times coming down here! So I thought one against four is all right…”

The skies remained overcast for the first of two 20-minute Masters Racing Legends races on the second day of the Masters Race Weekend at Donington Park, as Matthew Wrigley lined up his Tyrrell 011 on pole, with Steve Hartley sat next to him in the McLaren MP4/1. On the opening lap, Shaw remained in third in the leading pre-78 car, while Briggs’ McLaren M29 was pushed for fourth by Simon Fish in the Arrows A4. Mark Harrison was next in the Shadow DN9, followed by Mark Higson’s McLaren MP4/1, while Peter Williams in the Lec CRP1 and Ewen Sergison in the Shadow DN9A fought over second place in the pre-78 class. In fact, on lap 2, Williams made a bold pass on Higson to put a car in between himself and his class rival.

At the front, Wrigley had managed to create a 3.4-second gap to Hartley, who in turn had dropped Shaw’s Williams FW06 by 2.1 seconds. Briggs and Fish still closely contested fourth place, while Harrison swam right in the middle of a seven-second gap to Williams and Sergison, the latter now also having cleared Higson. Mark Dwyer in the Osella FA1D and Nick Pink in the Arrows A5 weren’t far away either.

On lap 5, Wrigley’s lead had mushroomed to 4.8 seconds, as the Tyrrell broke free of its closest pursuer, while Fish had finally managed to pass Briggs for fourth. On the next lap, however, the leading Tyrrell had gone, following a snapped driveshaft at the back of the circuit and a subsequent slow crawl back towards the pits. This handed Hartley a nifty lead of three seconds over Shaw, while Fish was busy closing the gap to the Williams while leaving Briggs in the McLaren behind. Harrison trailed the Kiwi by seven seconds, with the warring pair of Williams and Sergison a further eight seconds adrift.

Halfway into the race, Hartley had extended his lead to 4.1 seconds but Fish continued to gain ground on Shaw in second place. But then more drama ensued, as Hartley was the second leader to drop out, as the McLaren came into the pits on lap 10. All at once, Fish chasing Shaw was for the overall lead!

On lap 11, Shaw’s lead still amounted to 3.5 seconds, with Fish having dropped Briggs by ten seconds. The New Zealander still looked safe for third, though, as Harrison was 9.7 seconds behind. Williams and Sergison were still nose to tail, now in fifth and sixth, with Higson, Dwyer and Pink up next.

By lap 14, however, Fish’s challenge seemed to have tailed off, as Shaw’s advantage had grown to 6.8 seconds. As the race clock ticked towards zero, Shaw headed home towards a shock victory for his pre-78 class Williams FW06, as Fish decided to save his tyres for a fine second place, and first in the post-78 category, 19 seconds in arrears of the winner, with Briggs in third, 4.5 seconds behind. Harrison was fourth ahead of pre-78 class rivals Williams and Sergison, whose order was switched around a few laps from the end. Dwyer and Pink were up next, as Higson’s McLaren also stumbled in the closing stages.

Matthew Wrigley bounced back from retirement in the first Masters Racing Legends race at Donington to win from the back in the second 1966-’85 Formula One race of the Masters Race Weekend. Wrigley’s Tyrrell 011 hit the front on lap 9 by passing race 1 winner David Shaw, whose Williams FW06 stayed with Wrigley to claim its second pre-78 class victory of the day and second place overall.

“It was a bit of a scruffy race from my point of view and a couple of issues still flash up on the dashboards”, said Wrigley about being unable to grow his lead once he was in front. “I was starting to worry about them later on. But overall it was a great race, with the fastest lap, and I’m just pleased to get to the end and win that one after this morning.”

Initially trying to stay with Shaw, Simon Fish still bagged another podium, ten seconds in arrears of the Williams, as his Arrows A4 headed home Warren Briggs in the McLaren M29 and Mark Harrison in the Shadow DN9A, the latter two separated by 17 seconds at the end.

“I’m glad it wasn’t any more laps, because my neck was starting to go”, said Shaw. “Matt would be coming through, it was just a matter of when. And he probably was slightly later than I thought. I held him up for a couple of laps, but that was the best I could do. And once he got past, I did my best to stick with him. He didn’t go miles away, so I was quite happy. I’m very happy to have another class win and second place overall.”

“I was trying to hang on to Mr Shaw, and then of course after a few laps, Matthew called me up and I went off at the chicane, into the gravel, out the other side, and I kept going”, said Fish. “I was quite pleased how it went, it’s always good to finish a race. Although they’re very strong, these cars are very fragile. Very tiring round here, there’s no break at all. I’m now looking forward to Silverstone.”

In sixth overall, Ewen Sergison claimed another runner-up spot in the pre-78 class, despite late-race pressure from Mark Higson’s McLaren MP4/1 and Sergison’s class rival Peter Williams in the Lec CRP1. Meanwhile, Steve Hartley was in the wars yet again, his McLaren MP4/1 failing to complete the opening lap on an abysmal weekend for the four-time champion.

In the penultimate race of the Masters Race Weekend, the Masters Racing Legends cars returned for their second appearance of the day. Race 1 winner David Shaw speared off into the lead in his pre-78 Williams FW06, chased by Simon Fish in the Arrows A4 and Warren Briggs in the McLaren M29, while from the back, Matthew Wrigley’s Tyrrell 011 was already making inroads into the back of the field. As the first five remained the same, Wrigley was up into sixth following a storming opening lap, but for Steve Hartley misery continued as the McLaren once failed on him before he complete his first tour of the circuit.

Shaw still led Fish by a single second, but on lap 3, Wrigley had already risen to third, having set fastest lap of the race in the process. Now it was a matter of closing the gap to the two leaders. Meanwhile, Mark Harrison in the Shadow DN9 tried to keep pace with Briggs. Ewen Sergison was sixth in the DN9A, and had seen his class rival Peter Williams disappeared from sight, as the Lec CRP1 had dropped behind Mark Dwyer’s Osella FA1D, Mark Higson’s McLaren MP4/1 and Nick Pink’s Arrows A5. Soon, though, Williams was back past Pink to start chasing the duelling Dwyer and Higson.

On lap 6, Wrigley had caught Fish and quickly found a way past, as he sat down to chase Shaw, whose lead was cut to a mere two tenths on lap 7. For one lap, Shaw held firm, but on lap 9, Wrigley nailed the move to clinch the lead. Fish by now had fallen away by some five seconds, while Briggs and Harrison circulated some 15 seconds adrift, with three ticks in between them. Sergison was a lonely sixth, 14 seconds down on Harrison, while Dwyer and Higson continued to wage war over seventh, soon to be joined by Williams who had caught up with the pair. On lap 10, Williams got the first move done.

At the front, Wrigley pulled away to a 1.7-second lead but Shaw was keeping him honest with lap times that weren’t far off the Tyrrell’s best. Happy to maintain a set pace, the leader kept a two-second gap to Shaw, while Fish in third was also setting similar 1.02 lap times. Briggs was safe in fourth, now having broken four seconds free from Harrison, while Higson and Williams had closed up on Sergison in sixth, the Shadow DN9A losing two seconds a lap to his pursuers.

As Wrigley took the chequered flag, his Tyrrell 011 held an advantage of 1.1 seconds over Shaw, as Wrigley kept it safe on the final lap. Fish was third, 10 seconds down, with Briggs a further 22 seconds adrift. In the process, the Kiwi had opened up a 17-second gap to Harrison in fifth. Sergison held firm despite the advances of Higson and Williams to claim second place in the pre-78, with Williams in third, as they headed home Dwyer and Pink.