Monza Revival 2026: Masters Sports Car Legends

John Spiers and Nigel Greensall produced a commanding recovery drive to claim victory in the opening Masters Sports Car Legends race of the Monza Revival, overturning fifth place on the grid to secure an impressive overall win in their McLaren M1B. After 40 minutes of racing, the Hulme class pairing finished 15.4 seconds clear of Steve Brooks’ Lola T290, while James Claridge and Gonçalo Gomes completed the overall podium in third.

Qualifying pace-setter Steve Brooks lined up on pole after setting a 1:56.674, ahead of François Rivaz and Frank Stippler’s Chevron B19, with the Claridge/Gomes Lola T296 occupying third. John of B and Soheil Ayari started fourth, while eventual winners Spiers and Greensall lined up only fifth on the grid.

Brooks initially converted pole position into the race lead, but the opening laps were frantic. Rivaz and Stippler quickly challenged for the lead, briefly moving ahead, while the Ligier JS3 of John of B and Ayari also enjoyed time at the front in the opening exchanges. Behind them, Spiers steadily worked through the order, climbing from fifth to fourth before breaking into the top three by lap five.

The race’s first interruption came shortly before the halfway point when the No. 69 Ligier JS3 stopped at Turn 8, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car. The neutralisation coincided with the mandatory pit window, allowing the leading contenders to complete their driver changes before racing resumed.

The restart proved decisive. With Nigel Greensall now aboard the McLaren M1B, the Hulme class entry immediately demonstrated superior pace. Greensall swept into the lead and quickly opened a comfortable advantage, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 16 with a 1:55.537 – almost 1.2 seconds quicker than Brooks’ qualifying pole time.

Behind the leaders, Brooks remained comfortably in second overall and secured victory in the Stommelen class after an otherwise controlled race. Claridge and Gomes completed the podium and finished second in class, while Rivaz and Stippler claimed fourth overall and victory in the Marko category after running near the front throughout the opening stint.

Further back, Alberto Zoli edged Ingo Strolz in a close battle for second place in the Marko class, the pair finishing just three tenths of a second apart after 17 laps. Keith Ahlers and Billy Bellinger brought their Cooper Monaco home seventh overall and second in the Hulme class after a consistent run, while the Rodriguez class favourites John of B and Ayari were classified eighth after their early retirement following the Turn 8 incident.

The McLaren M1B’s outright speed was evident throughout the race. Greensall’s fastest lap of 1:55.537 not only sealed the race’s quickest time but underlined the crew’s dominance in the closing stages, while Brooks recorded the highest top speed of the race at 250.0 km/h in his Lola T290.

John Spiers and Nigel Greensall completed a flawless weekend at the Monza Revival by claiming their second Masters Sports Car Legends victory in as many races. The TT Workshop McLaren M1B led home a competitive field after 20 laps, finishing 7.4 seconds ahead of the CMS Lola T296 shared by James Claridge and Gonçalo Gomes, while Steve Brooks secured another podium finish in third after starting alongside the eventual winners on the front row.

Following their Race 1 success, Spiers and Greensall started from pole position alongside Brooks’ Lola T290, with Claridge and Gomes lining up third ahead of François Rivaz and Frank Stippler’s Chevron B19. Alberto Zoli and Ingo Strolz occupied the third row, while Keith Ahlers and James Bellinger completed the seven-car grid.

Spiers converted pole into the race lead at the start, but the opening laps developed into an intense three-way battle. Claridge immediately challenged for second and briefly dropped Brooks to third before the Stommelen class rivals began trading positions. Behind them, Rivaz held a comfortable fourth, while Zoli and Strolz continued their familiar battle for fifth overall.

The decisive phase came before the mandatory pit window. Claridge and Gonçalo Gomes managed to edge ahead of the McLaren on lap five, taking the overall lead as the CMS crew steadily increased their pace. Gomes repeatedly lowered the fastest lap, eventually recording a superb 1:55.705 on lap 13, the quickest lap of the race.

The pit window opened without interruption and all of the front-runners completed clean driver changes, with Race Control reporting no Safety Car periods during the race. Only warning flags for cars No. 96 and No. 119 for repeated track limits interrupted an otherwise uninterrupted 40-minute contest.

Following the stops, Nigel Greensall reasserted the McLaren’s challenge. The defending Race 1 winners regained the lead with seven laps remaining and gradually pulled away despite relentless pressure from Gomes in the closing stages. Although the CMS driver produced the fastest lap of the afternoon, he was unable to close the final gap before the chequered flag.

Behind the leading duo, Brooks enjoyed another solid run to secure third overall and another Stommelen class podium, finishing just under 20 seconds behind the winners. Rivaz and Stippler once again claimed Marko class honours in fourth overall, while Ingo Strolz narrowly defeated Alberto Zoli in another close fight for second in class, the pair finishing less than half a minute apart after 19 laps. Keith Ahlers and James Bellinger completed the classified finishers, taking second place in the Hulme class.

By taking victory in both races, Spiers and Greensall completed a perfect weekend at Monza, while Claridge and Gomes once again demonstrated exceptional pace with the fastest lap of the race. The pair finished second overall after leading the middle phase of the contest, ensuring an entertaining battle between the McLaren M1B and Lola T296 right to the finish.