The FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship will make a guest appearance at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. The 'premier class' of the historic racing series is celebrating a special anniversary this year and will also be celebrating this at its German guest appearance. The cars come from the era of the three-liter formula, which ran from 1966 to 1985 and - from a purely technical point of view - is primarily associated with one name: The Ford-Cosworth engine was the measure of all things back then when it came to propulsion, and the legendary power unit is celebrating the anniversary of its first victory in 1967. Fittipaldi, Stewart, Lauda - the memory of some of the greatest Grand Prix stars will thus be revived on the second weekend in August. A special honor will be bestowed on the drivers who drive their former race cars today. Former Formula 1 star Ralf Schumacher will present the trophies at the award ceremony on Sunday.
50 years of Ford Cosworth at racing speed
It's hard to believe that the epitome of speed and power is fifty years old: The Cosworth engine, which was commonly used in Formula 1 from 1967 until the early 1980s, is celebrating its 50th birthday. The two rounds of the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship at the Nürburgring, which already attract a lot of attention, will therefore certainly be even more interesting. The heart of the monoposti from Arrows, Brabham, Williams, Ligier & Co. is invariably the legendary three-liter naturally aspirated engine. And just like in its heyday, it makes for extremely exciting races, which are likely to fill the grandstands on Saturday (start at 15:55) and Sunday (start at 11:20).
Maserati 250F on the Nordschleife
For Formula 1 fans, the flashback ten years in time is just as exciting: in 1957, it was Juan Manuel Fangio in the Maserati 250F who won one of the most legendary races of all time on the Ring. The 46-year-old title contender had been delayed in the 1957 Grand Prix by an overlong pit stop and returned to the track 48 seconds behind the leading Ferrari drivers. Within the remaining eight laps, he delivered a brilliant comeback, broke several track records and won by 3.6 seconds: a masterpiece that made him a Nürburgring legend.
The Maserati 250F's drive on the Nordschleife on Saturday morning (11:25 - 11:50) is a tribute to the unforgotten Argentinean's feat.
Focus on junior formulas
The AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix will also feature the entry-level formula cars of yesteryear. The agile Formula Junior cars of the FIA Lurani Trophy are in fact the forefathers of these monoposti and were launched 60 years ago. The Italian Conte Giovanni "Johnny" Lurani came up with the idea to make it easier for young drivers to enter motorsport. He hit the bull's eye with this topic, which is as topical today as it was back then. The formula class he introduced triggered a huge boom among racing teams and manufacturers, and produced many a future world-class driver. And the successor formula was also a resounding success. It was Formula 3, which has served as a talent factory since 1964. Although Formula 3 had already existed before, it was only with the new one-liter formula based on the Formula Junior regulations from 1964 that it became a complete success.
The race of the Formula 3 cars from 1964 to 1984 at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix ties in with this era. One focus of the grid will be on the 'later' years so that ex-cars of Riccardo Patrese or Ayrton Senna, for example, will be seen here. Guest of honour Schumacher will certainly be particularly interested here as well, after all, his career led to Formula 3 following his beginnings on his parents' kart track. Partner Ravenol even has a former race car of his from this period at the company's headquarters in Werther, Westphalia.
Further information about the AvD OGP is available on the event website.
