Jack_Bauer
11-12-2005, 12:04 PM
This weekend sees the first ever race in the brand new GP Masters Series on the historic F1 circuit at Kyalami, South Africa. For those of you who haven't heard of the series yet the idea is to get former F1 stars (like Prost, Mansell, Patrese) racing competitively against each other in identical single seater cars.
The cars, produced by Delta Motorsport in the UK, are 612kg open-wheelers powered by a Nicholson-Mclaren-Cosworth normally aspirated V8 producing around 600bhp. The cars are designed with the goal of close, competitive racing with the emphasis firmly on driver skill as opposed to technology. There are no driver aids (though the gearbox is paddle-operated), while there is downforce it's nowhere near F1 levels so following closely behind drivers shouldn't be too much of a problem, and they use cast-iron brake discs instead of the more 'fashionable' carbon items to increase braking distances and improve overtaking opportunities.
The favourites before the series starts are the likes of Nigel Mansell, Ricardo Patrese and Alain Prost. Prost still drives competitively in ice-racing and showed he'd lost none of his competitive edge after his performance in a DTM charity event at the Norisring. Sadly though Prost is missing from the inaugural event due to other commitments.
So far things seem to be going to form with 'our Noige' dominating the practice and qualifying sessions. The qualifying session went as follows:-
1. Mansell (GBR) 1:33.428 9
2. Fittipaldi (BRA) 1:33.998 14
3. Patrese (ITA) 1:34.048 12
4. Lammers (NED) 1:34.082 14
5. De Cesaris (ITA) 1:34.086 13
6. Warwick (GBR) 1:34.087 13
7. Danner (GER) 1:34.132 9
8. Cheever (USA) 1:34.602 13
9. Stuck (AUT) 1:34.755 7
10. Johansson (SWE) 1:34.841 12
11. Arnoux (FRA) 1:35.453 8
12. Salazar (CHI) 1:36.852 14
13. Tambay (FRA) 1:36.948 9
14. Laffite (FRA) 1:36.958 7
Sadly Alan Jones has had to pull out of the event with neck troubles. He was unable to do any pre-season testing and didn't get his seat and cockpit fitted properly so his neck muscles have been going into spasm. (Though some who saw him at the Australian A1GP event the other day may think it was more down to his apparent lack of fitness. I'm suprised he even fitted into the car at all! :p )
As an added treat for viewers in the UK the race, screened from 3pm Sunday on BBC2, they will commentary from none other than Murray Walker. After retiring from F1 commentary in 2001 he vowed to hang is microphone up for good, but the lure of commentating again on legends like Mansell, Patrese and Prost was clearly too strong!
"GO, GO, GO!!!!!!!" :D
The cars, produced by Delta Motorsport in the UK, are 612kg open-wheelers powered by a Nicholson-Mclaren-Cosworth normally aspirated V8 producing around 600bhp. The cars are designed with the goal of close, competitive racing with the emphasis firmly on driver skill as opposed to technology. There are no driver aids (though the gearbox is paddle-operated), while there is downforce it's nowhere near F1 levels so following closely behind drivers shouldn't be too much of a problem, and they use cast-iron brake discs instead of the more 'fashionable' carbon items to increase braking distances and improve overtaking opportunities.
The favourites before the series starts are the likes of Nigel Mansell, Ricardo Patrese and Alain Prost. Prost still drives competitively in ice-racing and showed he'd lost none of his competitive edge after his performance in a DTM charity event at the Norisring. Sadly though Prost is missing from the inaugural event due to other commitments.
So far things seem to be going to form with 'our Noige' dominating the practice and qualifying sessions. The qualifying session went as follows:-
1. Mansell (GBR) 1:33.428 9
2. Fittipaldi (BRA) 1:33.998 14
3. Patrese (ITA) 1:34.048 12
4. Lammers (NED) 1:34.082 14
5. De Cesaris (ITA) 1:34.086 13
6. Warwick (GBR) 1:34.087 13
7. Danner (GER) 1:34.132 9
8. Cheever (USA) 1:34.602 13
9. Stuck (AUT) 1:34.755 7
10. Johansson (SWE) 1:34.841 12
11. Arnoux (FRA) 1:35.453 8
12. Salazar (CHI) 1:36.852 14
13. Tambay (FRA) 1:36.948 9
14. Laffite (FRA) 1:36.958 7
Sadly Alan Jones has had to pull out of the event with neck troubles. He was unable to do any pre-season testing and didn't get his seat and cockpit fitted properly so his neck muscles have been going into spasm. (Though some who saw him at the Australian A1GP event the other day may think it was more down to his apparent lack of fitness. I'm suprised he even fitted into the car at all! :p )
As an added treat for viewers in the UK the race, screened from 3pm Sunday on BBC2, they will commentary from none other than Murray Walker. After retiring from F1 commentary in 2001 he vowed to hang is microphone up for good, but the lure of commentating again on legends like Mansell, Patrese and Prost was clearly too strong!
"GO, GO, GO!!!!!!!" :D