Historic Formula One: 2010 Season Review
HFO 2010 Season Overview from HFO Media on Vimeo.
Welcome to the 2010 FIA Historic Formula One Season Review.
The aim was to capture the spirit of the teams, the circuits, the championship race and the whole experience that Historic Formula One racing brings.
Circuits
Hockenheim : 17 Entries
With seven rounds throughout Europe, this was a busy season that started off with a volcano…..the one that disrupted air traffic and meant that the Belgian motorways were full of (speeding?) drivers, crew and photographers. But at least we had the weather, which was a consistent feature of the whole season, and with Hockenheim bathed in early spring sun it was a great start to 2010. The podium of the Jim Clark Revival meeting, was full of happy racers clearly pleased to have shaken off the shackles of winter.
Spa Francorchamps: 22 Entries
Spa in May can be unpredictable at the best of times, but again the sunny weather boosted team spirits and it was the dicing between Joaquin Folch and BVR throughout the whole 10 laps that was the lasting memory of this year’s RMU Classic. Never more than a few feet apart, it finally went to Joaquin. It was also good to see the one off appearance of the Surtees TS20, Trojan & Fittipaldi F8.
Monza: 27 Entries
If it’s June it must be the 58th Coppa Intereuropa at Monza, the only place where the birds stop singing as the cars fly by! One of the season’s more popular circuits where the cars are given a very warm welcome by the Italian fans. As well as being warm, with track at 50°C, it was also a car breaker, with DNS from Collins, Rosina, Fiaccadori, an engine fire for Kubota and the wing falling off Kogan’s Williams. Frank Sytner even managed to put his Hesketh 308 “airborne” at Prima Variante! But the overnight work by CGA not only created a “Willi Wolf” but also gave Kubota his maiden HFO win in what was yet another tight race at the front of the pack.
Brands Hatch: 19 Entries
The July HSCC Super Prix at Brands Hatch saw the appearance of Rob Austin’s Surtees TS20 & Ian Simmonds Benneton Tyrrell 012, which were both to end up with mechanical issues. The spinning Wolf WR1 of Peter Wünsch caused the race to be red flagged and it was a brave BVR who grabbed the lead from Kubota to take victory. A further win from Peter Meyrick in Class B now put him in title contention. The Brands GP circuit is always a favourite and again lived up to its reputation
Nogaro Gers: 8 Entries
After the summer break a trek into Pate Fois Gras country and the Nogaro Gers circuit in SW France. A location where food is more important than sex, marshall’s are well looked after and the heat was relentless. The circuit hospitality was second to none and the15,000 crowd wereknowledgeable spectators. The heat and twisty circuit proved a challenge for the teams & drivers and although he grabbed the lead from the start, Kubota was unable to hold off the McLaren MP4 of BVR. This was Folch’s only DNF of the season.
Dijon Prenois: 14 Entries
Staying with a French theme, we moved to Dijon and the Trophees Historique de Bourgogne meeting. The challenging sweeping corners and hills of this circuit were familiar to many racers and there was almost a carnival atmosphere in the Paddock. Could the championship be decided this weekend…well no, as a win by Katsu Kubota and Class B win by Peter Meyrick ensured it would be settled in the final round. Class A Championship was clinched by John Delane and a win in Class D by Patrick D’Ambreby meant that too would be settled at Portimao.
Portimao: 21 Entries
And so to Portugal and the season climax at the stunning new Autodromo do Algarve. This is a driver’s circuit, complex, fast, blind corners and gradient changes your 4X4 would enjoy, complete with facilities and fine dining. Winding its way into a natural bowl in the Portugese countryside, it was sunny, bright and hot! Its longer than you think & having walked the complete external track we will be investing in a scooter next year! A further 6 drivers swelled the ranks at this meeting and it was all to play for. BVR, Kubota & Andy Meyrick’s position juggling at the front finally gave the Class B and Championship to Peter Meyrick and Terry Sayles finally clinching the Class D honours.
A fitting end to a great season at a great circuit.
Drivers
Yet again HFO has proved to be the pinnacle of the historic scene & has attracted the top flight of amateur drivers whose sole aim is to race these cars to the limit. A total of 40 drivers from 12 countries participated in this year’s championship, Eight new drivers entered during the year, swelling the total number of starters this season to 128, making it the truly global championship it is.
Class A: Period G Formula One cars built and raced prior to 31.12.1971
Multiple HFO/TGP Class Champion John Delane not only won Class A in his Stewart Tyrrell 02 but probably clocked up more Air Miles than any other driver with his regular forays from California.
Having taken a year out in 2009, he competed in all seven rounds of the championship and with Roberto Crippa & Gunther Alth competing only in selective races, his victory was rarely in doubt.
Class B: Post 1971 non ground effect F1 cars
Having started the season at Hockenheim in his Class C Arrows A5, Peter Meyrick then fought the rest of the season in his Class B Brambilla March 761.
His & Team AMR consistent approach, enabled him to clinch both the 2010 Class and Championship in the final round in Portimao, finishing just 1 point ahead of Bobby Verdon-Roe.
This was also recognised by the awarding of Brian Linley & Team AMR with the Nicholson McLaren Trophy for 2010 Season.
Second place went to Peter Wünsch in the Wolf WR1(more on page 148).
Peter was only one point ahead of Luciano Quaggia in his ever reliable Theodore TR1, with Luciano scoring points in every round.
This was another busy class with 15 drivers completing in 2010
Class C:All post 1971 ground effect F1 cars
With Bobby Verdon-Roe defending the championship with his new McLaren MP4, Katsu Kubota in the Abba Kogan Williams FW07 and Joaquin Folch in the stunning Brabham BT49C, Class C was always going to be cut and thrust.
The MP4 showed its capability right from the first race at Hockenheim and with further wins at Brands & Nogaro, and never outside the top 3, it was always going to be the car to beat.
But it was the improving Williams FW07 of Katsu Kubota that added spice to the mix. With a slow wind up in Hockenheim and Spa, it was Monza that set the series alight with the low of an engine fire in qualifying and then his first HFO race win, no wonder he was jumping for joy on the podium! Further wins in Dijon & Portimao added to his tally.
Last year’s Class C Champion, Joaquin Folch in the Ecclestone Brabham BT49C contested every race, again winning the Spa race & setting fastest lap. He was ways on the coat tails of BVR and Kubota, but it with improving cars and a DNF at Nogaro he took the 3rd spot in class.
The highly competitive Class C attracted a total of 21 drivers
Class D:All post 1971 flat bottomed cars
With only two competitors in Class D, it was a straight fight between Terry Sayles in his attractive and highly reliable Osella FA1 and 2009 Class D Champion Patrick D’Ambreby’s equally good looking Tyrrell 012.
Despite Patrick scoring maximum points in 3 rounds & Terry scoring in every race, it went down to the wire for Terry who needed to collect points at Portimao, which he duly did, winning by 3.
Awards 2010
| CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY | Spirit of the Championship | Katsu Kubota |
| ENSIGN TROPHY | Winner Class B | Peter Meyrick |
| CHAPMAN TROPHY | Winner Class C | Bobby Verdon-Roe |
| LANGFORD PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING TROPHY | Winner Class D | Terry Sayles |
| NICHOLSON MCLAREN TEAM TROPHY | AMR | Brian Linley |
| GEOFF RICHARDSON TROPHY | Best Newcomer | Michael Lyons |
Driver Profile – 2010 Champion PETER MEYRICK
Peter started racing single seaters in the 1970’s, following the traditional ladder of FF1600, FF2000 and British F3.
During this time Peter raced against many of the stars of the future, including some that made it all the way to F1; namely Martin Donnelly and Damon Hill. He retired completely from motor racing in 1980 to concentrate on his business interests.
When Peter’s youngest son Andy took up single seater racing in 2005 he could not resist the temptation to have another go himself. Peter initially drove a FF2000 Van Diemen in a national championship in the UK.
The ambition to drive the famous European circuits quickly led to the acquisition of a March 782 F2 car in which he has competed in the European F2 Championship over the last 4 seasons, scoring numerous wins and podiums including winning Class C for 2 litre cars in 2010.
Soon after restarting racing Peter also acquired a March 761, previously driven by Vittorio Brambilla, to race in the HFO championship. He has also driven an Arrows A5 in HFO, which was driven in period by Marc Surer.
