Report: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2018

By Lizzie Pope
Sport
 | 14 May 2018
Classic & Sports Car – Report: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2018

The 11th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique was another glorious, action-packed celebration in the most evocative of settings.

Following practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, the weekend’s first winner came on Sunday morning, Paddins Dowling leading an ERA one-two, over 17 seconds clear of Michael Gans in his 1935 R1B, in the pre-war Grand Prix cars race. Anthony Sinopoli took the final podium place in his Maserati 6CM/4CM.

There was a hard-fought battle in the second race, for F1 Grand Prix cars built between 1961 and 1965. Pole man Andy Middlehurst in a Lotus 25 Climax took the chequered flag just 0.6 seconds clear of Joseph Colasacco in a Ferrari 1512 after 10 laps of racing, the leading pair well clear of James King’s Brabham in third.

Classic & Sports Car – Report: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2018
Classic & Sports Car – Report: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2018

The breadth and depth of the machinery on track was astonishing

It was back to pre-1961 F1 and F2 Grand Prix cars for race three, the Tec-Mec F415 driven by Tony Wood taking victory, followed home by a pair of Lotus 16s, in the experienced hands of Nick Padmore and Joaquin Folch-Rusinol.

F1 Grand Prix cars from 1966 to 1972 were next to hit the track and after 12 laps the winner was Bjorn Wirdheim in his March 711, the McLaren M19A of Stuart Hall less than a second behind. Michael Lyons’ Surtees TS9 finished a distant third.

Parades marking Porsche’s 70th birthday and another entitled ‘F1 Heritage and Film’ followed, before it was time for ’50s front-engined sports racers to do battle – a race which saw a dominant performance from Chris Ward.

After taking pole by over three seconds, he brought his Cooper-Jaguar T33 home over half a minute ahead of Ben Short’s Lister Maserati, who finished a similar distance from Wood in a Lister Bristol.

Classic & Sports Car – Report: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2018
Classic & Sports Car – Report: Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2018

Derek Bell helped Porsche celebrate (left), while the pre-war racers were a stunning sight

The meeting’s penultimate race was for F1 Grand Prix cars (1973-1976), pole-sitter Hall in a McLaren M23 beaten to the chequered flag by Lyons in his M26. Third place went to the Ferrari 312B3 driven by Marco Werner.

The event’s most modern racers brought the weekend to a close: F1 cars from 1977 to 1980. After 18 laps, Martin O’Connell took the last big prize of the weekend, crossing the line in his ATS D4 only 2.5 seconds clear of the Padmore-driven Shadow DN9, who had to defend hard against Jordan Grogor, just 0.2 seconds behind in an Arrows A3.

It was another spectacular weekend of motorsport full of amazing sights and sounds – and you’ve not long to wait for our trackside gallery to immerse yourself in this incredible event.

Images: James Mann