The Historic Formula One Championship, previously known as the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship, was a championship for Formula One cars built during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. This championship was sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the motor sport's world governing body. The championship was recognised by the FIA in 1994 as the only official FIA Historic Formula One Championship and its first season was in 1995. In 2013, the series was absorbed by Masters Racing to create the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship.[2]
Masters Historic Racing is a United Kingdom based organisation, headed by entrepreneur Ron Maydon,[3] which also operates a number of other historic race categories, including a sister American series open to the same cars as the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship.[4]
The 2017 season was marred by the death of 61 year-old French driver David Ferrer at Zandvoort. Ferrer was driving a March 701.[5][6]
The HFO Competition featured classic Grand Prix racing cars from the 20-year period between 1966 and 1985. During that period, there were design innovations and regulatory changes that resulted in significant performance differences and a vast speed differential between the earlier cars such as the Tyrrell 001, and the later machines such as the Tyrrell 012 and Brabham BT49.
Drivers score points within their particular car's class and all have the chance to claim the overall FIA trophy at the end of the season.
Points
Effectively, there are four competitions going on within every race and each provides points for the driver based on his or her placing in the car's class and the number of competing cars in that class.
Number of starters in the class
Points awarded
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
>3 starters
9 points
6 points
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point
2–3 starters
6 points
4 points
–
–
–
–
1 starter
4 points
–
–
–
–
–
An additional point will be awarded to the drivers who achieve the fastest lap in each class during the race.
Championship awards
The Champion is the driver who scores the greatest points total, regardless of the class in which he or she competes, and a driver can switch classes during the season. In addition to the overall champion, awards also go to drivers with the highest total of points in each class excluding the overall champion, as follows:
Historic Formula One Historic Cup – The competitor scoring the highest number of points in Class A.
Historic Formula One Classic Cup – The competitor scoring the highest number of points in Class B.
Historic Formula One Cup – The competitor scoring the highest number of points in Class C.
Historic Formula One Sporting Cup – The competitor scoring the highest number of points in Class D.
These are all FIA awards that are presented at an official FIA Historic Awards event.
Additional awards
HFO also presents its own awards at a slightly less formal and usually much more boisterous event as follows:
The Chairman's Trophy – Introduced in 2009 by Tony Smith, this is awarded to the competitor who, in the chairman's opinion, best exhibits the "Spirit of the Championship".
The Geoff Richardson Trophy – Provided by an engine builder, the trophy is awarded to the best newcomer.
The Nicholson McLaren Trophy – Provided by another engine builder. This 'trophy' is awarded to the 'best' team.
The Ensign Trophy – Provided by the former CEO of HFO, Mike Wheatley, who is something of an Ensign fan, having 'raced' an example in HFO very successfully. Although never a winner, the marque was at its peak during the Class B period and this trophy goes to the winner of Class B.
The Colin Chapman Trophy – provided by Clive Chapman and Classic Team Lotus. It is hard to imagine any historic category without a Colin Chapman Trophy but, as in HFO's case, it is equally hard to determine which period it might be applied to since Chapman was responsible for so many 'innovations'.
After considering that Class C covers the period when ground effects, carbon fibre chassis and the controversial twin chassis Lotus Type 88 all emerged from Chapman's expertise, it was agreed that this trophy would go to the winner of Class C.
Niki Lauda class: Post–1978, flat bottomed Formula One cars
Characteristics of events:
Friday: Untimed Practice (If Available)
Friday: Timed Qualifying
Saturday: Race 1
Sunday: Race 2
At the end of the championship, there will be two winners, one for the Fittipaldi/Stewart class, and one for the Head/Lauda class.
Points:
For classes with 3 or more starters in the class: 9–6–4–3–2–1
For classes with fewer than 3 starters in the class: 6–4
For classes with 1 starter in the class: 4
Drivers must complete 75% of the race in order to be classified
Champions
Before 2013
The parc fermé of the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship at DAMC 05-Oldtimer FestivalNürburgring in June 1995.Brabham BT49D driven by Christian Gläsel at a Thoroughbred Grand Prix race at Brands Hatch in September 2005.
2023 Head/Lauda class champion, Ken Tyrrell (Tyrrell 011)2023 Fittipaldi/Stewart class champion Nick Padmore (Lotus 77)2022 Head/Lauda class champion Steve Hartley (McLaren MP4/1) in front of 2021 Head/Lauda class champion Mike Cantillon (Williams FW07C)
