Autosport – 25 July 2019

AUTOSPORT HISTORICS

4 25 JULY 2019 AUTOSPORT HISTORICS

10

things to watch at the

SILVERSTONE

CLASSIC

BY MATT KEW AND KEVIN TURNER

The Nick Padmore-Williams FW07 combination that has been so tough to beat in

recent years is not contesting FIA Masters Historic Formula 1 this season, leaving

the way clear for others. Youngster Matteo Ferrer-Aza leads the championship,

having made a successful switch from junior single-seaters to Ligier JS11/15, but the

experienced Martin Stretton is a serious threat. Stretton’s Tyrrell 012 twice beat the

Ligier at Brands Hatch in May and won the first race at Magny-Cours last month.

Others should be able to get into the mix too. Steve Hartley was a winner at Brands

Hatch in his McLaren MP4/1B, while Lotus 91 driver Katsu Kubota snatched a

last-gasp victory from Hartley in the first British Grand Prix-supporting race.

This year, the races are named after Sir Jackie Stewart, who will demonstrate

the Matra MS80 he used to take his first world title 50 years ago.

With no British Touring Car

rounds in July, that means points

leader Colin Turkington is free to

race at the Classic. He’s sticking

to BMW machinery, and will race

an ex-Steve Soper E30 M3 in the

Historic Touring Car Challenge.

Three-time BTCC title winner

Turkington will drive the 1991 car

in which Soper scored a hat-trick

of wins on his way to fourth in

the standings, despite only

contesting a part-season. “Getting

the opportunity to drive a piece

of BMW history and compete in

the touring car event is amazing,”

says Turkington. “The entry list

for this class looks amazing and I

reckon we should see some proper

tin-top racing.” BTCC counterpart

Adam Morgan is also on the entry,

sharing a three-litre Ford Capri

with Ric Wood. But arguably the

sterner threat to Turkington will

be posed by Michael Lyons and

Julian Thomas/Calum Lockie,

with Ford RS500s that will

pack much more punch.

A NEW MASTERS

FORMULA 1 BATTLE

Two touring car

legends combine

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