The 2024 edition of the Estoril Classics is approaching, with just over a week to go. The Classic GP will once again be the headliner of the event, featuring a lineup of seventeen cars that contributed to securing six world titles and twenty-four Formula 1 race victories.
One of the event's highlights, which marks the European calendar of classic car competitions, is the return of the premier category to the Estoril Circuit, which hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984 to 1996.
This year's Classic GP will showcase seventeen single-seaters from the 1973 to 1983 period, the era when Ford Cosworth DFV engines dominated the grids and standings.
In addition to the much-anticipated Tyrrell P34, the only six-wheeled Formula 1 car to compete and win (at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix, driven by Jody Scheckter), there will be other iconic machines on display.
Lotus will be represented by three cars, all with distinguished histories. The most successful of these is the Lotus 72, which, in the version showcased at Estoril, helped Emerson Fittipaldi secure four victories and the Drivers' Championship in 1972, while Colin Chapman's team also won the Constructors' Championship.
Another important car in Lotus history is the 78. This model was the first Formula 1 car to feature 'venturi tunnels' to generate ground effect – much like today's single-seaters – enabling Mario Andretti to claim four victories, and Gunnar Nilsson one, in 1977.
This car also started the 1978 season before being replaced by the Lotus 79, playing a key role in Andretti's Drivers' Championship and Lotus' Constructors' Championship, with Andretti securing another win and Ronnie Peterson contributing one as well.
Lotus will also have the 91 on track representing them. At the time, ground effect technology was at its peak, though it was Williams and Brabham that had explored the concept more deeply, a concept originally pioneered by Colin Chapman. Even so, Elio de Angelis managed a victory at the 1982 Austrian Grand Prix, the last win before the team's founder passed away, with the very model that will feature in the Classic GP.
In the early 1980s, Williams had the best car on the grid with the FW07. Alan Jones was the driver who capitalized on it the most, winning five Grands Prix in 1980 with the B version of the English single-seater, similar to the one that will be at the Estoril Classics.
These results, along with one more victory by Carlos Reutemann, secured the first titles for the British team and the only Drivers' Championship for the Australian driver.
McLaren also had its moments during the ‘Cosworth Era,’ securing titles in 1974 with Emerson Fittipaldi and in 1976 with James Hunt.
The Classic GP will feature a McLaren M26, the model used by Hunt in 1977, when he raced with the number 1. Though Hunt wasn't in contention for the title that season, he still managed three victories.
Lastly, among the victorious cars present at the Estoril Classics will be the Tyrrell 011. Ken Tyrrell's team was losing competitiveness at that point, but this car still secured two victories, one in 1981 and another in 1982, both driven by Michele Alboreto.
Alboreto's win at the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix is particularly significant, as it marked the last of 155 victories powered by the Cosworth DFV engine, which by then was being outpaced by turbocharged engines after fifteen years of dominance.
The Classic GP entry list includes other cars with their own piece of Formula 1 history, such as the Lola Embassy T370 driven by Graham Hill, the Hesketh 308 used by James Hunt, and the Alfa Romeo 182, known for its melodious three-liter V12 engine.
There are plenty of reasons to attend this year's Estoril Classics and experience the thrill of Formula 1 cars with naturally aspirated engines, from a time when the "louder the roar" (i.e., the higher the revs), the more power they had.
Tickets are already on sale for both grandstand E and the paddock, with a limited number available. Paddock tickets also grant access to grandstand E. Three-day paddock passes have already sold out, but daily passes are still available.
As is tradition since the first edition of the Estoril Classics, access to grandstand A at the Estoril Circuit is free, allowing all fans to enjoy the celebration at this historic Portuguese track. Additionally, children under 16 can enter the paddock for free, as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
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