Grand Prix Masters

Grand Prix Masters was a one-make motor racing series featuring retired Formula One drivers. The inaugural (and sole 2005) event, at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa, took place on 11-13 November, but the series folded after a 2 race season in 2006.

Driver statistics

Driver	Age in 2005/2006	GP starts	GPM starts	GPM wins	Podiums
Nigel Mansell	54	187	3	2	2
Emerson Fittipaldi	61	149	3	0	1
Riccardo Patrese	53	256	3	0	1
Andrea de Cesaris	48	214	3	0	0
Derek Warwick	53	147	3	0	0
Hans Joachim Stuck	57	93	3	0	0
Christian Danner	49	47	3	0	2
Eddie Cheever	49	143	3	1	1
Jan Lammers	51	41	3	0	0
Eliseo Salazar	53	37	3	0	0
Patrick Tambay	58	123	3	0	0
René Arnoux	59	165	3	0	0
Stefan Johansson	51	103	3	0	0
Eric van de Poele	46	29	2	0	2
Pierluigi Martini	46	124	2	0	0
Alex Caffi	43	75	1	0	0
Jacques Laffite	64	180	1	0	0
Alan Jones	61	117	0	0	0

Car

All participants race identical open wheel cars, which are based on 2000 Reynard 2KI Champ Car. The chassis were built by English constructor Delta Motorsport , and were powered by naturally aspirated 80-degree 3.5-litre V8 engines produced by Nicholson McLaren. The engines were based on the Cosworth XB engines previously used in IndyCar racing, and according to the series organisers produced more than 650bhp at 10,400 rpm with over 320 lb·ft (434 N·m) torque at 7,800 rpm.

In 2007 cars were to have been powered by a Mecachrome 90-degree V8 4.0 litre. It developed 600 bhp (450 kW) and revved to in excess of 9500 rpm.

Gearbox operation is fully manual, and controlled by a contemporary paddle shift arrangement.

Grand Prix Masters promoters boasted that the 650 kg cars reach 200 mph (300 km/h). Claiming that the combination of stable aerodynamics and considerably simpler technology (than in use in modern Formula One) better demonstrate driver skill and promoted overtaking. Electronic 'drivers aids' (such as traction control, power steering and ABS) were absent, and brakes were made of steel rather than carbon (as in many contemporary single seater race cars) to increase braking distances.

Concept

Grand Prix Masters was modeled on the lucrative seniors tours of golf and tennis. In order to compete, drivers must:

• Have retired from all forms of open wheel racing
• Have competed in F1 for two complete seasons
• Have passed a medical examination
• Be more than 45 years on the 1st of January for the season to follow, and have retired from F1 for two complete seasons.
  • 2006 GPM announced the entry age limit for new drivers had been reduced from 45 to 40.

Controversy

There have been questions surrounding the fitness of the former Formula One stars who will race in the series. Participant Christian Danner questioned the ability of 1980 World Champion Alan Jones and former GP winner Patrick Tambay in particular, given the rapid expansion of these drivers' waistlines since retiring from racing. Jones hit back claiming the only time Danner had seen a Grand Prix podium was when he passed it on the way to the lavatory. Jones' lack of fitness at the first GP Masters event might suggest Danner's assessment had some merit.

On track

The Grand Prix Masters car first ran in late-September 2005 in the hands of Delta Motorsport Operations Director Simon Dowson. He reported a successful shakedown, despite appearing to sit very high in the car, his helmet appearing to sit level with the top of the roll-over hoop.

In mid-October 2005 Nigel Mansell and René Arnoux tested the car at the Pembrey Circuit in South Wales.

26 October 2005 saw the first multi-car test for Grand Prix Masters with de Cesaris, Mansell, Johansson, Warwick, Caffi, Stuck, Tambay and Danner running at the Silverstone circuit in England.

De Cesaris was fastest, Danner slowest while Tambay crashed.

2005: First race

The first event took place at Kyalami in South Africa on 13 November, 2005. Nigel Mansell took pole then won after battling hard with Emerson Fittipaldi. Riccardo Patrese was third. Andrea de Cesaris finished fourth after a storming drive, where he pushed past Derek Warwick. Stefan Johansson spun out early on. Jacques Laffite retired with damaged right-front suspension after colliding with René Arnoux. As predicted, Alan Jones proved a disappointment. In practice he was up to ten seconds off the pace of Mansell, before pulling out of the race –- ostensibly due to neck injury. He was replaced by Eliseo Salazar.

2005 result

• Kyalami (South Africa), 13 November

Rank	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	Nigel Mansell	Team Altech	50:55.154
2	Emerson Fittipaldi	Team LG	50:55.562	+ 0.408
3	Riccardo Patrese	Team Goldpfeil	51:15.816	+ 20.662
4	Andrea de Cesaris	Team Unipart	51:16.854	+ 21.700
5	Derek Warwick	Team Lixxus	51:17.007	+ 21.853
6	Hans Joachim Stuck	Team Phantom	51:18.355	+ 23.201
7	Christian Danner	Team Unipart	51:19.272	+ 24.118
8	Eddie Cheever	Team Altech	51:27.359	+ 32.205
9	Jan Lammers	Team LG	51:27.932	+ 32.778
10	Eliseo Salazar	Team Altech	51:38.573	+ 43.419
11	Patrick Tambay	Team Lixxus	52:06.738	+ 1'11.584
12	René Arnoux	Team Golden Palace	52:07.890	+ 1'12.736
13	Jacques Laffite	Team GMF	43:44.471	17 laps (DNF)
14	Stefan Johansson	Team Phantom	3:33.040	28 laps (DNF)

2006 calendar

In January 2006 GP Masters announced it would hold events in the following venues:

• Losail (Qatar), 29 April
• Monza (Italy), 5 May Cancelled
• Silverstone (UK), 13 August
• Kyalami (South Africa), 12 November Cancelled

The race scheduled for Monza was cancelled due to noise limits.

2006 results

April 29 2006, Losail, Qatar

Rank	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	Nigel Mansell	Team Altech	52:06.000
2	Christian Danner	Team LUK	52:06.562	+ 0.562
3	Eric van de Poele	Team Golden People	52:07.174	+ 1.174
4	Eddie Cheever	Team Altech	52:09.016	+ 3.016
5	Derek Warwick	Team Lixxus	52:09.420	+ 3.420
6	Pierluigi Martini	Team Global	52:11.710	+ 5.710
7	Jan Lammers	Team LG	52:13.044	+ 7.044
8	Stefan Johansson	Team Altech	52:14.339	+ 8.339
9	René Arnoux	Team Golden People	52:15.068	+ 9.068
10	Riccardo Patrese	Team INA	52:15.423	+ 9.423
11	Patrick Tambay	Team Lixxus	52:21.506	+ 15.506
12	Emerson Fittipaldi	Team LG	52:35.788	+ 29.788
13	Andrea de Cesaris	Team INA	33:29.621	8 laps
14	Eliseo Salazar	Team Phantom	52:22.127	11 laps
15	Hans Joachim Stuck	Team Phantom	9:28.882	19 laps

August 13 2006, Silverstone, England

Rank	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	Eddie Cheever	Team GPM	1:01:06.625
2	Eric van de Poele	Team Golden Palace	1:01:25.302	+ 16.677
3	Christian Danner	Team LUK	1:01:45.180	+ 36.555
4	Hans Joachim Stuck	Team Phantom	1:02:02.139	+ 53.514
5	Alex Caffi	Team Altech	1:02:11.648	+ 1:03.623
6	Riccardo Patrese	Team INA	1:02:15.492	+ 1:06.867
7	Pierluigi Martini	Team Motorola	1:02:54.980	+ 1:46.355
8	Emerson Fittipaldi	Team Altech	1:01:13.217	+ 1 Lap
9	René Arnoux	Team Golden People	1:01:55.250	+ 2 Laps
10	Andrea de Cesaris	Team INA	1:01:34.298	+ 2 Laps
11	Patrick Tambay	Team Lixxus	1:01:49.162	+ 3 Laps
12	Stefan Johansson	Team Virgin Radio/BP	55:22.246	+ 4 Laps
13	Jan Lammers	Team LG	34:44.025	13 laps
14	Eliseo Salazar	Team Phantom	19:30.140	20 laps
15	Derek Warwick	Team Lixxus	5:39.035	26 laps
16	Nigel Mansell	Team Altech	31:44.608	26 Laps

2007 calendar

• Bucharest Ring (Romania), 20 May Cancelled
• Kyalami (South Africa), 23 September Cancelled
• Losail (Qatar), 17 November Cancelled

Bankruptcy

On September 18th 2007, Delta Motorsport, supplier of the GP Masters chassis, announced they were filing a petition with the British High Court to have the GP Masters Operating company placed in liquidation due to non-payment of invoices. Following a hearing on the 28th of November, 2007, the Grand Prix Masters series was officially wound up.

GP Masters should not be confused with the Masters Series, owned by Ron Maiden, which runs various historic race series and operates successfully

In the first quarter of 2008 Delta Motorsport stated that they intend to re-launch the series under the name F1 Masters using the original car that they manufactured for the GP Masters series. [1]

External links

• http://www.gpmasters.com
• http://www.delta-motorsport.com
• http://www.grandprixmastersonline.com
• http://www.f1mastersonline.com A site for the re-launched F1 Masters.