Kiwi GP2 racer Brendon Hartley nearly won on his first drive of fellow New Zealander Roger Wills’ recently acquired ex-Nigel Mansell Lotus 92/5 in a gripping GP Masters race at the Brands Hatch Historic Masters Festival on 26-27 May.
Richard Meins got the jump from pole in his Williams FW07/D, but retired after six laps handing the lead to Richard Barber’s Fittipaldi F5A (above), in evocative Copersucar livery. Hartley nipped past four tours later – after an epic tussle with Barber – and looked to be on for victory until he had a problem selecting fourth gear on the last lap and Barber took the chequer 5.86 secs ahead of the 22-year-old.
Andrew Smith took third in his March 701, but was harried all the way by Wills in his Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler (below).
Hartley took revenge on the second day, winning from historic hotshoe Simon Hadfield in a Tyrrell 009 that he’d never raced before and was only confirmed as driver on raceday morning. Hadfield had to start from the back of the grid, but surged through to snatch second from Barber’s Fittipaldi with three laps to go.
The irrepressible Wills – he’d entered cars for most of the weekend’s races – had better luck with the debut of his stunning Martini-liveried Group C Lancia LC2 (above), another recent acquisition, part of an invitiation class in the CanAm Interserie Challenge.
