| FIA Masters Historic Formula One | |
| Category: | Single seater |
| Country/Region: | Europe |
| Inaugural: | 2013 |
| Tyres: | Avon, Dunlop |
| Champion Driver: | Nick Padmore (Lotus 77) Ken Tyrell (Tyrrell 011) |
| Website: | www.mastershistoricracing.com |
| Current Season: | 2021 FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship |
The FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship is a championship that has old Formula One cars from "the golden era", which caters for 3-litre engine Formula 1 cars, from 1966 to 1985.[1]
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 season schedule includes six circuits in 2023: Hockenheimring, Brands Hatch, Zandvoort, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and Algarve.
The championship was split into four classes according to the vehicle's age and technical specification.
| Class | Vehicle eligibility | |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1966–1971 Formula One cars | |
| B | Post–1971 non-ground effect Formula One cars | |
| C | Post–1971 ground effect Formula One cars | |
| D | Post–1971 flat-bottom Formula One cars |
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.
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 | – | – | – | – | – | |
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.
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.
The regulations from 2013 are:
| Season | Champion | Car | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 |  Martin Stretton | Tyrrell 005 | |
| 1996 | Michael Schryver | Lotus 72 | |
| 1997 | Bob Berridge | RAM 01 | |
| 1998 | Bob Berridge | Williams FW08 | |
| 1999 | Bob Berridge | Williams FW08 | |
| 2000 | Martin Stretton | Tyrrell P34 | |
| 2001 | John Bladon | Surtees TS9 | |
| 2002 | Mike Whatley | Ensign N175 | |
| 2003 | Mike Wrigley | Tyrrell 012 | |
| 2004 | Rodrigo Gallego | March 761 | |
| 2005 | Christian Gläsel | Brabham BT49 | |
| 2006 | Steve Hartley | Arrows A6 | |
| 2007 | Steve Hartley | Arrows A6 | |
| 2008 |  Mauro Pane | Tyrrell P34 | |
| 2009 | Bobby Verdon-Roe | McLaren M26 | |
| 2010 | Peter Meyrick | March 761 | |
| 2011 |  John Delane | Tyrrell 002 | |
| 2012 |  Joaquin Folch | Brabham BT49C |
| Season | Champion | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 2013[7] | Fittipaldi/Stewart: John Delane | Tyrrell 002 |
| Head/Lauda: Greg Thornton | Lotus 92 | |
| 2014 | Fittipaldi/Stewart:  Manfredo Rossi di Montelera | Brabham BT42 |
| Head/Lauda: Steve Hartley | Arrows A4 | |
| 2015 | Fittipaldi/Stewart: Nick Padmore | Surtees TS9B / Lotus 77 |
| Head/Lauda: Andy Wolfe | Tyrrell 011 | |
| 2016 | Fittipaldi/Stewart: Michael Lyons | Hesketh 308E / McLaren M26 |
| Head/Lauda: Nick Padmore | Williams FW07C | |
| 2017 | Fittipaldi/Stewart: Max Smith-Hilliard | Shadow DN5 / Fittipaldi F5A |
| Head/Lauda: Michael Lyons | Williams FW07B | |
| 2018[8] | Fittipaldi/Stewart: Greg Thornton | Lotus 77 / March 761 |
| Head/Lauda: Nick Padmore | Williams FW07C | |
| 2019 | Fittipaldi/Stewart: Henry Fletcher | March 761 |
| Head/Lauda: Matteo Ferrer-Aza | Ligier JS11/15 | |
| 2020 | unknown | |
| 2021[9] | Fittipaldi/Stewart:  Lukas Halusa | McLaren M23 |
| Head/Lauda: Mike Cantillon | Williams FW07C | |
| 2022[10] | Fittipaldi/Stewart:  Patrick d’Aubreby | March 761 |
| Head/Lauda: Steve Hartley | McLaren MP4/1 | |
| 2023[11] | Fittipaldi/Stewart: Nick Padmore | Lotus 77 |
| Head/Lauda: Ken Tyrrell | Tyrrell 011 | |