| GP MASTERS ON SKY SPORTS |
| ACCESS ALL AREAS All day, Friday, Sky Sports News QUALIFYING SESSION 5pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 3 RACE DAY - LIVE! 12.30pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 2 |
This weekend sees some legends of the F1 game roll back the years in the GP Masters at the home of British motor racing, Silverstone. Nigel Mansell will be there, Emmerson Fittipaldi will be there, Ricardo Patrese will be there and Damon Hill might be there, while Sky Sports will definitely be in attendance. And the big names are driving cars that are exactly the same, so there promises to be plenty of thrills, skills and spills as we found out when we got the lowdown from your hostess for the weekend, Georgie Thompson...
GP Masters driver and car specifications
SKYSPORTS.COM: What makes the GP Masters format so special?
GEORGIE THOMPSON: Perhaps its biggest selling point is it pits drivers from different decades and different eras of their motorsport careers against one another. This means we get the chance to see Nigel Mansell v Emerson Fittipaldi, two motorsport greats go head-to-head again. Who would have thought that rivalry possible once more a year or so ago?
SS.COM: Does former F1 drivers mean an F1-type race, no overtaking, decided in the pits?
GT: Not at all. In the F1 days of yesteryear, there was, and still is perhaps to a greater degree today, a huge gap in technology between different teams, mainly determined by financial situations so it never used to be - nor can it be nowadays - a level playing field in F1. There's too great a divide between the have's and the have not's financially, so for the first time you have legendary drivers in this series competing against each other on the same terms. It'll be anything but boring!
SS.COM: They are all, shall we say, getting on a bit. Is this just a bit of fun for them?
GT: That's how it started out but don't think for one minute they've lost any of that competitive spirit. There's definitely a more relaxed and laid-back attitude to this series than say F1 and a massive amount of camaraderie between the guys racing. But as Emerson Fittipaldi said the minute that visor comes down, its back to business and there's certainly a few of them that wouldn't mind putting one over another!
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| Mansell: the man | |
GT: Nigel Mansell is ultimately the man to beat. Everyone says it, everyone knows it. He won the last race and is proving pretty tough to get the better of - what's more at Silverstone on his home patch he looks unbeatable. There is a rumour though that Damon Hill might put in a surprise appearance, so it might not be such plain sailing!
SS.COM: Emmerson Fittipaldi? I've heard my Dad talk about him. Is he not a little old for racing?
GT: As Nigel was starting his career, Emerson Fittipaldi was ending his time in F1. The two overlapped a little, but to get two drivers from different eras racing each other is a real coup. Emerson is invincible! He's been seen running around the tracks of Doha and Kyalami just to stay fit, that's with track temperatures of 46c! And he loves the rivalry he has with Mansell.
SS.COM: Any other famous faces rolling back the years?
GT: The other one to watch out for is Ricardo Patrese. He has 256 GP starts to his name, he is unequivocally the most experienced driver in F1 history and he's still as passionate about the sport as he ever was.
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| Hill: will he, won't he? | |
GT: Damon Hill is considering it. He's testing this week and if he fancies it, you can add him to the equation as well which would be fantastic for the series. Derek Warwick is also in the series and he and Nigel always enjoyed an all-British, tit-for-tat rivalry. There are other little scores to settle all over the place, so raceday promises to be entertaining.
SS.COM: So is Mansell going to be the man again?
GT: His affinity with Silverstone is huge. He must be the most popular British driver of the last 40 years, the fans' favourite. He's been a world champion, the fans love him and he knows Silverstone better than most. He really is the man up top and he should bring this home.
SS.COM: It sounds like there's a lot riding on this...
GT: This series is about more than just Sunday's race action. It's about getting people interested again in the good old-fashioned principles of motorsport. Nigel Mansell is just one of many drivers aware of how important it is to the future of British motorsport, to lure younger generations to it and this is a surefire way of keeping their interest.
SS.COM: What can the fans expect?
GT: I think we're looking at a crowd of 30,000 plus. On race day itself, the chef Jean Christophe Novelli, is preparing an edible paddock... whatever that means! There will be all sorts going on. Another series plus series is that race fans can get close to the drivers, get their autographs, ask them questions, really feel part of it all.
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| Fittpaldi: interview | |
GT: It all starts on Friday, when I will be down at Silverstone all day for Sky Sports News' Access All Areas. We will be taking you behind the scenes, into the pit lanes, around the paddock, everywhere. We will also be interviewing Mansell, Fittipaldi and Patrese and maybe sneak a quick word with star commentator Murray Walker. Then on Saturday, you can see how the qualifying went and where everyone will start on the grid in our highlights show. Then we're live for raceday on Sunday, from 12.30pm on Sky Sports 2...
| THE DRIVERS |
THE CARS |
| Collectively the Masters represent the ultimate in racing experience & success... all driven by ambition, dedication and an absolute determination to win. The personal challenge of competing at the highest level and become the first among equals creates the spectacle that is the Grand Prix Masters World Series. | Powered by an 80-degree 3.5-litre V8 Nicholson McLaren Cosworth engine, the Grand Prix Masters cars produce in excess of 600bhp and reach speeds of around 200mph. Based on the highly successful Cosworth XB Indycar engine, Nicholson McLaren have developed this normally-aspirated version offering more than 600bhp at 10,400rpm while maximum torque is achieved at over 320 lb ft at 7,800rpm. |
| THE DRIVERS MUST... | THE CARS HAVE... |
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FOR FULL WEEKEND TIMETABLE AND MORE GO TO THE GP MASTERS WEBSITE - Click here |
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