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HISTORIC GRAND PRIX – ZANDVOORT 2025

a week-end to remember…

From 20 to 22 June, the Zandvoort circuit vibrated to the rhythm of the third round of the Formula Classic Interseries, organised in the prestigious setting of the Historic Grand Prix. A must-see event for all motor sport enthusiasts in the Netherlands !

Deprived of private testing, our drivers had to adapt quickly to this track, which is as technical as it is demanding. Qualifying kicked off an exciting weekend.

In F2 Classic – Category 1 (2000cc), Germany’s Wolfgang Kaufmann, with three Le Mans 24 Hours appearances to his name (1995, 1999, 2000), took command of the class in his March 782, ahead of England’s James Lay (March 762), leader in the previous round at Brands Hatch.

In Category 2 (1600cc), the podium remained unchanged, with Julian Stokes (Brabham BT30) still untouchable at the top.

In Category 3 (Atlantic), Keith White consolidated his lead, while Denis Millin (Merlyn MK21) moved in ahead of Martin Wood to take a provisional third place.

Finally, in F3 Classic, the battle remains intense. Italian Davide Leone (March 783) and his compatriot Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera (Ralt RT3) continued their fierce duel. Thanks to a one-two finish at Zandvoort, Leone maintains his lead and remains at the top of the championship.

Races results

1. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 1

The F3 Classic welcomed a new strong contender to the Zandvoort circuit : Alexander Weiss, at the wheel of his Ralt RT3.

Right from the first qualifying sessions on Friday morning, the tone was set. Weiss set a blistering pace and set the fastest lap times. He took pole position with an impressive time of 1:43.388, just ahead of class leader Davide Leone, who clocked 1:43.490.

The start of the first race was given on Friday afternoon. On the very first lap, Leone took the lead from Weiss. Meanwhile, Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera got off to an excellent start and overtook local driver Patrick Andriessen (Ralt RT3) to move into third place. The pace was set and the Italians were determined not to let up!

On the second lap, the race was neutralised under yellow flag after Christian Vaglio-Giors (March 783) went off the track with a mechanical problem at Turn 2. The Swiss driver was unable to restart. Meanwhile, the battle for third place between Rossi and Andriessen was in full swing until the fifth lap, when Weiss took control of the race from Leone and gradually extended his lead.

Another lively duel pitted Britain’s Chris Hodgen (Chevron B38) against Monaco’s Fred Lajoux (March 793), following on from their superb clash in the previous round at Brands Hatch.

On the seventh lap, Greg Caton (Ralt RT3) suffered a major blow when he was forced to retire after a wheel problem forced him into the pits.

But the surprise came on the penultimate lap, lap 14, when the situation changed! Davide Leone took over the lead from Weiss, followed by Patrick Andriessen. However, both drivers (Weiss & Andriessen) subsequently received a 30-second penalty for using undeclared tyres.

Top 5 : 1.Leone (March 783), 2. Rossi Di Montelera (Ralt RT3), 3.Hodgen (Chevron B38), 4.Weiss (Ralt RT3), 5.Lajoux (March 793).

2. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 1

After a hard-fought qualifying session, James Lay (March 762) took pole position with a time of 1:36.827. He was ahead of Matthew Watts (March 772) in 1:37.122 and Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera (March 762) in 1:37.186. Now it’s time for Race 1!

Notably absent from the grid was the Chevron B29 of Briton Chris Willie.

From the very first lap, the positions were turned upside down by a Wolfgang Kaufmann (March 782) on vitamins ! He quickly overtook Mark Charteris and Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera (who had started P3 and P2 respectively). The Italian also eventually succumbed to pressure from Matthew Watts, who made his return to the track for the first time this season.

American Graham Adelman (March 732), who started from the back row after failing to turn up for the driver briefing, made a spectacular recovery from P24 to P13 in just four laps!

In Formula Atlantic, Keith White (March 76B) outrageously dominated, lapping five seconds faster than his rival Roland Wiltschegg.

In the 1600cc class, Stokes led the way against Sydow, Caine and Bason.

On the fifth lap, Watts launched a new offensive, overtaking Charteris and then Kaufmann. An intense battle for second place ensued between the German and the Briton.

But the battle was short-lived. On the eighth lap, Marc Sydow (Lotus 69) went off the track at Turn 3, leaking oil onto the asphalt. A Full Yellow was immediately triggered. At the same time, Denis Millin (Merlyn MK21) was forced to retire at the same corner. The Safety Car procedure was initiated, but the race was finally brought to a premature halt by a red flag, raised a few minutes before the end of regulation.

Top 5 : 1.Lay (March 762), 2.Kaufmann (March 782), 3.Watts (March 772), 4.Charteris (March 782), 5.Rossi Di Montelera (March 762).

3. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 2

Absent from Race 2 was Frenchman Paul Châteaux, owner of the Châteaux Sport Auto team, and his Ralt RT3.

As soon as the lights went out, Danish driver Alexander Weiss (Ralt RT3) got off to a flying start from fourth position! He gained three places on the very first lap and took control of the race ahead of Davide Leone and Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera.

But the action was soon interrupted: at Turn 13, Chris Hodgen lost control of his Chevron B38 and crashed into the wall. Fortunately, the British driver escaped unhurt. The Safety Car was deployed for a neutralisation of 7 laps.

On the restart, the bad luck continued for Greg Caton, who was forced to retire due to a worrying emission of smoke from his single-seater.

In the lead, Weiss valiantly resisted the pressure from Italian Davide Leone for four laps. But on the eleventh lap, he finally had to relinquish first place to Leone, immediately followed by Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera.

Top 5 : 1.Leone (March 783), 2. Rossi Di Montelera (Ralt RT3), 3.Weiss (Ralt RT3), 4.Andriessen (Ralt RT3), 5. Lajoux (March 793).

4. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 2

Absent from this race 2 : #50 Paul Bason (March 712), #61 Marc Sydow (Lotus 69) and #18 Graham Adelman (March 732).

A few minutes before the start of this second race, the rain made its appearance on the Zandvoort circuit. In the pre-grid area, the teams were in an uproar as a crucial tyre choice had to be made. The start was finally delayed, and race management decided to add an extra formation lap to allow the drivers to get to grips with the wet conditions.

The timer was then set for a 20-minute race. The start was given in light rain. On the very first lap, Mark Charteris crashed out at Turn 11. Forced to retire, his incident led to the intervention of the Safety Car.

On the restart, Great Britain’s Matthew Watts tried to make up for his poor start and passed Italy’s Manfredo Rossi Di Montelera before the restart line, which earned him a 20-second penalty.

On the fifth lap, Keith also lost control of his car and was forced to retire.

Meanwhile, the battle at the front was raging between Lay, Rossi and Kaufmann. Kaufmann managed to take the lead on the eighth lap and would not be troubled again until the chequered flag, which he crossed in victory at the wheel of his March 782 !

Top 5 : 1.Kaufmann (March 782), 2.Lay (March 762), 3.Rossi Di Montelera (March 762), 4.Watts (March 772), 5.Vallery-Masson (March 77B).

RELIVE HISTORIC GRAND PRIX

For those who want to relive the highlights of the weekend, several online resources offer photo and video galleries :