Retour

MASTERS HISTORIC FESTIVAL 2026

The fight heats up at Brands Hatch

From May 29 to 31, the Masters Historic Festival hosted the second round of the Formula Classic Interseries on the Brands Hatch GP Circuit. Over three days, drivers battled on one of motorsport’s most iconic venues, delivering top-class racing and valuable championship points across the various categories.

In F2 Classic – Category 1 (2000cc), Britain’s James Lay (March 762) capitalized on the absence of his main rival, Germany’s Wolfgang Kaufmann (March 782), to extend his lead in the overall standings. The two drivers had been separated by just two points following the opening round at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Thanks to his strong performances at Brands Hatch, Lay increased his advantage, while Oliver Chapman (March 782) moved into the championship’s top three with 205 points. France’s Laurent Vallery-Masson (March 77B) now sits third with 181 points.

In Category 2 (1600cc), Germany’s Marc Sydow (Lotus 69) remains at the top of the standings with 132 points. He leads Paul Bason (March 712) and Jeremy Caine (March 712), who both remain firmly in contention for the leading positions.

In Category 3 (Atlantic), Martin Wood (March 73B) strengthened his championship lead over Stefano Rosina (Chevron B34). Behind them, Nick Pink (Lola T360) enjoyed a successful weekend by breaking into the top three. He now draws level with Rosina on 120 points.

Finally, in F3 Classic, the title battle remains more open than ever. Despite a flawless weekend that included pole position and two race victories, Alexander Weiss (Ralt RT3) was still unable to displace Davide Leone (March 783) from the top of the championship standings. The Italian continues to lead with 250 points, while Weiss has closed the gap to just 27 points thanks to his tally of 223 points. France’s Eric Martin (Martini MK39) completes the provisional top three with 210 points.

Races results

1. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 1

Weiss untouchable, Caton produces the drive of the weekend

After securing pole position with a 1:31.045 lap in Saturday’s qualifying session, Alexander Weiss confirmed his outstanding pace in the race. The Dane finished 0.282 seconds ahead of Davide Leone, while Greg Caton completed the top three.

The race got underway without incident, but the standout performance in the opening laps came from Greg Caton. Starting from the back of the grid, the British driver produced a spectacular charge through the field, climbing from 10th to 5th by the end of lap four.

Caton continued his impressive recovery. On lap five, he overtook Eric Martin before setting his sights on Frédéric Lajoux, whom he passed one lap later to move into third place.

Further down the order, Laurent Vallery-Masson and Pietro Vergnagno engaged in a hard-fought battle that lasted several laps. Ahead of them, the fight between Frédéric Lajoux and Eric Martin provided much of the entertainment in the second half of the race. After defending resolutely for several laps, the Monegasque driver eventually succumbed on lap 12 to a perfectly executed move by the Frenchman.

At the front, Alexander Weiss gave his rivals no opportunity, controlling the race from start to finish. After 17 laps, he crossed the finish line with a comfortable advantage to claim a commanding and undisputed victory.

Top 5 : Alexander WEISS (Ralt RT3), Davide LEONE +4.732 (March 783), Greg CATON +26.534 (Ralt RT3), Eric MARTIN +39.305 (Martini MK39), Frédéric LAJOUX +46.537 (March 793)

2. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 1

James Lay seizes the lead at the first corner

Qualifying saw Mark Charteris claim pole position with a 1:23.973 lap, ahead of James Lay and Matthew Watts. But as soon as the lights went out for the opening race, the established order was turned on its head.

Making a perfect start, James Lay caught Charteris off guard at the very first corner and immediately took the lead. Behind him, Martin Wood also gained a position by overtaking Laurent Vallery-Masson.

On lap three, Paul Bason suffered a major setback and was forced to return to the pits due to setup issues with his car. A few laps later, Laurent Vallery-Masson regained the position from Martin Wood on the pit straight.

Meanwhile, James Lay set a relentless pace and steadily extended his advantage. Behind him, Mark Charteris and Matthew Watts battled over second place but were unable to mount a serious challenge to the race leader.

After a flawlessly controlled race, Lay took the chequered flag ahead of Charteris and Watts, further strengthening his status as one of the championship favourites.

Top 5 : James LAY (March 762), Mark CHARTERIS +3.413 (March 782), Matthew WATTS + 3.755 (March 772) Oliver CHAPMAN + 50.181 (March 782), Laurent VALLERY-MASSON +1:10.501 (March 77B)

3. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 2

Weiss does it again, Lajoux gets his revenge

The second race got underway without Bruce Balchin, whose car was stranded on the pre-grid following a mechanical issue.

When the lights went out, Alexander Weiss once again made a perfect start and immediately retained the race lead. Behind him, Frédéric Lajoux quickly made his intentions clear. Having been beaten by Eric Martin the previous day, the Monegasque driver turned the tables this time, overtaking him on the opening lap to move into fourth place.

Further up the order, Greg Caton attempted to put Davide Leone under pressure in the battle for second, but the Italian remained composed and held on to his position all the way to the chequered flag.

The closest contest of the race, however, was between Lajoux and Martin. The pair traded blows throughout the race in one of the weekend’s finest battles, with just 0.285 seconds separating them at the finish.

Untouchable once again, Alexander Weiss claimed his second consecutive victory at Brands Hatch, completing a perfect weekend.

Top 5 : Alexander WEISS (Ralt RT3), Davide LEONE +8.440 (March 783), Greg CATON +33.619 (Ralt RT3), Frédéric LAJOUX +35.188 (March 793), Eric MARTIN +35.473 (Martini MK39)

4. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 2

Charteris ends the weekend in commanding style

Determined to make up for his disappointment the previous day, Mark Charteris made a perfect start and took the lead of the race ahead of James Lay, with Matthew Watts immediately settling into their slipstream.

Further back, Nick Pink gained a position on the opening lap by overtaking Martin Wood. However, Wood responded quickly, reclaiming fifth place on lap four before holding it to the finish.

The turning point of the race came on lap six when Matthew Watts was forced to retire. His exit promoted Oliver Chapman into third place.

With no pressure from behind, Charteris then controlled the race perfectly. The Briton kept James Lay at bay and claimed a commanding victory, securing his first win of the weekend at Brands Hatch.

Top 5 : Mark CHARTERIS (March 782), James LAY +6.556  (March 762), Oliver CHAPMAN +5.496 (March 782), Laurent VALLERY-MASSON + 1:02.685 (March 77B), Martin WOOD, 1 Lap (March 73B)

RELIVE THE MASTERS HISTORIC FESTIVAL

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