Retour

HISTORIC GRAND PRIX ZANDVOORT 2026

Zandvoort Lives Up to Expectations…

From 19 to 21 June, the Circuit of Zandvoort hosted the third round of the Formula Classic Interseries as part of the prestigious Historic Grand Prix, a fixture that has become a must-attend event for historic motorsport enthusiasts in the Netherlands.

In F2 Classic – Category 1 (2000cc), Britain’s James Lay (March 762) retains the championship lead with 322 points, despite retiring from the second race. Thanks to an outstanding performance throughout the weekend, Germany’s Wolfgang Kaufmann (March 782) moves into the top three on 264 points, behind France’s Laurent Vallery-Masson, who remains second with 291 points.

In Category 2 (1600cc), Germany’s Marc Sydow (Lotus 69) continues to lead the standings comfortably with 278 points. He is followed by Paul Bason (March 712) and Jeremy Caine (March 712).

In Category 3 (Atlantic), Martin Wood (March 73B) strengthens his position at the top of the championship ahead of Stefano Rosina (Chevron B34). Meanwhile, Mark Goodyear (March 79B) made a successful return to competition by taking victory in the opening race.

Finally, in F3 Classic, the battle for the championship remains as close as ever. Despite enjoying a flawless weekend, claiming pole position and two race victories, Alexander Weiss (Ralt RT3) has yet to displace Davide Leone (March 783) from the top of the standings. The Italian still leads the championship with 370 points, while Weiss has closed the gap to just a single point on 369. France’s Eric Martin (Martini MK39) completes the provisional top three with 320 points.

Races results

1. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : QUALIFYING

Weiss Secures pole after lengthy red flag interruption

The F3 Classic Interseries qualifying session at Zandvoort was quickly brought to a halt when a red flag was displayed just over four minutes into the session. Patrick Andriessen (#76) beached his car in the gravel trap at Turn 9 after putting two wheels onto the grass, prompting the stoppage. At the same time, Benjamin Monnay (#71) came to a halt at the exit of the pit lane after making contact with the wall while accelerating out of Turn 1.

Before the interruption, Davide Leone was provisionally fastest with a lap of 1:46.459. Following a delay of just over 13 minutes, the session resumed and lap times quickly tumbled.

At the end of qualifying, Alexander Weiss claimed pole position in his Ralt RT3. The Dane set the fastest lap of the session with a 1:43.178 on his sixth flying lap. He finished 0.545 seconds clear of Davide Leone, who secured second place with a 1:43.723. Frédéric Lajoux completed the top three with a best time of 1:44.450.

2. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : QUALIFYING

James Lay sets the pace

James Lay claimed pole position in his March 762 by setting a fastest lap of 1:37.060 on his sixth attempt. The Briton finished 0.761 seconds clear of Mark Charteris (March 782), who secured second place with a lap of 1:37.821. Wolfgang Kaufmann (March 782) completed the top three with a time of 1:39.401.

In Class 2, Marc Sydow was the fastest driver with a lap of 1:47.664, ahead of Daniel Pyett and Paul Bason.

In Class 3, Mark Goodyear topped the category with a time of 1:45.813, a performance that also earned him seventh place overall.

3. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 1

Weiss untouchable as Andriessen charges through the field

Under clear skies, with temperatures of 23°C and a light breeze sweeping across the Circuit of Zandvoort, the opening F3 Classic Interseries race got underway without incident. Starting from pole position, Alexander Weiss held the lead into the first corner, while Frédéric Lajoux lost several positions off the line, allowing Eric Martin to move up into third place.

By the end of the opening lap, Weiss had already built a 1.488-second advantage over Davide Leone. Behind them, Patrick Andriessen began an impressive charge through the field. Forced to start from the back of the grid after failing to set a qualifying time following his off-track excursion the previous day, the Dutchman quickly picked off several rivals before overtaking Eric Martin to move into third.

Out front, Alexander Weiss proved untouchable. Driving his Ralt RT3, he led all 14 laps from lights to flag and also set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:43.219 on lap five.

The battle for the remaining podium positions provided plenty of action. Lap after lap, Patrick Andriessen closed the gap to Davide Leone, while Eric Martin had to defend hard against Frédéric Lajoux. On lap seven, the two French drivers were separated by just six-tenths of a second before Martin gradually edged away, extending the gap to 1.2 seconds by lap 11.

A few laps later, Davide Leone outbraked himself at Turn 12 and ran straight into the escape road. Patrick Andriessen immediately seized the opportunity to move into second place, leaving the Italian almost five seconds behind. Further down the order, Laurent Vallery-Masson dropped several positions before fighting back past Gianluigi Candiani to reclaim seventh. Pietro Vergnano also visited the gravel trap but was able to rejoin without further drama.

The closing stages were neutralised after Laurent Bayers stopped at Turn 3 with a mechanical problem, while debris was reported at Turn 1. The Safety Car was deployed, freezing the order until the chequered flag.

Alexander Weiss duly secured a commanding victory. Patrick Andriessen completed a remarkable recovery drive to finish second, just 0.794 seconds behind at the flag, while Davide Leone completed the podium 1.345 seconds adrift. Eric Martin and Frédéric Lajoux rounded out the top five.

Top 5 : Alexander WEISS (Ralt RT3), Patrick ANDRIESSEN +0.794 (Ralt RT3), Davide LEONE +1.345 (March 783), Eric MARTIN +1.693 (Martini MK39), Frédéric LAJOUX +2.375 (March 793).

4. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 1

Mark Charteris holds on until the finish

Under overcast skies, with an ambient temperature of 21°C and almost no wind, the opening F2 Classic Interseries race got underway on a particularly tricky track due to numerous oil patches, especially through Turns 7, 8, 10, 11 and 13.

The start was lively but incident-free. Wolfgang Kaufmann made an excellent getaway and attempted an outside move into Turn 1 but was unable to gain a position. He remained third, while Mark Charteris overtook James Lay to take the race lead. Further back, Mark Dwyer gained a place at the start before passing Laurent Vallery-Masson on the following lap.

At the front, the leading trio remained nose to tail. On lap four, Wolfgang Kaufmann passed James Lay and immediately closed onto the rear of Mark Charteris, sitting just 0.083 seconds behind the leader. The fight for victory was well and truly underway, with the top three covered by less than two seconds.

The race then took a dramatic turn in the midfield. On lap six, Paul Chateaux spun at Turn 7 after losing his brakes due to a cooling issue. His rear wing brushed the barrier, and he returned to the pits with a damaged car. One lap later, Martin Wood was forced to retire at Turn 10 with a mechanical problem.

Meanwhile, the battle for fourth place intensified. Benefiting from the slipstream along the pit straight, Laurent Vallery-Masson launched a decisive move on Mark Dwyer, passing him around the outside at Turn 1. The Frenchman then opened a gap of more than 1.4 seconds before Dwyer gradually fought back to within a tenth of a second.

The complexion of the race changed on lap 13 when Mathias Devis spun at Turn 10. The Safety Car was deployed, neutralising the race until the chequered flag.

Mark Charteris therefore claimed victory after leading all 15 laps from start to finish. Wolfgang Kaufmann crossed the line in second place, just 0.283 seconds behind, while James Lay completed the podium a further 0.547 seconds adrift. Mark Dwyer ultimately held on to fourth ahead of Laurent Vallery-Masson, with Gianluigi Candiani completing the top six.

In Category 2, Daniel Pyett took victory ahead of Marc Sydow.

Mark Goodyear finished seventh overall and claimed the Category 3 win.

Top 5 : Mark CHARTERIS (March 782), Wolfgang KAUFMANN +0.283 (March 782), James LAY +0.547 (March 762), Mark DWYER +1:41.220 (March 742), Laurent VALLERY-MASSON +1:42.610 (March 77B).

5. F3 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 2

Alexander Weiss regains the upper hand after a lively start

In cool conditions, with an ambient temperature of 17°C, a dry track and no wind, the second F3 Classic Interseries race got underway without incident.

Patrick Andriessen made a superb start, taking the lead before the first corner. A three-way battle immediately developed between the Dutchman, Alexander Weiss and Davide Leone. At the end of the opening lap, the trio was covered by just 0.772 seconds, a gap that increased slightly to 0.969 seconds on the following lap, with the order remaining unchanged.

As the race unfolded, Alexander Weiss piled the pressure on the leader. Benefiting from the slipstream along the pit straight, he attempted an outside move into Turn 1, but Patrick Andriessen defended perfectly to retain the lead. Behind them, Davide Leone stayed within striking distance before receiving a warning for repeatedly exceeding track limits at Turn 4.

On lap four, Alexander Weiss finally found a way through to take the lead. Davide Leone tried to match the Dane’s pace, but Weiss gradually began to pull away. Further back, Frédéric Lajoux steadily closed on Eric Martin in the fight for fourth place, while Leone reduced the gap to Andriessen to just seven tenths of a second in the battle for second.

At the front, the order gradually stabilised. Weiss controlled the race and steadily extended his advantage, while Andriessen successfully held off the persistent challenge from Leone. Behind the leading trio, Eric Martin resisted repeated attacks from Frédéric Lajoux to retain fourth place.

On lap 11, Laurent Bayers was forced to return to the pits with an engine problem, bringing his race to an early end. The closing stages were relatively uneventful, with the order remaining unchanged until the chequered flag.

Alexander Weiss took the victory after 15 laps, ahead of Patrick Andriessen and Davide Leone. Eric Martin finished just off the podium in fourth, followed by Frédéric Lajoux, while Pietro Vergnano completed the top six. Angela Grasso also impressed by significantly improving her lap times compared to Race 1, confirming the progress she had shown throughout the weekend.

Top 5 : Alexander WEISS (Ralt RT3), Patrick ANDRIESSEN +2.296 (Ralt RT3), Davide LEONE +3.621 (March 783), Eric MARTIN +24.574 (Martini MK39), Frédéric LAJOUX +26.388 (March 793).

6. F2 Classic INTERSERIES : RACE 2

Kaufmann capitalises on race incidents to take victory

The race came to life from the opening corners. Wolfgang Kaufmann lost a position, while Stefano Rosina was squeezed to the outside of the first banking by Mark Goodyear and came within inches of the wall. Race Control reacted swiftly, issuing Goodyear with a drive-through penalty for the incident.

At the front, James Lay made a perfect start. At the wheel of his March 762, the Briton took the lead, while Wolfgang Kaufmann moved back into second place and Mark Charteris dropped two positions through the opening sequence of corners. By lap three, Lay had already built a 3.5-second advantage over Kaufmann and appeared to have the race firmly under control.

The situation changed rapidly, however. After narrowly avoiding contact in the opening incident, Stefano Rosina returned to the pits to check that his car had not sustained any damage. Shortly afterwards, he too was handed a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line on the pit exit, which he served on lap six.

Then came the turning point at the front. After dominating the opening three laps, James Lay was forced to retire with a mechanical problem. Wolfgang Kaufmann inherited the lead, while Mark Charteris closed onto his rear wing. The pair were soon separated by less than a second as the battle for victory intensified.

The drama continued when Mark Goodyear was shown the black flag after failing to serve his drive-through penalty within the required time. The Briton eventually returned to the pits. A few moments later, Mark Charteris, still firmly in contention for victory, was also forced to retire with a mechanical issue on lap ten.

Now unchallenged at the front, Wolfgang Kaufmann managed the closing stages perfectly. Behind him, Mark Dwyer and Laurent Vallery-Masson battled over second place for several laps, the gap between them hovering around 1.3 seconds. Dwyer ultimately held on to his position until the chequered flag.

Wolfgang Kaufmann therefore claimed victory after 15 laps, ahead of Mark Dwyer and Laurent Vallery-Masson. Gianluigi Candiani finished fourth, followed by Martin Wood, winner of Category 3, and Mathias Devis.

In Category 2, victory went to Marc Sydow.

Top 5 : Wolfgang KAUFMANN (March 782), Mark DWYER +30.425 (March 742), Laurent VALLERY-MASSON +31.987 (March 77B), Gianluigi CANDIANI +1:02.196 (Chevron B42), Martin WOOD +1:41.838 (March 73B).

RELIVE THE HISTORIC GRAND PRIX

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