Chequered flag falls on the biggest and boldest Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival yet
The third edition of the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival took place last weekend at the Dubai Autodrome, and marked an unbridled celebration of motor racing’s glory years.
Five scintillating racing categories were on show across the three days, with rarely seen racing machinery pushed to its limits by a grid of determined drivers aiming to round off the season with a final trip to the podium.
Four-time Formula One World Champion, Alain Prost, was reunited with his 1991 Ferrari 643 for a special demonstration run, with the Frenchman providing fans and guests an unforgettable sight on Saturday afternoon.
Top honours in the Le Mans 00s race on Saturday went to Steve Brooks behind the wheel of the 2010 Peugeot 90X. Brooks then made it two wins from two as he crossed the line first in the second Le Mans 00s race on Sunday.
Jean-Éric Vergne, who competed in the 2006 Chrysler Viper GTS-R, commented: “I’m very happy to have been part of the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival. It’s a fantastic event with a lovely environment and amazing cars. I’ve heard it gets bigger and bigger each time, so I expect to come again for all the coming years.”
Andre Lotterer added: “It’s really great what the [event] team is doing here, and it’s been awesome to be back in the same team as Jean-Eric. We were only teammates for two years in Formula E but we kept an amazing relationship and now we can enjoy moments like this in a very relaxed environment, enjoying race cars from the past.”
The Le Mans 60s sunset endurance race was a wonderful addition to this year’s show and proved to be a real showstopper, as Kyle Tilley and Nicolas Manassian battled their way to victory in a 1965 Ford GT40 as night descended over the Dubai Autodrome on Saturday.
In the Formula 1 70s+ category, race one victory fell to Stuart Hall in the 1981 March 821, before Mike Cantillon in the 1981 Williams FW07C took the win on Sunday by less than one second after a thrilling lights-to-flag battle with Hall.
Iconic Racing’s 1990 Porsche 962 took first place in Saturday morning’s Le Mans 80s+ race, while Arthur Mathieu and Bernhard Van Orange-Nassau romped to victory in the second race on Sunday, driving the 1991 Cougar C28LM.
F1 classics from the 1990s featured in four head-turning demonstration runs across the race weekend, with Stefan Johansson and Nicholas Prost both making an appearance.
Sophia Flörsch, drove the Brabham BT60B, and said: “It’s very special to drive an F1 car, especially in Dubai with the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival. It’s getting better every year, if that’s actually possible, and the atmosphere is super cool and something really special.”
Stefan Johansson, who drove the 1987 Leyton House 871, added: “It’s a great event – I love coming here and the team do such a great job with the setup and organisation, particularly with the 70s theme. It’s a real feel-good weekend and I think everyone really enjoys it and loves the whole atmosphere.”
Thierry Boutsen, three-time Formula One Grand Prix winner, said: “The event is just unbelievable. To be in such a nice atmosphere with all the friends that we have here is great, it’s how motorsport should be.”
Bringing even greater sense of automotive wonderment to the line-up was the new Dubai Classics category, a collection of Dubai’s most rare and alluring classic cars that featured in two energetic and high-octane demonstration runs. This stunning array of cars included a Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, a 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS, and a 1993 Lamborghini Diablo.
Across the three days of action, fans and guests were able to soak up a 70s-themed atmosphere of unbridled entertainment. The festival-style paddock was abuzz with music, hospitality and intimate access to teams and drivers unlike anywhere else in motor racing. The Apex Garden was a hub of excitement, offering wonderful panoramic views of one of the circuit’s most intriguing flow of corners.
Frédéric Fatien, Founder of GP Extreme, commented: “With more races, more drivers and an even greater selection of cars from across the years, this staging of the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival has been the biggest and best event to date. Attracting more than 16,000 attendees over the three days, we have once again proven the magic of classic motor racing, and the significant rise in attendance from last year demonstrates the growing interest in the sport we love in this region.
“I would like to express my gratitude to our incredibly supportive partners, drivers and teams who make this event what it is – without them it simply would not be possible. To the thousands of guests that joined us over these three days, we can’t wait to welcome you to more historic racing events in 2024.”
GP Extreme, the organisers of the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival, also announced over the race weekend a game-changing merger with Masters Historic Racing, one of leading historic race organisers in Europe, North America and the UK. The merger will see GP Extreme incorporate the Masters Historic Racing fleet and operations into its growing portfolio of motorsport activities.
Masters Historic Racing will continue to operate with its current organisational team for the 2024 race season, ensuring a smooth transition.
