by PIETRO SILVA
The world of classic car motorsport is in turmoil. We are on the eve of the most spectacular championships ever held. “Yes, explains Patrick Peter – one of the largest race organizers in the world – there are several new features in the 2024 calendar which will start at Mugello in April”.
Can you explain it to us in detail?
“First of all we combined two championships that were suffering a bit from participants, the Greatest Hits and the Fifties Legends, into a single one which will be called The Gentleman Challenge, so we will have a grid of at least 30/40 cars again and the races will be more competitive and interesting. Then, again in this championship, we prohibited the participation of professional drivers, who in other championships can race with a handicap. We want the gentlemen drivers who own the car to fight among themselves and fight for the victory, it will be much more exciting and interesting. There will then be a new category dedicated to pre-'66 touring cars, therefore Cortina Lotus, Giulia GTA, Ford Falcon, Jaguar Mk2, Mini Cooper and many others. Here we plan to start from the first race with a grid of at least 30/35 cars.”
Finally, after many failed attempts, go racing in Qatar. It is true?
“We have a three-year project that starts this year plus the following two years where we will support the World Endurance Championship and, as you can understand, it is no coincidence. We will be there from February 29th to March 2nd. For us it is a beginning and it is not excluded that the thing could then grow and we could have an event dedicated only to historic cars in Qatar.
You were the first to create high-level historic car racing, ahead of your time. What do you have in mind now regarding future projects?
“Of course, we have some ideas but it's too early to talk about them, but I can already anticipate one: shortly we will start using ecological and synthetic fuels for a certain number of cars also in the world of historic cars and this is a real revolution: the Next year's Le Mans Classic will see 800 cars at the start, and it is reasonable to think that 250 of these will be powered by synthetic ecological petrol. We won't be able to feed more because for now the quantities are still quite small. And we will do the same thing this year at the Tour Auto which winds across the whole of France. We have the full support of almost all the riders who totally agree with this new project. For me it is mandatory to arrive in 2027/2028 to have all the cars powered by synthetic fuel in our races.
Are you happy with the relationship that has been established with ACO Le Mans for the future of your championships?
“Yes very much, we have been working together for a very long time and we know each other well, we have already collaborated with them in 84 and 85 when I managed the BPR and therefore many of the cars from our championships participated in the 24 Hours for modern cars at the time” .
How much longer will your collaboration with them last?
“I don't know honestly, we haven't talked about it yet and we'll carry on like this for the moment because it's good for both of us. But I would like to achieve two things in my future: I want to take some time for myself and start selling boats again but above all I want to start racing again! My last race was Silvestone in 1996 but then I realized that I couldn't race a car and be an organizer at the same time and therefore I had to sacrifice my work as a driver. Now that I'll have time and I'll be out of the game, I'll be able to put my suit and helmet back on and try my hand at live races.”
You are a member of the FIA historic car commission for France: there are always many complications regarding HTPs and their emissions. Even with several controversies, what are your thoughts on this?
“Yes, it is an important problem: we need to have flexibility because the drivers want to be able to move their cars in reasonable times. The FIA has among its tasks that of promoting and developing Historic Motorsport and therefore obviously the main thing to do is to apply a certain flexibility to the regulations as well. Obviously we cannot compromise and nothing is discussed regarding safety, but for certain technical solutions we say that one can move in a certain direction, at the most he runs out of the league but he drives and has fun and then over time he will have the possibility, after 2 or 3 races, to bring his car in line with the regulations and therefore return to the rankings. Otherwise people, if they can't run, get fed up with all these difficulties and go and play golf.”
by PIETRO SILVA
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