ENGLISH VERSION
Three days dedicated to Motorsport with an ancient “flavor”, three days that “reconcile” the ears, heart and eyes, this is the 12th Monaco Historique Gran Prix 2021, postponed in 2020 due to the well-known reasons for the Covid pandemic -19, restored this year with a good number of audiences during the three days, with obviously the “maximum” of the possible turnout on Sunday (a day that we followed thanks to the live on Facebook and Youtube of the Goodwood Road & Racing page and again on Youtube thanks to Sky Sport F1 UK).
A very nice event that reminds us fans of the Motor Legend Festival 2018 and the 5 editions of the Historic Minardi Day in Imola (some participating cars seen on those occasions). While waiting to be back on track, we wanted to write a few “lines” on this event. Enjoy the reading!
Let’s start from the race of the Niki Lauda category cars (’73 -’76) race that sees among the protagonists also Jean Alesi and Rene Arnoux (both with Ferrari 312 B3-74), with Rene protagonist “in negative” given the touched out from the swimming pools during the qualifications that did not allow him to participate in the Sunday race.
After 16 laps head to head, the “crime” between Alesi and Werner (poleman) happens, with the Ferrari 312 B3-74 driver who, thanks to a “rocket” start, had taken the first position and almost always contained the numerous attempts to attack the German driver on Lotus 77. All this took place at the exit of Anthony Nogues, with the contact between the two, a real shame for Alesi who was leading a great race, still demonstrating an innate class for driving with these “old” racing cars.
At the end, the red flag marks the checkered flag a few meters in advance, all due to the “whim” of a Surtess TS19 coming out of the Casino curve, after having taken one of the classic depressions of the Monegasque track.
At the finish line the victory goes to Marco Werner (3 times winner of Le Mans and another endurance race and winner in 2018 in Monte Carlo), ahead of the English Lyons on Mclaren M26 and the young Frenchman Andlauer on March 761.
However, before the post-race ceremony, Marco Werner receives the communication of a 15 “penalty for contact with Alesi, who relegates him to third place, the Teutonic driver, does not take it very well (mimed several times as soon as the race is over. a “probable” shift jump or incorrect change of Alesi’s car), so the ranking changes again, Lyons passes first, Andlauer second and Werner third. The German driver doesn’t fit and first doesn’t “climb” on the third step of the podium , staying at a distance, so he doesn’t even take the third-placed cup.
Lyons, winner of the post-penalty at the end of the celebrations, hands over Werner’s car the first place trophy.
Second race we followed, which took place in succession is the Villeneuve category (’77 -’80), another 18 laps of fire, where in the registered park we still find Lyons (second on the grid) and a knowledge of Historic Minardi Day or Fritz Van Eerds (at the wheel of the yellow Fittipaldi).
The race seems almost a “photocopy”, if in the previous one, Alesi taking second place was Sainte Devote first, so did Lyons, who with his Hesketh still “hot” from the previous race, “burns” the poleman Grogor (Arrows ) who shortly afterwards at the swimming pools touches his rear right on the wall; at the same time, outside the tunnel, the Mclaren ends up on the wall, creating confusion given the countless amount of debris left in its path.
To make the expense immediately is Hazell fourth on Williams, at that moment, slips on the oil left by Mclaren and ends up on the wall on the fifth lap.
Great fight for eighth place between Ligier, Lotus and Arrows, great brawl.
On the eighth lap the poleman Grogor retires, probably due to the breaking of the suspension, after a great traverse in the entrances of the swimming pools. The fight for second place thus becomes a brawl between Cantillon’s Tyrell 010 and another Arrows (A3) of Frenchman Ferte.
He retires directly to the pits, probably due to a Van Eerts problem with Fittipaldi.
Ferte’s mistake in the fight with Cantillon who presses him, the Francesca touches the guard-rail at the entrance to the Nouvelle Chicane and has to retire, already two out of four Arrows are out of the race. Now the challenge for second and third place is all between the Tyrell 010s of the British Cantillon and of another Frenchman Stevenart for the last 5 laps.
The last “thrill” is the contact between the two Tyrell 010s, with Stevenart who, after the touch with Cantillon, ends his race in the barriers. Two very tough and masculine races here in Montecarlo.
It ends this time with the deserved victory on the track for Lyons (Hesketh 30BE), ruler of the event, ahead of Cantillon (Tyrell 010 of the late Michele Alboreto), third the British Ferrer-Aza on Ligier JS11 who started last and incredibly on the final podium.
