Brands Hatch celebrates its past as the host of major international motorsport events, including Formula One and rounds of the World Sportscar Championship with two days of nostalgia at the Masters Historic Festival next weekend (31 May/1 June).
This year’s Masters Historic Festival will once again celebrate the storied history of the Kent venue with a fantastic selection of retro racers returning to the full Grand Prix circuit, with an eclectic mix of entries set to compete across a range of grids.
Providing what is sure to be an emotive headliner will be the Masters Racing Legends for normally-aspirated F1 cars from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. A fantastic entry of 18 evocative F1 machines will represent some of the most revered marques the sport has seen, with McLaren, Tyrell, Williams and Lotus all accounted for on the expansive entry list. There is also the chance to see some more niche machines from the annals of F1 history, with the Shadow DN9 and the LEC CRP1 taking to the track, all adorned in their original liveries.
The sight of a full grid of golden-age F1 cars racing into Paddock Hill bend is a spectacle not to be missed, especially with 2025 marking 40 years since Nigel Mansell’s first F1 victory in the 1985 European Grand Prix, here at Brands Hatch.
An exciting addition to this year’s event is the all-new Masters Demo Legends for F1 cars, showcasing exhilarating V8 and V10 machines from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Expected to run at this year's festival is the Leyton House March 871, Footwork Arrows FA14 and the car that gave Rubens Barrichello his first F1 podium: the Jordan 194
On top of the nostalgic single-seater action, there’s also a full offering of Masters Historic Racing series for classic closed-wheel machinery, with the Masters Sports Car Legends recalling the glory days of endurance racing, featuring some beautiful silhouettes.
Additional programme highlights include the Masters GT Trophy, showcasing a wide variety of GT cars that were eligible to enter GT4 race series between 2007-2018. The Masters Pre-’66 Touring Cars will assemble a strong showing of old-school touring car favourites, with drifting Lotus Cortinas and V8 Mustangs always a favourite among attendees.
The Masters Gentlemen Drivers provide a further fix of classic sports cars from an impressive mix of brands such as TVR, Morgan, Jaguar and Lotus among others, while guest appearances from the F2 and F3 Classic Interseries continues the retro single-seater theme.
Off-track, a 2002 Jordan EJ12 Formula One car will be on static display, alongside a 1989 Eddie Jordan Racing F3000 car, as driven by Jean Alesi to the International F3000 title. On Sunday, a classic car display will fill the venue, while a trade area will also be in operation all weekend.
Discounted advance tickets are available until 4pm on Thursday 29 May from just £27, with reductions for 13-15-year-olds and FREE entry for under-13s. For more information and to book tickets, click here.