Evocative and successful Italian racing machines from through the ages took centre stage at the inaugural GP Live event at Donington Park over the weekend, an extravaganza which was topped off by Grand Prix legend Mario Andretti who was reunited with several of the cars he raced with success during a long and glittering racing career.

The idea behind GP Live is to bring Grand Prix cars from throughout the history of Formula 1 together in one event, and so the multiple decades of racing cars were in attendance allowing the visitor to clearly see the 'evolution' of the Grand Prix machine. All the historic cars took to the track in anger over the weekend giving their respective owners a perfect chance to let them fly round the flowing Donington Park circuit.

Italian racing machines were very much in evidence all weekend. Highlights included a string of gleaming pre-WWII examples which took to the track several times in the 'Alfa Romeo and Bugatti Parade'. An Alfa Romeo 182, driven by Andrea De Cesaris in 1982, represented the brand's first generation of carbon-fibre chassis and was the most promising car built during its brief F1 comeback (1979-85). Also in the midst of the action was the very rare and recently-restored 'experimental' Ferrari 312 B3 F1 car - which was dubbed the "Spazzaneve" due to its wedge shaped looks - from 1972, a Cooper-Maserati, an OSCA-Maserati, two much more recent Ferrari F1 cars (the F93A and F310B), the early 1950s Grand Prix-winning Alfa Romeo 159 and a pair of 1970s F1 Techno chassis.

Despite rain showers sweeping the track on Friday and Saturday, the inaugural GPlive weekend was completed in fine style with bright sunshine on Sunday adding to the spectacular series of races and demonstrations by some of motor sports’ most exciting cars and drivers, enjoyed by a little over 10,000 race fans. Highlights of the Saturday demonstration programme included reuniting Mario Andretti with the Lotus 49B in which he claimed pole position for his first-ever Grand Prix start at the 1968 US Grand Prix.  Mario celebrated with a 360-degree spin on his opening lap, continuing undaunted to comment “Well I did want to give you guys something to write about!”
 

Another spectacular display was a spirited demonstration by the Red Bull Racing RB01, driven by Michael Ammermuller, while the demonstration of pre-war Brooklands racing cars was given added drama when one car burst into flames. Amazingly the 1938 Frazer-Nash driven by Dubliner Tony Colley was repaired and back on track by the end of the day.

On the Sunday, Sir Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their historic victory at Aintree, when Brooks handed over his Vanwall to allow Moss to become the first British driver to win a British Grand Prix in a British car. Both drivers sharing one of the British Racing Green cars once again. Among the many celebrities at the track, Moss and Brooks were joined by contemporaries including Tim Parnell, John Campbell-Jones and David Piper. Clemar Bucci from Argentina, who first travelled from South America in the late 1940s, was perhaps the last person alive to be able to personally recount experiences of racing with the legendary drivers such as Nuvolari and Varzi, as well as his compatriot Fangio.

In addition to GPlive featured designer Adrian Newey, engineering figures from the sport included McLaren and Williams designer Neil Oatley, Tony Southgate and the legendary race engineer, Jo Ramirez. Anniversary of the Ford Cosworth DFV engine on Sunday morning.

Freddie Hunt, the 19-year-old son of 1976 World Champion James Hunt took the wheel of his late father’s Hesketh 308C. Freddie gave a flawless performance on his first experience of driving a Formula One car, despite having made his Formula One debut just a month ago!  Another “young gun” making his mark was 16 year-old Alex Brundle, who accompanied his father Martin Brundle and confessed to gaining a new respect after meeting some of his dad’s heros.