On 29 and 30 April, the hills around Donington Park will reverberate to the inimitable sounds of Formula One engines, as a collection of historic F1 machines takes to the track at the Donington Historic Festival, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1993 European GP, when Ayrton Senna drove his legendary ‘lap of the gods’ as part of an iconic masterclass of driving in the wet.
The historic F1 cars will be out on track at lunchtime each day, giving spectators a taste of what it felt like to be in the grandstands on that famous day in April 1993 – though, hopefully, without the torrential rain!
In addition to the on-track demonstrations, there will be static displays in the race Paddock, featuring yet more F1 cars from the period and an exhibition in Donington Park’s Pitlane Suite, showcasing memorabilia from 11 April 1993, together with memories and photographs from members of the public who were lucky enough to be at the track for the race itself.
The Formula One cars scheduled to appear include:
- 1993 Williams FW15C (static display) – driven to race wins by Alain Prost at South Africa, San Marino, Spain, Canada, France, Great Britain and Germany, and to victory in Hungary, Belgium and Italy by Damon Hill.
- 1993 Benetton-Ford B193 (track demo) – driven by Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Patrese during the 1993 season.
- 1992 McLaren MP4/7A (static display) – driven to race wins by Ayrton Senna at Monaco, Hungary and Italy and to victory in Canada and Australia by Gerhard Berger.
- 1990 Benetton-Ford B190 (track demo) – driven to victory at Australia and Japan by Nelson Piquet.
- 1984 Toleman TG-184 (track demo) – driven by Ayrton Senna drove in the 1984 Detroit GP and in qualifying for that year’s Monaco and Brands Hatch Grands Prix.
- 1998 Minardi M198 (track demo) – raced in period by Shinji Nakano.
Donington Historic Festival – action-packed on and off the track
The Donington Historic Festival (DHF) offers a wealth of on and off-track entertainment for spectators, with two days simply jam-packed with world-class race action, track displays and parades, an open-access paddock and pitlane walks, a trade village, plus the presence of hundreds of cherished classic cars in displays staged by dozens of car clubs. The event attracts a calibre of drivers that matches the calibre of cars, and past and present-day BTCC and Le Mans names are often seen on the entry lists.
This family-friendly event at a circuit renowned for unrivalled spectator viewing is also a great way to introduce the younger generation to the joys of historic motorsport – with the added advantage that you can take it all in on the Saturday and Sunday and still have the Bank Holiday Monday to relax at home!
Advance discounted tickets offer great savings over the on-the-gate prices and start at just £26 for a one-day adult (16+) entry, with discounts for teens aged 13-15. Under 13s are admitted for free. The event features free car parking. For further information and tickets please visit www.doningtonhistoric.com.
