BRDC International Trophy

Summary

The International Trophy is a prize awarded annually by the British Racing Drivers' Club to the winner of a motor race held at the Silverstone Circuit, England. For many years it formed the premier non-championship Formula One event in Britain, alongside the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch.

Peter Dunn in the March 761-Cosworth on his way to victory in the 2007 International Trophy race.

The event was instituted by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) in August 1949, sponsored by the Daily Express newspaper, for cars meeting contemporary Grand Prix motor racing regulations. The BRDC drew the name from that of an extinct event formerly held at the Brooklands circuit in the early 1930s. The first Silverstone event was noteworthy as it was the first to use the former airfield's perimeter roadways rather than the main runways; a circuit layout that persisted for over forty years.

With the introduction of the new World Championship, in 1950 the International Trophy became a non-championship race held to Formula One rules. The 1950 event was again held in August, but from 1951 onwards – apart from 1957 – the International Trophy was contested in April or May, near the beginning of the World Championship season. The timing of the event often attracted many top teams and drivers, allowing them to practise in racing conditions before the season became too serious. From 1952 the trophy was also sporadically opened to drivers in the Formula Two category, as well as being run to F2 regulations in those years that the World Championship was also. 1978 saw the 30th running of the International Trophy, and the last under these rules; with the increasing complexity of F1 cars it simply became too expensive for teams to contest non-championship events.

From 1979, the trophy continued as a Formula Two-only event. When F2 was replaced at the end of 1984, the trophy switched to the new Formula 3000 rules from 1985. In turn, it was replacement of F3000 by GP2 in 2005 that ended the International Trophy as an event for cutting-edge racing cars.

Since 2005 the trophy has been awarded to the winner of a race for historic F1 cars at the annual Silverstone Classic race meeting.

Winners of the International Trophy edit

1949–1980: Formula One years edit

Year Driver Constructor Report
1949   Alberto Ascari Ferrari Report
1950   Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo Report
1951   Reg Parnell Ferrari Report
1952   Lance Macklin HWM-Alta Report
1953   Mike Hawthorn Ferrari Report
1954   José Froilán González Ferrari Report
1955   Peter Collins Maserati Report
1956   Stirling Moss Vanwall Report
1957   Jean Behra BRM Report
1958   Peter Collins Ferrari Report
1959   Jack Brabham Cooper-Climax Report
1960   Innes Ireland Lotus-Climax Report
1961   Stirling Moss Cooper-Climax Report
1962   Graham Hill BRM Report
1963   Jim Clark Lotus-Climax Report
1964   Jack Brabham Brabham-Climax Report
1965   Jackie Stewart BRM Report
1966   Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco Report
1967   Mike Parkes Ferrari Report
1968   Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford Report
1969   Jack Brabham Brabham-Ford Report
1970   Chris Amon March-Cosworth Report
1971   Graham Hill Brabham-Cosworth Report
1972   Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Ford Report
1973   Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford Report
1974   James Hunt Hesketh-Cosworth Report
1975   Niki Lauda Ferrari Report
1976   James Hunt McLaren-Ford Report
1978   Keke Rosberg Theodore-Cosworth Report
1980   Eliseo Salazar Williams-Cosworth Report

Note that in 1952 and 1953, the race was run to Formula Two, while the 1961 race was held for the short lived Intercontinental Formula. The 1980 event formed a round of the 1980 British Formula One Championship.

1977–1984: Formula Two years edit

Year Driver Constructor Report
1977   René Arnoux Renault-Gordini Report
1979   Eddie Cheever Osella-BMW Report
1981   Mike Thackwell Ralt-Honda Report
1982   Stefan Bellof Maurer-BMW/Heidegger Report
1983   Beppe Gabbiani March-BMW/Rosche Report
1984   Mike Thackwell Ralt-Honda/Mugen Report

1985–2004: Formula 3000 years edit

Year Driver Constructor Report
1985   Mike Thackwell Ralt-Cosworth Report
1986   Pascal Fabre Lola-Cosworth Report
1987   Maurício Gugelmin Ralt-Honda Report
1988   Roberto Moreno Reynard-Cosworth Report
1989   Thomas Danielsson Reynard-Cosworth Report
1990   Allan McNish Lola-Mugen Honda Report
1991 Not held, due to track refurbishment
1992   Jordi Gené Reynard-Mugen Honda Report
1993   Gil de Ferran Reynard-Cosworth Report
1994   Franck Lagorce Reynard-Cosworth Report
1995   Ricardo Rosset Reynard-Cosworth Report
1996   Kenny Bräck Lola-Zytek Report
1997   Tom Kristensen Lola-Zytek Report
1998   Juan Pablo Montoya Lola-Zytek Report
1999   Nicolas Minassian Lola-Zytek Report
2000   Mark Webber Lola-Zytek Report
2001   Sébastien Bourdais Lola-Zytek Report
2002   Tomáš Enge Lola-Zytek Judd Report
2003   Björn Wirdheim Lola-Zytek Judd Report
2004   Vitantonio Liuzzi Lola-Zytek Judd Report

2005 onward: Historic F1 years edit

Year Driver Constructor Report
2005   Duncan Dayton Williams-Cosworth Report
2006   Manfredo Rossi Brabham-Repco Report
2007   Peter Dunn March-Cosworth Report
2008   Peter Sowerby Williams-Cosworth Report
2012   Bill Coombs Tyrrell-Cosworth Report

2005: Thoroughbred Grand Prix 2006–2007, 2012: Masters Series
2008: FIA Historic F1

References edit

  • "Facts and Figures From the World of Formula 3000". Motorsport-Stats.com. Archived from the original on 2006-07-01. Retrieved 2001-10-25. (F3000 Results.)
  • "Le Mans, F2, Voiturettes, FJ and F3 Results". Le Mans & Formula 2 Register. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-10-25. (F2 Results.)
  • "The Formula One Archives". GEL Motorsport Information. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-25. (Complete F1 Results.)