Voyazides & Hadfield double up in FIA Masters Historic Sports Car race at Magny-Cours

Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield made it two wins in one morning by claiming FIA Masters Sports Car honours at Magny-Cours, having already won Sunday’s opening Masters Pre-66 Touring Car race. In his opening stint, Voyazides kept his foot down to hand Hadfield a slim lead on the Jason Wright/Andy Wolfe Lola T70 Mk3B and the Henry Fletcher/Martin O’Connell Chevron B26, after which Hadfield controlled the gap to the chequered flag – despite a 5-second penalty for pitlane speeding and the engine running on seven cylinders near the end.

“We were lucky”, Hadfield admitted. “The pitlane speeding was my mistake, I was distracted by Martin O’Connell coming in at the same time – and then the engine lost a cylinder two laps from the end. But most importantly – another great stint from the boss!”

“It felt good!” said a buoyant Voyazides. “I like the circuit – and if I like the circuit I go well.”

Agonisingly, the Wright/Wolfe Lola dropped out on the final lap, handing a distant second place to Fletcher and O’Connell, with Manfredo Rossi inheriting third in the Osella-Abarth PA1. Wright and Wolfe were still classified fourth, ahead of the Chevron B19 shared by Matt & Mike Wrigley.

“It was quite frustrating, actually”, Fletcher said about fighting the big-engined Lolas of Voyazides and Wright in the first half of the race. “Over a lap I was quicker, but passing them is so difficult! I tried everything I could but they just pull five or six car lengths… If only the straights were a bit shorter here!”