Hippocampus Nº46

Event
CELEBRATING THE PAST
WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE
Already an essential event, even at international level, among those dedicated to
classic racing vehicles, the 2023 edition of Estoril Classics was once again a huge
success, bringing tens of thousands to the Estoril Circuit to see glorious machines
from other eras up close. The future of the initiative is looking brighter and brighter!
It was at the beginning of October that the
seventh edition of Estoril Classics took place,
an increasingly popular and well-established
event that is already an absolute reference,
even at international level, among those dedicated
to classic racing vehicles. Once again,
it was at the Estoril Circuit that the glorious
machines of yesteryear gathered, with the
summer-flavoured autumn contributing to
the presence of around three tens of thousands
of people at the oldest permanent Portuguese
track - who didn’t want to miss out on seeing
it up close and live, over the course of two
days, both on the track and in the paddock,
cars and motorbikes that fought for victory
in races and championships as emblematic as
Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the
Motorcycle World Championship, among
others, with legendary and renowned drivers
of the time at the controls.
Naturally, and as usual, Formula 1 was one of
the highlights of the event. Twenty-one pre-
1986 single-seaters were on track, including
models as renowned as the Williams FW08,
the Lotus 78 or the McLaren M26, as well
as the Ligier JS21, the Tyrrel 011, the Lotus
72 or the Brabham BT37.
Also in the spotlight were the various endurance
races included in the Estoril Classics
2023 programme: Iberian Historic Endurance,
Sixties’ Endurance, Classic Endurance
Racing 1, Classic Endurance Racing 2 and
Endurance Racing Series. In this case, it was
possible to race machines such as the Merlyn
MK4; Porsche 911 3.0 RS; Ford GT40; Shelby
Cobra 289; Lotus 15; Shelby Cobra Daytona
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Hippocampus