There were two firsts for Team Castaway at the weekend - it rained for the first time since we arrived in August, and we also had our first introduction to the Algarve Classic Festival.
Needless to say we were much more excited about the latter; but the rained stayed away during our time at the festival, and made for some thrilling racing at what is the largest classic car event on the Iberian peninsula.
The festival normally takes place each year at the Portimao circuit, but had been postponed to due the pandemic. The event is the perfect scenic end to the Masters 2021 Tour, and as the weather was a bit iffy, we opted for tickets in the paddock.
It was the best thing we could have done as we were able to get up close and personal with some incredible cars, mechanics and drivers. Everyone was very friendly, and we had some great conversations with those taking part.
One of the highlights of the day was the final round of the 2021 season of the Masters Historic Formula One - a championship dedicated to cars built between 1966 and 1985.
There were 19 historic single-seaters competing, perhaps the most prominent among those were Nigel Mansell's Lotus 91; and Alfa Romeo 182 which achieved a podium finish in Monaco, and a Tyrrell 011 which won the Las Vegas GP in 1982. The thrill of hearing the noise from these classics was incredible - we could almost feel our ribcages vibrating as they made their way around the track!
It wasn't just about the action on the track though. Our paddock passes allowed us full access to the pits, and everyone was very relaxed about us taking photos of the stunning cars that were on display. From pre 1966 touring cars, to pre-1966 GT cars.
The whole event was fantastic, and gave us a real insight into racing from days gone by - raw, exciting and some simply beautiful cars.
We hope you enjoy photos on this blog post - we had to include lots this week because there were too many beautiful cars and we didn't want to leave any out! If you're ever in the Algarve when this event is on, we can't recommend it highly enough - a fabulous day out.
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