In the 12th running of the Historic Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the heat was on so much that on Sunday morning it had to be cooled off by a near tropical rain shower before conditions returned to a pleasant chill that is more familiar to the Netherlands. On Saturday, though, the Caribbean evergreen of ‘Pass the Dutchie on the left-hand side’ was more in tune with the laidback beach vibes created by the hot weather – although with a majority of homegrown drivers doing the winning, also in the Masters races, not too many Dutchies were passed on either side!

The 1968 Formula 2 season can be summed up in one name: Jochen Rindt. But as Rindt was a graduate and an established F1 driver, his victories were nothing more than statistics. So, the honour of leading the championship table belonged to Jean-Pierre Beltoise, who had accumulated three victories in the season. But with the season coming to its end, a new shadow began to appear in the Matra duo's mirrors, and his name was Ernesto 'Tino' Brambilla. The Italian triggered a surprising reaction in the final stretch of the season, collecting some great results. This was a shock to his rivals who did not count on Ferrari to offer strong opposition in the category, as the Scuderia was plunged into complete chaos at the end of 1968. And just like that, the scene was set for the last round of the 1968 European F2 season, a clash between the surprising but chaotic Ferrari, and the stagnant but linear Matra.

Conditions were perfect for the traditional end-of-May Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch, which was blessed by three sunny spring days that made the on-track and off-track experience of the old-school circuit snaking its way through the Kentish hills all the more enjoyable for drivers and spectators alike. In the third round of the Masters Racing Legends for historic F1 cars from the 3-litre era, the victories were shared between Yutaka Toriba and Warren Briggs. For Toriba, it was his debut victory, while Briggs added a win to the victory he achieved at Hockenheim. That win in Germany was also Briggs’ first victory, which meant that the championship welcomed two new winners in three weeks.