Sir Jackie Stewart will return to the location of “the best race I ever had” when he is reunited with his 1969 British Grand Prix-winning Matra-Ford MS80 for a demonstration event at this year’s Silverstone Classic.

Stewart, 80, will perform high-speed demo laps aboard the car during both Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July at the Classic to mark 50 years since his epic battle with Lotus driver Jochen Rindt.

On July 19, 1969 Stewart and Rindt were the class of the field, pulling clear of the pack and contesting their own private battle for honours in one of the most enthralling duels in F1 history. Stewart eventually won when Rindt had to stop to repair his rear wing, and again to take on fuel.

Recalling the race to Motor Sport in the August 2018 issue, Stewart said: “I suspect it’s the race with the most passes between two drivers – 32, I think. At the time slip-streaming was the thing to do and we’d slingshot past each other twice a lap; there was no way you weren’t going to get passed at either the Hangar Straight or down into Woodcote. We indicated to each other which side to pass, as blocking each other would have meant the other guys catching us. You just couldn’t make a mistake, and we had total trust in each other as drivers. It was invigorating.”

The Classic will also retitle the Masters Historic Formula 1 races for DFV-powered cars that competed between 1966-85 as the Sir Jackie Stewart Trophy, and Stewart will present the trophies on the podium.

The event will also raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK and Race Against Dementia – a cause that Stewart champions, applying F1 technology and methods to find a solution for the condition that affects nearly a million people in the UK alone – and his wife, Lady Helen Stewart.

The Matra in question will also form part of a celebration of 50 years since the marque’s first world title during the Chantilly Arts & Elegance event, where nine Matra racing cars ranging from grand prix to Le Mans machinery will be gathered together. The event takes place at Chantilly Castle, north of Paris, on June 30.

Tickets for the Silverstone Classic are available at silverstoneclassic.com with adult entries starting at £45 and three-day weekend passes available for £120.

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DIGITAL EXTRA