Hill guests at Thoroughbred award banquet

Damon Hill was the surprise guest of honour at the FIA Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship awards ceremony at the RAC Club in Pall Mall recently.

Britain’s most recent F1 world champion presented awards to 2002 TGP champion Mike Whatley as well as Tyrrell driver John Delane, who flew in from California to accept the rookie award.

On display at the TGP’s Autosport International stand in January will be the 1981 ex-Elio de Angelis/Nigel Mansell Lotus 87B, the six-wheeler Tyrrell P34 currently raced by Martin Stretton, and the Ferrari 312 T3 that won the 1978 United States GP West at Long Beach in the hands of Carlos Reutemann.

In 2003, the TGP season will be book-ended by Iberian events, starting at Jarama in April and finishing at Estoril in October.

A further seven events are planned, including at least one in Britain.