F1 stars racing in identical cars? Here's why Grand Prix Masters was an epic fail

There’s plenty of hypotheticals that sports fans love to debate at length. And, in 2005, Formula One enthusiasts were offered the tantalising prospect of witnessing such pub debates played out for real, with the launch of a new race series. Grand Prix Masters would see retired legends of the sport going head to head in identical machinery – open wheel racers packing 650bhp V8s and capable of over 200mph, no less.

Driving the same cars, could Nigel Mansell best Alain Prost? Would Damon Hill demolish Nelson Piquet?

Sadly we never got to find out, because though Mansell (hauntingly absent of moustache) signed up for GP Masters, Messrs Prost, Hill and Piquet remained sadly absent. The start list for the inaugural race (Kyalami, 2005) contained a couple of champions (His Nigelness! Emerson Fittipaldi!) but also plenty of racers that rather stretched the definition of ‘masters’ (Eliseo Salazar? Christian Danner?).

GP Masters also struggled with another issue: time passes, dudes get old. Though some of the talent were only a few years into retirement, others had rather more miles on the clock. Jacques Laffite was well into his 60s, and hadn’t driven an F1 car for two decades.

This caused a degree of tension in the OAP-addock. But the ravages of the ageing process weren’t what did for GP Masters. The racing proved entertaining, Mansell in particular rolling back the years to dispel the long standing rumours that all his talent had been contained in his facial hair.

No, what scuppered GP Masters was motorsport’s oldest Achilles heel: money. After just three races across 2005 and 2006, the series was placed in liquidation having failed to pay its invoices. It would never return. So those ‘greatest ever’ pub debates will have to remain exactly where they belong: in the pub, eternal and unresolved. Same again?