How would they fare?...

[Incubus]

I wasn't at Silverstone this week-end, but I was amused to come across Alonso's little mishap before yesterday's race.
Scheduled to perform a demonstration lap around Silverstone at the wheel of Froilan Gonzalez's winning 375 V12 to mark the sixtieth anniversary of Ferrari's first win, he clearly enjoyed himself so much he went for another lap and even started pushing it a bit, complete with power-slides... and in the processed missed the start of the drivers' parade. Initially running after the open-topped bus he eventually rejoined his colleagues after hitching a lift from the medical car.
(nice footage, wish the commentators could just shut up and let us enjoy the beautif sound of that roaring V12 though)

Anyway it got me thinking. I know such a thing will never happen, but it's a fanciful thought: rather than the occasional demonstration lap modern GP drivers have sometimes indulged in in the past, wouldn't it be absolutely great to stage an actual demonstration race (say, ten laps or so) between the likes of mssr Alonso, Hamilton, Webber et al at the wheel of Grand Prix from the early days of the F1 championship?
Imagine the spectacle: Hamilton trying to outbrake Vettel's Maserari 250F at La Source at the wheel of a 1955 Silver Arrow??
I don't know what you guys think, but I'd give a lot to see that... oh yes. Fantastic spectacle that would be.
Well we are allowed to dream aren't we?

 

[Mryzyz]

It would be a great spectacle but...

How many cars of that era are left? Is it worth the risk of losing some precious machinery?

 

[RevMaxPower]

Incubus - it would be fantastic.

At an air show in Canada a few years ago they did just that with no fewer than 5 World war 2 Bombers, all airborne at the same time. (B-17, B-24, B-26, B-29 and a LANCASTER.)

Absolutely awesome to see AND hear!

So yes - bring it on...

 

[sportsman]

It will only ever be a dream.These cars are priceless and irreplaceable.Even a demo race would be to risky.

 

[FB]

They could race replicas.

 

[Incubus]

Yeah I did think that as well but would it really be the same thing? I mean it depends on how "real" they'd be able to achieve manuctaring and using original components with the same materials would cost even more than the current auction pricings of the original cars.

But then again some of these single-seaters get to race at the hands of private collectors in club competitions, albeit rarely and perhaps not the rarest or most prestigious originals...

A dream it will probably remain then... and didn't the McLaren drivers get to do a few laps on one or two Silver Arrows last year? I think the drivers would clearly be up for it.