Video: 2025 Salvadori Cup full race | 82MM

17th April 2025

Russell Campbell

The Salvadori Cup promised some of the closest racing at the 82nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport, as open-cockpit prototypes of 1952-1962 from the likes of Cooper, Jaguar, Lister and Lotus did battle.

As the flag dropped, the front row started strongly off the line, but a spinning back wheel from Bonamy Grimes and James Thorpe's half slide gave Roger Wills in the Lotus-Climax 15 the momentum to lead into the first corner.

By the end of the first lap, Wills and Grimes had broken away from the rest, with Wills’ green Lotus-Climax threatening to take the lead with a less-than-a-second gap between him and Grimes as the pair pulled away more than five seconds from the chasing pack.

2025 Salvadori Cup highlights | 82MM

By lap four, Wills was in the lead with Grimes pursuing less than a second behind and building a substantial nine-second lead ahead of Thorpe's third-paced Lister Jaguar. Grimes was taking his car to the limit, shedding a section of its exhaust as the lead pair in the process.

Richard Wilson, meanwhile, was flying in his Lotus Climax 15, taking advantage of the battle between Assam Maeers, the pair almost tangling into the chicane. Wilson was up to eighth and matching the leaders’ pace, albeit a massive half a minute adrift.

Wills was looking comfortable at the front at the midpoint of the race, but Grimes continued to push hard, and by lap 10 there was less than a cigarette paper between them. With less than two minutes to go the result was agonisingly close to call. Could Wills hold on, or would Grimes be rewarded for his toil? Watch the full race above to find out.