Video: The ultimate F1 track day at Hockenheim

Courtesy of our friends at Belgian-Motorsport, we’re enjoying the sights and sounds of some classic F1 cars as they wind their way around the Hockenheimring. The headline act simply has to be the V10-engined Ferrari F130B from 1997, a car that Michael Schumacher drove to five victories that season in a tense title battle with eventual champion Jacques Villeneuve.

There’s also a Lotus 76, a lesser-known member of the John Player Special family that suffered a stunted existence, featuring in only seven grands prix in 1974. It was a hugely experimental design that on the outside featured a unique two-tiered rear-wing, but hidden away inside was a hugely ambitious electronic clutch system (a precursor to modern semi-automatic gearboxes). As was often the case during these pioneering years however, the innovation proved a step too far, and it was scrapped by the end of the year.

What we love most about these kinds of days though is the left-field machinery that we’d all completely forgotten about. There’s a Lola LC88 out on the track, a car that raced under the Larrousse name in 1988 with minimal success. Next to that is an even more obscure Rial ARC1, built by the Rial Racing team and driven by Andrea de Cesaris to a best finish of fourth place at the last ever running of the Detroit Grand Prix.

These drivers are all understandably looking after their prized possessions, so they aren’t being pushed to the limit, but any chance to see cars like this in action are welcome in our eyes.