Race report – 1923 I Gran Premio de España

A Thrilling Contest at Sitges: Sunbeam’s Unyielding Grip Secures 1923 Gran Premio de España!

Esteemed aficionados of motor sport, gather round as we cast our gaze back to the sun-kissed yet cloudy climes of Sitges, Spain, for the third gripping round of the Golden Era Championship! The year, 1923, saw twenty-one brave souls embark upon a monumental 200-lap odyssey around the highly-banked, kidney-bean shaped oval circuit, a truly unique theatre of speed, where danger lurked at every high-speed corner. With temperatures hovering around a pleasant 20-21 degrees Celsius and the track at a gripping 36 degrees, conditions were ripe for an unforgettable spectacle.

The Sitges circuit, unlike the relatively flat, triangular layout of Tours before it, presented a stern challenge. Its highly banked corners offered immense speed but lacked any safety barriers at the top, a terrifying prospect that, as witnessed in practice with a Fiat flying over the top, promised potential calamity. Drivers were advised that the highest speed through these corners necessitated staying at the very top of that curve, a daring feat in itself. Overtakes, therefore, were best executed on the straights, utilizing slipstreaming and a good exit from the preceding bend.

The starting grid, a tightly packed formation that would adopt a single file rolling start to avert early chaos, saw Esa Mikkola in his Sunbeam on pole, flanked by Fontaine’s Delage and Markus Peltonen’s potent Fiat in third. Pre-race prognostications favored the supercharged 1923 Fiats for the podium, with the Sunbeam deemed a surprisingly good reliable workhorse, while the agile Delages and Bugattis were also considered strong contenders, though the Bugatti’s engine cooling was noted as a potential Achilles’ heel. The Fiat, despite its raw power and 200 km an hour top speed, was a double-edged sword: quite unreliable, prone to overheating issues, possessed a weak gearbox, and was significantly fuel thirsty, necessitating pit stops.

From the very drop of the flag, Markus Peltonen, piloting his Fiat, demonstrated its formidable pace, making an immediate dash down the inside to challenge Mikkola, though the Sunbeam held its ground initially. However, the raw power of the Fiats soon asserted itself, with Vesa Tolonen, another Fiat pilot, executing early overtakes and finding the advantage of the machine. Soon, the three Fiat 805 405s — Tolonen, Peltonen, and Nurmi — found themselves to the front of the pack, just as the briefing had foretold. Haley Smith, in her new Delage, also showed remarkable prowess, climbing from seventh on the grid to fourth in the opening stages.

The race was not without its trials and tribulations. Zan Darling’s Bugatti experienced a skidding out moment, though without apparent damage. A significant incident saw Lubomirski spin and lose a rear right tire, facing the wrong direction on track. Most dramatically, Ruy Lazaro and Pekkanen found themselves stuck in the ditch after an unfortunate collision. While Pekkanen ultimately succumbed to the circuit’s unforgiving nature, Lazaro displayed incredible perseverance, nursing his car, wheel spitting sparks, back to the pit lane for repairs, a testament to the indomitable spirit of these racers.

As the laps wore on, strategic considerations came to the fore. Nurmi, a championship leader, suffered an unexpected pit stop on lap 23, likely due to overheating issues or an unplanned mechanical woe, dropping him significantly down to sixteenth position. Pit stops, whether planned for fuel or tires, were costly, and the Fiats, with their voracious fuel consumption, were guaranteed visitors to the pit lane.

A captivating duel unfolded between Mikkola’s Sunbeam and Anssi Hyytiäinen’s Bugatti, a battle that stretched for 30 laps or so. Hyytiäinen, constantly slipstreaming and refusing to be denied, seemed to be conserving their engine and fuel, a clever tactic given the Bugatti’s smaller fuel tank and cooling issues. Mikkola’s unique line, cutting quite close to the pit lane, even tricked the live timing screen into registering 28 times more pit stops than actually occurred, a humorous aside. Despite Hyytiäinen’s relentless pressure, Mikkola remained steadfast, until a sudden burst of speed from Hyytiäinen, attributed to opening those taps fully, saw the Bugatti pull away, hinting at a strategic play for fuel or something else engine cooling.

However, fate had a cruel twist for Tolonen. After making impressive gains and setting the fastest lap of the race at a blistering 40.083 seconds, just shy of the sub-40 barrier, Tolonen suffered a blowout on the rear right tire around lap 100. This self-induced popped tire, due to an aggressive line in a corner that caused overheating and an explosion, resulted in a large setback, costing him like 2 minutes and dropping him from a potential podium spot to eleventh position. Tolonen, after nursing his car back to the pits, bravely rejoined the fray, a true display of determination.

In the wake of Tolonen’s misfortune, Joni Lindholm, in his Delage, ascended to the lead, holding a solid advantage for a significant portion of the race. However, Lindholm’s planned pit stop on lap 152 saw him drop back, briefly allowing Mikkola to lead before Hyytiäinen too pitted on lap 162, ultimately elevating Mikkola to the front of the pack.

As the race thundered into its closing stages, the question loomed: would Mikkola, who had seemingly avoided a pit stop, need to come in? The commentary suggested a plan to finish on fumes, and indeed, the Sunbeam continued its unperturbed charge towards the chequered flag. Haley Smith, who had pitted earlier, remained a strong contender for second.

And so, as the 199th lap was completed, Esa Mikkola, in the trusty Sunbeam, crossed the line to begin the final lap, an absolutely fantastic display of driving, avoiding any last-minute drama. Mikkola secured a magnificent victory, triumphing in the 1923 Gran Premio de España! Haley Smith brought her Delage home in a commendable second place, displaying impressive consistency. Anssi Hyytiäinen, whose strategic prowess was evident throughout, secured the final step on the podium. Joni Lindholm, who had led so valiantly, finished a respectable fourth, while Tolonen, after his heroic comeback from adversity, snatched a hard-fought fifth position.

Alas, some were not so fortunate. Kai Syvertsen, plagued by repeated misfortune, suffered yet another DNF, leading to him being declared bankrupt and losing all his championship points, a harsh reality of this demanding sport. Fontaine and Pekkanen also retired, victims of the circuit’s unforgiving nature.

In a fascinating post-race revelation, it was noted that this victory by the Sunbeam, by a margin of approximately 50 seconds, uncannily recreated history, as the real-life 1923 Spanish Grand Prix was also won by a Sunbeam, and by a similar margin!. This Sitges spectacle was a true testament to courage, strategy, and the sheer thrill of motor racing in the Golden Era! The championship now looks forward to Monza in 1924, with the tantalizing prospect of new Alfa Romeo P2 cars joining the fray, surely promising more gripping battles to come.

Final results of the race:

Race broadcast: