2025 Espiritu de Montjuic Archives

Espíritu de Montjuïc 2025

Date:

Location:

Event type:

Event organizer:

About this event

Espíritu de Montjuïc

Six years—that’s how long we’ve had to wait to once again experience one of the finest classic motorsport events. It was back in 2019, in that pre-COVID era when time still seemed to flow naturally, that we last witnessed a weekend organized by Peter Auto and Targa Iberia.

And just like that, before we even realized it, six years had passed since the last time we immersed ourselves in a weekend surrounded by the greatest Sports Cars, GTs, and Touring Cars from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and the 2000s at the Circuit de Barcelona in Spain.

On March 21st, with our camera gear packed and our bags ready, we set off from Madrid to Barcelona—a six-hour journey covering roughly 600 kilometers.

Along the way, we left behind torrential downpours so intense they later made the news, with rivers overflowing and entire areas submerged.

But now, it was time to disconnect and enjoy the cars. Or at least, whatever the rain would allow. Because from the moment we arrived in Barcelona and checked in at the media center at 1:00 PM, it hadn’t stopped raining for a second. But that wasn’t going to discourage us; things were about to get exciting. We started our tour in the pits, where the legendary Group C machines were, while the prototypes and GT cars from the 1990s and early 2000s were in full swing, moving in and out of the garages, preparing to hit the track.

Sauber Mercedes C11, Peugeot 905 Evo 1B, Nissan R90CK, Pescarolo C60, Dome S101… damn, even two Audi R8 LMPs, former winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Every single one of them a cult icon, instantly recognizable to any motorsport fan—whether for their victories, their engines, or the sheer beauty of their liveries and bodywork.

We got so caught up in the moment that, before we knew it, the Sports Cars from the Sixties’ Endurance were lining up at the pit exit. We couldn’t resist snapping shots of the famous Jaguar E-Types and the swarm of Shelby Cobras, including the closed-cockpit Daytona Coupes.

Then, it was time for the Group C monsters to hit the track, and we took the chance to watch them in action. What a sight! The Peugeot 905’s naturally aspirated V10 sang beautifully, the Spice SE90C’s Cosworth V8 screamed at high revs, the Mercedes C11 had that deep, menacing growl, and the Porsche 962s, with their turbocharged flat-six engines, carried incredible pace.

Unfortunately, the Peugeot’s weekend was cut short by a brutal brake failure during Saturday’s first race, ending in a heavy crash against the barriers. Looking back at our photos, we noticed that on its final pass, the rear brake was already glowing red-hot. The very next lap, at the hard braking zone of Turn 1, the car was left with no stopping power and slammed into the wall. Luckily, the driver escaped unscathed and even managed to avoid the Nissan at the last second.

The first of the two scheduled races went to the Porsche 962C driven by Ivan Vercoutere and Ralf Kelleners, with Kriton Lendoudis taking second in his Sauber Mercedes C11, and Olivier Galant securing third in the Nissan R90CP.

For the second race, it was Lukas Halusa’s MOMO-liveried Porsche 962C that dominated, with Kriton once again finishing second in the Sauber Mercedes C11 and Olivier Galant repeating his third-place finish with the Nissan R90CP.

Friday carried on, though the sun had long disappeared behind the mountains surrounding the Circuit de Barcelona.

Now on track were the Sports Cars from The Gentlemen Challenge, setting their best times in preparation for the weekend’s races.

With headlights cutting through the evening light, a parade of machines from the Golden Age of Sports Car racing thundered past—Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB and the unmistakable 250 GT SWB “Breadvan,” Jaguar E-Types, Porsche 904 Carrera GTS and 356, Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ and Giulietta SZ, Lotus 11 and 15, the Morgan Plus 4 SLR, and even rarities like the D.B. HBR5 Camionnette and the Tojeiro EE.

The weekend belonged to Spain’s Guillermo Fierro, who took victory with his Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage”—so named for its intricate tubular chassis. Fierro finished second in the first race, behind Luc-Pierre Verquin’s Chevrolet-powered Lister Knobbly, but claimed the win in race two. Dr. Afschin Fatemi secured third place in the opening race with his Tojeiro EE, while the second race’s podium saw Anthony Schrauwen take second in a Jaguar-engined Lister Knobbly, with John Emberson and Nige Greensall rounding out the top three in their Morgan SLR.

Friday ended in the most spectacular way imaginable. By then, night had fully settled over the circuit, with only the dim glow of the floodlights and the piercing yellow beams of modern GTs from the ‘90s and 2000s cutting through the darkness. Endurance Racing Legends 2 took to the track with a grid packed with Porsche 911s from various generations, alongside several Ferrari F430 GTCs and 458 Italia GT3s, a pair of Aston Martin DBRS9s, a Chevrolet Corvette C6.R ZR1 GT2, a BMW E36 GT, and a Toyota Supra GT2.

Add to that the misty spray of rain kicked up by the tires, the glowing brake discs, and the bursts of flames from the exhausts, and it became an unforgettable sight.

Unfortunately, our photos don’t do justice to the spectacle—we’d never shot in conditions like these before—but witnessing it in person was an experience like no other.

The first race, held on Saturday, was won by Maxwell Lynn in the #13 Ferrari F430 GTC, followed by Mark Sumpter’s #36 Porsche 911 993 GT2 in second, and Pierre Ehret’s #190 Ferrari F430 GTC Evo in third.

Lynn took victory again in Sunday’s race, with Sumpter once more finishing second in his Porsche. This time, the final podium spot went to David Sarny, driving the #21 Porsche 911 996 GT3 RSR.

C’est fini. Or at least, for that day. We headed back to the hotel to rest, recharge—both ourselves and our camera batteries—and returned to the circuit the next morning around 9 AM. Ahead of us lay another long day behind the lens. But as we say in Spain, “Sarna con gusto, no pica”—if you’re enjoying it, you can’t complain.

By the time we arrived, the action was already underway, but we made it just in time to catch the touring cars of the ‘70s and ‘80s—the Golden Era of the ETCC. Watching the Ford Capri RS 3100s storm around the track with their brutal Cosworth-developed Essex V6 engines was pure magic. Then there were the BMW E9 3.0 CSLs, their biggest rivals in the championship, instantly recognizable with their massive wings and widened fenders.

Back in their heyday, BMW may have won more races, but when it came down to the title fight, Ford clinched it by scoring more points in the lower division with the Escort RS 1600. And there it was—this small but mighty machine, one that, thanks to its sharp handling and feisty engine, even managed to take outright wins.

Alfa Romeo, another dominant force of the era, was also represented with the Giulia 1750 GTAm. However, its early entry into the championship meant it couldn’t stand up to the later-developed Ford and BMW contender.

The day’s only race went to Sebastian Glaser in the #174 BMW E9 CSL, followed by the father-son duo of David and Olivier Hart in the #18 E9 CSL, with Maxime Guenat taking third in the #50 Ford Capri RS 3100.

By this point in the weekend, we had already witnessed plenty of incredible racing, yet there was still so much more to come. Next up on track was Classic Endurance Racing 2, a series dedicated to the sports cars and prototypes of the ‘70s and ‘80s. These lightweight barchettas took center stage after the FIA Group 4 and Group 5 era—after the likes of the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512 M had faded into history. However, the turbocharged sports cars that followed were absolute beasts, often producing over 500 horsepower and, in some cases, even outperforming the prototypes.

Both categories lined up in Barcelona under the CER2 banner, bringing a legendary mix of machinery: Porsche 934s and 935s, the monstrous Ford Capri Zakspeed Turbo, the BMW M1 Procar, and the oddball Lotus Esprit Group 5. But perhaps the strangest sight of all was the Ligier JS2, with its handcrafted bodywork and massive rear wing.

On the prototype side, Ferrari initially dominated the era with its Group 5 barchettas, while Lola and Chevron fought tooth and nail in the 2-liter category. Occasionally, they had to contend with challengers from smaller teams fielding cars built by Cheetah and TOJ.

At the end of the race, it was Maxime Guenat who claimed overall victory in the #50 Lola T286, ahead of Dominique Guenat in the #49 TOJ SC 303, with Frank Morel taking third in the #231 TOJ SC 206.

Among the GTs, Porsche reigned supreme. Emmanuel Brigand took class honors in the #2 Porsche 935, followed by Steven Osborne and Chris Ward in the BMW M1 Procar, while Olivien Breittmayer rounded out the podium in the #84 Porsche 935 K3.

With all the action on track, there was barely any time to grab a bite to eat. So, we won’t lie—we took advantage of the next series to hit the track, Classic Touring Challenge, to sneak away for lunch. But not before snapping a few photos and enjoying the spectacle of this series, which showcases touring cars from before 1966—before the ETCC reached its golden era in the ‘70s.

The Ford Mustang 289s flexed their muscles, and it was no surprise that their raw pace put them in contention for the top spots in the race. Abraham Bontrup, behind the wheel of the #76 Mustang 289, claimed victory on Sunday. The second and third spots went to the nimble Ford Cortina Lotus entries, with Mark Drain and Andrew Haddon taking P2 in the #79, followed by Tom Chilton and Matt Neal in the #6 Cortina Lotus.

Beyond the podium finishers, the grid featured a strong lineup of Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (aka Giulia 1600 GTA) Corsa models, a stunning 1960 Chevrolet Corvette C1 that roared with its unmistakable V8 soundtrack, and even a plucky Austin Mini Cooper S powered by the 1275cc engine.

After lunch, we were in for another highlight of the day: Classic Endurance Racing 1, one of the oldest series in the championship created by Peter Auto. This series brought together some of the best sports cars and prototypes from the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Among the incredible machines on display were legendary models like the Porsche 906, 908/03, 910, Porsche 917 K, Ferrari 512 M, Lola T70, and, in the GT category, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competizione, several Porsche 911 Carrera RSRs, and even a Ford GT40.

It was a golden era of motorsport, filled with iconic rivalries like Ford versus Ferrari and Porsche versus Ferrari. These were the days when Ferrari was a dominant force at Le Mans, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to be involved in the fierce battles that raged around the legendary La Sarthe circuit.

Sunday’s race started on a dry track, and the +2 liter sports prototypes quickly made their mark, with David Hart and Olivier Hart leading the pack in the #14 Ferrari 512 M, followed by Armand Mille in the #35 Lola T70 Mk 3B, and Emile Breittmayer in the #124 T70 Mk 3B. However, as the rain began to fall, it was the Chevron B19 #15 of John Emberson and Nigel Greensall from the –2 liter category who set the pace, eventually climbing to second place overall by the end of the race. The final positions saw Breittmayer’s T70 #124 take the win, followed by the Ferrari 512 M #14 in third place.

In the GT category, another classic of the era took the win: the De Tomaso Pantera Group 4 #21 driven by Ralf Kelleners, a regular competitor in these races. Kelleners showed impressive pace, only matched by Fréderic Di Egidio in his Porsche 911 Carrera RSR #51, with Uwe Kolb and Patrick Kolb rounding out the podium in the #25 911 Carrera RSR.

Remember when we spotted the LMP and GTs from the ‘90s and 2000s in the pits? Well, now it was time to see them in action, a little further away, behind the protective barriers, doing what they do best—racing. And the best part? We were going to witness this spectacle twice because Peter Auto had planned two races.

The last time we saw these cars in action was back in 2006, when the ELMS visited the Jarama circuit near Madrid. A lot has changed since then, but these machines still perform at an incredibly high level, a testament to the technological advances they had even back then.

The first race went to Christian Albrecht in the MG EX257 #16, despite the Dome S101 #15 driven by Ivan Vercoutere and Alex Müller being unbeatable for most of the laps. The second spot went to Alfie Briggs in the Zytek 04S #150, followed by Shaun Lynn in the Audi R8 LMP #3. In the GT category, victory went to the Saleen S7-R #19 piloted by Steve Brooks, with Mike Hezemans and Loris Hezemans in second place with their Lotus Elise GT1 #7, and Emmanuel Collard rounding out the podium with the Ferrari 550 Maranello #152.

Alfie Briggs ultimately took the weekend’s win, finishing first in the second race with his Zytek 04S #150. He was followed, this time for real, by the Dome S101 #15 of Vercoutere and Müller, and Niklas Halusa in the Audi R8 LMP #9. In the GTs, Olivier Galant took full advantage of a Safety Car period to surge into the top positions with his powerful Panoz Esperante GTR1 #10, creating an insurmountable gap to Emmanuel Collard in the Ferrari 550 Maranello #152, who finished second, and Kriton Lendoudis with the Saleen S7-R #86.

Sadly, we were nearing the end of the weekend, and Saturday wrapped up with the last race—two hours long with 45 cars on the track. It was, without a doubt, another highlight of the weekend. To enhance the experience, the sun began to set over the horizon, and the race would finish in the dark.

The Sixties’ Endurance series gathered the best Sports Cars from the 1950s and early 1960s in Barcelona, so the grid was filled with Shelby Cobras and Jaguar E-Types. Some of the Cobras were even in their Daytona coupe versions. While these were numerous, they shared the track with the legendary and light Lotus Elan 26R, Austin Healey 3000s, and rarities like the Bizzarrini 5300 GT, Morgan Plus 4 Super Sport, and Chevrolet Corvette C2.

The race, lasting two hours, was wet and cold, so it was no surprise that there were several Safety Car periods due to multiple spins and accidents. In the end, victory went to the duo Maxime Guenat/Guillaume Mahe in the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe #51, followed by the Cobra Daytona #70 of Erwin France and another Cobra Daytona, the #3 of Armand Mille.

On Sunday, we continued to enjoy this unforgettable weekend until it was time to head back to Madrid. We initially planned to leave around 16:00 since we had a 6-hour journey ahead of us. But it was impossible. We’re addicted to gasoline and the sound of engines, and the temptation was just too strong. In the end, we left Barcelona at 18:00.

That’s it, the 2025 Peter Auto event in Spain has come to an end. We’d like to express our gratitude to Peter Auto, Targa Iberia, and the Circuit de Barcelona for giving us the opportunity to create a report of such quality, providing us access to the track and paddocks.

We hope that the Espíritu de Montjuïc will return in 2026 because we’ll do everything possible to bring you another report on these cars that defined the best eras of Sports Cars and Prototypes.