In 1932, Alfa Romeo introduced its P3 Monoposto (also known as the Tipo B) to grand prix racing. The car is generally regarded as the first ever genuine single seater, which is what monoposto means in Italian.
Racecars became more specialised from that point on, no longer simply sports cars with the mudguards (fenders) removed, and what subsequently became universally known as single-seater racing never looked back. Monoposto is, then, a title that has gravitas in the sport. It’s also a title that’s been kept alive and well for the past 65 years in the UK.
The Monoposto Championship is often thought of as an arena for pensioned-off racecars, those that no longer have a championship in which to race, or are no longer competitive. This is true, to a certain extent, but there’s much more to the series than that. It’s not all old cars for a start.
There’s also still plenty of technical development to be seen in the classes where this is allowed.
What really strikes people on first acquaintance with this championship, though, is the sheer range of cars on track. Mono, as it is often called, is gloriously eclectic. But this is not Formula Libre, and there is a judiciously controlled class structure in Monoposto.
Class structure
Formula 3 is the first of the seven classes, for F3 cars that were built before 2008 (though that cut-off date will change soon), as well as much newer F4s and Formula Renaults.
Then there is Moto 1400, for up to 1400cc motorcycle-engine racers, which allows current cars, as does the very popular Moto 1000 class, which is for up to 1.0-litre ’bike-engined machines.
The next class is Classic 2000, which caters for veteran single seaters, such as even older Formula 3 and Formula Vauxhall Lotus.
After that comes Mono 2000, which isn’t for up to 2.0-litre cars as might be assumed, but rather those built before 2001.
Finally, there are the 1800 and 1600 classes, both of
