Introducing Olivier Hart

A young Dutchman who almost fully crafted his trade in historic motorsport, Olivier Hart has been at the centre of some of the most spectacular historic races in recent years, creating lots of memorable moments with Masters. Either driving solo or sharing a car with his father David, the mercurial youngster has raced a bewildering variety of cars, often multiple ones at the same event. Olivier made his first historic Formula One appearance in Masters Racing Legends in 2024 - and proved to be an immediate sensation with wins in both Mexico City Grand Prix support races. And still he wants more… We spoke to Oli during the Grand Prix de France Historique at Paul Ricard.

Through your father, you have always been surrounded by cars. When did you start to feel the passion yourself?

OH: That's right, I've been at the track since I was a child. Doing fun things, walking around looking for games to play. But in the end you hear those engines in the background, and that's such a lovely sound. So, as I got older, I started karting. It wasn't a big success for me but it was something I was focused on. In the early days, I was switching between karting and motocross until our bikes were stolen from our home. That made it an easy choice to continue with karting! Karting didn't come naturally to me at first. I competed in both the Dutch and the German championships. So when I was 15 or 16 years old, I got my racing license. I was faster than my instructor, so that was a good sign! First we agreed to race with the Bleekemolen team in the local Dutch winter endurance championship, and we as a pairing won that first race at Zandvoort. That was in modern racing, but actually that same year I started racing a Ford Mustang.

Your race at Barcelona in 2017 is still well remembered by some...

OH: That race against Simon Hadfield, you mean? That was a cool race. I had always thought of him as the paddock's grumpy old man, but when we got out of our cars after the race, we looked each other up and got along on the spot, with respect from both sides. We grew a nice bond, always catching up with each other whenever we are at a circuit.

So from that moment on, you were in historic motor racing?

OH: It wasn't really a choice, to be honest, and it would have been stupid to have done something else. The family has its own team, with an entire business model around it, buying and selling cars. So if you have such a great team at your disposal, why would you change it for something else? It's confirmed by what I hear from people who have switched from modern to historic. They all say that the racing experience is much cooler with historic cars. And it's true! I have also driven modern cars and I can't help but notice that historic racing is just the most fun thing to do in terms of driving. And it helps that you have that variety that allows you to drive multiple cars across an entire weekend. You just drive a lot and learn a lot from that.

How did you and your father decide on your career path, from that start in the Mustang to Group C and Formula 1 today?

OH: The first thing I have to acknowledge is being grateful for anything that I can drive. I pretty much drive whatever he gives me. I always joke that I'm a cheap driving slut. I get in and drive it as fast as possible. If there is a maximum, that is the maximum. If I can eek out just a little bit more, I'll go for that. But that's it, and I accept that. My dad chooses the cars for me, and I'm more than happy to drive whatever he puts me in. At various points I started to gain more of his respect, so he allowed me to drive with more dangerous cars. He is very realistic about it: you either earn it or you don't. I'm always thankful for every opportunity that I'm given - also to Fred Fatien at Masters for allowing me to race his Formula One cars. What we did in Mexico by winning those two races showed to the world that I can also win in other people's cars. But if you're in a very good car and you're two, three or four seconds faster, you also want to see if you're that fast against stronger opposition. So now I want to race modern cars again, just because of the competition. I really love historic racing, but I'm looking for more competition, because I want to test myself. I'm especially interested in the big races because I don't want them to clash with historic events - so the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Spa 24 Hours, Daytona maybe. I'm at a point in my life where I know that I have more potential and want to extract the most from it. That will happen in the coming years. In less than three years, I would say. I feel that I'm fast and want to show it in more places.

So are you always in it to win it - or is it also for fun?

OH: I always compete to win. If I can't win, I'll go crazy! So I try all kinds of ideas to make sure that I'm able to win. I will always talk with the engineers and the mechanics to see what we can do. I want to know all the options because that's where the maximum comes from. It doesn't have to be a win all of the time, especially if the car is unable to win. But people in the paddock know what the car is capable of. If I perform above that, it's okay for me.

Your best day in motor racing?

OH: There are a few. The Goodwood Revival in 2018 was a beautiful day. My dad and I won the RAC TT Celebration together in our AC Cobra - with a five-second time penalty and we still won by 25 seconds. With so many professional drivers in the field, everyone knows the quality of that win. Also, the race before I won driving solo with the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA. A dream weekend. Apart from that, there are several pole laps that I remember fondly. With the Jaguar XJR11 in Group C in the rain, against guys like Alex Müller and Ralf Kelleners. With the AC Cobra with my co-driver Bram Bontrup, who has just joined us - six seconds quicker than the entire field, also in the rain. Those are the laps… And of course last year's Masters Gentlemen Drivers race at Silverstone in the Cobra Daytona Coupé against Julian Thomas. That was one of my best races ever.

Your worst day?

OH: Today! Today is a good example, with both the Lola Group C and the Shadow F1 car not ready in time for their second race. If the equipment is not there, then it's a terrible day. But that's racing and I've learned that over the years. Simply accept it. After nearly ten years of driving classic and fragile cars, I really understand their limits. That's crucial in historic racing. With that knowledge, I can push a car hard when it feels right and focus fully on my driving. If a car doesn't feel right, I'll stop. I want to be known as a fast and reliable driver.

The best car you've ever driven?

OH: I've actually thought about that question a few times. I haven't driven it a lot, but for me, it's the Ferrari 250 GT SWB. Its balance, the way it revs. Also, the Pescarolo C60 LMP1 car we now have. Last year in testing right here at Paul Ricard, Emmanuel Collard was there - one of the original drivers. So I asked him, can I do Signes flat out? He said, no, impossible. So I had fresh tyres stuck on, and I did Signes full throttle three times in a row, at 300 kph. Emmanuel came to me and couldn't believe it. I like to get that kind of stuff out of a car. And then there's the Ferrari 512M. That's just the craziest car there is, and seriously dangerous. Beasts like those are insane, I love them. And the Formula One cars? Yeah, they're really cool cars. Very different to drive, very open, you see everything. I actually find that a bit nicer. I do feel safe in them, but the cars aren't that safe…

And the worst car?

OH: It's all cars with drum brakes. They just don't feel good to me. They just don't feel good to me. I want the car to do what I want, and those cars don't do that. So yeah, the Mustang. I can drive it hard, but I'm unable to extract the maximum from it.

Your favourite circuit?

OH: Spa in the rain. And Goodwood is cool. You need balls for it. If you go wide, you'll be in the grass and into the wall. If you look at the track map, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's an easy track - two right turns and a left. But they're all weird corners. You need to have a good feeling for them and place the car exactly the way that is needed - then it becomes a fun exercise.

Why doesn't Masters go to…?

OH: Very good question. I don't know! Maybe a small track where you could have fun with slow cars… For me, it never matters where I have to race. I just want to perform, and every new race is a challenge. Apart from that, I always like a track where my co-driver is quick. That's important to me. Zandvoort for instance, my dad is always fast around there. My other co-driver Bram is quick at Paul Ricard, but we're already here…

Which rival do you fear or respect the most?

OH: I think Andre Lotterer is very quick. I had a little battle with him in the Spa Six Hours. He's not been driving historic cars as long as I have, so I just wonder. I'd love to see what the difference would be if we drove the same car. But I respect him for his pace, and would like to do some more close racing with him.

And who's your best mate in the paddock?

OH: My dad of course, but that's easy. And just the whole team. I grew up with all the guys at DHG Racing - Kurt, Harold, Marco, Sander, Kristoffer and Rowan who was always with me when I was still in karts. I also want to mention my very good friend Bram. I've coached him for two seasons and I'm incredibly proud of how he has evolved. The results we've already achieved together show the capability of the DHG team and myself. Also the guys at Pastorelli Classics - Nicky himself, Joost, Mante. And it's always nice when my family comes to watch. My mother, my sister, my aunt - pressure isn't something I really feel anymore in classic racing. When my family and friends are watching, I just want to perform and show what DHG can do.