Motorsport Week was lucky enough to spend time with historic F1 car restorer Officina Caira at the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.
My Editor Jack and I were walking through the Silverstone pit lane en route to a meeting with a team when we heard a sudden, high-pitched engine roar. Looking at each other, we instantly recognised the sound – a F1 V10 engine from the glory days of the 1990s. Checking the weekend programme, we put time into our schedules to see the classic F1 car display from the media centre window.
I don’t think there are many places left as an adult where you can get as excited as giddy as we did as we saw these beautiful relics from history. But it wasn’t the MP4/4 that got to us most. Instead, as a dark blue car breezed past, both of us, two thirty-something men, shouted in unison and pointed while shouting “Simtek!” as the 1995 S951 made an appearance. This car, which only lasted five races into the 1995 season, evoked a reaction like a child seeing Santa Claus for the first time.
Thankfully, both Jack’s and my dignity is intact; we are not alone in this assessment. Classic F1 content is all over social media these days and has been for many years. The argument for F1’s return to screaming V8 or V10 engines has raged since the beginning of the last turbo hybrid era in 2014. Now, at certain races like Silverstone, glorious cars from F1’s rich history take to the track to prove this point and arguably showcase just why the sport is likely to return to V8’s in 2030/2031.
But to keep these cars running is not an overnight task. Although more simplistic than today’s technically complex, computer-driven cars, these are still far beyond the twist-a-key-in-the-ignition-and-drive-off style of car. To quote Richard Hammond when he briefly drove an R25 on Top Gear, he said, “it’s like it’s on a life support machine”. This is where Officina Caira enters the scene, and after seeing their cars in action at Silverstone, Motorsport Week spent a morning with them at their home race in Spa Francorchamps.
Living and breathing history
Of course, the first thing we had to find was where these cars were being kept as we set off down the many steps out of the paddock. The number of cars on display, both static and demonstration runs, made them hard to miss, but again we had a clue guiding us. Like a moth to a flame, we were drawn to their location by the sound of a screaming V10 engine starting up.
Upon arrival, we were in heaven. Cars from every era proudly on display, and a motorhome that we discovered had a unique connection to Ferrari. It was, during the early 2000s, used by Jean Todt, Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn as one of their primary bases. Suffice it to say, sitting in there felt very special indeed whilst we waited for our time with this operation to begin.
At this point, we were introduced to Silvano Caira, one of the brothers who started this operation. Walking out into the stereotypical clouded-over Spa microclimate, we stood in what would easily qualify as the world’s most expensive car park, the cars spread across multiple tents, each vying for their own moment of glory.
We started by asking Caira how this business started and grew into the ultra-successful venture that attracts so many, both young and old, to its cars.
“We started the business in 2015, just for the restoration sale in Formula 1, only Formula 1 cars, only monofibre monocoque,” he said as we stood in the centre of the collection.
“And after that, we started with Formula 1 to do the events for Formula 1. And we organised the event on four circuits, Imola, Silverstone, Spa and Monza.”
“This year only three, because Imola is finished. And on each circuit, we have 20 customers coming which is [the] car, and the team. And we have also the car from the workshop, or from the customer of the workshop.
Getting the car ready for their glory runs
Caira then detailed how the company obtains these cars, hinting at the substantial work at their factory, which includes dismantling the car completely. Once handed over, owners face an extended wait to get the car back.
This is more than worth the wait, however, asOfficina Caira performs a complete overhaul of the car, including track testing the car.
“If you buy a car, the process in the restoration for the old car is one year and a half minimum.
“We dismantle the car and we test all by crash testing. And we put the car in like in the last race, yeah, for the most recent car is maybe two years, two years and a half.
“We buy the car, we dismantle the car completely. We send the engine to the motor workshop, and so the gearbox we do in the factory.
“And all the track testing, we do the track testing, repaint the car if it needs, and the new delivery, the correct delivery, And we assemble totally the car.
“And then we do the check down.”
Far from just a mechanical service, Officina Caira operates effectively as an F1 team in its own right, performing everything from rebuilding to testing the car for owners. Those who have the cash can have a completely ready F1 car, and that is an offer few can provide.
A classic F1 craze or trend here to stay?
Standing outside the collection, there are two main tents, both of which have gems of cars in them, from across F1’s long and illustrious history. Cars that are nothing short of absolute death traps to those of more recent times. The most interesting thing about being in the centre of this collection is that audiences of both young and old are standing behind the barriers protecting the cars.
It seems that on this occasion, age does not matter in people’s love of these cars. Young people are standing around the magnificent BMW Sauber collection, and an elderly man tells a young boy about the Frank Williams Shadow car. Caira credited Netflix with the rise of classic F1 to a certain degree while recognising the younger generation’s need to understand heritage.
“Formula One do the famous series on Netflix. And with this series, the young people coming to interest to the old car,” he said.
“Very different. The nose is different, all is different. It’s important for the young fan to know when the sport starts and when it’s due now.
But one more element exists to make Officina Caira’s race weekend demonstrations special. Standing around the main car collection, almost incognito, is a classic F1 driver who will take one of these prized machines for a run later that day – Marc Gene. Known for his outings at Minardi and Williams in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he is just one of a number of drivers who actively ask to drive these cars.
“Sometimes we are lucky, we have the old Formula One drivers who want to come to drive.
“We have a lot of contact for that. And yeah, it depends on the owner of the car, if he wants to do this possible or not.
“But it’s very fantastic when we have an ex-Formula One driver testing his car or another one. It depends.”
Fan reaction and pleasure in restoration
Caira confirmed that no one car stood out in the collection in Spa or at the factory, confirming the hunger for the cars is driven by individual driver or car. This makes absolute sense, as every fan has a favourite car or driver with underlying nostalgia behind their love for that particular era.
“The most popular? It’s difficult, depends on the year of the person,” he said.
“It depends. When we were kids, we saw on TV a race and after we were 30 years old, we saw the car in real life. This fan is for this car, not for the most recent.
“It was shown before on TV. It’s crazy, you have the car in front of you.”
Caira did confirm that one key demographic does dominate above all others, the popularity continuing to grow every year.
“You have a lot more old people, more money also, and the people buy the car emotionally.
“Each year it’s most popular. Each year the price grows up.”
What does the future hold for Officina Caira?
With such rapid expansion, including an F1 contract to run at several European races, the company has an exciting future as it continues to grow. Asked about the plans for 2027, Caira confirmed the plan was to continue to expand but would not be drawn into beyond what has been agreed by F1.
“We hope”, he said of continuing to grow Officina Caira’s outreach.
“It depends on Formula 1 because we have a contract, but we have to have a new contract each year and depend on the race we can do. For the moment, it’s just Europe and Formula 1 is just three, but for sure in the future, there will be more races.
At this point, the barriers began to be removed, and drivers arrived, sitting in the cars while mechanics hurried around to make final preparations for the runs. Our time with Caira was sadly coming to an end, so, to finish, we asked him which car and restoration over the years is favourite.
He confirmed his nationality as a precursor to the cars he remains the fondest of, but held a firm opinion that all of his restorations hold reverence for him.
“No, I don’t have a favourite car. All the cars for me are exceptional. My pleasure is to restore the car, find the history of the car, redo it in the same condition as before.
“I’m Italian, my favourite is a Ferrari car. We have two in the garage coming, but at the moment, no.
“The best one is difficult also because it depends. All restorations are particular. I don’t have one, no.”
Officina Caira’s work is vital; it keeps the flame of classic cars alive for future generations. Speaking for myself, I was more grateful than ever for my privileged position as a journalist as I stood on the pit wall looking at these cars come blasting past at me in anger.
An operation that has sprung up and grown dramatically, its contract with F1 showcases just how much remains for classic F1 machinery. Getting an insight into how this business works indicates a future where historic cars will take on more and more prominence. If that gives me an excuse to act like a giddy child once again, I’m all for it.
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