| Legends |
The start of the 1954 British Grand Prix. Silverstone, England, 17th July 1954.
A huge crowd turned out at Silverstone to see if Mercedes could repeat their Rheims performance. In the end, just two silver cars arrived (for Fangio and Kling). In contrast, Maserati had nine cars, whilst Ferrari had three for the experienced trio of Hawthorn, Gonzalez and Trintignant.
Fangio set Silverstone's fastest ever lap, breaking the 100mph barrier with a lap of 100.35mph. The Maserati team had failed to arrive in time for practice and so Gigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari (on loan from Lancia), Onofre Marimon and Roberto Mieres were forced to start from the back of the grid. At the start Gonzalez went into the lead chased by Hawthorn, Fangio, Moss, Behra and Marimon (who had passed a remarkable 19 cars on the first lap). Fangio soon overtook Hawthorn leaving him to battle with Moss - to the delight of the crowd.
Fangio began to drop away because of a gearbox trouble and because the aerodynamic body of the Mercedes made it difficult to judge the corners and he hit several oil drums which were being used to mark out the course. Further back Ascari went out with mechanical trouble and so took over Villoresi's car although would retire as well a few laps later with engine trouble. Eventually Fangio was passed by both Moss and Hawthorn, even with heavy rain the Argentinian Gonzalez – nicknamed the Pampas Bull by his English fans was able to stay ahead to win. Moss retired with rear axle failure leaving Hawthorn to finish second with Marimon third and Fangio fourth.
Fangio set Silverstone's fastest ever lap, breaking the 100mph barrier with a lap of 100.35mph. The Maserati team had failed to arrive in time for practice and so Gigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari (on loan from Lancia), Onofre Marimon and Roberto Mieres were forced to start from the back of the grid. At the start Gonzalez went into the lead chased by Hawthorn, Fangio, Moss, Behra and Marimon (who had passed a remarkable 19 cars on the first lap). Fangio soon overtook Hawthorn leaving him to battle with Moss - to the delight of the crowd.
Fangio began to drop away because of a gearbox trouble and because the aerodynamic body of the Mercedes made it difficult to judge the corners and he hit several oil drums which were being used to mark out the course. Further back Ascari went out with mechanical trouble and so took over Villoresi's car although would retire as well a few laps later with engine trouble. Eventually Fangio was passed by both Moss and Hawthorn, even with heavy rain the Argentinian Gonzalez – nicknamed the Pampas Bull by his English fans was able to stay ahead to win. Moss retired with rear axle failure leaving Hawthorn to finish second with Marimon third and Fangio fourth.
Who are they?
- 1953 Formula One World Championship. Tony Crook (GB). TAD Crook.
- 1954 Formula One World Championship. Juan Manuel Fangio (RA). Daim ler Benz AG.
- 1954 Formula One World Championship. Stirling Moss (GB)
- 1958 Formula One World Championship. British Grand Prix, Silverstone. Bernie Ecclestone (GB). BC Ecclestone.
- 1963 British Grand Prix. Jim Clark, Lotus 25 Climax V8.
- Archie Scott-Brown (GB), Connaught Engineering. British Grand Prix, 04/07/1956, Silverstone, England.
- John Surtees (GB), Honda Racing. 1967 Formula One World Championship
- Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss. 1955 Formula One World Championship.
1953 Formula One World Championship. Tony Crook (GB). TAD Crook.
Held on 18th July at Silverstone, it was part of the 1953 World Drivers’ Championship which was run to Formula Two rules, rather than the Formula one regulations normally used. Tony Crook was driving for Cooper-Bristol. He retired from the race due to problems with the Fuel System.
In 1960 he took over the British car maker Bristol which he owned until 2001. Bristol is a bespoke British car manufacturer producing exclusive luxury cars.
In 1960 he took over the British car maker Bristol which he owned until 2001. Bristol is a bespoke British car manufacturer producing exclusive luxury cars.
1954 Formula One World Championship. Juan Manuel Fangio (RA). Daim ler Benz AG.
In the 1954 Formula One World Championship Fangio began to drop away because of a gearbox trouble and because the aerodynamic body of the Mercedes made it difficult to judge the corners and he hit several oil drums which were being used to mark out the course.
He was nicknamed "El Chueco" ("knock-kneed") or "El Maestro" ("The Master"), he dominated the first decade of Formula One racing. He won five Formula One World Driver's Championships — a record which stood for 46 years — with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a record that has not been repeated since. For these achievements, and because of the time they were accomplished in, he is regarded by many as the "greatest driver of all time".
Juan Manuel Fangio retired in 1958, the same year he was kidnapped by Cuban rebels – but he was released. After retirement he sold Mercedez-Benz cars, often driving his former race cars in demonstration laps. He died in Buenos Aires in 1995 aged 85 years.
He was nicknamed "El Chueco" ("knock-kneed") or "El Maestro" ("The Master"), he dominated the first decade of Formula One racing. He won five Formula One World Driver's Championships — a record which stood for 46 years — with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a record that has not been repeated since. For these achievements, and because of the time they were accomplished in, he is regarded by many as the "greatest driver of all time".
Juan Manuel Fangio retired in 1958, the same year he was kidnapped by Cuban rebels – but he was released. After retirement he sold Mercedez-Benz cars, often driving his former race cars in demonstration laps. He died in Buenos Aires in 1995 aged 85 years.
1954 Formula One World Championship. Stirling Moss (GB)
Moss's first Formula One win was in 1955 at his home race, the British Grand Prix at Aintree, driving a Mercedes-Benz W196 Monoposto for a convincing German 1-2-3-4 win, with Karl Kling and Piero Taruffi in the international driver line-up. It was the only race where he finished in front of Juan Manuel Fangio, his teammate, friend, mentor and arch rival at Mercedes. It is sometimes debated whether Fangio, one of the all-time great gentlemen of sport, yielded the lead at the last corner to let Moss win in front of his home crowd. Moss himself asked Fangio repeatedly, "Did you let me win?" and Fangio always replied, "No. You were just better than me that day".
Moss believed the manner in which the battle was fought was as important as the outcome. This sporting attitude cost him the 1958 Formula 1 World Championship.
In 1962, Moss was badly injured in a crash at Goodwood while driving a Lotus in the Glover Trophy. The accident put him in a coma and partially paralyzed the left side of his body. He recovered but decided to retire from racing after a private test session the next year. He made a brief comeback in the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 with Audi, and in recent years has continued to race in historic cars.
Moss believed the manner in which the battle was fought was as important as the outcome. This sporting attitude cost him the 1958 Formula 1 World Championship.
In 1962, Moss was badly injured in a crash at Goodwood while driving a Lotus in the Glover Trophy. The accident put him in a coma and partially paralyzed the left side of his body. He recovered but decided to retire from racing after a private test session the next year. He made a brief comeback in the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 with Audi, and in recent years has continued to race in historic cars.
1958 Formula One World Championship. British Grand Prix, Silverstone. Bernie Ecclestone (GB). BC Ecclestone.
Bernie Ecclestone returned to racing in 1957 as manager of driver Stuart Lewis-Evans, and purchased the F1 Connaught team, whose drivers included Lewis-Evans, Roy Salvadori, Archie Scott Brown, and Ivor Bueb. Ecclestone even attempted, unsuccessfully, to qualify a car himself at Monaco in 1958. He continued to manage Lewis-Evans when he moved to the Vanwall team; Salvadori moved on to manage the Cooper team. .
He become manager of driver Jochen Rindt and a partial owner of Rindt's Formula 2 team, Lotus (whose other driver was Graham Hill). Rindt, on his way to the 1970 World Championship, died in a crash at the Monza circuit, though he was awarded the championship posthumously. In early 1972, Ecclestone purchased the Brabham team from Ron Tauranac which he ran for 15 years and began his decades-long advocacy for team control of F1, forming the Formula One Constructors Association with Frank Williams, Colin Chapman, Teddy Mayer, Ken Tyrrell, and Max Mosley. Hereabouts arose the continuing question of television rights. .
He pioneered the sale of television rights in the late 1970s, under the terms of the Concorde Agreement he and his companies also manage the administration, setup and logistics of each Formula One grand prix. .
Bernie Ecclestone is the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, and owns a stake in Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary authority in Formula One racing. He is most commonly addressed in tabloid journalism as "F1 Supremo"..
He become manager of driver Jochen Rindt and a partial owner of Rindt's Formula 2 team, Lotus (whose other driver was Graham Hill). Rindt, on his way to the 1970 World Championship, died in a crash at the Monza circuit, though he was awarded the championship posthumously. In early 1972, Ecclestone purchased the Brabham team from Ron Tauranac which he ran for 15 years and began his decades-long advocacy for team control of F1, forming the Formula One Constructors Association with Frank Williams, Colin Chapman, Teddy Mayer, Ken Tyrrell, and Max Mosley. Hereabouts arose the continuing question of television rights. .
He pioneered the sale of television rights in the late 1970s, under the terms of the Concorde Agreement he and his companies also manage the administration, setup and logistics of each Formula One grand prix. .
Bernie Ecclestone is the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, and owns a stake in Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary authority in Formula One racing. He is most commonly addressed in tabloid journalism as "F1 Supremo"..
1963 British Grand Prix. Jim Clark, Lotus 25 Climax V8.
Jim Clarks first Drivers' World Championship came driving the Lotus 25 in 1963, winning seven out of the ten races and Lotus its first Constructors' World Championship.
Jim Clark's drive in the 1967 Italian Grand Prix is regarded one of the greatest ever in F1. After starting from pole, he was leading in his Lotus 49, when a tyre punctured. He lost an entire lap while having the wheel changed in the pits. After rejoining sixteenth, Clark then showed his genius by driving at his own limit, something which was not required when leading. He progressively lowered the lap record, eventually equalling his pole time of 1m 28.5s, to regain the lost lap and the lead. But his car had not been filled with enough fuel for such a performance — it faltered, and finally coasted across the finish line in third place. This performance is considered unmatched in the long history of F1.
Early in his career, Jim Clark was involved in one of the worst accidents in the history of Formula 1 racing. In the 1961 Italian Grand Prix on September 10th at Monza, Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips in his Ferrari collided with Jim Clark's Lotus. Trips' car became airborne and crashed into a side barrier, fatally throwing von Trips out of the car, killing fifteen spectators.
On 7 April 1968, Jim Clark's life tragically ended in a crash at the Hockenheimring in German. On the fifth lap, his Lotus 48 veered off the track and crashed into the trees, killing him instantly. The cause of the crash was never definitively identified, but investigators concluded it was most likely due to a deflating rear tyre.
Jim Clark's drive in the 1967 Italian Grand Prix is regarded one of the greatest ever in F1. After starting from pole, he was leading in his Lotus 49, when a tyre punctured. He lost an entire lap while having the wheel changed in the pits. After rejoining sixteenth, Clark then showed his genius by driving at his own limit, something which was not required when leading. He progressively lowered the lap record, eventually equalling his pole time of 1m 28.5s, to regain the lost lap and the lead. But his car had not been filled with enough fuel for such a performance — it faltered, and finally coasted across the finish line in third place. This performance is considered unmatched in the long history of F1.
Early in his career, Jim Clark was involved in one of the worst accidents in the history of Formula 1 racing. In the 1961 Italian Grand Prix on September 10th at Monza, Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips in his Ferrari collided with Jim Clark's Lotus. Trips' car became airborne and crashed into a side barrier, fatally throwing von Trips out of the car, killing fifteen spectators.
On 7 April 1968, Jim Clark's life tragically ended in a crash at the Hockenheimring in German. On the fifth lap, his Lotus 48 veered off the track and crashed into the trees, killing him instantly. The cause of the crash was never definitively identified, but investigators concluded it was most likely due to a deflating rear tyre.
Archie Scott-Brown (GB), Connaught Engineering. British Grand Prix, 04/07/1956, Silverstone, England.
Archie Scott Brown was born in 1927. As a result of German measles during his mother's pregnancy, Archie was born with severe disablement to his legs and right arm. Tremendous determination and several operations meant that Archie was able to lead a normal life, although he never grew over 5'0" tall.
He took up motor sport early in life after his father built him a small car to aid his mobility. His first competitive race was in 1951, in his own MG roadster, bought using a small legacy. As his reputation grew, his name became closely linked with that of Brian Lister, initially driving Lister's Tojeiro special, and later in sports racing cars built by Lister himself, and bearing his name.
Archie enjoyed much success driving Lister-Jaguars - the famous Knobblys. Known for his courageous driving style, he was often to be seen in corners getting his Lister very sideways indeed. Asked about the possibility of the Lister's notoriously poor brakes failing completely, he responded that he would "carry on without them, old boy". Over the few years he was in the sport he developed a fierce but good-natured rivalry with rising American driving talent Masten Gregory.
During the 1956 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Archie retired from the race after only 16 laps due to transmission fault. A further 17 drivers also retired from this race leaving only 11 to compete – Fangio took 1st place.
He was mortally injured on 18 May 1958 during an accident in a sports car race at Spa-Francorchamps, driving a Lister Knobbly and duelling for the lead with Gregory. He died in hospital the following day, less than a week after his 31st birthday.
He took up motor sport early in life after his father built him a small car to aid his mobility. His first competitive race was in 1951, in his own MG roadster, bought using a small legacy. As his reputation grew, his name became closely linked with that of Brian Lister, initially driving Lister's Tojeiro special, and later in sports racing cars built by Lister himself, and bearing his name.
Archie enjoyed much success driving Lister-Jaguars - the famous Knobblys. Known for his courageous driving style, he was often to be seen in corners getting his Lister very sideways indeed. Asked about the possibility of the Lister's notoriously poor brakes failing completely, he responded that he would "carry on without them, old boy". Over the few years he was in the sport he developed a fierce but good-natured rivalry with rising American driving talent Masten Gregory.
During the 1956 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Archie retired from the race after only 16 laps due to transmission fault. A further 17 drivers also retired from this race leaving only 11 to compete – Fangio took 1st place.
He was mortally injured on 18 May 1958 during an accident in a sports car race at Spa-Francorchamps, driving a Lister Knobbly and duelling for the lead with Gregory. He died in hospital the following day, less than a week after his 31st birthday.
John Surtees (GB), Honda Racing. 1967 Formula One World Championship
Surtees parted company with Ferrari during the 1966 season after winning the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix. In 1967, he joined Honda's Formula 1 team, he took 6th place in the 1967 Formula One World Championship at Silverstone he went on to win the 1967 Italian Grand Prix – remembered as one of the great Grand Prix as Jack Brabham and John Surtees fought out a duel to the line which was one by less than a car length. He stayed with the Japanese team for 1968 before switching to BRM.
In 1970, he formed his own race team, the Surtees Racing Organisation, and spent nine seasons competing in Formula 5000, Formula 2 and Formula 1 as a constructor. He retired from competition in 1972, the same year the team had their greatest success
In 1970, he formed his own race team, the Surtees Racing Organisation, and spent nine seasons competing in Formula 5000, Formula 2 and Formula 1 as a constructor. He retired from competition in 1972, the same year the team had their greatest success
Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss. 1955 Formula One World Championship.
Moss's first Formula One win was in 1955 at his home race, the British Grand Prix at Aintree, driving the superb Mercedes-Benz W196 Monoposto for a convincing German 1-2-3-4 win, with Karl Kling and Piero Taruffi in the international driver line-up. It was the only race where he finished in front of Juan Manuel Fangio, his teammate, friend, mentor and arch rival at Mercedes. It is sometimes debated whether Fangio, one of the all-time great gentlemen of sport, yielded the lead at the last corner to let Moss win in front of his home crowd. Moss himself asked Fangio repeatedly, "Did you let me win?" and Fangio always replied, "No. You were just better than me that day".
Moss believed the manner in which the battle was fought was as important as the outcome. This sporting attitude cost him the 1958 Formula 1 World Championship. When rival Mike Hawthorn was threatened with a penalty in the Boavista Urban Circuit in Porto, Portugal, Moss defended Hawthorn's actions. Hawthorn was accused of reversing in the track after spinning his car. Hawthorn went on to beat Moss by one point, even though he had only won one race that year to Moss's four, making Hawthorn Britain's first World Champion.
A few months later Hawthorn died in an automobile accident on the A3 Guildford bypass. He was driving his British Racing Green highly tuned Jaguar 3.4 sedan. What exactly happened that day is still a mystery, but it was most probably due to a combination of high speed, bad weather, competitiveness and impulsiveness. Hawthorn sighted racer Rob Walker's 300 SL Mercedes ahead on the road and passed Walker's, regardless of whether it was safe to do so or not.
In 1962, Moss was badly injured in a crash at Goodwood while driving a Lotus in the Glover Trophy. The accident put him in a coma and partially paralyzed the left side of his body. He recovered but decided to retire from racing after a private test session the next year. He made a brief comeback in the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 with Audi, and in recent years has continued to race in historic cars.
Moss believed the manner in which the battle was fought was as important as the outcome. This sporting attitude cost him the 1958 Formula 1 World Championship. When rival Mike Hawthorn was threatened with a penalty in the Boavista Urban Circuit in Porto, Portugal, Moss defended Hawthorn's actions. Hawthorn was accused of reversing in the track after spinning his car. Hawthorn went on to beat Moss by one point, even though he had only won one race that year to Moss's four, making Hawthorn Britain's first World Champion.
A few months later Hawthorn died in an automobile accident on the A3 Guildford bypass. He was driving his British Racing Green highly tuned Jaguar 3.4 sedan. What exactly happened that day is still a mystery, but it was most probably due to a combination of high speed, bad weather, competitiveness and impulsiveness. Hawthorn sighted racer Rob Walker's 300 SL Mercedes ahead on the road and passed Walker's, regardless of whether it was safe to do so or not.
In 1962, Moss was badly injured in a crash at Goodwood while driving a Lotus in the Glover Trophy. The accident put him in a coma and partially paralyzed the left side of his body. He recovered but decided to retire from racing after a private test session the next year. He made a brief comeback in the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 with Audi, and in recent years has continued to race in historic cars.