Motor racing surely can’t complain about the amount of coverage it now receives on television, but transmission of motor sport actually started before WWII, even though there were few viewers of those first programs. There were interviews with drivers, but even when television started again after the war and audience growth exploded, despite increased radio...
In 1936, Stuck returned to Shelsley Walsh. It was a very wet meeting and Raymond Mays’ Zoller supercharged, 2-liter R4B (not C or D as it became in 1938) managed a time of 41.6. The German driver, Walter Baumer, in the little 750-cc Austin and A.F.P. Fane’s Frazer Nash single-seater managed a 42.6. Hans Stuck...
At the first Shelsley Walsh meeting after the war, only the weather was as predictable as the belief among spectators that Raymond Mays would establish Fastest Time of Day (FTD). The weather was dreadful and, for a small boy, it was almost like the echo of voices from the past to hear spectators who had...
Donington’s recent Historic Festival hosted a Nuvolari Trophy race, that made me wonder: what was it that made him so special? I don’t care who says Caracciola was the best driver, or believes Rosemeyer was, because great though they were, to me, only Fangio, Moss and Nuvolari had that special magic that sets them apart,...
Niki Lauda came back into Grand Prix racing, because he could! It has been suggested that he needed the money, or was bored with retirement, but whatever the reasons he certainly believed that McLaren could do the job. Above all, he felt sure he could. I think the real story was slightly different, but perhaps...
I first watched Niki Lauda as he “learned his trade” in his days with March and BRM, before he won his first World Championship in 1975. His background was Formula Super V and sports cars before joining March, where he paid for his drive. No one should forget that Niki Lauda, as a driver or...
Some years ago I was invited to talk “motor sport” at a winter club evening in Bristol and the evening seemed to be going really well until I “dropped a brick.” It happened during the question period, and I was standing before my audience when someone asked, “What do you think of women drivers?” My...
Over the last few weeks, preparations for the 2016 Grand Prix season have been hectic as the teams have to pass their safety checks and manage all the other schedules, documentation, travel arrangements, etc. These all have to be completed before they can start the new season. Whatever the excitement of these final weeks, my...
After the First World War and into the ’20s, many car manufacturers throughout Europe became involved in Grand Prix racing. They believed that advertising, prestige and development were in their interest and they were right. Demand for the motorcar began to increase. Most of these companies ran “Works Teams.” They employed the people who they...
After a very successful year in 1935, Prince Chula Chakrabongse, who financed Prince Birabongse’s racing, decided that they should strengthen their team of Voiturette racing cars by adding another ERA to “White Mouse Stable” and disposing of, among their other cars, their Aston Martin Sports car and Riley Imp. Their MG Magnette was retained on...
As I write these notes, the 2015 season is coming to an end with just a few more Formula One races. There may still be a surprise winner of the Championship…at least one competitor hopes! From the start of 2015 many people seemed to write off the chances of everyone but Lewis Hamilton, which since...