For the first time in 43 years, a female driver is poised to race in Formula 1.
Tatiana Calderón is a test driver for the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team, and this year was signed by BWT Arden to drive for them in the current FIA Formula 2 Championship – the first woman to drive in the championship. The 26-year-old Columbian knew from a young age that she wanted to race cars, having grown up attending races, and taking part in kart racing as a hobby.
Courtesy: Motorsportpic.de
Teammate to the late Antoine Hubert, Calderón is helping to pave the way for a new wave of female drivers – she is an ambassador for the FIA Women In Motorsport Commission, an advocate for Dare to be Different, and is a part of the W series, the ground-breaking racing series for women launched last October.
There have only been a handful of female drivers who have driven at Formula 1 level, with Desiré Wilson being the only woman to ever win a Formula 1 race, winning at Brands Hatch in the British Aurora F1 championship in 1980. Driven by Desire, published by Veloce,recounts Wilson's incredible and unique career, from grassroots racing, to Formula 1 and the IndyCar World Series, this fascinating story shows that a woman can, and did, fight her way to the top of motorsport.
Calderón will be staying in Formula 2 for the rest of this year and, if there are no upcoming chances to join Formula 1, she'll seek a sponsor so she can drive in Formula 2 for another year.
Speaking to Forbes: "My goal is to 100 percent get to Formula 1. I know I can do it. It is just about putting everything together in the right moment."
Our latest Formula 1 books, Formula One: All The Races – The First 1000(limited to 1000 numbered copies, exclusively available from our dedicated website) and Formula 1 The Knowledge (signed copies available) contain all the facts, figures and statistics that you could possibly want to know when it comes to Grand Prix racing. And who knows, maybe in future editions of these books, there could be more female drivers appearing in those stats!
The motor industry and motor sport industry has lost a significant number of elder statesmen in this past month, and with them a huge base of knowledge, entrepreneurialism and respect. In each case, these people were present at the beginning of an era, made a difference, and in the oft overused phrase, left a legacy of cars, businesses and stories that will be repeated down the years, whenever the words Ferrari, McLaren or Jaguar are brought up.
The person whose passing left the largest media footprint was, of course, Niki Lauda. At the time of his death he was a chairman of Mercedes F1, and had been world champion racing driver three times, although it is unlikely that it it is either of these things that he will be remembered for. He will be remembered for his stunning bravery and stoicism after a crash and fire left him near dead in Germany, 1976. It was a new thing for motor racing drivers to apply fitness and diet to their armoury, and Lauda was the butt of many jokes for his adherence to fitness guru Willi Dungle’s regime
though it was this fitness that ultimately saved his life. One could say that his own brand of pragmatism, brought him through the traumatic incident, thinning every decision and polemic to the bone, and uttering his infamous, succinctly staccato answers, which left everyone wondering why they hadn’t thought it through that way.
The fiery accident undoubtedly led to an operation to replace his lungs in late 2018, and he never totally recovered.
Lauda’s last world championship win was in a McLaren car, a marque which by then was one of the strongest and most successful in Formula One. Like everything, McLaren had to start somewhere, and two of the people who helped start McLaren on the road to success have now joined Bruce McLaren, the founder, in the firmament.
A few people have made the claim to be Bruce’s first employee, but Wally Willmott, an automotive electrician at the time, was definitely one of the first to join Bruce in building the Tasman Coopers that were, in effect, the first McLaren cars. New Zealander Wally Willmott was a friend as well as employee, and would have followed Bruce to the ends of the earth. He was a brilliant fabricator and engineer and his versatility made the McLaren staff count look considerably bulkier than it was. He retired back to NZ, where he will be sadly missed.
Bruce McLaren advertised for a racing car designer in 1965, realising that he couldn’t do everything. The person he chose was an Oxford Graduate, who was working on Concorde. His name was Robin Herd.
Robin had never designed a racing car before, but his first McLaren was revolutionary, being made of a Mallite aluminium and wood sandwich, pressed hard together, a material used in aircraft manufacture. The car was good but the Ford engine far too heavy, and the lighter Serranissima engine not powerful enough. It was also difficult to repair so Robin’s next design was more conventional, yet again let down by its BRM engine.
When Robin got his hands on a Ford DFV, McLaren soon scored his first victory in a car of his own manufacture. Herd had also designed a series of highly successful Can-Am cars, where the McLaren team really earned their money.
Robin was tempted to join Cosworth, to design their abortive 4WD F1 car, and soon after joined Max Moseley, Alan Rees and Graham Coker to form the MARCH (the letters of their names) racing car firm. Their March 701 cars were the most numerous on the grids for their first year, and had won three out of four Formula One races by April of their first year. It was not form that they could keep up, but in their second year they finished second in the World Championship with the adventurous March 711, the car Niki Lauda made his debut in.
March only won two GPs after that, but were always numerous on the grids, and were dominant in F2 and F3. Robin left the team in the late Seventies, and applied his brain to pursuits as diverse as Green Waste disposal and owning Oxford City football club.
Of the most recent losses, Norman Dewis of Jaguar died two years short of his target, to do 100mph on his 100th birthday. Whilst Norman’s competition career was sparse, his contribution was immense. As Chief test driver for Jaguar, he claimed land speed records, developed the C-Type and D-Type Jaguars that won Le Mans so many times in the Fifties, and had a hand in proving every new Jaguar model from 1952 to 1986 was fit for purpose. Most significantly he developed disc brakes for use on cars, a major contribution to road safety, which is something that is applied every car we drive today.
Having retired he nursed his disabled wife, Nan, until her death, and then embarked on a Jaguar ambassadorial World Tour that continued into 2019. Jaguar aficionados never tired of hearing the little man’s recollections, and he never tired of telling them.
Four significant losses to the motor world over the past month – a time for reflection indeed.
This year's iconic festival takes place from the 12th to the 15th of July, and this year's event is extra special, as the festival is celebrating it's Silver Jubilee!
The first festival, held in June 1993, redefined what a car event could be, and, in the years since, it has firmly established itself as the world's greatest celebration of motorsport and car culture. To commemorate this milestone birthday, the Duke of Richmond, the event's founder, will be picking his 25 favourite moments from the first 25 years.
It's not just the festival's anniversary that will be celebrated, as two iconic marques will be commemorating their own significant Jubilee in West Sussex this weekend. The central focus of this year's event will be the Porsche 356, which is celebrating it's 70th anniversary. The 356 was the original rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car of the Stuttgart marque, staring a lineage that survives to this day with the 911. The Central Feature, designed by Gerry Judah, will be erected in front of Goodwood house, making the German marque the first manufacturer in history to be commemorated with the Central Feature for the third time.
Land Rover's Platinum anniversary will also be celebrated at Goodwood, with a parade of 70 vehicles heading up the famous hillclimb. Featuring in this parade will be an original Range Rover, and one of the last Defenders to roll of the production line.
"It's a great occasion for us to be able to bring two iconic British institutions together in anniversary years. We're honoured to be able to host the Land Rover 70th parade up the hill for our Silver Jubilee." – Duke of Richmond.
The festival is renowned for attracting the rarest and most exciting road and race cars and motorcycles ever created, with this year being no different. Here are some of the standouts that will be making an appearance this weekend.
Special Edition Ford Mustang GT and Ford Mustang Bullitt
A special edition Ford Mustang GT paying tribute to the US fighter pilots who served in the RAF during World War II will be making it's world debut. This one-of-a-kind Mustang GT takes inspiration from the RAF Eagle Squadrons that flew over the fields of Goodwood nearly 80 years ago, so it's fitting that it makes its first appearance here. This car will be piloted up the hill by world champion Formula Drift driver Vaughn Gittin Jr on Thursday 12 July, and will be on static display throughout the rest of the festival.
Ford Eagle Squadron GT Mustang
Accompanying this unique car is the all new Ford Mustang Bullitt, along with the iconic 1960s original Mustang GT Fastback, made famous by Steve McQueen in the film, Bullitt. Ford revived the Bullitt name with an all-new model launched at this year's Detroit Motor Show, to mark the film's 50th anniversary. Both cars will be taking on the hillclimb over the course of the four-day festival.
Mustang Bullitt '68 and '19
Goldeneye Aston Martin DB5
One of the most famous Bond cars is going to be going up for auction at Bonhams Festival of Speed sale at Goodwood on Friday 13 July. The Goldeneye Aston Martin DB5 is expected to sell for between £1.2 and £1.6 million. When bought by the current owner back in 2001, the car became the most valuable piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold. It has previously been on display at both The National Motor Museum and the Bond in Motion exhibition at Covent Garden.
"The DB5 is the Ultimate Bond car. Every fan remembers Pierce Brosnan tearing through the hills in this car, and it must be up there as one of the most thrilling Bond car chases in history." – Sholto Gilbetson, head of Bonham cars.
Roborace
Roborace will be attempting the first-ever fully driverless hillclimb when the firm's autonomous race car, Robocar, takes on the 1.16-mile track, guided only by automated systems. The vehicle will be tasked with navigating hay bales, flint walls and forests on the Goodwood estate, using a variety of sensors that give it 360-degree machine vision. In addition to this historic run, visitors will also be able to enjoy the hillclimb from the Robocar's point of view, in a custom, fully immersive VR experience in the Roborace booth, located inside Future Lab.
Tesla
The new Tesla Model 3 will make its European and UK debut, when it appears on the Telsa stand alongside the larger Model S Saloon, the Model X SUV and Tesla's home charging Powerwall. The Model 3 is proving to be popular in the States, with around 5000 cars rolling off the line a week – a milestone that was hit at the end June, just meeting Tesla's own quota target for the end of the 2nd quarter for 2018. According to tests carried out by the American Environmental Protection Agency, the Model 3 can cover 310 miles on a single charge. It's estimated that this car will cost around £30,000 when it hits the UK market in a year or so, and that's after the £4500 government grant for zero-emissions vehicles is applied.
All of this, and much more, will be on show at this weekend's festival. It's sure to be a great 25th anniversary for this iconic event!
Here's hoping we aren't in for a Bank Holiday washout, as this year's Donington Historic Festival will be celebrating an iconic Formula 1 race ...
One of the most memorable events in the history of Donington Park, the rain-soaked 1993 European Grand Prix will be celebrated at this year's Donington Historic Festival – which runs from the 4th to the 6th of May – with on-track F1 car demonstrations on the Saturday and Sunday, plus static displays on all three days. In addition, DHF visitors will be invited to get involved by sharing their own memories of the race before and during the Festival.
The 25th anniversary activities add a further exciting dimension to the event, where visitors can enjoy three days of world-class historic motorsport from an outstanding line-up of grids featuring an incredibly diverse range of racing machines spanning nine decades!
The Festival's anniversary theme celebrates that unforgettable day in April 1993, when the crowds flocked to Donington Park as the circuit played host to its first Grand Prix in 55 years – and the first European Grand Prix in eight years. Torrential rain made the track treacherous, as, starting from 4th position, Ayrton Senna battled it out with Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher to win by an incredible 80 seconds.
The F1 cars on show pay tribute in particular to Ayrton Senna, and were either driven by him or against him during his career up to 1993. They include:
The Toleman TG-184-01 Hart Turbo in which Senna caused a sensation for Friday practice at the 1984 British GP
A Camel Lotus/Judd 101/3 campaigned in 1989 by Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima
Gerhard Berger's 1992 Canadian GP-winning McLaren MP4/7A-8 (courtesy of the Donington Collection museum)
A 1993 Benetton B193B raced that year by Michael Schumacher and Riccardo Patrese
The McLaren MP4/8 was Senna's test car for the 1993 Donington Park race (courtesy of the Donington Collection museum)
The McLaren MP4/8
DHF visitors will be invited to share their memories of that famous race on display boards at the Festival and, prior to the event, motorsport fans will be invited to send in their own images and memories of the race, which will be printed out and put up on a 'scrapbook' board for everyone to enjoy.
Do you have fond memories of that race on Easter Sunday, 1993? Be sure to share them with us in the comments below!
Veloce were saddened to hear news of the passing of a another motorsport legend, Dan Gurney, on the 14th January, aged 86.
Dan Gurney, Netherlands GP, 1970
By Joost Evers / Anefo (Nationaal Archief)
via Wikimedia Commons
Daniel Sexton Gurney was born in Port Jefferson, New Jersey, on April 13 1931. He moved to California with his family when he was 16, and by the time he was just 19 years old, he built and ran a car that attained 138mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His interests quickly moved-on to dragsters and sports cars.
With the ability to wrest even less-than-competitive, pre aero-era cars to a podium finish, he was said to be the only driver that Jim Clark feared on track. Gurney’s racing record reads like a hall of fame of championship series and cars, and he leaves a legacy that future drivers, constructors, and team owners alike, may never again attain. His career saw a string of high-profile wins and podium places in the world’s top racing series, from F1 and Le Mans, to Indy and NASCAR.
But it wasn't only racing where Gurney made his considerable mark. Constructor and team owner are also prominent on his CV, and his Eagle-Weslake cars are still considered as one of the most visually stunning F1 cars of all time.
First of all, a very Happy New Year to all of our readers! It's hard to believe that it is already 2018, but there is plenty to look forward to in the motoring world this year – not to mention a fair few milestone anniversaries to celebrate.
First, let's take a look at some iconic events that will be celebrating big birthdays this year. Goodwood's annual Festival of Speed will be marking its 25th anniversary this July. Over the weekend of the 12th to the 15th, along with the usual incredible displays, the Duke of Richmond (formerly Lord March) will choose his top 25 moments from the event's history.
Next month sees 70 years since the meetings that led to the official formation of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). To celebrate this, Darlington Raceway, in South Carolina, will be celebrating 'Seven Decades of NASCAR' for its 2018 season, with a specific nod to the landmark birthday with the Official Throwback weekend of NASCAR, which will be held from the 31st of August to the 2nd of September.
This summer's Silverstone Classics show will see a number of birthdays in its midst. The Jaguar XJ and the Jaguar XK120 will be celebrating their 50th and 70th anniversaries respectively, whilst the Austin Healey Sprite will be turning 60. Also, marking their diamond jubilee, will be the MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), with many events taking place over the weekend of the 20th to the 22nd of July. The celebrations for BTCC's 60th birthday kicks off this weekend at Autosport International, with a stand enabling fans to get up close to the drivers and a selection of the latest machinery, as well as a number of historic cars from the championship's distinguished past.
Car Celebrations
Hot Wheels and Chevrolet – 50 years
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the brands' collaboration, and to commemorate the occasion, Chevrolet is releasing a special edition Hot Wheels Edition Camaro. Since the debut of the custom Camaro back in 1968, every generation, and nigh-on every variation, of this model has been replicated in 1:64 scale by Hot Wheels – one variation is even included in our book Diecast Toy Cars of the 1950s and 1960s. This car looks to be ideal for automobile fans, and avid toy collectors!
Photo from http://www.chevrolet.com/camaro-life/hot-wheels-edition#
The first Lamborghini – 55 years
Marking its first appearance at the Turin Motor Show in October 1963, this year sees the 55th anniversary of the original Lamborghini, the 350GTV. Since then, countless models of the Lamborghini have rolled off the production line, such as the fabulous Urraco and the Murciélago.
Lotus Joins F1 – 60 years
In the Monaco Grand Prix of 1958, Team Lotus made its Formula 1 debut, entering two Type 12s, driven by Cliff Allison and Graham Hill. After placing 6th and 26th respectively, the team took their notes from the race and redesigned the cars based on the success of rival competitors. Two years later, the team entered a Type 18 Lotus, driven by Stirling Moss. Not only is it 60 years since Team Lotus first entered, but it is 55 years since they won their first World Drivers' Championship. Fancy widening your scope of F1 knowledge? Brian Harvey's book Formula One – The Real Score?is just the tome to help you see the sport in a new light.
Corvette – 65 years
Designed by Harley Earl, this American car was the first all-fibreglass-bodied sports car built in the United States. There have been many changes to the Corvette over the past 65 years, and they are still as popular today as ever. If you're considering purchasing a classic Corvette for yourself, make sure you have to hand a copy of Tom Falconer's Corvette C2 Sting Ray 1963-1967 Essential Buyer's Guide – a model which is, coincidentally, turning 55 this year!
Morris Minor – 70 years
As mentioned back in November, Veloce will be marking the 70th anniversary of the iconic Morris Minor with a new book by Ray Newell, Morris Minor – 70 years on the road, which looks in detail at
the development of the wide range of models during a production run that spanned 22 years in the UK. If you're looking to join those who have a Minor in time to celebrate its platinum anniversary, grab a copy of Morris Minor & 1000 Essential Buyer's Guide, also by Ray Newell, to help you find the perfect example!
Porsche 356 – 70 years
Porsche's first production vehicle will also be turning 70 this year, and Brian Long's The Book of the Porsche 356will tell you all you need to know about the coupé that helped launch the marque.
24 Hours Le Mans – 95 years
May marks 95 years since the first 24 hours of Le Mans. Known as the ultimate endurance race, this event is a true test of man and machine, and has been held every year since 1932, except for the war years.
Ford Model T – 110 years
110 years ago saw a revolutionary event in the motoring world, with the release of the Ford Model T. Generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, and one that helped to get a large number of people on the road, it's not really surprising that it was name the Car of the Century back in 1999. Veloce publishes Ford Model T – The Essential Buyers Guidefor those who want to take the plunge today.
Ford Motor Company – 115 years
Not only will Ford be celebrating the anniversary of the Model T, the company as a whole will also celebrate it's 115th birthday.
On June 16th, 1903, Henry Ford and 12 stockholders met in Detroit, Michigan to sign and notarise the legal documents, which would help to create the Ford Motor Company. We have many great books relating to all things Ford, but a stand out one is Ford Design in the UK, which details the design work undertaken in the UK, with a focus on the Dunton studio in particular.
For more great facts from motoring days past, make sure you check out This Day in Automotive History. Author Brian Corey has found a fact or two for each day of the year, which will be fascinating for trivia buffs and general motoring fans alike.
John Surtees is a name that most fans of motor racing will be familiar with. His racing career spanned 20 years, starting in 1952, but his involvement in racing continued until the end. A regular figure at race meets, circuits, and on TV, Surtees' trademark wide smile, enthusiasm, and energy won him many friends and fans. He won no fewer than 8 title wins, achieved – remarkably – on two and four wheels: a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated in the modern era of motor racing.
Surtees was born into a family already mad about motorsport, and his first racing appearance came in the sidecar of his father's Vincent – a race that they won … but later disqualified for, for being too young. At 15, he raced in grasstrack competition, and, a year later, went to work for Vincent as an apprentice. The following year, he caught the attention of race goers and works teams alike, by keeping Norton's Geoff Duke honest and on his toes during a race at Thruxton.
With Norton's interest piqued, he was offered sponsorship by its race chief Joe Craig, and Surtees duly responded by beating Duke at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Despite Norton's racing success, and partly due to it, the company faced financial difficulties, so Surtees accepted an offer from the more financially stable MV Agusta.
In 1956, he won the 500cc world championship, only partly assisted by a six-month ban for Geoff Duke, incurred from Duke's support of a riders' strike for more starting money. Whilst the following year only saw a third place finish for Surtees, Gilera and Moto Guzzi's retirement from GP racing at the end of '57 saw him pilot an MV Agusta to a further three 500cc titles, in 1958, '59, and '60 – as well as the world championships in the 350cc class in the same three years.
Surtees' astonishing career, which aside from his hat trick of class doubles, had seen him claim 250 race wins from 352 starts, had also made Surtees' known to a wider audience, and in 1959, he won BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He is still the only motorcycle racer to have been awarded the honour.
Surtees at the Isle of Man TT. This was his final TT win, the 1960 Senior. When he switched to four wheels, his place at MV Agusta was taken by Gary Hocking. From Racing Line.
In 1960, and despite his initial scepticism, Surtees switched to cars, in part due to MV Agusta's refusal to allow him to ride any other two-wheel marque. Racing against Jim Clark at Goodwood in Formula Junior, a rookie error led to him losing his chance of victory – but he was noticed by Colin Chapman, who signed him up to race in F1: a jump that modern F1 racers would find incomprehensible.
Surtees was immediately competitive, aided by the Lotus 18 of Chapman, but a falling out with Chapman, and fellow driver Innes Ireland, over who would drive beside Clark in '61, saw him walk from Lotus.
Stints for Yeoman Credit Cooper and Bowmaker Lola teams over the next few seasons enabled Surtees to continue to compete. Ferrari had already contacted Surtees, who felt it was too early in his career to drive a 'cavallino rampante.' Despite being told by Enzo Ferrari that he would not ask him again, at the end of a difficult '62 season, Enzo did just that, and Surtees accepted.
Surtees' first F1 win came at the Nürbergring. It was in 1964, however, following victories in the German GP and Monza, that he won his first F1 world championship, in the new V8 Ferrari 158, wearing the livery of NART (North American Racing Team).
The 1964 Mexican Grand Prix saw Surtees take second place,
behind Dan Gurney, and just ahead of team-mate Lorenzo Bandini. From Formula One – The Real Score?
The following year was a disappointment for Surtees, with no victories on the track. In September '65, Surtees crashed whilst practicing in his own Lola T70 at the Mosport Park circuit, Canada, and was in a life-threatenting condition for several days. Amazingly, he recovered enough to be back behind the wheel the of the Ferarri by the start of the '66 season.
Political machinations, and a long-sour relationship with team manager Eugenio Dragoni, eventually led to Surtees jumping ship mid-season to Cooper, whos Maserati V12-powered T/81 took him to victory in Mexico … he even managed to finish second in the title fight to Jack Brabham.
1967 saw a switch to Honda for two seasons, with whom he gained his last world championship success, at the Italian GP at Monza. A 1969 BRM stint left Surtees frustrated, and he decided to develop his own F1 cars. With Cosworth engines, the cars showed much promise – enough to coax another two-wheeled legend, Mike Hailwood, to its team … Hailwood went on to win the 1972 European Formula Two championship.
The team finally closed shop in 1978, and Surtees retired from the competitive racing circuit. Surtees held the vice-presidency of the British Racing Drivers' Club, a position he used to help continue and encourage British involvement in international motor sport.
Following the death of his son, Henry, caused by a freak accident at a relaunched F2 vent at Brands Hatch, he devoted his time to supporting the Henry Surtees Foundation, an organisation that helps young people with accident injuries, and develop their capabilities.
The charity became Surtees' main work in recent years, and has raised thousands of pounds for air ambulance services, and head injury research. It was in this capacity that Surtees attended many grass-roots events such as Goodwood, leading him become one of the most familiar, popular, and loved figures, even into his ninth decade. In 1996, John was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He was awarded an MBE in 1959 , OBE in 2008, and CBE in 2016.
On March 10th 2016, John Surtees passed away at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife Jane, and daughters Edwina and Leonora.
To find out more about the Henry Surtess Foundation, follow the link below:
John Surtees photo courtesy Supermac1961 from CHAFFORD HUNDRED, England (Sir John Surtees Uploaded by Sporti) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
We asked Nigel Bennett a few questions about his career in motor racing ...
How big was the learning curve in F1 during the 70s and 80s, an era when aerodynamics became so important?
For me, the whole business was a huge learning curve during this period, even though I had been involved in top level motor racing since 1967 as a Firestone racing tyre designer and engineer to many of the top teams in F1 and sports cars. However, from 1974 I was working as an engineer within racing teams – Hesketh and Team Lotus until 1978 – so I was in at the deep end, learning about car construction, working with the mechanics and home based fabricators, machinists and designers. And, of course, motor racing as an industry was learning fast too, particularly about aerodynamics.
Initially in the 60s, it became apparent that downforce, through the use of wings, meant that cornering grip was increasing rapidly, but so was drag: so subtle compromises were required to find the best combinations for each circuit. Then of course the huge ‘find’ was when, partly by accident, it was discovered that air flow beneath the car could be channelled to produce unheard of levels of downforce, with remarkably small increases in drag. All this was discovered at Team Lotus during my four years with the team.
And working for Colin Chapman, probably the greatest innovator the sport has seen, was a huge advantage to me when I left Team Lotus, and started to design F1 and Indycars myself.
You say in your book that you believe the 80s and 90s were the most wonderful period of motor racing. Why?
What was so challenging in Indycar racing in that period was, like F1, we raced on street circuits and road circuits, but Indycars also raced on Short Ovals and Superspeedways. At the one mile Short Ovals, for instance at Phoenix and Milwaukee, there was racing 3 and 4 abreast at times, and no lack of overtaking. And the G-forces were enormous: at Phoenix the drivers would be pulling some 5G lateral for over 7 seconds through turns 3 and 4. And the speeds at Michigan, or Indianapolis, were tremendous with lap average speeds of around 230mph and top speeds of over 240 mph. The aero rules, and even suspension parts, differed for these different types of circuits and with over 800bhp the cars were fast and spectacular.
Indycars raced not only in the USA, but in Canada, Brazil, Australia and,on occasion, Germany and Great Britain. Then, on both sides of the Atlantic, motor racing was still a sport with much less evidence of big business than is the case today. Teams were so much smaller, budgets were a fraction of today levels, and racing was all the more enjoyable for that.
Hesketh was an extraordinary private team, famous for partying as hard as it raced: your time with Bubbles, Lord Alexander, the Doc and James Hunt must have been extraordinary?
Even in the days when F1 was serious, but fun, Hesketh Racing was an anomaly. It had a reputation of enjoying the parties with the racing as a side show. False! There was a serious side to the team.
I only worked for the Hesketh Racing for a few months, and fresh from a Firestone tyre background, my learning curve was steep. Many of the wild parties happened in the earlier days before I joined as, by then, money was getting tight and the F1 team folded at the end of the year. Despite the Lord’s antics, the team had excellent hard working mechanics. Harvey Postlethwaite was a talented designer and ‘Bubbles’ Horsley a fine Team manager. James Hunt? Well there’s plenty about him on film and in print. And he still owes me £5!
Have you seen the film Rush? How accurately, in your view, does it portray James Hunt and his rivalry with Niki Lauda?
From what I saw Hunt and Lauda were good friends., despite the obvious rivalry on the track. I thought the Rush Lauda character was brilliant, Hunt less so. The real Hunt was more extreme and outrageous than the film dared to show!
What was it really like working with the genius Colin Chapman? Have you got any anecdotes you can share?
Without doubt a brilliant man, very brave, charming, but a bit of a rogue none the less. A fantastic leader with a mercurial brain, he could persuade ordinary mortals to do things, complete tasks, they would never dream possible on their own.
Colin loved to be the centre of attention, with a loud laugh, but could fix you with a steely eye if he thought you weren’t giving your all.
100 hour weeks were not uncommon working for Colin Chapman!
A true innovator, an original thinker, but many of his schemes were failures, it’s just that he came up with so many ideas, that the innovator image stuck. For instance, he claimed he thought through the possibilities of ground effect while on holiday, but, in fact, that was far from the truth as I explain at great length in my book.
His main failure as a designer (thought he seldom, if ever produced final drawings, rather than sketches), was he always wanted to be one step ahead, and developing a design to it maximum, bored him. He always wanted to innovate, at many times to his cost.
He was a good pilot, but wasn’t above flying to his own rules when it suited him. He once flew himself and a couple of crew members to Holland, his secretary had filed the flight plan and informed the local airfield at which he had declared he would land. En route he changed his mind and landed at another airfield (without informing anyone) and departed for the race meeting in a rental car. On arriving back on the Sunday night he found padlocked chains wrapped around the plane’s props. It seems the first airfield, on his non arrival, had assumed he was missing over the North Sea, and alerted the authorities who started a costly search. The police were not amused and took steps to teach him a lesson.
What was it like seeing ‘your’ cars on the front row at Indianapolis?
Great pride that I ,and my design team, had come up with a car that was ahead of the competition, and thankful that I was working for a great team such as Penske racing, which could deliver the true potential of my cars.
What role has tyre technology played in top level motorsport through your working life?
Of course tyres have always been super important in motor racing. Nowadays, there is seldom any tyre competition in that most series, including F1 and Indycars, have one supplier, so it is down to the teams to get the very best from the tyres they are supplied with. Back when I was involved, there were often two or three tyre suppliers, so a tyre war could make it unfortunate if one was contracted to an inferior product. This was very much the case in the mid- to late-nineties, when Penske suffered considerably being contracted to a supplier which was a step behind in development.
When I worked for Firestone, in the late 60s and 70s, there was intense competition with Goodyear and Dunlop, and we often came out on top with superior Firestone products in F1 and Sports cars. Again, many great tyre innovations were stumbled upon by accident, including how slick, plain treaded tyres came about, a story recounted in my book.
What is unique about your book amongst other books that cover a similar era of motorsport?
I believe the book is unusual. Firstly, because it covers a long period in motor racing history from the point of view of one person, but also there are chapters by my main rival designer and the Penske team manager. Secondly it is not only about F1, or even F1 and Sports cars, but also about tyre design and development back in the 60s and 70s.
You met and worked with many great motor-racing characters, which of them really stand out and why?
Mauro Forgheiri ,who took the time to talk to me about his cars, and explain how he went about tuning his cars, his subtle use of shock absorber settings to change a car’s balance. A great character who would organise great meals for his team when time allowed.
Colin Chapman, as described above.
Mo Nunn, a team owner and engineer who struggled with indomitable spirit for years but with inadequate budgets.
Carl Haas, a laugh a minute as a team owner.
Roger Penske, the perfectionist team owner, who allowed me so much freedom to design the cars as I wanted.
What do you regard as the pinnacle of your design work?
Probably the first Lola Indycar that I designed. Although I had designed an Indycar while at Theodore racing, it was a converted F1 car. The Lola T800 was innovative in that it used a lot of carbon fibre in the chassis moulding, a first in Indycars. I had a relatively small amount of design help from other draughtsmen at Lola, and wind tunnel time was severely limited. Of course, the T800 won the Championship with Mario Andretti driving for Newman Haas Racing. Later designs at Penske Cars were even more successful, but I had much better facilities and more people to work with.
What inspired you to bite the bullet and get down to writing the book?
I thought it was worth doing as so many people had asked me about my career. My memory is awful, so it did me good to research the history in which I played a part.
Can you describe how you think F1 racing will have changed by 2020?
No, not really. I think the 2017 F1 rules are a mistake and won’t encourage closer racing and, if nothing is done to bring down costs, F1 will strangle itself.
On the other side of the Atlantic if Indycar is to survive they must get away from these oh so ugly spec cars. The fans do have an interest in seeing different cars, after all the drivers are hardly visible anyway.
Available now! Inspired to Design – F1 cars, Indycars & racing tyres: the autobiography of Nigel Bennett
In this unique autobiography, Nigel Bennett describes his life and career, from growing-up influenced by car design, to his education, and the building of his ‘750 specials.’ He describes his work as Firestone Development Manager, recounting many tales of the outstanding designers and drivers of the period. Detailing his work in Formula 1, as a Team Lotus engineer, and then as Team Ensign designer, he also covers his Indycar designs at Theodore, Lola Cars, and Penske Cars. Life after his retirement, his involvement in boat design and with modern F1 teams, is also recounted. More info.
On Friday, June 24, Fangio would have been 105 years old.
Juan Manuel Fangio Déramo, one of the world’s greatest racing drivers, came to the world’s attention when Formula One races first took place in Argentina as part of the Argentine Temporada series. Fangio would go on to win the World Championship five times.
This beautifully illustrated book captures the entire history of the Argentine Grand Prix and the Argentina International Temporada Series, covering all the great races of the golden age of motor sport – when danger and passion defined racing.
The annual Temporada (racing season), held in the 1940s and 1950s, were a time of transition in Argentine motorsport, progressing from racing circuits on rough tracks to more refined venues in Argentina’s public parks. After WWII, the Temporadas were organised in the Torreon in Mar del Plata, Parque Independencia in Rosario, Palermo, Constanera and Retiro in Buenos Aires, and Sarmiento in Córdoba. Thanks to these races, Argentina began to be seen as a suitable destination for a Formula 1 Grands Prix, and for the World Sports Car Championship, the Buenos Aires 1000km. The circuits hosted the likes of Villoresi, Varzi, Farina, Wimille, Ascari, Moss and Prince Bira, and arguably taught Juan Manuel Fangio how to drive race cars.
Wonderfully illustrated with 220 contemporary photographs, including many that have never been published before: images that will take you back in time, to the unique atmosphere of top motorsport in South America from 1950 to 1960. More info.
Was Fangio was the greatest racing driver of all time?
The new biography of Raymond Mays includes complete histories of ERA and BRM, and is illustrated with over 100 of the author's paintings. Here are 5 of our favourites ...
Bryan Apps is a lifelong motor racing enthusiast, he created a BRM scrapbook at the age of thirteen, with Raymond Mays writing its foreword In 1952. Mays continued corresponding with Bryan for many years, keeping him informed of the latest developments.
Through his paintings, Bryan also formed lasting friendships with Manfred von Brauchitsch, Ken Tyrrell and many others. He has already had four books published, covering a number of motor racing subjects.
As an Anglican priest, Bryan Apps acquired international recognition with a 97hp Mobile Church, and established entries in the Guinness Book of Records with a model car and train for Charities.
Laced with fascinating anecdotes, Raymond Mays’ Magnificent Obsession reveals a pivotal figure in motor sport history, and describes the author’s enthusiasm for BRM, detailing his visit to Raymond Mays, in Eastgate House, Bourne, in 1963.
Focussing on Mays’ early years and successes in motor racing in the 1920s, this book follows his progress to becoming a national celebrity. His famous White Riley’s successes at Shelsley Walsh and Brooklands are covered, leading on to the building of the ERAs, which – led by Mays himself – represented the UK in voiturette races on the Continent. ERA’s story unfolds with references to all the races in which the team took part.
After WWII, Mays’ achievement in building an all-British Grand Prix car, with the financial support of the British Motor Industry, is detailed, going on to describe how, after many changes, a BRM driven by Graham Hill won the 1962 World Championship.
With the help of Mays’ letters to the author, this book covers the whole history of BRM, until its demise in 1976. More info.
A few of our favourite 'Duckworthisms' from the book ...
First Principles chronicles the life of Keith Duckworth OBE, the remarkable engineer famous for being co-founder of Cosworth Engineering and creating the most successful F1 engine of all time, the DFV. Although the company's engines are given due prominence, this isn’t an intricate technical examination of their design, but a more rounded look at the life and work of their designer – work which included significant contributions to aviation, motorcycling, and powerboating.
The names 'Keith Duckworth' and 'DFV' are practically synonymous, such is the reputation of the famous F1 racing engine which he designed.
Whilst there are books covering the technical aspects of the DFV engine, and other designs from Cosworth, the company which he founded with Mike Costin, there are many gaps in the story of Duckworth's career, before and after Cosworth. This book comprehensively fills those gaps, taking the reader into the world of Britain's finest 20th century engineers.
It was a world consisting of far more than motorsport, embracing an astonishing variety of mechnical devices, including aircraft, boats, and motorcycles – particularly Triumph, for whom he was a consultant during his retirement.
A man of strong convictions and high integrity, Keith Duckworth OBE cared passionately about his work, fitting almost every aspect of his life around it. His northern industrial roots, the ups and downs of his personal life, his health problems, and his generous support of charities and business start-ups, combine to create the story of one of motorsport's – and engineering's – most endearing and enduring characters.
The Goodwood Revival will mark 60 years of one of Formula 1’s most iconic machines, the Maserati 250F, with one of the largest ever on-track collections of the car at the September 12-14 event.
As many as 16 examples of the 250F will take part in the Richmond Trophy, which this year will feature 2.5-litre, front-engined grand prix cars of a kind that raced from 1954 to 1960. Among them is one of only two of the V12-engined versions of the machine ever built.
The beautiful 250F took victory on its debut at the 1954 Argentinian Grand Prix in the hands of five-time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio and was raced in period by more of the world’s top names, including Sir Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks, Roy Salvadori, Mike Hawthorn and Jean Behra.
While Salvadori and Moss took 250Fs to victories in the 1956 and ’57 Glover Trophy races at Goodwood, the most famous win for the car came in the latter year’s German Grand Prix; won by Fangio after the Argentinian overturned an almost insurmountable deficit at the fearsome Nurburgring to memorably catch and pass the Ferraris of Hawthorn and Peter Collins near the finish and clinch his fifth world title.
That car, and several others, will join the race machines for a pair of high-speed demonstrations during the weekend.
All 250Fs will be housed in the main paddock, which will resemble the adrenaline-fuelled Monza pitlane of 1954 at the Revival this year and is sure to be a highly-popular attraction for visitors to the Revival in September.
Available now from Veloce! Maserati 250F In Focus
By Anthony Pritchard.
The Maserati 250F raced against Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Vanwall for Grand Prix supremacy during the 2500cc Grand Prix Formula years of ’54-’60. Period photographs, including contributions from Tom March, are presented, along with engine cutaways, drawings, technical descriptions, and the chassis and race numbers of every 250F to have competed during this period.
Stories from leading drivers who raced the 250F, including Sir Stirling Moss, Juan Fangio, and Mike Hawthorn, along with Anthony Pritchard’s lively text, helps bring the racing story of this iconic model back to life. More info.
Nigel Bennett enjoyed a long career designing Formula One and Indy cars. He started his career in the seventies as a Firestone tire engineer in Formula One and worked at Lotus, Ensign and Theodore before turning his hand to Indy cars with Lola. After producing a few successful Lola Indy cars, Bennett was hired by Roger Penske and through the late eighties and nineties he designed a series of beautiful and very successful Penske Indy cars.
A longtime boating and yachting enthusiast Bennett does some boat design work these days to keep him occupied in his retirement. He's also kept his hand in the racing business in recent years by doing some technical consulting work for the FIA and after reading last week's column, ‘Losing our way', Nigel sent me an email saying he had some suggestions for improving the show in F1 and IndyCar. I called him and we enjoyed a pleasant chat about the state of the sport.
"I think Formula One does a good job with the television commentaries here in the UK and the build up to each race," Bennett remarked. "They've got informed, experienced guys who are past drivers and team owners and provide you with lots of good information and they do it in an entertaining way.
"But the racing is not very inspiring, particularly when one guy is winning all the races. Okay, there's some overtaking because of KERS and feathering the wings with the DRS thing, but a lot of people don't seem to think much of that stuff. They think it's artificial. A lot of people who used to be motor racing fans don't bother to watch F1 anymore."
Bennett emphasized that extreme cost is F1's biggest problem.
"The main problem with Formula One is that it's just too expensive for all but about four teams," he said. "The rest of them are taking paying drivers who are less skilled than many others. There are some really good drivers like Hulkenberg and di Resta who may not have drives next year.
"I have to say that what goes on inside some of these big teams is absolutely ludicrous. There are drawing offices going off into the distance as far as you can see with eighty or ninety people working away at computer screens.
"The cars are incredibly complicated. They're beautifully made but unbelievably complicated with all kinds of stuff that's largely unnecessary and unappreciated by the fans and media. It makes for paying jobs for the young engineers but as far as the general public is concerned I don't think there's much interest in that.
"Look at the front wings with all the little bits and pieces stuck on them. And for what? Yes, they're producing phenomenal aerodynamic performance figures but none of that stuff bares any relation to anything else in the world and it doesn't look nice.
"Airplanes don't have bits like that stuck all over them. They're sleek, the way racing cars used to be, and there's no place for that kind of stuff on road cars. It's just jobs for the boys to spend the money they've been given."
Bennett believes big cuts in downforce and tire grip are essential to making F1 a better show.
"In my opinion, they need to reduce downforce by 50 percent, reduce the front tire and wheel width by 20 percent and increase the rear tire width by 10 percent," he itemized. "They also need to free up the weight distribution rules and change the tire construction so that the tires produce their maximum cornering force at much higher slip angles than the current radials.
"I suspect this would mean going back to bias or cross-ply tires as they were in the ‘70s and ‘80s. So what if that is not the way road car tires are made? Road cars are completely different from racing cars in so many ways.
You still wouldn't see the driver's arms flailing around but the driver's skill would be on view as the cars would drift and braking distances would be much longer and cornering speeds much lower so that overtaking would be more frequent.
"Right now, the braking distances are so short and the cornering speeds are so high that there's just no time to outbrake the other guy. So a huge reduction in downforce and a similar, huge reduction in tire performance is required. If you had half the size of front tire you wouldn't be able to brake so hard in such a short distance.
"I think the reason the cars used to be so much more spectacular was largely due to the type of tires. Cross-ply tires made for bigger slip angles and more sliding than we have today with radial tires.
"People say we can't go back to cross-ply tires, but why not? If you have one tire manufacturer you can ask them to do anything. Formula One persuaded Pirelli to build tires that wear out after ten laps, which is not good for their public image. But that's what Formula One wanted and that's what Pirelli have done. So surely you can ask a tire company to build smaller, cross-ply tires.
"I'm sure they've got the technology to do it and the cars would be more spectacular to watch. I would also suggest they would be a greater test of the drivers' skills."
Bennett believes narrower tires also would be a benefit to IndyCar.
"There's been a lot of criticism over recent years about Indy cars having too much downforce and too little power so that they run closely together on some tracks so you get pack racing which is very dangerous on a track where they're flat-out all the way around whether it's a one-mile oval or a banked track like NASCAR.
"To me, a reduction in tire size would be very effective for IndyCar in these circumstances. The cornering speeds would be less, the straightaway speeds would be greater and at a stroke it would break up the field and allow it to open up a bit so there would be more passing and racing.
"If you reduce the tire sizes by fifteen percent then the compounds have to get harder to withstand the temperature. Straightaway speeds would go up because the drag would be reduced and you would get braking into the corners because the apex speed would be lower. It's one way out of this problem that's never been suggested."
Bennett says F1 is unable to make major changes because of the need for unanimity under the Concorde Agreement.
"I'm glad they're getting rid of the high noses next year because they look pretty stupid," he remarked. "That's a step in the right direction, but they need to reduce downforce substantially.
"It's easy to design a set of rules to achieve that, but it's not easy to get people to agree. They've all invested millions of dollars in wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic work and they don't want to lose the advantages they've gained.
"They've talked endlessly for some years about cost reduction but that seems to have fallen by the wayside. In fact, I've been involved in some of those discussions and the problem is nobody trusts anybody else to do it properly.
"Until the governing body comes up with some way of controlling budgets there's not going to be any changes. If you stop them spending money in one area then they'll spend more on their motorhomes and marketing. Do you need fifty or sixty people per team at the racetrack? Or a dozen trucks, like several of the bigger teams takes to a race?"
Bennett believes next year's new turbo formula will prove to be very costly.
"It sounds like the engine package is going to be very expensive next year," he observed. "It looks like the split between the haves and the have nots is going to become even bigger."
I mentioned to Bennett that Adrian Newey remarked to my colleague Maurice Hamilton a few weeks ago that he was worried that next year's new F1 cars will be even uglier than this year's cars.
"It's funny how you very quickly get used to something new and different," Bennett remarked. "When they brought in narrow rear wings and wider front wings to F1 everyone said they looked ugly and worried about it. But they seem to have grown on everyone and nobody complains so much anymore, although the front ends are pretty ugly."
Bennett doesn't expect anyone in F1 or the FIA to act on any of his suggestions.
"I don't suppose that whatever we say will have much effect," he chuckled. "One thing I found with the FIA is they say we can't change Formula One too much because GP2 or Formula Renault will then be too quick. It seems to me that the FIA doesn't have the guts to make big decisions or maybe it's because the teams have got too much say over what they've invested. They have to get unanimous agreement among the teams to make any big changes and they can't get it."
Power and political struggling always come first in big-time motor racing, ahead of rational thinking. Thus it ever was and is likely to continue.
The true life story of one of Britain’s most successful racing car designers of the 80s and 90s.
Nigel Bennett’s unique autobiography describes his life and career, from growing-up influenced by car design, to his education and the building of his 750 specials. He describes his work as Firestone Development Manager, recounting many tales of the outstanding designers and drivers of the period. Detailing his work in Formula 1, as a Team Lotus engineer, and then as Team Ensign designer, he also covers his Indycar designs at Theodore, Lola Cars and Penske Cars. Life after his retirement, his involvement in boat design and with modern F1 teams, are also recounted. More info.
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