Letters: The picture that reveals how bloated F1 cars have become

I don’t know if it’s just me, but looking at the photograph of the selection of Formula 1 cars from across the years gathered on the track at Silverstone in August, as shown across pages eight and nine of the October issue [Opening Shot], doesn’t it illustrate better than a thousand words how bloated, oversized and overweight the F1 cars of today have become compared to preceding generations? I want progress and innovation but not if it means everything gets big and fat! Not all, but some things were better.

Barry Pearson, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Mike Doodson’s article in the August edition [Was it a ‘fix’?] returned to the question of whether Fangio let Moss win the 1955 British Grand Prix? The answer is probably, ‘Yes’.

However, it is not quite so straightforward as this. Moss had been faster than Fangio in practice and during the race. His best race lap was two seconds quicker and he led the race for 80 of the 90 laps. No doubt Fangio recognising that Moss having established the upper hand on the day, and in accordance with their pact made before the race in Belgium, eventually settled for second place.

In the last few laps Moss slowed under instructions from Neubauer, and Fangio not wanting to be seen to have been beaten by a ‘distance’ speeded up to be as close as possible at the finish. But it nearly went wrong. Moss going deliberately slowly through the last corner was rapidly closed in on by Fangio who being faster through Tatts had the momentum to overtake even though Moss then floored the throttle to get to the finish ahead. Despite his axle ratio disadvantage, Fangio was still gaining but just before the line he lifted and let Moss win by a ‘short head’. How do I know Fangio slowed slightly? Bill Boddy was seated in the grandstand nearly in line with the finish, and in conversation he told me that he definitely heard Fangio “lift” allowing Moss to win.

Fangio had kept to their deal and having not been excessively challenged in Belgium and Holland he was not going to renege on Moss who deserved to win on merit.

Unlike the rivalry of the others named by Mike Doodson, Fangio and Moss had an honourable and respectful relationship and although rivals were always close friends. Two gentleman who at Aintree had indeed, ‘kept to their word’.

Charles James, via email

I enjoyed your recent montage of nostalgic Aintree photos [Aintree: Britain’s forgotten F1 venue, August], having been there many times in my younger days.

In 2020, just after Covid and at a restricted event, I was lucky enough to see a small 65th anniversary celebration of the 1955 British GP at Aintree. Rick Hall drove a 250F for three laps around the original full circuit, including Waterways which sadly is now too worn out for driving on. My picture, overleaf, shows Anchor Crossing, still looking very recognisable with the fence, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal just behind.

Always a pleasure that your letters keep track nostalgia at the forefront of our sport.

Julian Nowell, Walton-on-Thames

Further to Richard Foley’s letter in the September issue, I can report that the Railton Terraplane ALU 601 is alive and well. I bought it from Nigel Plant some 20 years ago, after he had sourced and fitted an Essex Terraplane engine. Nigel had had it painted black with red upholstery and as can be seen from the attached photograph, top, that is as it is today.

We have had the engine rebuilt and the gearbox, and have driven her in various rallies across Europe and she has been round the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Apart from that she has been a wedding car many times including for both of our children. She is an integral part of our family. I would be delighted to show her to Richard if he is ever near Farnham, Surrey one day.

Charles Maxwell, farnham, surrey

At the 2003 Goodwood Festival of Speed I saw the Mercedes engineer warming up the priceless 1955 Mille Miglia winning car in preparation for Sir Stirling Moss to drive up the hill.

I told my son to stand in the public enclosure as close to the car as possible with his three-year-old son Taylor on his shoulders while I took a photograph from the opposite side of the road. I couldn’t believe it when the engineer noticed my son and grandson, switched off the engine, lifted Taylor from his father’s shoulders and put him in the driver’s seat for a photograph. The instantaneous applause from the onlookers was very touching. What a fortunate little boy.

Michael Hewett, via email

As an avid US reader of Motor Sport and a Mk1 hippie, I had years ago responded to an irate reader objecting to hippies being represented at the Goodwood Revival, promising said reader that I would personally appear there in my one-owner period garb. The arc of time being favourable, I have just returned from the most recent Revival (my fourth) where the theme was… hippies. So to S Campbell, the objector, I say peace, brother!

Norman E Gaines Jr, Hartsdale, USA

Andrew Frankel’s article about the Riva Tritone [Road Cars, September] took me back to 1972 when I was living in the waterside hamlet of Gillan in Cornwall. One local resident, a retired Grimsby fishing fleet owner, owned a Riva craft.

After a while he acquired a new Riva, selling the old craft to a nearby garage proprietor. The pair used to stage races in the local waters with the newer boat generally coming out on top. After a few races this changed and the older boat started winning. This change of fortune was explained to me by the son of the garage proprietor. His father had swapped a 5.3-litre V8 for a 7-litre unit.

John Hindle, Penshurst, Kent 

Thank you for the Lost Circuits page on Reims-Gueux [October], my favourite circuit, active or not! You provided some details of how the original pits and grandstands still remain, but not how this was possible. It was thanks to Les Amis du Circuit de Gueux, who took on a near derelict site in the early 2000s, that it has now been restored to its extraordinary and evocative state today, and I’ve attached some pictures showing the transformation over the years, above. Sad to say, the current mayor of Gueux is seeking to evict Les Amis and bring in a company to ‘monetise’ this extraordinary relic to profit the Commune.

Vive, Les Amis! A bas, M le Maire!

John Davies, Haverbreaks, Lancaster