Niki Lauda: The years of the Rat
It comes to us all, I suppose, but the notion of Niki Lauda celebrating his 60th birthday on February 22 seems just a touch difficult to believe. Three times World…
His classically simple, yet incredibly effective cars won championships in every category for which they were designed; Formulae 1, 2, 3 and Atlantic. They were so sought-after that buyers literally…
Time was running out. On several levels. The most pressing problem, however, was to qualify. This process would have been straightforward — until just a few days ago. Which is…
I have chosen the Lotus 78, or JPS 15-16, of 1977, which was a bit after my time in Formula 1, my last Brabham being the lobster-claw' BT34 of 1971.…
What happened in the 1930 Mille Miglia is the stuff of legend. The greatest drivers of the day, Tazio Nuvolari and Achille Varzi, were in their resolve even more intense…
Away from the pressures of grand prix racing, drivers are well used to the one that got away, some of them to landing the big catch. Fishing, intriguingly, is a…
He was the Grand Prix driver straight from the Hollywood A-list. An offspring of one of modern America's icon dynasties, this handsome, debonair sophisticate would kiss goodbye to any one…
Few Grand Prix marques have produced a range of cars as technically diverse and innovative as that designed and built by the Brabham team over its 30 years of participation…
Most of the drivers who've related the tale of their 'Worst Racing Car' can now look back on the experience with a smile. It may have been awful at the…
I first met James back in 1971 when I joined the March team for my first season of international Formula Two racing. In those days I was living in London,…
Jan Opperman sprint car rebel, flower child and holy roller Christian minister with magic roaring out of his ears — was a trendsetter. This was in the 1970s. Emulating their…
Only four Indianapolis 500 rookies in 100 years have started from pole: Teo Fabi in 1983 is one. Prematurely balding and softly spoken, his puppy-ish face often apparently bemused, occasionally…
John Miles beckons me over with a crook of a gloved index finger. He points to a smear of blue paint on the inside of the monocoque. "See that? This…
No mistakes this time Long Beach, California, April 8th EACH YEAR the running of the United States Grand Prix (West) through the streets of the town of Long Beach in…
Alan Brinton was a good old-school journalist. He was 1950s Fleet Street personified. He addressed everyone as “old boy” or “my dear”, could actually touch-type but, cast adrift by the…
In order to appropriately mythologise Jackie Stewart, he really should be dead, the better to fulfil the time-served, cruelly macho parapsychology of his chosen sport. Not suburban-dead, felled by atherosclerosis…
Today’s media like to give our heroes convenient labels. Stirling Moss is “the greatest driver never to win the World Championship” – a glib line which says nothing about The…