“The Shy Champion: Phil Hill”

As the 1961 season drew to a close, Ferrari's Wolfgang von Trips was leading team mate Phil Hill and only needed a podium to claim the crown. In the end, death betrayed the German – with von Trips dead in the circuit’s medical unit and Sir Stirling Moss eleven points adrift; Hill became the first American World Champion with one race to spare.

“Giancarlo Baghetti: The Grand Débutante”

------ This post was originally published on Too Much Racing in August of last year, as part of the VivaF1 blogger swap shop. The Grand Débutante reappears here today, as it marks the 50th anniversary of Giancarlo Baghetti's great achievement. ------ In terms of startling Grand Prix débuts, few will ever rank as highly as … Continue reading “Giancarlo Baghetti: The Grand Débutante”

Reflections: “Clark dominates at Clermont-Ferrand – 1965 French Grand Prix (Rd 4)”

Before the 1965 French Grand Prix, Lotus driver Jim Clark was quietly confident. After three rounds, the legendary Scot had a three-point advantage over BRM's Graham Hill when they arrived at Clermont-Ferrand. With skill and smoothness a premium at the French circuit, Clark possessed an advantage that often superseded the superb engineering of his nimble Lotus 33. In the race, he would made it look so easy.

“This Charming Man: Carlos Pace”

Something that is often lost in the grey, highly corporate world of modern motor racing is charm – that ability to please and appeal to all people with neither effort or force. It was inevitable that as Bernie Ecclestone helped reshape Formula 1 into the mammoth global entity that it is today, much of the … Continue reading “This Charming Man: Carlos Pace”

Pining for the Green Hell

As Formula 1 has left Europe for the 2010 season, it is almost certain that many will gripe about some of the modern tracks that the series will visit over the next six weeks, while praising the gems that are Interlagos and Suzuka. Those two circuits have become treasures within the wider community of Formula … Continue reading Pining for the Green Hell