Grand Prix Gold: Great Britain 1957

At long last a British car and drivers have won a grande epreuve. Cheered on by thousands of madly excited enthusiasts, Stirling Moss, aided by Tony Brooks, scored a momentous victory for Vanwall in last Saturday's Grand Prix of Britain and Europe at Aintree. It was a race packed with incident from start to finish; the issue was always in doubt, right from the moment of Moss's unexpected pitstop to give Jean Behra (Maserati) the lead, and his take-over of Brooks's car.

Seldom has such a drive been seen in a grand prix. Indeed it was a day of brilliant performances, culminating in the most thrilling final lap scenes probably ever to occur in a major motor race.
One cannot give too much credit to Brooks. Badly affected by his unhealed Le Mans leg injuries, he was, nevertheless, able to keep his car in a high enough position to give Stirling a chance of victory.

Stuart Lewis-Evans played his part in the triumph and was most unlucky to experience throttle linkage failure when running neck-and-neck with Moss, the two green Vanwalls leading the field. Mike Hawthorn drove one of the races of his life for Ferrari, and had the wretched misfortune to pick up the pieces of Behra's disintegrated clutch and burst a tyre. This may have cost him the race, for at that moment he was rapidly closing up on Behra, and Moss was not gaining sufficiently, despite his series of record laps.

However, that is motor racing. Luigi Musso drove with great verve for his second place, but did not look like catching the flying Vanwall. It was a most disastrous day for Maserati, not a single one of the works cars lasting the pace. Roy Salvadori was unlucky to lose fifth place with the Cooper-Climax when his gearbox split, but he and Bob Gerard (Cooper-BG Bristol) finished, as did Lewis-Evans after making a jury repair out on the circuit. Jack Brabham, in another Cooper, had the misfortune to have clutch trouble after 74 laps.

One of the most unfortunate people was Horace Gould, who, in helping to put out a fire in the pits during practice, had his foot run over by the very car he was attempting to save - Gerard's Cooper. Horace was too badly injured to take his rightful place on the starting line.

The much-maligned Aintree circuit had the real GP atmosphere, the presentation of the drivers in white Austin Healeys before the start being particularly well done. Organisation throughout was admirable and there was an excellent press information service. One felt sorry for (racecourse chief) Mirabelle Topham that the weather turned sour in the morning, and that provincial bus services chose GP day to come out on strike. This combination of circumstances must have prevented many thousands of people from attending.

Mike Hawthorn, Roy Salvadori, Tony Brooks, Jo Bonnier, Maurice Trintignant, Jean Behra, and Luigi Musso © LAT

However, everyone who was present went home realising that history had been made, and that Tony Vandervell has restored the prestige of British automobile engineering in its most advanced form, by producing the fastest cars of the present formula.

It was obvious from Thursday's practice times that Vanwall was going to trouble the Italians more than somewhat. Although Behra equalled Moss's Mercedes-Benz record of 2m00.4s, and Juan Manuel Fangio was just 0.6s slower, one felt that Stirling was not pushing either of the two cars he tired. Anyway, his 2m01.4s seemed to please team manager David Yorke, as did the 2m02.4s of Lewis-Evans. Brooks was more or less lifted into his car and had foam rubber padding to protect his injured leg. However, it was the same stylish Tony that we have come to expect; although he took it fairly quietly at first, finally returning 2m04.6s.

Hawthorn was best of the Ferrari team with 2m03.2s, and here again one felt that there was plenty more to come. The BRMs driven by Jack Fairman and Les Leston returned 2m08.4s and 2m09.8s respectively.

Friday was a day of excitement. Maserati were having a spot of mechanic trouble, the men complaining that the past few weeks had been a tremendous strain and that preparation of the cars would be affected. Fangio was not feeling too well as a result of a gastric complaint. Poor Gould injured his foot helping to put out the fire on Gerard's car.

Still, the times of the Vanwalls made continental journalists sit up and take notice. Moss finally got down to 2m00.2s, and Brooks 2m00.4s. Fangio, really trying, could not do better than 2m00.6s, and Behra failed to beat his Thursday time. Hawthorn took his Ferrari round in 2m01.2s, but this was equalled by Lewis-Evans in the third Vanwall. Fangio tried Carlos Menditeguy's car but could do no better than 2m05.8s, which was 0.2s slower than Leston. Moss had already tried Brooks's car (2m01.6s) and Peter Collins went round in 2m01.8s, 0.4s under the time of Harry Schell's Maserati.

Thus we had the remarkable situation of Fangio being on row two of the grid, the front of which was occupied by the Vanwalls of Moss and Brooks, and Behra's Maserati.

Luckily the wind had dried up the circuit when grand prix time drew near. The flags of the competing nations fluttered in the breeze and there was that indefinable air of something which only GP racing produces. Crowded stands watched while the drivers were taken round in a cavalcade of Austin Healeys, and everyone cheered as each man was introduced over the PA. In the pits, lap charts were spread out, stop-watches checked for the umpteenth time and neat rows of hand-tools placed on the counters.

It was an inspiring sight to see green cars so well represented; Vanwall, BRM and Cooper, but one regretted the absence of the silver of Germany, the blue of France, and that other green car, the Connaught. Yet the full might of Italy was there, with four V8s from Scuderia Ferrari, and a quartet of 'sixes' from Officine Maserati - not forgetting the independents as represented by Ivor Bueb in the Gilby Maserati, and Jo Bonnier in his veteran car, painted in the blue and yellow colours of his native Sweden.

Two minutes to go; starters were hastily applied and 18 engines burst into life, dominated by the screech from the Lancia-powered Ferraris. All eyes were on the flag. Slowly the seconds were counted - an interminable time to the men behind the wheels. At the rear, clouds of smoke rose from the stack exhausts of Gerard's car. Then with a roar, the Grand Prix d'Europe and 12th British Grand Prix was on.

Bob Gerard, Cooper T44; Stirling Moss and Stuart Lewis-Evans, Vanwalls; © LAT

Cars weaved this way and that way. A red car took the lead. It was Behra's Maserati, but Moss's Vanwall was on the tail of the Italian machine. An excited PA announcer yelled "Moss is in front" - and how the crowd roared. Glasses were levelled on Railway Straight and the spectators on the banking waved like mad as the green Vanwall hurtled past, almost wheel-to-wheel with the Maserati.

In the stands, everyone was on his or her feet. Into Tatts Corner it was Moss, fully a car's length ahead of Behra. As they accelerated out of the right-hander the Vanwall slightly increased its lead. Past the timing box they streamed; Moss, Behra, Brooks, Hawthorn, Collins (Ferrari), Schell, Musso, Fangio, Menditeguy, Leston and Lewis-Evans, with Bueb - on five cylinders - bringing up the rear behind Gerard and Bonnier.

Lap two, and the positions were unaltered except that Fangio moved smartly up into sixth place. Moss's standing lap was done in 2m15.2s (79.88mph); Behra was still close behind, and Hawthorn was duelling with Brooks, with Collins taking a watching brief. Lewis-Evans was moving up on Schell and Menditeguy.

The fourth lap, and Hawthorn slipped ahead of Brooks into Tatts, whilst Musso attempted to take Fangio. Hawthorn and Brooks roared past the pits dead level, but the Ferrari was in front at Waterway. Moss now led Behra by 2.5s. Two tours later, and the situation changed. Lewis-Evans had overtaken the two Maseratis, whilst Musso had charged ahead of Fangio. Leston, driving extremely well, was holding Maurice Trintignant's Ferrari, but had the fleet little Coopers of Salvadori and Brabham on his tail. Fairman's car appeared to be suffering from violent oversteer, and crabbed badly every time at Cottage Corner.

Anyway, with a Vanwall in the lead, the circuit seethed with excitement. Brooks was obviously tiring and suffering untold agony from his wounds; but the speed of young Lewis-Evans was being stepped up and he now was ready to take Fangio. More thrills! Hawthorn had now caught Behra, and Collins was on the tail of Brooks's Vanwall.

Eight laps gone, and Moss led by 6s, whilst Lewis-Evans had forged in front of Juan Manuel, whose car was starting to misfire occasionally. Could Stirling increase his lead? Would Hawthorn take Behra? Was Lewis-Evans able to cope with Collins? Could Brooks stand the strain? These were the questions on everyone's lips.

Far behind the leaders there were incidents galore. Fairman spun off at Cottage Corner and restarted with grass hanging from underneath. Menditeguy did the same manoeuvre, and also got away again. Bueb stopped to change plugs, found a missing cylinder, only to lose it again: Moss was getting round in 2m03.4s-2m04.0s, and the average speed of the race was 86.04mph.

Musso was now at grips with Brooks and Lewis-Evans gradually crept up on Collins. At 15 laps, Moss led Behra by 7s, and the race order was: Vanwall, Maserati, Ferrari, Ferrari, Vanwall, Ferrari. Then a gasp came from the crowd. Moss came round Tatts with his right hand raised, and stopped at the pit. Feverishly mechanics opened the bonnet and fiddled with the engine. Thirty-five seconds and Stirling was off again, the engine sounding most peculiar.

Juan Manugel Fangio, Maserati 250F © LAT

It was the familiar pattern all over again; three red cars out in front, Behra, Hawthorn and Collins. As they crackled past the pits, Moss came in again and the "Come In" signal was given to Brooks.

The change-over was rapid, but Moss had dropped to ninth place, over a minute behind Behra. The plucky Brooks set off again in Moss's car - just in case. He was now in 16th place. Hawthorn kept Behra's lead down to 4s, but Lewis-Evans was coming even closer to Collins. The chase was now on in earnest, and we began to see Moss at his most brilliant best. Shell, in eighth place, stopped just as Moss tore by.

Lap 30, and Stirling had shot into seventh place ahead of Menditeguy; Fangio was the next victim. For a couple of laps the world champion held off the eager Moss, then waved him on. The Argentinean's Maserati had developed an ominous rattle, with an occasional puff of thick black smoke at the exhaust.

There was no holding Moss. In front, Hawthorn was giving Behra no peace, whilst the enterprising Lewis-Evans was about to something about Collins. Bueb was in and out of the pits; Bonnier's gearbox broke; Salvadori, going great guns in the tiny Cooper, was holding eighth place, ahead of Trintignant's Ferrari, and not so far behind 'Charlie' Menditeguy's Maserati.

Moss, having settled with Fangio, began to be tangled up with Musso after catching the Italian up at a fantastic rate of knots. Behra's lead had now started to dwindle as the Vanwall began to circulate faster and faster as the fuel load lightened. Lap 40 and he had passed Musso to take fifth place. The stopwatches revealed that he had started to get round in under 2m02s. With £200 at stake for the first lap under two minutes, he evidently was a young man in a hurry.

By now, only the first seven cars were on the same lap - and six were ahead of Fangio, who looked most unhappy. With 40 laps gone, Moss was right behind Collins, but did not appear to be gaining at all on Behra. On the other hand, the Frenchman was gradually getting away from Hawthorn. Menditeguy's car was in the dead park with broken transmission and Fangio's machine was getting slower and slower. Schell, too, was in trouble, stopping to fill up his radiator and pour in a considerable quantity of oil. So Maserati hopes rested entirely on the popular little Frenchman, who was driving a beautiful race.

The 49th lap, and Fangio coasted into his pit to retire with deranged rocker gear. The car had sounded like a tired piece of machinery from the start and the champion was never in the picture. Schell glided in to make it three Maserati retirements, with a repeat of his Rouen trouble - a broken water pump. The two BRMs were eliminated in quick succession, both with engine failure. Leston's timing gear broke, whilst Fairman's car apparently cracked its cylinder head.

Meanwhile Brooks had been gamely going round with a Vanwall which spluttered and banged, and finally retired after covering 51 laps. Salvadori's Cooper was in seventh place and was out-stripping Trintignant's Ferrari; Brabham's machine lay ninth, well in front of Gerard and Bueb, who must have been fed to the teeth meeting the Gilby mechanics so many times in the pits. At last, however, he began to hit on all six.

On lap 53, the Ferrari challenge was weakened when Collins packed up with no water, and no method of keeping it in the radiator. He later took over Trintignant's clutchless car for four laps, then handed it back. He, like his team-mate, could make no visible impression on Salvadori. Brabham made a brief stop, and got away again in ninth place.

Stirling Moss makes a pitstop © LAT

Moss began to turn on the heat, cutting two seconds a lap from Behra. The position became fascinating. With 30 laps to go, the Frenchman led by 40.8s - but Moss was lapping faster and faster. He had the £200 in his pocket with the remarkable time of 1m59.6s (90.30mph). Surely Behra could not look at this pace; his Maserati was being thrashed to the limit and there was always the threat of Hawthorn who again began to close the gap. Lewis-Evans was playing a major part in this chase of the red cars by the high-tailed Vanwalls.

Nearer and nearer came Moss to Lewis-Evans and, of course, the leaders. He was now carving off 3s a lap, and with 68 tours completed his Vanwall lay only 28s behind the Maserati, and about 8s behind the Ferrari. However, the 'Farnham Flyer' was really motoring and it looked as if it would be a race to be first to catch Behra. Then the whole picture completely altered. Behra, driving his Maserati to the limit, had his clutch disintegrate completely on Railway Straight. Following behind, Hawthorn ran over the bits and a large chunk of metal tore a hole in his nearside rear tyre.

Mike guessed nothing of this. Fully occupied in keeping the Ferrari on the road, he was convinced that the rear suspension had collapsed. As he rounded Tatts, with his car swerving all over the place, he had already removed his crash hat, bound as he believed, for the dead car park. As the car came into the pit, the mechanics jumped to it, changed the wheel, and an astonished Hawthorn found himself back in the race, in fourth place behind his team-mate Musso.

There was something not quite nice about how the news of Behra's breakdown was received - or maybe the cheers were for the two Vanwalls; at least one hopes so. Anyway, round they came together, with Moss waving Lewis-Evans on, then repassing at the timing box. For four glorious laps the two Vanwalls led the race. Then came more drama. On lap 73, Lewis-Evans was missing. He had stopped at Cottage Corner with a familiar trouble - a broken throttle linkage. Undaunted, he set about getting the car back to the pits. Talk about wretched luck, well!

Stirling was now out on his own. There was no longer any need to whistle round at the incredible speeds he had been attaining, breaking his own circuit record several times in the process. He had put it up to 90.60mph (1m59.2s). On the 79th lap, the crowd again gasped, Moss's Vanwall stopped at the pits.

Folk breathed again; Stirling wisely decided to safeguard himself by taking on more fuel. After all, his rate of progress must have been thirsty work for the superb four-cylinder engine - and many a race has been thrown away by running out of fuel. Anyway, even after his quick stop, he still had over 40s on Musso. There were loud cheers for Lewis-Evans who struggled back with the Vanwall, had it repaired and rejoined the race minus bonnet.

Fingers were crossed whilst Moss circulated calmly and confidently in the Vanwall, with face as black as night. Interest was centred also on Hawthorn's valiant efforts to make up for that tyre burst. This was Mike at his splendid best, a great grand prix driver if ever there was one, and he started to gain rapidly on his team-mate Musso. However, it was doubtful whether or not there was sufficient time left. But for that unfortunate tyre business, anything might have happened. At least, Stirling would not have been able to motor quite so quietly during the final stages.

Stirling Moss in the Vanwall he shared with Tony Brooks © LAT

One noted the progress of Salvadori in fourth place, well in front of Trintignant. Just when his effort was almost certain to be rewarded, he went past the pits to the accompaniment of loud, clanking noises - the gearbox casing had split wide open. He stopped, added some fuel and toured slowly round before coming to rest within a few feet of the finishing line. Brabham failed to come round to complete his 75th lap after an admirable effort; but never-say-die Gerard plugged round in sixth place, which was now beginning to be threatened by Lewis-Evans. Many laps behind came Bueb, who determination had kept a sick car in the race.

The scenes at the finish were a tribute to the enthusiasm sweeping the country for motor racing. A frantic crowd yelled their heads off as Moss went through on his last lap, to win the very first grand prix for a British car since Henry Segrave did it at Tours in 1923 with a Sunbeam. Hats were hurled high into the air - never to be retrieved. Complete strangers shook hands and danced jigs. Even hard-bitten pressmen could not conceal their excitement.

What a tumultuous welcome awaited Moss and Brooks. To break the long run of continental successes, especially on British soil, was to make motor racing history. Stirling could scarcely keep the emotion from his voice as he talked to the crowd over the microphone. He had attained one of his life's ambitions, and - with the help of Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans - had put British motor racing on the map in full-scale GP events. Tony Vandervell and his able helpers had thoroughly justified their faith in the green cars, and in private enterprise. What a great day!