The last great BRM that got Stewart off the mark
The BRM P261 was Jackie Stewart's launch pad in top-flight motor racing - and a winner in three different engine formulae. STUART CODLING looks at the chaotic British marque's last great car
The journey BRM made to the sharp end of the Formula 1 grid was a painful one, littered with humiliating failures, but during the 1960s it struck a rich seam of form before mediocrity crept back in.
With the P261 it conceivably hit its competitive peak, for while this car did not carry any of its drivers to the world championship it came tantalisingly close; it won races in both the 1.5-litre and 3-litre F1 eras; and it enabled a young Jackie Stewart to announce himself on the international stage and win the Tasman series for 2.5-litre cars. The P261's success was also achieved against a typically BRM background of politics and disorganisation behind the scenes.
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