Stirling Moss

Sir Stirling Moss , born the September 17th 1929 with London is an automobile old driver English. who ran in Formule 1 of 1951 and 1962. Regarded as one of the largest pilots of the history of his sport, Moss however never managed to conquer the world title, which is worth to him to be called the “champion without crown. ”

Biography

1948-1951: beginnings

Born in a financially easy family, Stirling Moss is very early plunged in the mechanical sports. His/her father Alfred is an old driver amateur (who even benefitted during his studies from dentist from a training course in the Indiana to take part in the 500 Miles of Indianapolis 1924), as for his mother Aileen, it disputes test of handiness regularly. However, when at 17 years and the driving license out of pocket, Stirling expresses in its turn the desire to make competition, it runs up against the opposition of his parents.

In 1948, whereas it is 19 years old, Stirling finally manages to awake the passion of the automobile race in his/her father, who agrees to guide his first steps in competition by helping it to prepare Cooper-Jap 500 Cm3. At its wheel, Stirling gains its very first test, a hill climb. Little time afterwards, it also shines in tests on circuit.

In 1949, Moss father and wire buy a Cooper news, that Stirling alternatively controls in Formule 3 and Formule 2. In spite of irregular results (nevertheless let us quote its victory in F3 in curtain raiser of GP of Great Britain to Silverstone) the style of the Stirling young person impresses the observers. In 1950, it is thus recruited by the small stable HWM of John Heath, who engages it simultaneously Formulates 2 and in Free Formula of them, of the disciplines in which it starts to rub with best controls time and to look after its reputation of great hope. In parallel, it continues to control in Formula 3 on its Cooper-Jap, which is worth to him to again highlight in front of the small world of the Formule 1, by gaining this time the GP of Monaco F3. At the end of the year, it also carries out its first great blow of glare of " category; sport" by gaining under the rain of Dundrod (Ulster) prestigious Tourist Trophy at the wheel of a private Jaguar.

Become a pilot moreover in moreover it solicited, Moss is committed on all fronts at the time of the season 1951: in F3 at Kieft, in sport in Jaguar which made of him an official pilot, and in F2 at HWM. It is besides at the wheel of the HWM F2 that Moss takes part in its first GP of Formula 1 (of the GP out-championship for the majority), where it must deploy all its talent to manage to hold the rate/rhythm of F1, more powerful than its F2. Its first appearance in a GP of the championship of the world with place on the demanding layout of Bremgarten, tallies of GP of Switzerland.

1952-1953: a not very productive patriotism

Solicited for the championship of the world 1952 by Enzo Ferrari in person, very patriotic Stirling Moss prefers to continue its rise within British stables, however less powerful than their Italian rivals. It is thus let try in Free Formula by the daring project BRM V16, and Formulates some 1 (disputed according to the F2 regulation) by ERA then by Connaught. But in both cases, the results will not be with go. Its passage in 1953 at Cooper-Alta is hardly more brilliant.

1954: revelation at Maserati

For the season 1954, noting the dead end in which the conduit its attachment with the poor British teams, Moss is solved to buy a Maserati F1. By regularly making good match in pure performance with Maserati official, theoretically swifter, he affirms himself like the revelation of the year, even if the unreliability of its mounting does not enable him to concretize in race (its 3rd place with Spa will be its only notable result in championship). To the wire of the season, the Maserati factory lends an growing interest to the services of the young English, at the point to make of him an official pilot at the end of the year, following the death of the Argentinian hope Onofre Marimón. In Monza, in spite of one énième abandonment, it continues more than ever like a large future of F1: before having to give up on oil escape, it was at the head of the race, in front of invincible the Mercedes of Fangio. The exploit does not escape Mercedes, which decides to make of him the team-member of Fangio for the following season.

1955-1957: in the shade of Fangio

Without true opposition (if it is not promising Lancia D50, but the Italian firm, in prey with great financial problems will at the end of May give up shortly after the death of its pilot Alberto Ascari), Mercedes W196 fly over the debates in 1955. But in-house, Moss runs up most of the time against a bone in the person of its Fangio fellow-member, who truste victories. He manages to precede his leader only at the time of the GP of Great Britain with Aintree, where he takes down his first victory in championship of the world. In spite of the denials of Fangio which will not have of cease to repeat that Moss was this day most extremely, there will always remain a doubt as for the course of this race: Fangio T it has done everything to beat its honest team-member and to deprive it of its first success in F1, which more is in residence? Moss finishes the championship of the world (amputee of several tests following the drama of the 24 hours of Mans) in the second final place behind Fangio. In 1955, Moss is also engaged by Mercedes in the tests of the sport type, for best as for the worst. The best at the time of its victory to the Thousand Miglia, where it signs the absolute records of the test at the end of a fabulous epopee of more than 10 hours, over: 1597 km. Its navigator, the journalist Denis Jenkinson, will benefit from it to carry out a report become a great classic of the sporting literature today. But the worst at the time of the 24 hours of Mans, where it is at the head of the test with Fangio when it receives direction of Mercedes the order to withdraw test: a few hours earlier, another Mercedes, controlled by Pierre Levegh, was crushed on a slope separating the track from the platforms. More than 80 people were killed by elements of Mercedes (in particular the engine, train-before and the cap) projected in the public.

Mercedes having decided to give up the competition at the conclusion of the season 1955, Moss turns over to Maserati for the championship of the world of F1 1956, where it is presented like the principal outsider of Fangio (past at Ferrari, which recovered Lancia D50). Unhappy in Argentina (a driving break-in whereas it is at the head obliges it to yield the victory to Fangio), it takes its revenge in Monaco, where it signs its second victory in championship of the world at the end of a demonstration of piloting. Author this day of an unmethodical race, “maestro” Fangio cannot that to incline itself vis-a-vis his former “pupil. ” But a series of bad results, ascribable with mechanical concern, makes him lose the contact with the championship with the pilots Ferrari (Fangio and Collins). Its beautiful end of season (2nd place in Germany and victory in Italy) changes there nothing and it finishes like the previous year in the second place of the championship behind Fangio.

The emergence of a British team of quality (in fact Vanwall) makes it possible Moss to return to defend the national colors. But its season is disturbed by the development longer than envisaged VW4, as by a sinusitis which obliges it to declare fixed price for the GP of France. Its championship begins really only with its victory with Aintree, over the car divided with its fellow-member Tony Brooks, but it is already too late to hope to play the title. For the honor, it gains the two last sleeves of the season, which enables him to finish vice-champion of the world behind Fangio for the third consecutive year.

1958-1961: missed occasions

Always at Vanwall in 1958, Moss is put in the embarrassment by the fixed price of its team at the time of the first GP of the season in Argentina (a fixed price " politique" , British Vanwall and official stables intending to protest against the late change of the payment on the fuel). To defend its chances with the championship, it obtains the right to be registered on a private Cooper of the stable of Rob Walker. Curiosity, it acts of a car whose Climax engine is located behind the pilot. Author of unspecified tests, Moss creates the feeling the day of the race while choosing a strategy not-stop and while asserting himself in front of all the favorites. It is about a historical victory: the very first one of an engine single-seater postpones in Formula 1. Of return on Vanwall starting from the GP of Monaco, it is victim of the chronic unreliability of the green cars and sees its brilliance often badly rewarded. Alternating victories and abandonments, Moss dominates F1 without managing to take the broad one with the championship and is seen in particular threatened by regular the Mike Hawthorn, on Ferrari. Moss is penalized by the unreliability of Vanwall but also by its exemplary fair play: with the GP of Portugal, antepenultimate sleeve of the season, it voluntarily lets pass an occasion to take the broad one with the championship while testifying near the official ones in favor of Hawthorn, classified second behind him but initially disqualified for a litigious operation (to set out again afterwards with a head with tail, Hawthorn had to briefly borrow the track from against direction). An abandonment in Italy makes him lose the head of general classification, and its victory in Morocco (the fourth of the season) is insufficient to return on Hawthorn, author in Casablanca of a race quite dull, but saved by the instructions of team in her favor (its team-member Phil Hill offered to him the 2nd place, synonymous with world title for a small point in advance on Moss).

Used by health issues, and very marked by the death of Stuart Lewis-Evans (one of the fellow-members of Moss) at the time of the GP of Morocco, Tony Vanderwell, the owner of Vanwall, announces that it withdraws championship, obliging the quadruple vice-champion of the world to find a new wheel. Convinced that the back engine is the solution, Moss engages with Cooper, but within the private stable of Rob Walker, and not of the official team. Cooper Walker is distinguished primarily from Cooper official by the use of a different gear box, of Colotti mark. But at the time of the two first sleeves of the season, Moss is by twice victim of a rupture of its gear box whereas it was at the head. Depity, Moss leaves Rob Walker to join the team British Racing Partnership whose owner is not other than his own father Alfred Moss. After two appearances on the BRM of the BRP (accident in Rheims and 2nd place with Aintree), it turns over to Rob Walker at the time of the GP of Germany, disputed on AVUS. In spite of the promises of Rob Walker, it notes, alas, that the problems of the Colotti box are far from being solved since its transmission breaks at the beginning of the race. The fate ceases being baited on him starting from the GP of Portugal, that Moss dominates of the head and the shoulders. It signs in Monza a new victory which enables him to preserve negligible hopes to be titrated with the GP of the United States, ultimate sleeve of the season. But to Sebring, one the énième breaking of its Colotti box definitively offers the title to Jack Brabham, on Cooper official.

Faithful to Rob Walker in spite of the troubles with repetition of the season 1959, Moss tackles the season 1960 by a new abandonment (breaking of suspension). After having recovered the car of its fellow-member Maurice Trintignant, he manages to go up until the third place, but this podium does not enable him to register the least point taking into account the new sporting regulation, intended to dissuade the pilots to take turns at the wheel. For the following test in Monaco, Moss knew to convince Walker to become purchaser of a new car: the Lotus 18, which with the hands of Innes Ireland made strong impression at the time of the first tests of the season. In the streets of the Principality, it signs the pole and is essential on the nose and the beard official pilots to offer to Lotus its very first success in championship of the world. In Zandvoort, beautiful but frustrating fourth place (acquired in spite of a not very banal incident at the beginning of race, a piece of concrete detached by a competitor fell down on a wheel of its Lotus and has constrained it to observe a long repair) enables him to remain well placed in the race with the title, but it loses all in Spa, where it is victim of a serious consecutive accident to the loss of a wheel. Raised with multiple fractures, Moss must observe a convalescence of several weeks and thus make the dead end on several races of the championship, that from which profits Brabham to escape and glaner a second world title. Moss carries out its return to Oporto (where it is disqualified to have carried out the same operation as Hawthorn two years before) then is essential easily on Riverside, the ultimate handle of the championship, which does nothing but poke the feeling that it passed once again beside a world title largely to its range.

For the season 1961, Moss does not appear in position of favorite. With the handicap not to evolve/move within a team of factory (there remains faithful to old Lotus 18 of the team of Rob Walker, while the official team left most modern Lotus 21), is added a new technical regulation which seems cut to measure for Ferrari. This forecast will be checked throughout the season, largely dominated by Ferrari of Wolfgang von Trips and Phil Hill. But on the two circuits of the season when the power engine is not determining (Monaco and the Nurburgring), Moss does not leave any chance to competition and delivers two dazzling lessons of piloting. At the wheel of Cooper, it also gains BRDC International Trophy in Silverstone, a test out-championship.

1962: the accident of Goodwood

Whereas they maintain the delicate relations since 1951 and one fallen through transfer, Enzo Ferrari and Stirling Moss join again contact at the time of winter 1961/1962. Ferrari agreed to entrust to Moss Ferrari all while enabling him to preserve its independence with respect to Scuderia: Moss will continue to roll under the colors of Rob Walker Racing, a rare favor which testifies to the respect of the Commendatore for the English. Before the beginning of the championship of the world, Moss takes part as in its practice in multiple races out-championship. Among those, Glover Trophy, disputed on April 23rd, 1962 on the circuit of Goodwood, one of its favorite layouts. Registered over a Lotus 18 deprived, Moss dominates the beginning of race before being lengthily delayed by engine trouble. Returned in track, it is about to duplicate itself of the leader Graham Hill when whom it draws straight to the entry from the turn of St-Mary and will be crushed at high-speed against the slope. Unconscious statement with multiple fractures, it spends several weeks to the hospital before having to start a painful rehabilitation. In spring 1963, in Goodwood nearly one year after its accident, it finds the wheel of a racing racing car. Its objective is to test itself, in order to know if it can take again its career. But at the end of half an hour, noting its deficit of performance like its lack of feeling at the wheel (difficulties of concentrating, absence of automatism in the gestures), he prefers to put a term at his career, estimating that he will not be able to find his best level.

Career Formulates 1 of them

Victories in Championship of the world of Formula 1

Prize list

In championship of the world of F1

66 Grand Prix disputed
16 victories
24 podiums
16 pole positions
20 better turns in race
186,5 marked points
Vice-champion of the world into 1955,1956,1957 and 1958

On the 21 pilots (having disputed at least 30 Grand Prix in their career) the percentage of victories is higher than 10%, Stirling Moss is with Tony Brooks not to have only obtained the world title.

Out-championship and out-F1 (to be come)

See too

Pilot of Formula 1: classification by better Pilot turns
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot podiums
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot poles position
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot victories
of Formula 1: classification by hat tricks

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