CONTENTS
94 Photographer Rainer W

Schlegelmilch was never
far from a racing Porsche
– or their drivers – in the
late 1960s and early ’70s

59

LETTERS
Your thoughts on Felipe Massa,
Howden Ganley and... Willie Rushton

62

RED BULL’S ADVANTAGE
Shades of Lotus in the ’70s as we
explain the tech behind the RB18 and 19

December

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX
The story behind F1’s most glitzy
race to date – but will it be a success?

86

ASTON MARTIN DP155
A near-forgotten experimental GP
racer that still exists in sports car guise

Issue No.1180 Volume 99, No.12

94

9

44

104

12

46

109

21

49

133

22

56

141

25

57

176

26

72

THE EDITOR
Joe Dunn on Bernie Ecclestone
in court and F1’s novel Vegas gamble

MATTERS OF MOMENT
Domination in racing disciplines,
Aston Hypercar and Graham Hill auction

F1 FRONTLINE: MARK HUGHES
While Andretti attempts to gain an
F1 entry, opposition continues
MOTORCYCLES: MAT OXLEY
Why we should expect the
emergence of an Indian brand in MotoGP

THE ARCHIVES: DOUG NYE
Plotting the generational shifts in
taste of high-end car collectors
ANDREW FRANKEL’S DIARY
Speed merchants George Follmer
and Andy Green, and Wales’s ‘20’ zones

28

FORMULA 1
Get up to speed with our race
reports, tactics insight and news

SCHLEGELMILCH /LAT IMAGES, DPPI

72

PORSCHE RACING MOMENTS
A sneak peek at photographer
Rainer W Schlegelmilch’s new book

EVENTS
Our preview of the Extreme E
climax in Chile, plus your key racing dates
BOOKS
Benetton’s remarkable F1 story,
and a biography of the first lady of speed

INTERVIEW: JIMMIE JOHNSON
The NASCAR master on what it’s
like to drive in a 200mph traffic jam

MY LIFE IN CARS
David Brabham looks back at
crucial cars, top races and sage advice

FLASHBACK...
Away from race day in 1991, Eddie
Jordan and Jean Alesi enjoy a boat ride

WORDS AND PICTURES
All you need to know about the
new Motoring Literary & Art Festival
PRECISION SPECIAL
See miles more dials in our
annual timepiece extravaganza

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
Take a look at our range of
goodies on offer in the Motor Sport shop

SHOWROOM
A low-mileage Escort Mexico for
sale and our monthly auction round up

PARTING SHOT
Racing fans get close to the
machines at a damp 1965 US Grand Prix

Well, he’s done it – Max is
world champion again. Our F1
editor looks at the aero lead of
Red Bull in 2022 and ’23

40

DRIVEN: ALPINE A110 R
How can you make an already
perfect car better? Not easily...

42

DRIVEN: QUICK TESTS
Stretch out in the even longer
Defender, and Polestar’s EV guiding light
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

5

2019 RAC TT WINNING, GOODWOOD COBRA LAP RECORD HOLDING
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THE EX – LEW FLORENCE, PAUL NAU, CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING
1958 LOTUS – CLIMAX 15

THE EX – TONY SETTEMBER, 2ND IN THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
1963 SCIROCCO BRM SP1 1.5-LITRE V8 FORMULA 1

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here is nothing quite like an
arresting photograph. And the
one that caught my eye last
month was of Bernie Ecclestone
snapped by a passer-by standing
in a queue at a donut stall
moments after he had been relieved of £652m
by a court after pleading guilty to tax fraud.
When asked about the case he replied he
couldn’t say anything because of the “bloody
lawyers”. It was typical Bernie, embodying
both unimaginable wealth and man-on-thestreet straightforwardness at the same time.
I won’t go into details of the case but there
was a certain irony to the fact that Bernie’s
downfall (in a legal sense; the 93-year-old still
managed to negotiate avoiding a jail term)
came just as we were preparing our coverage
of the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix.
A race on the Strip was always a dream of
Ecclestone’s who saw it as crucial to breaking
America as well as turbocharging global TV
audiences. Importantly the street race would
also enable him to break the hold that circuits
had on ‘his’ show. His first effort back in the
1980s with the ill-fated Caesars Palace GP
might have bombed but Ecclestone never gave
up the ambition and even as late as 2014 was
negotiating with Vegas powerbrokers about a
grand prix on a street circuit around the city.
Now, six years after he left the sport, the
new owners are close to realising his dream.
As we report in this issue (page 72) the
2023 Vegas GP is shaping up to be a genuine
sporting moment – the apotheosis of F1’s desire
to fuse entertainment and sport into an
irresistible package to be beamed around the
world to a billion smartphones and screens.
But beneath the glitz and glamour there
is a serious side to the race that the grey-suited
accountants as well as traditional circuit
owners will be paying particular attention to.
As Edd Straw reveals in his excellent analysis
of how the race came about, the business
model for Vegas marks a significant shift
for the sport – one that could have major
implications for how it develops in the future.
Traditionally F1 has been a very asset-light
entity in that it doesn’t own very much – not
the teams, drivers or circuits, but instead
makes its money from selling the media rights
and promoter fees. In Vegas it’s different. Here
F1 has bought real infrastructure: investing half
a billion dollars in paddock and pits and in
collaboration with third parties including the
hotels is effectively its own race promoter. In
theory it is a model that could be rolled out

THE
EDITOR

“A race on
the Las Vegas
Strip was
always a
dream of
Ecclestone’s”
globally – bypassing traditional circuits and
giving F1 complete control over its ‘product’.
In the past F1 has been a little coy about
whether it was looking to expand or develop
the concept to other locations. “Vegas is
unique for many reasons,” said Gregg Maffei,
CEO of Liberty Media, owner of F1, last year,
playing down the idea of expansion.
But now, the tone seems to have subtly
changed. Listen to Zak Brown talking to Straw
in our feature: “If we can get this right, all of
a sudden in some of those other markets that
we need to be in, maybe we can control our
own destiny more.
“If that model works then the dream
schedule [is possible]. I’d love to see us back
in India. They’ve got a track; it didn’t work
[from 2011-2013] but if the Vegas model works
let’s go to India and not be reliant on a country

writing us a cheque, let’s go and do it
ourselves.” Bernie would certainly agree.
Last year I sat down with Philip Porter of Porter
Press International, the quite prolific book
publishers, to discuss one of his latest ideas.
I have met Philip on several occasions and he
is nothing if not enthusiastic about his
business, and to his credit he is constantly
looking for innovative ways to promote his
titles. These days that is exactly what you need
to do: simply publishing a book and hoping it
will sell is not enough.
We had worked together previously on a
celebration of the E-type’s 60th anniversary
at Shelsley Walsh, a wonderful event which
harnessed the nostalgia of the 1960s to create
a weekend full of evocative cars and dress, all
the while allowing Philip to promote his books
about this period via the live stage.
It was a neat idea, but his latest plan, as
he explained it, was even grander: a full-on
motoring-themed literary and arts festival
complete with author talks, stalls and exhibits
that would be the first of its kind in the world.
It would, he said, showcase the best products
and titles – including from rival publishers.
This ambitious plan is now a reality, and
next month the Motoring Literary & Arts
Festival will officially launch at the home of
British motor sport, Silverstone. What’s more,
Motor Sport is proud to be a partner in the
endeavour, and as you can read on page 104,
it will be an action-packed event. Over 50
speakers and 30 different Q&A sessions will
be devoted to motor sport subjects. Exhibits
will include everything from posters to
original art works to a demo on the littleknown craft of bookbinding. “Whether you
are into Formula 1, sports car racing, motor
sport movies, technical stuff, painting, books,
sculpture or illustrations, we have it covered,”
states Porter, with typical enthusiasm.
The event takes place on December 2
and 3 in the Silverstone Wing, with tickets and
more details available on the dedicated festival
website and also via the Porter Press site. We
hope to see you there!

Joe Dunn, editor
Follow Joe on Twitter @joedunn90
NEXT ISSUE: OUR JANUARY ISSUE IS
ON SALE FROM NOVEMBER 29
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

9

IN THE SPIRIT OF BOD AND JENKS

Editorial

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10

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

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SCAN ME

MATTERS of MOMENT
Ash Sutton joined the
ranks of the BTCC
greats with his fourth
championship

In endurance racing,
Toyota Gazoo Racing
proved to be the team
to beat with its GR010
Hybrid Hypercar

In the IMSA SportsCar
Championship, the GTP
title went to the final race,
with Whelen’s Pipo
Derani and Alexander
Sims taking the title

Champions of 2023: how
domination is the trend
Just as Max Verstappen has wiped the floor in Formula 1, so across
the motor racing disciplines we have seen drivers eclipsing rivals
n the wake of Max Verstappen dotting
the i’s on his third consecutive Formula
1 world championship, the 2023 roll
call of winners in motor sport’s
patchwork of codes has continued to
emerge – and a pattern suggests the
theme of one-driver domination is far from
confined to the pinnacle.
Among the notable landmarks, Ash
Sutton’s fourth British Touring Car
Championship in seven years stands proud.
At 29, the Hertfordshire racer has already
drawn level with joint series record holders
12

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Colin Turkington and Andy Rouse and appears
to have the BTCC at his mercy. A tally of six
pole positions, 20 podiums from 30 races and
12 victories – matching Alain Menu’s total from
1997 – are the tip of Sutton’s level of domination
in his Alliance Racing Ford Focus. It was only
a surprise that title rival, 2022 champion Tom
Ingram, clung on to take their battle to the last
rounds at Brands Hatch. But with a buffer of
45 points, Sutton stormed to another pole
position and won the first race to seal
the crown, then made it a clean dozen for the
season in the second of the day’s three races.

Sutton’s achievements have astonished
regular BTCC watchers, who already consider
him among the best tin-top specialists of any
era. “He’s head and shoulders the best right
now, and that’s not to denigrate the fantastic
drivers he’s up against,” says 1992 BTCC
champion Tim Harvey. “In MotoGP terms he’s
Marc Márquez or Valentino Rossi in their
prime, or a Verstappen in F1 terms.”
In sports car racing, Toyota might have
lost the Le Mans 24 Hours this year to Ferrari,
but it remains the benchmark in the World
Endurance Championship. Its German-based

GETTY IMAGES, TOYOTA GAZOO RACING, INDYCAR, IMSA/LAT IMAGES

Chip Ganassi’s
Álex Palou made it
two IndyCar titles
in three years

Super Kalle goes
ballistic: Toyota’s
Rovanperä has been
WRC’s frontrunner
since the Portugal
Rally in May

Gazoo Racing has gained further silverware
by earning a fifth consecutive constructors’
title, while its two crews of three drivers will
battle for honours at the Bahrain 8 Hours
season finale on November 4.
At least in the US the IMSA SportsCar series
has bucked the domination trend with a battle
that almost went down to the final hour.
Cadillac became the first IMSA champion of
the new Hypercar GTP era as Pipo Derani and
Britain’s Alexander Sims edged out Wayne
Taylor Racing’s Acura at the 10-hour Petit
Le Mans finale – in Derani’s case quite literally.
The crown was earned under a shadow of
controversy when WTR’s Filipe Albuquerque
challenged Derani at Road Atlanta’s Turn 1 with
just over an hour to go, only to find himself
run off the road and into a heavy impact with
a barrier. No action was taken by the stewards
and Derani secured the sixth place he and Sims
needed to become champions in their Action
Express-run Cadillac V-LMDh.
Back in September Álex Palou claimed his
second IndyCar crown in three years for Chip
Ganassi Racing from a season in which he was
comfortably the most consistent performer.

Surprise package
Gabriel Bortoleto,
age 19, took the
FIA Formula 3
championship at
his first attempt

The Spaniard scored five wins, 10 podiums
and two pole positions to secure the title with
a round to spare, amid a second round of tugof-love rows over his future services. Having
tried and failed to switch to McLaren last year,
this time Palou angered the team by choosing
to stay at Ganassi and will set his aim for 2024
on conquering the one that has got away from
him so far in his young career: the
Indianapolis 500.
In the junior single-seater
ranks, Trident’s Brazilian
teenager Gabriel Bortoleto – a
protégé of Fernando Alonso who
has just signed as a development
driver for McLaren – was a
surprise yet convincing champion
in FIA Formula 3, having led from
the start of the season. The FIA
Formula 2 title will be decided in Abu Dhabi
on November 26, but ART Grand Prix’s Théo
Pourchaire holds a commanding 25-point lead
over Prema Racing’s Frederik Vesti.
In the World Rally Championship
deadlines have beaten us on the question of
whether 23-year-old Kalle Rovanperä has

already wrapped up his second title with a
round to spare. As Motor Sport closed for
press, the Finn was heading to the new Central
European Rally, which spans the Czech
Republic, Germany and Austria, with a 31-point
lead over his only title rival Elfyn Evans.
Up to this point, it’s been another season
of what might have been in the WRC thanks
to eight-time champion Sébastien
Ogier’s insistence on only
competing part-time. When Ogier
did turn out the Frenchman
proved he remains a major force,
scoring wins on Monte-Carlo,
Rally Mexico and Safari Rally
Kenya. Yet instead of bidding to
equal Sébastien Loeb’s record of
nine titles, Ogier steadfastly
refused to be drawn in for what
could have been an epic season-long duel with
the impressive Rovanperä.
New hope to end the theme of domination
in the WRC at least springs eternal for next
year now that 2019 champion Ott Tänak has
confirmed his return to Hyundai following a
frustrating season with M-Sport Ford.

“When
Sébastien
Ogier
turned out
he proved a
major force”

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

13

MATTERS of MOMENT
Aston Martin will head to
Le Mans in 2025 with a
Hypercar contender
inspired directly by
the Valkyrie road car

Stroll targets Le Mans win with Valkyrie

H

e told us before he was supposed
to more than 18 months ago – but
now it is official: Lawrence Stroll
has pressed the green light on Aston
Martin pitching for an overall win at
Le Mans in 2025 with a revived bid based
around its Valkyrie hypercar.
Stroll announced the plan at the new
Aston Martin Performance Technologies
base at Silverstone as the British sports
car maker gears up for a twin attack on
both the US-based IMSA series and the
World Endurance Championship. That
means the Valkyrie is due to make its race

debut at the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours, a little
more than a year from now.
Originally announced in 2019, Stroll
cancelled – or as it turned out shelved – the
Valkyrie racing project shortly after his
consortium took a controlling interest in
Aston Martin Lagonda. But now Stroll has
decided the time is right to revive a racer
based on the Valkyrie AMR Pro originally
designed by Adrian Newey and powered
by a tuned version of its Cosworth-built
6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine –
free of any hybrid complications. Its aural
appeal looks certain to make Aston Martin

ASTON MARTIN, McLAREN

McLaren united
for La Sarthe
comeback
Could a crack at the
new LMGT3 class be a
precursor to a McLaren
Hypercar?

T

wo days after Aston Martin announced
its Valkyrie programme, above, McLaren
became the latest big name to reveal its
own Le Mans and WEC campaign – even if it’s
not yet ready to bid for an overall win in the
Hypercar class. Instead, McLaren will make its
La Sarthe comeback next year in the LMGT3

once again a fan favourite at Le Mans.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of
the project is the trust that has been placed
in Heart of Racing, the US-based team run
by British expat racing driver Ian James
which will run both the WEC and IMSA
programmes. James raced in junior singleseaters back in the 1990s, including Ron
Tauranac’s Ronta Formula Renault, before
establishing himself as a respected
endurance racer Stateside. Now he has the
keys to deliver Aston its first major overall
wins since the DBR1 conquered Le Mans and
the World Sportscar Championship in 1959.

class that is replacing GTE Pro, running a pair
of 720S GT3s for a full WEC campaign. And it
was a surprise to no one that United Autosports
has been chosen to spearhead the return given
the Leeds-based team was co-founded by
McLaren Racing chief Zak Brown.
“We have long viewed the WEC as a natural
fit for demonstrating the performance of our
cars,” said McLaren Automotive CEO Michael
Leiters. He added that Le Mans remains “an
intrinsic part of our enduring success in motor
sport”, in reference to McLaren’s famous
victory in the 24 Hours with the F1 GTR in 1995.
The question is, how long before McLaren
commits to build a Hypercar?
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

15

MATTERS of MOMENT

Alex Brundle (No1) leads
the Jaguar Challenge
field away at Silverstone
in a continuation E-type

Barclay banks a
podium in E-type
guest showing

J

aguar’s modern era blended with its past
at Motor Racing Legends’ Silverstone
season finale when the Big Cat’s Formula
E team chief, James Barclay, starred in the
‘chassis zero’ lightweight continuation
E-type in the Jaguar Challenge race.
It was Barclay’s second drive in the car
following his historic racing debut at the
Silverstone Festival. Alex Brundle, son of
1990 Jaguar Le Mans winner Martin, built a
lead, but that advantage was lost in the
pitstops when he handed over to Barclay to
finish the hour-long race. The Formula E
team boss finished third behind James Dodd
and Jonathan Mitchell, before his day job
called him to Valencia for a pre-season test.
The highlight of the MRL finale was the
three-hour Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall
Cup, run in dry but tricky conditions into
sunset. Youth beat experience in the race

for 1960s GTs as 21-year-old Harry Barton,
sharing a TVR Griffith with Ollie Reuben,
held off Olympian shooter John Davison in
the Griffith he co-drove with Ollie’s father,
Nigel. Davison passed Rob Huff ’s Jaguar
E-type for second on the penultimate lap
but ran out of time to catch Barton.
Davison, who shot for Great Britain at
the Sydney Olympics in 2000, made up for
falling short the next day. He won both the
HRDC Dunlop Allstars race in the Griffith
and the Jack Sears Trophy in a Ford Mustang.
‘Pony Car’ power also told in the Gerry
Marshall Trophy as Fred Shepherd
dominated in his Boss Mustang.
BMW E30 M3s finished 1-2-3 in the
Historic Touring Car Challenge. BTCC hero
Colin Turkington led the first two-thirds, but
car owner Mark Smith was passed by Darren
Fielding in the final five minutes.

From top: Cooper Monacos set
the pace in the Stirling Moss
Trophy; M3 touring car lock-out

F

irst we had Brad Pitt at Silverstone
ahead of his upcoming F1 film and now
we have Keanu Reeves ‘starring’ in a
re-telling of the Brawn GP story.
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story
will be aired in November and takes the form
of a documentary hosted by the Hollywood
actor best known to under-25s as John Wick
and to the rest of us as one half of Bill & Ted.
The four-part series focuses on how the team
made the “impossible happen” and refers

16

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

to itself as a “Formula 1 fairy tale”. More
interesting for our readers is the promise of
newly unearthed and unseen archive footage
from 2009 as well as contributions from Ross
Brawn, Jenson Button and Nick Fry.
Reeves himself is a keen biker and in
2007 founded the luxury custom bike
company Arch Motorcycles, riding his own
Arch KRGT-1 up the hill at Goodwood in 2016.
The series is on Disney+ and will premier
from November 15.

MATT WELCH, JEFF BLOXHAM, ALESSIO BARBANTI

Keanu’s excellent F1 adventure

MATTERS of MOMENT
-

T

rophies and memorabilia from the
minister John Major for winning the 1992 F1
and 1993 IndyCar titles. The memorabilia
career of Graham Hill – motor sport’s
had previously been on show or kept in
only winner of the Triple Crown – is
storage at Mansell’s Jersey museum, which
the latest prized collection set for auction.
Among the lots heading for RM Sotheby’s
has been closed down following the 70-yearLondon sale on Saturday, November 4 are
old’s move to Florida.
Hill’s trophies for winning the 1969 Monaco
Nine of the top 10 sales were crash
Grand Prix and 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours, plus
helmets, the most expensive being the lid
the $12,500 cheque he received for his 1966
used for his first F1 win at the 1985 European
Indy 500 victory, above left. Other lots in the
GP at Brands Hatch. It sold for £68,400. The
sale include his world champion’s trophy
top-selling trophy was the gold-plated San
from 1962 and a 1970 Bell helmet in Hill’s
Marino GP award from his championshipLondon Rowing Club colours,
winning 1992 season, which
above right.
went for £28,800.
The auction follows hot on
Of the 48 race suits to go
the heels of Nigel Mansell’s sale
under the hammer, the topof his career memorabilia,
selling example was a set of
which raised more than £2m.
Williams overalls, again from
The 324 lots, also sold by RM
his F1 title-winning year
Sotheby’s, included trophies,
(£21,600), while a suit dating
race-worn crash helmets,
back to his 1998 British
The Nigel Mansell Legacy
steering wheels and even
Touring Car Championship,
Collection sale at
Downing Street letters of
where he made cameos in a
RM Sotheby’s featured
congratulation from then prime helmets, suits and trophies Ford Mondeo, went for £1740.

This 1969 Monaco GP
trophy will be in the
Graham Hill
Collection sale at
RM Sotheby’s

Look, no
driver?
It’s coming…

T

he prospect of autonomous motor
sport taking its next step towards
reality appears to be on the horizon.
Plans have been revealed for the Abu Dhabi
Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) to hold
its first race at the Yas Marina circuit on
April 28 next year. Ten teams from
universities and research institutions
from around the world have signed up to
compete for a prize pool totalling £2.1m.
Each will take delivery of a Dallara SF23
single-seater, as seen in Japan’s highpowered Super Formula category.
“This initiative is inspiring a new
generation to re-imagine and innovate for
a brighter future in an international-scale
race,” said Dr Tom McCarthy, executive
director of Aspire, the series’ driving force.
“By equipping competitive teams with the
newly adapted Dallara SF23 cars, complete
with an autonomy stack, we’re ensuring
a level playing field.”
Autonomous racing projects are
not new. A company called Roborace
pioneered the concept with its DevBot
self-driving car, as seen at Formula E events
and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
But the prospect of as many as 10 Super
Formula Dallaras racing wheel to wheel
takes the ‘sport’ to new levels.

Self-driving Dallara racing cars.
Huh, whatever will they think of next?

18

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

ALAMY, RM SOTHEBY’S

Hammer to fall on
Hill memorabilia

This Mercedes chassis had a
busy 2013, driven by Lewis
Hamilton in 14 out of 19 races.
Below: Hamilton explains what
these buttons do on YouTube...

Drive to archive

ALEX PENFOLD ©2021 COURTESY OF RM SOTHEBY’S, GRAND PRIX PHOTO

A rare opportunity to own a Lewis Hamilton race-winning
Formula 1 Mercedes is expected to create a stir in Las Vegas
uctions of ultra-rare vehicles
are becoming increasingly
glitzy affairs, as demonstrated
by the fact that a Ferrari 250
GTO will cross the block at
Sotheby’s in New York on
November 13, not in a car event but as a
special lot in the firm’s flagship contemporary
art sale [see Matters of Moment, November].
And there are few venues more glitzy
than the shamelessly over-the-top Wynn Las
Vegas resort (with its 4748 rooms, $130m
fake mountain with man-made greenery and
four giant swimming pools), which might
explain why RM Sotheby’s has chosen it as
the place to sell Lewis Hamilton’s first racewinning Mercedes Formula 1 car two days
before this year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Hamilton was a mere one-time world
champion when he was signed to the team
in 2013 and handed the ‘keys’ of the
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 featured
here – a car in which he achieved a single
but significant victory, taking the chequered
flag at the Hungarian Grand Prix an
impressive 11 seconds ahead of secondplaced Kimi Räikkönen.

But while it was the following season that
Hamilton’s rise to true greatness really began
when he racked up 11 of the Silver Arrows’
16 victories, it’s difficult to overstate the
importance of W04’s role as the springboard
to his subsequent six Formula 1 world
championship titles.
Not so long ago modern F1 cars were of
relatively little value because there were
fewer people who were both interested in
buying them and who had the means to pay
for their running and maintenance.
An ever-rising number of billionaire car
fans has changed all that, along with the fact

Hamilton’s sole Formula 1 win in 2013 came at
the Hungaroring – his first in the Mercedes seat

that there are now far more opportunities
to drive them.
And surely a ‘holy grail’ for anyone who
wants a (reasonably) contemporary F1 car
is to secure one used to win a key race by a
driver whom many regard as being among
the greatest of all time.
Add the fact that very few modern
Mercedes F1 cars have escaped captivity (this
one has been based in Europe in the hands
of a private owner for several years) and
the status of the marque as the maker of the
top-selling car in history – the Uhlenhaut
Coupé that fetched £114.4m last year – and
the likelihood of the £12m top estimate for
W04 being surpassed begins to seem more
probable than possible.
If that’s a theory that sounds too bonkers,
take a look at Wynn Las Vegas for a reminder
of just how mad the world has become.
2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04. On
sale with RM Sotheby’s, Las Vegas, US,
November 17. Estimate: £8m-£12m
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

19

FORMULA 1

MARK HUGHES

“Arguments rage about
whether Andretti can
reach a deal with Liberty”
lthough the FIA, as the sport’s
governing body, has given its
all-clear for Michael Andretti’s
IndyCar team to join F1 from
2025 or ’26, the arguments
continue to rage about whether
the team can reach a deal with Liberty, F1’s
commercial rights holder. Under the terms of
governance the FIA has 12 team slots it can
allocate, only 10 of which are currently taken
up. But Liberty must approve – and a big part
of that is the new team reaching a commercial
agreement for its share of F1 income generated
from hosting fees, TV rights, etc, something
the existing 10 teams are opposed to.
The opposition of the existing teams to
this idea is not difficult to fathom. They’d
rather not have their share of F1’s income split
11 ways. They don’t get an actual veto, but their
collective view carries a lot of weight.
They were the original 10 signatories to
the commercial deal with Liberty before the
Netflix-driven boost in popularity
supercharged the value of the teams, as
franchise holders. Liberty in turn wants to
keep its existing franchise holders happy and
is somewhat caught in the middle between
the FIA and the teams. It would rather the
Andretti problem be solved through it buying
an existing team, but Andretti already has a
team and has spent millions in preparation
for the bid. It has no wish to buy an existing
team, especially since having its hands burned
trying to buy Sauber in ’21. That deal was
reportedly within 48 hours of completing
when the terms were changed massively
upwards (and soon afterwards Sauber reached
agreement to sell to Audi).
But if F1 would like Andretti to stay away,
it would very much like the partner Andretti
has secured – Cadillac – to join the party. As
the prestige brand of General Motors, it’s
highly desirable. It’s as if the nightclub
doorman has denied you entry but invited
your girlfriend to step right in.

So is the existing teams’ position based
purely on greed? Williams team principal
James Vowles put the case for why that’s not
so: “Williams is against the addition of an 11th
team, and strongly against,” he said to Sky F1.
“My responsibility is to the 900 employees
within my company. If you look at Companies
House, you can go and look it up for Williams.
You will see from 2021 to ’22 [our] losses are
in the tens of millions. The ’23 numbers you
won’t see yet but it’s multiples above that.
“The reason why is we are investing in this
sport to become better. We believe in where
the sport is going. We believe in the direction
of travel. We actually have a sustainable entity
for once. But it should be known that this isn’t
just us that aren’t financially stable. I’d say
probably half the grid aren’t. I think the
addition of an 11th team is a sensible thing – but
only at the point where the 10th team on the
grid is financially stable. I’m
fortunate to have owners
[Dorilton] that really believe in
what we’re doing and invest
in what we’re doing. But we
need to take care as a sport to
make sure we look after that.
Everyone says we’re in a good
place – we are in some regards.
“But there is hundreds of
millions being invested [by the
teams] to make the sport better. It becomes
therefore clear why we’re very careful about
diluting what we’ve already got. Because it’s
just more losses on the table. We’re more than
happy to bring in new entities, but the pie has
to grow as a result of it, not shrink.”
These losses he talks of are on the balance
sheet as teams are heavily investing in capital
expenditure (up to the limits of what is allowed
within the cost cap regulations). Those capital
expenditure limits have recently been
increased, largely at Williams’ urging, as it
attempts to update infrastructure which is 20
years old or more, investments that the bigger

teams were able to make before the cost cap
when Williams could not. But the point is,
these investments show up as a loss on the
snapshot in time that is a balance sheet but
they are increasing the value of the team. It is
only because of the recent boom in F1 and the
increased revenues of the teams that investors
such as Dorilton and Lawrence Stroll will have
been confident in committing to upgrading
them. It’s not that those teams are in bad
financial shape overall.
Those that made those investments before
the cost cap are now very profitable. Mercedes
F1 for example made £113m profit in 2022.
Part of any new team’s commercial deal
is the requirement to provide an anti-dilution
fee (currently set at $200m – £165m) which is
shared out among the teams. That would cover
about five years’ worth of the 10% reduction
in the slice of the pie for the 10 existing teams.
But this number could change
by the time Andretti would be
coming in. Ironically, it was set
at $200m because that was what
Williams had recently been sold
for to Dorilton. Since then,
Audi’s purchase of Sauber for
around three times that amount
indicates how the valuation of
teams has rocketed. There is a
genuine belief that some teams
could be valued at $1bn – or £820m.
It’s difficult not to see this resistance to
Andretti’s entry as anything other than greed.
This now looks set to be a grind of endurance.
How long will Andretti continue to pump
money into getting on the grid, how many
more swingeing financial commitments will
it have to make before F1 finally accepts it
needs to do a deal to allow it in?

“There is a
genuine belief
that some
teams could
be valued
at $1bn”

Since he began covering grand prix racing in
2000, Mark Hughes has forged a reputation as
the finest Formula 1 analyst of his generation
Follow Mark on Twitter @SportmphMark
December 2023 Motor Sport

21

MOTORCYCLES

MAT OXLEY

“So will an Indian
manufacturer ever contest
MotoGP? Why not?”
omething significant happened in the
world of motorcycling this year:
India overtook China as the world’s
leading manufacturer of powered
two-wheelers, with an annual output
of more than 18 million units.
That’s a lot of motorcycles and scooters,
but there are many more powered two-wheelers
on the roads of India – around 160 million. The
country moves and grooves on two wheels, with
riders ducking and diving through the traffic,
which seems to flow like a single river running
in several different directions. It’s a joy to watch:
a remarkable motion of beautiful chaos.
A dozen Indian brands now manufacturer
motorcycles, generating profits that have
inevitably led some to motor sport. The
country’s biggest brand, Hero MotoCorp,
contested the 2023 Dakar with its own
motorcycle, winning two stages, so these are
no longer what some Westerners once mocked
as second-class outfits.
By chance, India marked its crowning as
the world’s greatest motorcycling power by
hosting its first MotoGP round in September,
in the 75th year of the world championship.
The event was staged at the Buddh Circuit,
where Formula 1 raced from 2011 to 2013.
Serious doubts hung over the race until it
actually happened. The Hermann Tilkedesigned track works brilliantly for bikes and
the crowd was keen and knowledgeable. The
only real issue was the furnace-like heat.
Several teams ran temperature sensors in
their cockpits (where riders tuck in behind the
screen) and inside riders’ boots, which revealed
riders were breathing air at over 50°C, while
their feet were slow-cooking at 60. No matter,
the event was judged a great success, so Buddh
will host MotoGP until at least 2029.
India’s motorcycle story began soon after
independence in 1947, when Jawaharlal Nehru’s
government decided its army and police
needed machines. Almost a thousand 350cc
Royal Enfield Bullets – manufactured in
22

Motor Sport December 2023

Redditch, Worcestershire – were imported.
Soon, only the parts were imported, the
machines assembled in Chennai (then Madras)
by the newly formed Enfield of India, an AngloIndian partnership that perhaps signified the
changing of the guard.
During the 1960s, as the British motorcycle
industry collapsed under the weight of Japanese
competition, Royal Enfield sold all its Bullet
machine tools and jigs to Enfield of India.
For several decades Indian roads were
ruled by mongrel Anglo-Indian machines,
mostly Bullets and Morris Oxford cars. Like
Enfield, Morris Motors of Cowley had sold the
tooling for its Oxford saloon to the Indians, who
rechristened it the Hindustan Ambassador.
Even now, you see a few loping around Delhi,
like sweet old gentlemen making their way
through the morass of modern humanity.
Liberalisation of Indian industry in the
1980s changed everything. Four
brothers of the Munjal family, who
had fled the vicious partition of
India and Pakistan in the late
1940s, went into business with
Honda, building small-capacity,
low-cost bikes in Hero Honda’s first
factory near Delhi.
This was an unbeatable
partnership, between the world’s
biggest motorcycle manufacturer
and one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
You might think Honda was the senior partner,
but a decade or so ago the Mujal family exited
the agreement and now Hero MotoCorp sells
nearly half the powered two-wheelers in India,
around eight million units. Second in the sales
league comes Honda itself.
What’s really interesting is how legendary
brands have bent themselves to get in on the
act. Until recently, Harley-Davidson only sold
large-capacity V-twins. Few Indians can afford
such machines, so Harley did a deal with Hero
MotoCorp to produce the X440, a 440cc single,
manufactured in Rajasthan, northern India.

Austrian brand KTM, Europe’s largest
motorcycle manufacturer and a major player
in MotoGP, has even stronger links with India.
The company is 49% owned by Bajaj Auto,
India’s second-biggest motorcycle maker, based
in Pune, near Mumbai. Bajaj makes motorcycles
for itself, for KTM and now for Triumph. The
Leicestershire-based marque, brought back to
life in the 1990s by construction magnate John
Bloor, produces a variety of highly regarded
larger-capacity motorcycles. Its total annual
output was around 84,000 units. Earlier this
year Triumph launched a new 400cc single,
aimed solely at the Indian market. Bajaj will
annually make 100,000 of these machines,
thereby more than doubling Triumph’s global
output in one fell swoop.
Meanwhile India’s third-largest producer,
TVS Motor Company, recently bought Norton
and has invested £100m in a new Norton factory
in Birmingham, where the brand
originated in 1902.
BSA, also born in the city as
the Birmingham Small Arms
Company, is also rising again via
Indian investment. The vast
Mumbai-based Mahindra group
relaunched the iconic Gold Star
last year. Production of the
machine is due to move from India
to Birmingham. The numbers and
ambition make you swoon.
So will an Indian manufacturer ever contest
MotoGP? Why not? Mahindra entered Moto3
(MotoGP’s Formula 3) in 2011, when the
company chairman announced, “The Indians
are coming!” Mahindra won two GPs before
quitting the class a few years later. The premier
category is within reach for whichever Indian
manufacturer is ready to commit.

“Sensors
revealed
riders were
breathing
air at over
500C”

Mat Oxley has covered motorcycle racing
for many years – and also has the distinction
of being an Isle of Man TT winner
Follow Mat on Twitter @matoxley

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THE ARCHIVES

DOUG NYE

“One generation’s greats
become a following
generation’s so-whats”
ay back around 195960 I recall it was my
big brother who first
pointed me towards
this magazine. “It tells
you more about the
cars than the others”, he said, and I instantly
found he was right. When I first started
drawing racing cars, then writing about them
in 1963, this was good grounding.
In 1970-71 happenstance brought contact
with Tom Wheatcroft, the Leicester buildercum-racing car collector then compiling his
illustrious Donington Collection. For Tom
I at last became literally hands on with some
of the world’s most mouthwatering Formula
1 cars. Spool forward to the early ’80s and
first involvement with the historic and classic
car auction world, consulting on car histories
and provenance – a kind of racing car Fake
or Fortune?. I had always wanted to get closer
to the action, so there I found myself just
about as happy as a pig in the proverbial.
Via the auction connection – and mostly
amusing, but quite often uncomfortable
experience of the classic car trading world,
Goodwood then happened along. Suddenly,
all involved on that front found ourselves
just grasping a real tiger by the tail, fighting
desperately to hang on…
Today, this background provides a
reasonable platform from which to review
how the perceived scale of classic racing car
values has progressed over intervening years
– and it clearly adopts a wave-form – one
generation’s greats becoming a following
generation’s so-whats.
It’s predominantly the great and famous
cars of our youth which generate those waves.
Talking recently with one friend and long-time
historic F1 owner, he vividly recalls the
excitement – the absolutely unforgettable
buzz – he experienced when given the chance
to stand beside a great car of the time on
the starting grid for his home Grand Prix. The

life-shaping image in his mind of being right
there, just beside the car’s left-front wheel as
his hero – that year’s World Champion – had
a mechanic dust off the sole of one racing
boot, then stepped that foot into the cockpit,
had the other boot cleaned, lifted that adroitly
wide of the coaming, and slid down into the
tailored seat to have his belts fastened around
him lives on today, crystal clear. Maybe 20
years later that young enthusiast was able to
add that great car to his own personal
collection, and he has since preserved and
frequently raced it… all triggered by the fact
that it had been his absolute impossible-dream
pin-up of the time.
It’s a perfectly natural generational thing.
The great star cars which early collectors of
the 1950s valued most were mainly those
made famous during their youth in the
1920s; Bugatti Type 35s, Alfa Romeo 1750s
and – ooh nurse – the straight-8 supercharged
GP Delages. Phwoarrr! In relative terms
they reigned as the latter-day
motoring world’s most valuable.
Roll forward to the 1970s.
Different generation: monetarily,
’20s classics were retreating into
more a minority-cult corner.
The big deal then amongst fans
who had made enough money
to indulge their interest was
more for the superstar classics
of the 1940s-50s – from Alfa
8C-2300/2900 through the unattainable Silver
Arrows, the grand routier body styles, plus of
course the postwar Jaguar Cs and Ds, Aston
Martin DB3Ses, Maserati’s cheerfully friendly
finest and – of course – La Ferrari in almost
all its forms.
While some such classics have retained
enduring allure – often because by that time
their inherent performance in use would
already stretch most owner-drivers’ skills to
their uttermost limits – the mass level of cars
from that period, those below the cream – have

since seen their market attractiveness decline.
Into the ’90s, another new generational
change was made. To this one, even the
utterly gorgeous Swiss-watch intricacies of
early ’60s F1 cars had faded. But hey – 3-litre
F1 cars? Now you’re talking. Porsche 917s
and 908s. Oh my life! Roll on; 2000s. Where
enthusiast interest had once been wowed
by D-type Jaguars, assorted front-engined
Ferraris and the like, interest began to dawn
on Jaguar XJRs, and later.
Now in the 2020s, we see zillion-dollar
impossibly unusable, blingy ‘supercars’
and/or ‘hypercars’ – an emerging new
enthusiast generation wowed not at all by
achievement in competition, but by
promotional programmes, global exposure,
especially online. Increasingly the posters
on a school kid’s bedroom wall seem to
feature more that kind of car, than anything
any star driver ever actually raced. Theory,
not practice, is becoming key.
From experience it’s a
tough call when one is breaking
the news to a would-be vendor
of a long-cherished classic once
worth a fortune that its marketwowing days are now longgone. Generational demand has
moved on – that car’s once-peak
value has halved.
Then there’s the totally
unique – a car that’s so special
it surely ticks every possible box for the
historic enthusiast. It’s a landmark design,
supreme driver, matchless race record… But
market interest at a matching level?
A concerted chorus of praise, “…what a
FANTASTIC car… for someone else to own”.
As generations change, here’s the reality…
for many a tough pill to swallow.

“In the
2000s
interest
began to
dawn on
Jaguar XJRs”

Doug Nye is the UK’s leading motor racing
historian and has been writing authoritatively
about the sport since the 1960s
December 2023 Motor Sport

25

DIARY

ANDREW FRANKEL
“Will the Land Speed Record
ever be broken again?
In my lifetime, I doubt it”
i,” said the smartly dressed
lady in the hospitality unit
at the seventh annual
Rennsport Reunion held
at Laguna Seca at the end
of September, “but can
you remind me which French film star you
look like?” It would have been an interesting
approach out of the blue from anyone, but I’d
already noticed this particular person – to
whom I’d never said one word in my life –
because up until this moment she’d been sat
with George Follmer.
“Jean Reno,” I replied. “Everyone seems to
think I look like Jean Reno.”
“That’s the guy!” she exclaimed before
going on to tell me she’d spent her entire life
convincing people she wasn’t actually Doris
Day which I can quite believe. So she called me
Jean, I called her Doris, we never discovered
each other’s real names and we got along
famously. Without that, I’m not sure I’d have
ever plucked up the courage to talk to her
famously curmudgeonly other half, sat on his
own at the table not six feet away but somehow
managing to look bored while simultaneously
scowling. I looked at him, and I looked at Doris
positively fizzing away in front of me and
something did not compute. So I asked her if
she thought George would mind if we had a
chat. “Mind?” she said. “He’d love it!”
Follmer is 89 now but to me what he did
just over half a century ago still ranks among
the most underrated achievements in motor
sport. He was sitting at home aged 38 – old for
a racer – when the telephone rang. It was Roger
Penske informing him that Mark Donohue had
had an accident at Road Atlanta and broken his
leg. Roger needed a driver, fast. George was the
man. The problem was he was being asked to
drive the 1000bhp Porsche 917/10, a car with
several hundred horsepower more than
anything he’d driven and with so much lag you
sometimes had to press the accelerator to the
floor as you turned into the corner.
26

Motor Sport December 2023

George answered the call, flew to Atlanta
and not only won the race but lapped the entire
field. By the end of the year he’d won the title
with twice as many points as any other driver.
He had single-handed broken the dominance
enjoyed by McLaren for six seasons.
“It was a good car,” he told me. “You had
to learn to anticipate.” When I asked if it would
spin its wheels at any speed on any track he
thought a bit and said, “Maybe not every track.”
In short George turned out to be a
sweetheart, someone to whom you needed
show no more than a little respect and modicum
of understanding for what he’d achieved. It was
Doris who got spiky. “George’s problem was
that he’d turn up, win the race and then go
home while everyone else was doing publicity
and making out they were
wonderful. He never got the credit
he deserved.” It is a sentiment
with which I agree entirely.

It’s still costing money to store components
and if there is no chance of the car running
again, there seems to be little point continuing.
They’ll likely be sold. And the car? “If a buyer
can be found, but who do you think would want
it?” Meanwhile, and unless my maths is even
more off than usual, Andy has now held the
Land Speed Record since 1997, longer than
anyone in history, beating even John Cobb’s
1939-64 run (’63 if you count Craig Breedlove’s
only retrospectively recognised record). It
makes you wonder whether the record will ever
be broken again. I expect someone will have a
go; but in my lifetime? I very much doubt it.
If you live in Wales you will know that the safe
havens imagined by Mark Drakeford’s 20mph
limit in built-up areas aren’t
working out like that. What you
get are columns of traffic queued
behind someone terrified of
breaking the law so doing 18mph.
Some will already have a low gear
selected, making a mockery of the
planned reduction in fuel use and
tailpipe emissions, which are
made worse when they floor the
throttle at the first opportunity.
Meanwhile the cyclists you’ve just
overtaken outside the village come sweeping
past again, adding further tension to the driver
and rider relationship. I am in favour of 20mph
limits outside schools, in narrow side streets
and everywhere they are genuinely needed.
But the blanket approach, imposed without
consultation, is already causing the law of
unintended consequences to rear its ugly head.
The Welsh government blithely says everyone
will get used to it and calm down. Having seen
what happens first hand, somehow I think not.

“I am in
favour of
20mph
limits where
they are
needed”

If there was any sadness during
my three-day visit it was thanks to
a chance encounter with Andy
Green. Not knowing of any
association between him and
Porsche I asked him what brought
him to Laguna Seca. “Tractor race,” he
deadpanned. In short, the head of public affairs
at Porsche Cars North America thought it might
be funny to have the fastest man on earth in
the slowest race. The grid of 1960s one-, two-,
three- and four-cylinder Porsche-Diesel tractors
was one of the highlights of the weekend.
But I had to ask him about Bloodhound LSR
and whether any life remained in the project.
His outlook was glum. “If we don’t get backing
by the end of the year I’d say it was over.” He
considers it a victim of Covid: “We’d hit every
mark, run it to over 600mph at the end of 2019,
then Covid came and the world was a different
place. We can tell everyone that we’re using
carbon-neutral fuels but it’s still got flames at
the back and it’s not what people want to see.”

A former editor of Motor Sport, Andrew splits
his time between testing the latest road cars
and racing (mostly) historic machinery
Follow Andrew on Twitter @Andrew_Frankel

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FORMULA 1

After Sergio Pérez crashed
out in the sprint race at the
Qatar Grand Prix, the maths
gave Max his F1 world
championship hat-trick

28

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Now late into the 2023
season, the drivers
have the sizzling
conditions of Qatar and
Texas to tackle, with
Mercedes showing
signs of improvement
30 Race report
All the action from Lusail and Circuit of the
Americas, including a win for Oscar Piastri
34 Word on the beat
McLaren £19m compensation claim and
COTA blows cold about future sprint races
36 Tactical analysis
Was it an opportunity squandered for
Mercedes at the US Grand Prix?

GETTY IMAGES

37

Good month, bad month

Williams livery, a point for Logan Sargeant,
pyramid kerbs and Lance Stroll tantrums

38 Johnny Herbert
Is Sergio Pérez the right man for a Red Bull
seat or should the team chase Lando Norris?

December 2023 Motor Sport

29

FORMULA 1 RACE REPORT

Qatar GP

US GP

Piastri plays his part in
McLaren resurgence
Max Verstappen might have taken his third F1 title in three years
but Woking’s finest is showing true fighting spirit as the season
progresses. Mark Hughes reports from Lusail and Austin

30

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri
leads in the Qatar GP sprint
but it was this race that gave
Max Verstappen his third
title. Left: Piastri is pleased
with his sprint first-place

mid this season of Max
Verstappen domination, there
are still moments when the
chasers get a glimpse. Ferrari
of course finally broke Red
Bull’s domination at Singapore
before Verstappen bounced back harder than
ever to win in Suzuka. In Qatar and the US, it
was the respective turns of McLaren and
Mercedes to apply some stress to
the hitherto dominant combo.
“I think it’s partly a reflection of
how little development we’ve put
on the car of late,” said Red Bull’s
Christian Horner in Austin.
“We’ve pretty much switched it
off and are now full on with next
year’s car.” Mercedes in particular
is still developing hard.
Furthermore, the sprint format
– which tends to open up greater randomisation
– meant Red Bull could not take Qatar and
Austin for granted.
Finishing second in Qatar’s Saturday sprint
race was a somewhat underwhelming way for
Verstappen to have clinched his third world
championship, but that’s just the way the
maths and calendar combined. His only
mathematical rival, team-mate Sergio Pérez,
was taken out of the sprint race, squeezed
between an Alpine and a Haas. That he should
be racing such cars in a Red Bull just underlined
how his early season title challenge had so
badly fallen away. That Saturday sprint in Qatar
was significant for another milestone:
Oscar Piastri won an F1 race for the first time.

The rookie McLaren driver had started from
pole and led all the way. The medium
compound tyres on which he, Lando Norris
and Verstappen started made them vulnerable
at the start to the soft-tyred Ferraris and
George Russell’s Mercedes and it was Russell
who took up the initial chase of Piastri, with
Verstappen and Norris further back stuck
behind the Ferraris.
This was the perfect scenario
for Piastri, though his race was
made less straightforward by an
early safety car, which enabled
Russell on his faster-to-warm softs
to deprive him of the lead on the
restart lap. But those softs only
had a range of a few laps before
they grained, allowing Piastri to
put a straightforward re-pass on
the Mercedes a few laps later and
to pull away. Verstappen and Norris did
eventually find their way by the Ferraris and
Russell, but that had taken a lot from their
tyres and Verstappen was unable to close the
gap to the impressive rookie.

GETTY IMAGES

“In the
sprint,
Piastri won
an F1 race
for the
first time ”

Lewis Hamilton comes a cropper in Qatar with
a first corner collision with George Russell

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

31

FORMULA 1 RACE REPORT

Problem kerb gives
F1 a taste of the old
In Qatar, it was like rolling back the years as tyre strategy
was pushed aside for some old-fashioned track racing
The problem with the
tyres at Qatar was
announced on Saturday
morning by the FIA. It
would be more accurate
to say it was a problem
with the pyramid kerbs
used on the exit of the
very fast Turns 11/12/13.
“Following the
standard analysis of tyres
used during Free Practice
1 yesterday,” read the
statement, “in which tyres
that have been used for
approximately 20 laps are
examined by Pirelli to
check safety parameters,
a separation in the
sidewall between the
topping compound and
the carcass cords on many
of the tyres that were
checked was discovered.
“It is the view of the
FIA and Pirelli that a
significant number of
additional laps on these
tyres could result in
circumferential damage of
the tyres with subsequent
air loss, and tyres
analysed with lower lap
numbers showed a
much-reduced extent
of the issue.”
Because the
subsequent sprint race
was interrupted by two
safety cars, an insufficient
number of racing laps were
completed to further
assess the problem.
As a safety measure for the
following day’s grand prix,
a maximum life of 18 laps
per set of tyres was
imposed, including the

32

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Pirelli tyre issues made the
Qatar GP into a flat-out
fling, with pitting aplenty

laps they had already
completed in the practice,
qualifying and sprint.
Over a 57-lap race, this
essentially enforced a
three-stop strategy but
with the timing of the stops
determined solely by how
many laps any particular
tyre set could do. That
removed the undercut/
overcut competitive
dimension. As a side effect
it also meant, because the
tyres still had plenty of life
in them even up to their
allocated 18 laps, the
quickest way to run the
race was to drive flat-out
rather than the usual
managing of the tyres.
In Austin the drivers
were asked – heat
exhaustion aside – if they
had enjoyed that oldschool style of racing.
“I like both,” said Lando
Norris. “I did enjoy Qatar,
just racing. I also enjoy the
races where you have to
look after the tyres and
manage things, which is
a more prescribed style.
Having both are good.

I don’t think you just would
want one of them.
“As a driver, naturally
you always want to push.
It is more enjoyable. But
on the other hand, tyre
management is another
skill that you can make
a difference as a driver.
So there is satisfaction
in that when you can make
that difference.”
Carlos Sainz was
spared the experience of
racing flat-out in the heat
by a mechanical failure in
his Ferrari which made
him a non-starter, but he
made a good distinction:
“I like how much the
drivers had to push, then
pitting and coming back.
But because you knew on
which lap everyone was
stopping it wasn’t as good
as it might have been. The
best races are where the
fastest way is very close
between tyre managing
on a one-stop or pushing
hard on a two or threestop. When it’s in
between, that’s when
the racing is good.”

But for the grand prix proper the following
day, Verstappen was unopposed. He was aided
in this by having run relatively few laps on the
medium and hard compound tyres prior to
the imposition by the FIA of an 18-lap limit on
each set of tyres. This came after analysis by
Pirelli after practice which suggested there was
a potential problem of sudden deflation
because of damage inflicted over the ‘pyramid’
kerbs on the exit of some of the fast corners,
see sidebar, left. Eighteen laps per set (including
any laps the tyres had already done) meant
that the 57-lap race would by necessity be
a three-stopper.
With the soft compound deemed to have
too short a range, each driver’s strategies were
generally based around how many laps their
sets of mediums and hards had already done
and in this Verstappen had by far the most
advantageous prior usage. Complying with the
18-lap limit, his hards and mediums had a total
of 71 available laps for the 57-lap race, giving
him 13 laps’ worth of flexibility on when he
pitted. Fellow front row starter Russell had
only six laps of flexibility over the three stops,
while Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton
was in even worse shape, to such an extent
that he opted to start on a set of new softs. He
would attempt to use their better traction off
the line to lead from his third-place grid slot.
In attempting to go around the outside of the
dicing Verstappen and Russell into Turn 1,
he clipped Russell and spun himself into the

DPPI, GETTY IMAGES, WILLIAMS RACING

Heat and humidity took their toll at Lusail for
Logan Sargeant; other drivers also suffered

gravel trap minus a rear tyre. Russell was spun
to the back and had to make a stop for a new
front wing. It was a disastrous start for
Mercedes and after viewing the footage
Hamilton accepted full responsibility and
apologised to Russell.
As Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso
braked to avoid the carnage, the way opened
on the inside for Piastri to vault straight up
to second from his P6 grid slot. Once he’d
pulled himself out of Piastri’s undercut range
Verstappen simply gauged his pace to that of
the McLaren behind. The McLaren driver was
obliged by the age of his tyres to make his first
stop on lap 12. This was still too early in the
race for a gap to have opened up to drop into
and he rejoined behind Valtteri Bottas’s Alfa
Romeo. With Verstappen able to use his tyre

flexibility to run until the 17th lap, he was able
to exit in clear air. His advantage over Piastri
thus extended and made his 14th grand prix
victory of the year relatively straightforward.
Straightforward, but not comfortable. The
intense heat combined with the fact that
the 18-lap limit was way before the tyres had
lost much performance meant that, with
the exception of Verstappen, drivers were
absolutely flat-out rather than managing tyres.
“It was 57 laps of qualifying,” as Piastri later
put it. This took a severe physical toll. Logan
Sargeant was forced to retire his Williams
through heat exhaustion, Russell and Lance
Stroll both later reported they had
been on the verge of passing out
in the car at times, Esteban Ocon
was sick in his helmet. It was, it
seems, a little too early in the year
to be racing at Qatar.
Piastri was caught in the late
stages by team-mate Norris whose
request he be let through to chase
Verstappen was denied. Russell
made a great recovery from his
lap one stop to take fourth, showing McLarenmatching pace along the way.
Mercedes brought an all-new floor to
Austin, with an aerodynamic improvement
reckoned to be worth 0.1sec in simulation but
which Hamilton reckoned allowed him to push
with more confidence and thereby accounted
for more like a 0.2sec improvement. Around

the COTA circuit on which he always shines,
it was by far the most enthused he’s been about
the W14 this year. In Saturday’s sprint event
he muscled his way past Leclerc’s Ferrari at
the first turn to take up chase of Verstappen.
He hung on for a few laps before the Red Bull
eased out a gap of 9sec in 19 laps. Leclerc was
a further 8sec behind at the flag, the Ferrari’s
tyre degradation ensuring its race pace was
no match for its qualifying form, Leclerc
having qualified on pole for the main event.
Verstappen had struggled in qualifying and
lined up for the GP only in sixth. His provisional
pole time was deleted for his infringing of track
limits at the penultimate corner.
This put Norris on the front row
alongside Leclerc, with Hamilton
on the inside of row two ahead of
Sainz and Russell.
The sprint had shown the
McLaren to have much better tyre
deg than the Ferrari so it was
important for Norris that he get
by it as soon as possible if he was
to stand any chance of getting out
of Verstappen’s reach. The McLaren surged
into the lead and was already 1.7sec ahead of
the Ferrari at the end of the lap, with
Verstappen in fifth directly behind Hamilton.
The Ferrari pair were driving to their rear tyre
temperatures and were picked off by Hamilton
in the early laps, with Verstappen following
him through a few laps later.

“Sargeant
was forced
to retire
through
heat
exhaustion”

Lewis Hamilton was
reinvigorated at Austin.
Above: in the US, Norris made
his fourth podium in four

Verstappen’s Red Bull
started back in sixth in the
US GP but normal service
would be resumed
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

33

FORMULA 1 RACE REPORT

Word on
the beat
The latest Formula 1
news away from the grid

● McLaren has launched a £19m
compensation claim against IndyCar
champion Álex Palou, partly to cover
the money it invested in preparing him
for F1. The team insists Palou was in
breach of contract in opting to extend
his IndyCar deal with current team
Chip Ganassi Racing.
● Two days after the Qatar Grand Prix
current supplier Pirelli was confirmed
as having won the F1 tyre supply tender
to the end of 2027, having won out over
the only other bidder, Bridgestone.
● Liam Lawson has been retained by
Red Bull as its official third driver in
2024 for both the AlphaTauri and Red
Bull Racing teams. This comes after his
stand-in performances at AlphaTauri for
the injured Daniel Ricciardo.
● Circuit of the Americas chairman
Bobby Epstein reported that the track’s
hosting of a Saturday sprint event this
year had made no impact upon ticket
sales and he remains ambivalent about
repeating the experiment. “We will work
with F1 and let them decide what’s best,
but we’re happy for it to rotate around a
little.” Promoters have to pay F1 extra for
the sprint event format.
34

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

A win for Verstappen in Austin
means he has only missed the
top spot in three GPs in 2023.
Hamilton was later disqualified
for a technical breach, moving
Norris up to second place

Although Norris’s lead was 3sec by the time
Hamilton was up to second and Verstappen
third, they began reeling him in after 10 laps.
“We just didn’t have their tyre performance,”
rued Norris later. “We were only quick for the
first 10 laps.” It was better than the Ferraris,
but the McLaren was not the force it had been
in Qatar. “The strength of our car is in the
high-speed corners,” explained team boss
Andrea Stella, “and we know we struggle in
the low-speed. So here Turn 11 was our bogey
corner, with the bumps making it worse.”
Red Bull brought in Verstappen from 4sec
behind Hamilton on the 16th lap and McLaren
responded with Norris on the next lap.
Mercedes, however, chose to keep
Hamilton out, briefly intending
to one-stop before thinking better
of it after four more laps and
bringing him in, rejoining now
7sec behind the Red Bull, such
was the pace difference in those
four laps between Verstappen’s
new rubber and Hamilton’s old.
This Mercedes strategic
miscall averted the thrilling
prospect of Verstappen going wheel-to-wheel
with Hamilton, for now at least. Verstappen
continued to chase down Norris who was now
at a tyre disadvantage. The pass, when it came,
was a beautiful demonstration of closequarters judgement from both drivers,
Verstappen diving down Norris’s inside at Turn
12 but running a little wide, the McLaren
hanging on around the outside, wheels almost
touching, before Verstappen forged ahead.

Norris initiated the second set of stops on
lap 34, with Verstappen responding a lap later
and remaining ahead, both on fresh hard tyres.
Hamilton’s stop came three laps after
Verstappen’s and as he switched to mediums,
he was perfectly equipped to set chase for the
McLaren and Red Bull. The pass on Norris was
dramatic, with a dummy down the inside of
Turn 1 paving the way for a pass around the
outside of 2. That left just seven laps for
Hamilton on his faster tyres to close down
Verstappen’s 5sec gap. It was just a little too
much to ask of the Mercedes to make up the
time lost at the first stops. But it had been by
far its most competitive race of the season.
So it was all the more galling
that Hamilton’s car should be
found to have worn its underfloor
plank away by more than the
permitted 10% and would thus be
disqualified, a fate shared with
Leclerc’s Ferrari. Hence Norris
was promoted to an official
second ahead of Sainz and Pérez.
“We are very disappointed to
lose our podium finish,” said the
team’s trackside engineering chief Andrew
Shovlin. “Unfortunately, it is one of the pitfalls
of the sprint format where we have a solitary
hour of running before parc fermé. Without
running at a race fuel load in FP1, combined
with a circuit as bumpy as this and the parts
of the track where the drivers have to put the
car during the grand prix, have contributed
to the higher-than-expected wear levels. We
will go away and learn from this.”

“It had
been by far
Mercedes’
most
competitive
race of ’23”

XAVI BONILLA/DPPI

● Alpine boss Bruno Famin has
confirmed that the agreement with
Michael Andretti’s team to supply it
with Renault F1 power units lapsed in
March of this year, the original terms
having been agreed in the expectation
of Andretti being granted an entry
earlier than has been the case. Famin
says that he will await the outcome of
Andretti’s attempts to reach a
commercial agreement with F1 before
considering whether to make a new
supply arrangement. Renault is the
only one of the four current F1 engine
manufacturers not supplying a customer
team. Its recent bid to be permitted an
equalisation ‘holiday’ from the power
unit spec freeze has been rejected by
the F1 Commission.

MERCEDES-BENZ WORLD, BROOKLANDS, SATURDAY 25TH NOVEMBER

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Doors open 8.30am

FORMULA 1

TACTICS

Lewis Hamilton was bouyant
about his chances at Austin but
his car’s tyres and underfloor
plank were his undoing

TEAM TACTICS

Compound fracture
At COTA, Mercedes threw away the chance of a first victory
of the season. Mark Hughes explains how its tyre strategy for
Lewis Hamilton backfired... not that it mattered in the end
here was an agonising decision
on the Mercedes pitwall on lap
16 of the US Grand Prix which in
hindsight they got wrong. It
possibly cost Lewis Hamilton the
team’s first win of the season. At
that point Hamilton was running second to
Lando Norris’s McLaren and around 4sec
ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Thermal
degradation of the rear tyres is always the race
day limitation around this place and everyone
came into it expecting to stop twice. The
pitstop loss here is 21sec and even
stopping twice requires the driver
to manage the tyres.
The two best cars on tyres are
the Red Bull and Mercedes. Norris
was leading the race but it was
apparent that the McLaren’s tyre
deg was higher and that he looked
sure to be caught by both Hamilton
and Verstappen. When Red Bull
brought Verstappen in on lap 16,
he was 4sec behind Hamilton and 7sec off
Norris. His medium tyres were exchanged for
a fresh set of the same, confirming he would
need to stop again to meet the two-compound
obligation. McLaren responded a lap later with
Norris and switched him to the hards. It was a
slower tyre but McLaren had no fresh mediums
left, having used up an extra set in practice.
“In the sprint event you have to commit
before which compound to use in first practice,”

explained McLaren’s Andrea Stella. “Our car
normally works very well on the harder
compounds. You don’t know whether the
mediums will grain or not. So we started
practice on the mediums to save the hards. But
once you’ve done that, and you’ve made the
wrong choice, you are a set down of the better
tyre. And that’s what we did. If we’d had
another set of mediums it would have been
better for our race but it would not have
changed the result.”
Mercedes, like Red Bull, had got the tyre
call right but as Verstappen and
Norris made their first stops it was
now faced with a tough choice.
The instinctive thing would have
been to cover off Verstappen’s stop
by coming in on the next lap. That
would have reduced that 4sec
advantage to around 2sec, but
Hamilton would still have had
track position. Verstappen would
have to pass either on track or
at the second round of stops. But Mercedes
didn’t do that.
The day before, Hamilton had been beaten
in the sprint race by Verstappen who had pulled
out 9sec in just 19 laps. He was currently behind
because of his poor grid slot and was surely
just pacing himself to look after the tyres.
Convinced it would be beaten by Verstappen
if it did the same strategy, Mercedes questioned
if a one-stop was feasible. Could Merc’s

“I think we
made our
life a lot
harder than
it needed
to be”

36

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

21sec saving of not making a second stop be
overcome by Verstappen?
As Verstappen pitted, the numbers said that
if Hamilton could maintain his current pace for
another five laps, it would be feasible. There
was nothing suggesting that the pace was
dropping off. He was asked if he thought he
could get to lap 23. He was ambivalent in his
response. The pitwall decided to call it; they’d
try for the one-stop. The first two of his targeted
five more laps went well enough. But the tyres
died on the third of them. He was suddenly
1.5sec off the pace and getting slower. The small
window of a one-stop working was gone. Before
it was too late, Merc backed out of it, bringing
him in on lap 20. But those four extra laps had
cost almost 8sec to Verstappen, who was now
up to second without having had to go wheelto-wheel with Hamilton.
If they had just covered Verstappen,
Hamilton would have needed – on his slower
hard tyres – to have kept the medium-tyred
Verstappen behind him for the second stint.
Which may have been a tough ask. But not
impossible, given the brake problems of the
Red Bull driver. “I’m not saying it was certain,”
said Hamilton. “But I do think we would have
been in a fighting position with Max. I think we
made our life a lot harder today than it probably
needed to be. I think it was probably going to
be hard anyways, but…”

Regardless of Hamilton’s disqualification,
his performance was a positive in the US

NEWS IN BRIEF

FORMULA 1

Good month, bad month
Charting the ups and downs of the F1 circus

SUITS YOU SIRS

SHAMELESS FORMULA

Despite its team boss’s woe-is-us
protestations, Williams’ special Gulf
livery plus its Stars ’n’ Stripes Austin trim
cut a pretty sharp look – helped by
Albon continuing to star.

F1 teams’ predictions of the
immense suffering they’ll endure if
Andretti joins has been embarrassing
– Williams boss Vowles saying ‘no’ to the
American team, but ‘yes’ to its engine
partner GM took the biscuit.

UP-SWING

Golf wants some grand prix magic:
F1 drivers will be enlisted in Swing to
Survive, a live Netflix crossover vehicle
with PGA stars broadcasting Nov 14
– showing racing’s massive appeal now.

BAD

GOOD

Being Alonso’s team-mate is a
tough gig for sure – but Lance’s recent
tantrums haven’t exactly quietened his
rich-kid racing brat image.

Good to see Pérez strike back
against retirement talk, vowing to fight
– just has to beat Verstappen every now
and then. Easy, right?

LESS THAN FINE

The FIA announcing that its
lunch money subs (driver fines) will
now go up to $1m smacks of a
Balestre-throwback era.

DESERT TRIP

OSCAR WINNER

DPPI, GETTY IMAGES, GRAND PRIX PHOTO

Piastri’s season has been
turbocharged following the McLaren
upgrade. Best rookie since Hamilton.

TO THE POINT

After one of the most difficult
debut F1 seasons in years, Logan
Sargeant scored a point at long last in
Austin! Can he save his seat at Grove?

Hamilton
uncovered
Extraordinary tales from the
Motor Sport digital archive

STROPPY STROLL

FIGHTING TALK

F1 RETRO – MARCH 2019

Lusail made use of a new Mario
Kart-style bogey ‘pyramid kerbs’ on
many apexes – which predictably meant
Pirelli tyres began to fall apart at just the
sight of them.

ON THE SKIDS

Just when it looked in Austin like
Mercedes might mount a challenge to
Verstappen, Hamilton found himself
disqualified on technical grounds…

A

s Felipe Massa builds a legal challenge
to Lewis Hamilton’s debut F1 title in
2008 – the Brazilian claiming that
season’s Singapore ‘Crashgate’ directly
contributed to the then-Ferrari man losing
the championship – it highlights that 15 years
have now passed since F1’s most successful
driver won his first GP crown.
In March 2019, Mark Hughes spoke to
some of the people that know Hamilton’s
racing psyche best, including Ross Brawn,
Paddy Lowe, Jock Clear, Hamilton’s former
manager Marc Hynes and karting arch-rival
Fraser Sheader.
Even though Hamilton was two years
younger when he took on then 15-year-old
Sheader – himself a multiple champion – he
says it was no surprise that the young
phenomenon was immediately quick: “He
was already a superstar. I’d watched him since
he was an eight-year-old and had immense
respect for him. The really good ones are
instantly competitive, have that feel.”
Hamilton’s incredible skills on the track
then built huge confidence for an F1 superstar
– as Clear attests. “Lewis, more than any other
driver I’ve known, has 100% belief in his
ability as the best, and when things go wrong
he returns to that belief – it never wavers.”
Paddy Lowe concurs while highlighting
another defining characteristic: “He’s at his
best when the pressure is on.”
To read the full story visit
motorsportmagazine.com/archive
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

37

OPINION

FORMULA 1

JOHNNY
HERBERT
“Recently Pérez has
been nowhere near
Verstappen. In Qatar
his performance
was embarrassing”
ergio Pérez has a contract with
Red Bull Racing until the end of
next year. But is he safe from
being bumped? If you look at this
team historically you’d probably
say no! He has been a race winner,
he’s got a lot of positive ingredients as we
saw at the start of this season when he was
very strong. But Max Verstappen is relentless
– and recently Pérez has been nowhere near.
His qualifying has been very poor and I hate
to say it, but in Qatar his performance was
diabolical and embarrassing.
He has batted away talk of retirement,
but he hasn’t exactly been putting across
the right message to his team recently.
He has a fight on his hands, but unless he
suddenly starts winning I don’t think it’s
probably in his hands anyway. Then again,
from Red Bull’s perspective who
would it put in to replace him?
Is there someone better on the
books? They have Daniel
Ricciardo and Liam Lawson.
Would either be enough?
Ricciardo was competitive
against Max when they were
team-mates, but that was a long
time ago – and Max is a high
percentage better now than he
was then. So you look at Liam. He did very
well as substitute for the injured Ricciardo,
but didn’t blow away Yuki Tsunoda at every
race. I wrote last month that AlphaTauri
were wrong not to give him a seat for 2024,
but would it be fair at this stage to throw him
in with the lion in the senior team? You’d
have to say no, impressive as he has been.

So you go back to Sergio. Should the team
just keep him? He’s not a threat to Max, he
has picked up points for the constructors’
and generally – recent troubles aside – he
races well. It’s a conundrum for Red Bull.
As Christian Horner has said, other
options are contracted elsewhere. If you
potentially wanted the strongest pairing
you’d buy up someone like Lando Norris. It
would take a big chunk of money to pay off
McLaren, but if you doubt Pérez will do
enough to help the team win another
constructors’ championship maybe it’s a
price worth paying. Red Bull has to weigh
up how much it can rely on Sergio if Max
was ill or injured. At Mercedes a few years
ago, Valtteri Bottas on his day could beat
Lewis Hamilton and when he didn’t he was
usually a few tenths off him. At times this
year Pérez has been nearly a
second, sometimes more, off
Verstappen. Too often Red Bull
has been relying solely on Max.
There’s been talk about
Norris and Red Bull in the future.
But if the opportunity knocks
now should he even take it?
I jumped into the lion’s den
against Michael Schumacher at
Benetton, but it was worth a
punt because I knew Lotus was coming to
an end. It’s a different case for Norris. He’s
in a good place at McLaren. Yes, he has
a new threat from Oscar Piastri but that’s a
positive thing. When I had my little battle
with Mika Häkkinen at Lotus it was good for
both of us. It woke us up, kept us on our toes
because we knew we both had to be on top

JONATHAN BUSHELL

“Red Bull
has to
weigh up
how much
it can rely
on Sergio”

of our games. We had an equal chance too,
and the same is true at McLaren today for
Oscar and Lando.
At Red Bull it would be another scenario.
It’s not just the car, it’s all the little bits
around it that can make your position
unstable. That was my experience at
Benetton. My problem wasn’t the car, it was
Flavio Briatore who didn’t want it to be fair.
That gets into your head and it churns you
up. For Lando, he doesn’t have to worry
about that at McLaren. Leaving for Red Bull
would be a massive risk because he knows
he’d be up against someone who is favoured
– and understandably so. I could see why it
happened with Michael because he
delivered, and so does Max.
But is there ever a perfect time to take
the leap? I certainly have no regrets going
up against Schumacher in 1995. I took two
wins, finished fourth in the championship,
we won the constructors’ and it was my best
F1 season. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was
worth it. Lando, as I did, will want a world
championship – and a Red Bull would give
him that chance. But would it really? The
other question he would need to ask is,
will he be able to win a title in a McLaren in
the next couple of years? That’s his
conundrum. Given the team’s current
progress, actually I think there’s a chance
the answer to that is yes.
So in his shoes, would I make the leap?
Given where McLaren has got itself to, no.
Johnny Herbert was a Formula 1 driver from
1989-2000 and a Le Mans winner in 1991.
Follow Johnny on Twitter @johnnyherbertf1
December 2023 Motor Sport

39

REVIEWS

ROAD CAR TESTS

The new R version of the
Alpine A110 is lighter than
the base car thanks to the
black elements – carbon
fibre, including the bonnet

Can perfection
be upgraded?
When the Alpine A110 arrived six years ago,
Andrew Frankel was blown away. Now the
R version has arrived... but all is not well
n 2017 Alpine launched a new small
sports car and it changed the world. Or
at least it should have done. For those
few lucky hacks who drove it at the
time, we thought we were witnessing
a new dawn for such cars: gone would
be the days of outsize, overweight, profligate
sports cars, replaced by a new generation of
small, lightweight and efficient machines that,
as a result, were simply brilliant both to own
and live with. It seemed so right, so obvious
that the Alpine A110 would be a complete
40

Motor Sport December 2023

game-changer and reverse a direction of
travel after far too long, it is possible we might
have overlooked a thing or two. Like hardly
anyone knew what an Alpine was, and even
fewer cared. Fewer still were stoked by the
idea of a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder powertrain
out of a Renault Megane; and pretty though
it was, it was just too petite to make a proper
‘get out of my way’ statement. Ever since and
despite it being far and away the best usable
sports car that kind of money can buy, sales
have been slow.

And it’s hard to see this one making
much difference to that, though at least the
profit margin on each should be considerably
more healthy for reasons we’ll be getting to
in a minute.
This is the A110 R, the hardcore A110. If it
were a Porsche it would be a GT or maybe
even an RS model. The 296bhp engine from
the A110 S comes over unchanged because to
add a bigger, more powerful engine would
hike the price northward in the home market
thanks to the dreaded ‘malus’ car tax over
there. So they decided just to make it better
instead: carbon fibre is now used not only for
bodily addenda like the front splitter, side
skirts and rear wing, but integral components
like the bonnet and wheels. New coilover
struts provide multi-way adjustment while
thicker springs and rollbars stiffen the
suspension and drop the ride height. And
just to make sure no one mistakes its
intentions with this car, hardcore track day
Michelin Cup 2 tyres are fitted. And at 1082kg,
the A110 R weighs over 300kg less than a
Porsche Cayman GTS. Which is a pretty
stunning statistic when you think about it.
It’s not hard to feel the changes either.
In a straight line there’s very little to tell
between it and an A110 S because the power

Inside, Alpine has
gone to some lengths
to make your
surroundings appear
‘made for the track’

“It tends to oversteer on entry
and understeer towards the exit”
is the same and it’s only 34kg lighter, but
in corners and, indeed, during every day
living, you’re never likely to forget which
model you’re in.
For a start, so long as the road is dry and
the ambient temperature high enough to
get the Michelins into their working window,
grip levels are phenomenal. Circumnavigate
a roundabout at ever increasing speed and
there’s a decent chance you’ll give up before
the Michelins. It corners flat, fast and changes
direction like a gnat dodging a swat. You can
feel its lightness everywhere and if you get
straight back into a typical tonne-and-a-half
sports car immediately thereafter, you’ll feel
the additional inertia immediately too.
But here’s the thing. A standard A110 is
not exactly slow around the bends and feels
just as light on its feet. Moreover while
a stock A110 or even A110 S feels like the
power of the engine is nicely matched to
the ability of the chassis, in the R it simply
does not. To make the most of that level of
grip, you’d want another 100hp to cannon
you out of the corners – and probably a race
track as well.
Moreover, those stiff springs and
no-nonsense tyres create two other issues,
neither inherently desirable. First, one of

the absolute delights of the standard A110 is
that it sits on quite hard rubber – a Michelin
Pilot Sport 4, not even the 4S that sits
between it and a Cup 2. It means you can
easily and safely discover just how well this
car handles on the limit in a number of
different scenarios. The moment you stiffen
the springs and bolt on the semi-slick Cup
2s, that limit is projected into the next
postcode where it’s far harder to find and
therefore far less frequently enjoyed.
Unless, of course, it’s raining. A stock
A110 in the wet is one of the most joyous
things I’ve driven but the A110 R? You have
to drive it with a care and precision you’ve
not needed to think about until now. Even
then it tends to oversteer on entry and
understeer towards the exit, which is pretty
much the reverse of what you want, and
what the base car provides.
But what kills this car, at least for me, is
the ridiculous £96,990 price tag that comes
with it, when the base car is £44,500
cheaper. If the result was better in every way
that mattered, you might think it a premium
worth paying. But it’s not; indeed if you look
at the reason we so adored the A110 when it
came out – the value, the accessibility of
driving experience and the daily driver

comfort it provided – I’d argue the car has
got worse. And for what? A fraction more
performance and a vast amount of dry road
grip that just makes it more difficult to enjoy
what the car has always done best.
Don’t misunderstand me, if the A110 had
never been built, I’d still be wowed by this
car’s lightness, its compact dimensions and
the way it gets down the road. But we can’t
unwrite history and the truth so far as I can
see it is that, compared to the original and,
indeed all other modern A110s, the A110 R
is a lot less fun for a lot more money.
ALPINE A110 R

● Price £96,990 ● Engine 1.8 litres,
five cylinders, turbo, petrol
● Power 296bhp at 6300rpm
● Torque 251lb ft at 2400rpm
● Weight 1082kg (DIN)
● Power to weight 274bhp per tonne
● Transmission Seven-speed double
clutch, rear-wheel drive
● 0-62mph 3.9sec ● Top speed 177mph
● Economy 40.9mpg ● CO2 154g/km
● Verdict Sometimes more is less.

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

41

REVIEWS

ROAD CAR TESTS

The wheels
on the bus...
New eight-seat Defender 130 is
large of space and character
his is the biggest Defender yet. In
fact it’s enormous. An additional
600mm in length, it is longer
than a long-wheelbase S Class
Mercedes. What does this space
provide? Room not only for a
third row of seats, but that row to comprise
three seats to fit reasonably proportioned
adults. They can be raised or lowered and even
leave a decent amount of boot space.
Visually the car looks slightly rear heavy
because despite the 130 nomenclature which,
like 90 and 110 used to refer to the wheelbase
in old-style Defenders, the wheelbase is the
same as the standard 110, with all additional
metal grafted onto the hind quarters.
But my goodness it works. I drove one
with a 3-litre mild hybrid diesel and enjoyed
wafting around in it, cushioned by the air
suspension that comes on all 130s. It would
be imperious off-road but what struck me
was not just what a fine family bus it would
be. Indeed it left me struggling to think of

Stellar
performer
This Polestar has the legs for
long trips and premium qualities

42

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

If you include the spare wheel
on the rear, the Defender
130’s length is 17½ feet.
Below: Long Range Polestar 2
is good for 300 miles touring

reasons why someone might choose a sevenseat Discovery over this eight-seater. I prefer
the look and the more rugged interior
ambience of the Defender. I just wish you
could spec it with a jump seat in the front as
you can the 90 and 110, but nine seats would
make it a minibus. It’s also worth pointing
out that you can buy a 110 with a third row,
but it has only two far more occasional seats
and costs almost the entire boot. AF

it by bit, almost car by car, EVs are
starting to make more sense. More
sense that is, if you’re one of the
lucky few blessed with off-street
parking (and therefore guaranteed
home charging) and a second car.
The Polestar 2 was always among the better
examples of its ilk and this one, fresh from
mid-life revisions, is perhaps the best yet. The
lengths gone to are fairly amazing and reflect
the rate of change in the EV world. Not only
does it have a new, bigger battery, but different
chemistry within it. In addition the Single Motor
model has gone from driving the front to the
rear wheels – yes, really.
For myself I couldn’t give two hoots about
the lack of a 400-plus hp powertrain that the
all-wheel drive models give, for it is plenty fast
enough for this kind of car as it is. Of infinitely
greater value is the claimed WLTP range of 406
miles. Of course that’s nonsense but it probably
does mean 300 miles before you start looking
for somewhere to charge. In the meantime
you’re driving a svelte, attractive, comfortable

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 130 X DYNAMIC
● Price £83,435 ● Engine 3 litres,
six cylinders, diesel, turbocharged, mild
hybrid drive ● Power 296bhp
● Torque 479lb ft ● Weight 2589kg
● Power to weight 114bhp per tonne
● Transmission Eight-speed automatic,
four-wheel drive ● 0-60mph 7.5sec
● Top speed 119mph
● Economy 235mpg (WLTP)
● Verdict Now this is a people carrier.

and quiet family holdall with premium feel far
in excess of what you might expect for the
money. Polestar has even managed to keep the
weight below two tonnes, which may not seem
like much of an achievement, but is actually
quite impressive by family EV standards.
Polestar has come on in leaps and bounds
in the few short years it has been a fully fledged
manufacturer. Polestars 3, 4 and 5 are expected
next year. Don’t expect it to stop here. AF
POLESTAR 2 LONG RANGE SINGLE MOTOR
● Price £64,500 ● Engine Front and rear
electric motors, 82kWh battery
● Power 295bhp ● Torque 361lb ft
● Weight 1994kg ● Power to weight
148bhp per tonne ● Transmission
Single-speed, rear-wheel drive
● 0-60mph 5.9sec
● Top speed 127mph ● Economy
406mpg (WLTP) ● CO2 0g/km
● Verdict As EVs go, a genuine star.

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EVENTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023

All teams will have
something to fight for
in the Atacama Desert

FORMULA 1 – LAS VEGAS
GRAND PRIX
Las Vegas Strip Circuit, US, November 16-18

F1 hits Sin City for the ultimate party
weekend. Celebrities will gather as
Max Verstappen and co race down the
Las Vegas Strip for the hotly anticipated
Saturday night race and penultimate
round of the 2023 season.

WRC – RALLY JAPAN
Aichi Prefecture, Japan, November 16-19

The WRC season ends in Japan where
Toyota will complete a dominant year. It
has already clinched a third consecutive
manufacturers’ title, while Toyota’s Kalle
Rovanperä could be crowned for a
second drivers’ championship. The final
round features 189.3 miles of asphalt
stages in central Japan.

Copper promises gold
A five-way fight for the Extreme E title will give a fraught climax
to season three in Chile. Ed Hardy assesses all the ifs and ands
Extreme E – Copper X-Prix, Antofagasta, Chile, December 2-3

44

Motor Sport December 2023

negotiate, which creates opportunity for
plenty of twists in the championship fight.
Given the layout, it may favour Rosberg’s team
which boasts record five-time Rallycross
champion Johan Kristoffersson. Then again,
Sainz XE has an ace all-rounder up his sleeve
in the form of Mattias Ekström, so there really
isn’t a lot to separate them.
Meanwhile, the fight at the bottom is also
tight. Cupra and Andretti are separated by
just four points in a battle for sixth, while
McLaren, JBXE – the only team without a
podium this season – and Carl Cox Motorsport
have five points between them in the bottom
three places. Whatever happens, it promises
to be a thrilling season end where a new
Extreme E champion may be crowned.

Guia Circuit, Macau, November 16-19

Formula 3 cars end a four-year absence
from the historic Macau Grand Prix.
Won in the past by rising stars such as
Michael Schumacher, F3 drivers will
once again race around one of the
world’s best street circuits that looks
out over the South China Sea.

MOTORCYCLE LIVE
NEC Birmingham, November 18-26

The UK’s largest motorcycle show
returns. Manufacturers such as Yamaha,
Ducati and Honda are present as visitors
are treated to talks, challenges and
static exhibits. People can also go
adventure riding inside the arena amid
the ultimate biking get-together.

MOTOGP – VALENCIAN
COMMUNITY GRAND PRIX
Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain,
November 24-26

Ricardo Tormo once again stages the
final round, after an enthralling title
fight in 2023. Reigning champion
Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and
Marco Bezzecchi have all battled at the
top while their Ducati team leads the
constructors’ standings. It is the last race
before a fuel regulation change in 2024.
MORE EVENTS

Carlos Sainz, centre, is relying on Mattias
Ekström and Laia Sanz for a first Extreme E title

Nov 17-19 MotoGP – Lusail, Qatar
Nov 18-19 Lamborghini Super Trofeo World
Final – Vallelunga, Italy
Nov 24-26 F1 – Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
Nov 29-Dec 3 Classic 12 Hour – Sebring, US

SAM BAGNALL

hile will host the Extreme E
season finale with five teams
vying for the championship, at
the end of the electric-powered
series’ third campaign. Sainz
XE leads the way on 139 points,
with 2021 champion Rosberg X Racing three
behind. Veloce, Chip Ganassi and defending
winner Team X44, founded by Lewis Hamilton,
also have an outside chance with 58 points left
available at the end of a tight season.
It has also been the most wide open
campaign to date, with a record number of
teams fighting for the championship on the
final weekend. There was a different victor
in each of the opening four rounds, before
Nico Rosberg’s outfit ended a winless start
with two victories in the season’s first visit to
Sardinia. When the all-electric series returned
to the Italian island, a win for Sainz
consolidated its championship lead ahead of
Extreme E’s visit to Chile.
Named the Copper X-Prix, inspired by the
area’s history with copper mining, drivers
will race through the Atacama Desert on a
high-altitude circuit that features fast and
slow-speed corners with many elevation
changes. The event was won by X44 last year,
but this season there will be two races to

MACAU GRAND PRIX

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Next auction
01 / 02 December 2023

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REVIEWS

BOOKS

Disruptive
colourways
A weighty book about Benetton’s rise and
fall in F1 is as vibrant as the team’s racing car
liveries, says Gordon Cruickshank
hen in 1985 an Italian
sweater firm bought
a complete Formula
1 team, new ground
was broken, a hint of
the eagerness to
disrupt the status quo that would characterise
the clothing firm across everything from eyecatching product to provocative advertising
to highly coloured sponsorship. And it’s clear
from those interviewed in this authoritative
work by Damien Smith, a former editor of
Motor Sport, that this lateral approach carried
over into the racing – Smith calls them “rebels
of Formula 1”.
Not that this was Benetton’s first plunge
into F1. That came with Tyrrell in 1983 after
a couple of people had sparked the idea in
Luciano Benetton, including new head of
communications Davide Paolini who says,
“I obliged the Tyrrell mechanics to wear pink
shirts to attract photographers.”
But the future wasn’t with Tyrrell, who
didn’t want to go turbo. So it was Alfa Romeo’s
turn to wear the green and even brighter
mechanics shirts; but 1985 was the sad end of
that Alfa era – which didn’t bother Benetton
so much. It had a plan, and that plan would
turn out to be a pretty good one: Toleman.
In his rundown of Toleman’s origins,
Smith slips in a photo of Colin Hawker’s
DFVW, the Cosworth-powered super saloon
I remember watching at Ingliston. A moment
of nostalgia that pinpoints the event that lured
the Toleman Group into racing, directors Alex
Hawkridge and Ted Toleman forming an F2
team and soon taking on a South African
designer called Rory Byrne. It’s clear by now
that the author has chased up a huge spread
of voices – Hawkridge, Byrne, designer John
Gentry, and Derek Warwick who shone in
46

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Benetton –
Rebels of Formula 1
Damien Smith
Evro Publishing, £60

ISBN 9781910505588

Byrne’s car. All talk about the team’s
progression to F1 and how ‘promising’ became
‘astonishing’ as new boy Ayrton Senna almost
pulled off that Monaco 1984 victory.
Optimists will tell you that problems
are really opportunities. For 1985 Toleman
struggled for tyre supplies and looked in grave
danger of collapse despite the TG185’s fine
qualities. This was when Benetton stepped in
with £2m and big ideas.
Tales of a team’s rise to success can be
samey but this is a story with so many inside
views: Pat Symonds on a sneaky trick with
the BMW turbo black box, Byrne confirming
their 1300bhp, team manager Peter Collins
saying “getting Cosworth up to speed was like
pulling teeth”. Engine reliability was a
recurring bugbear, but Gerhard Berger, Teo
Fabi and Thierry Boutson all waved the
multicoloured flag with varying success;
the wider achievement was company

Cheever struggles with the thirsty V8 184T as
Benetton turns to Alfa in 1984 – but not for long

Force of nature Flavio
Briatore with Michael
Schumacher and Jos
Verstappen in 1994 – the year
of Benetton’s first world title

exposure, with a marketing specialist pushing
the Benetton name into the lifestyle world.
That and highly provocative billboard and
magazine adverts, sometimes banned, gave
Benetton the edgy profile it craved.
It didn’t hurt that the small, tight team
punched above its weight, a roster of drivers
– now including Boutsen and Alessandro
Nannini – putting up poles, podiums and
victory for Berger. Then a shaggy-haired
businessman called Flavio Briatore (“Flav the
Impaler” jokes Smith) took the team manager
slot, and Michael Schumacher arrived… Well,
you all watched that play out on the screen
– two world championships and the
constructors’ title for the team, part of
controversial Briatore’s 20 years as the wild
man of F1. Smith is impressed, calling him
“devastatingly effective” and “a platinumgrade F1 winner”.
Although Briatore was shoved in, the team
soon settled to the family feeling Tolman had
enjoyed, and Smith contends this remains the
same in the team’s current guise as Alpine.
(This is the outfit which has had so many labels
it’s often referred to nowadays merely by its
base – ‘the Enstone team’.)

LE MANS WINNING
COLOURS
Mick Hill
Every Le Mans-winning car
from 1923 to 2022, illustrated in profile
with a stats summary. That’s the simple
premise of Mick Hill’s book and it’s an
appealing one – flick through and
watch the sports car evolve from road
vehicle to mobile tech flagship. A short
intro heads each decade; for model
makers it’s a valuable reference,
especially as technical illustrator Hill
has worked with many race teams. GC
The History Press, £25
ISBN 9781803992013

NSU Ro80

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, GRAND PRIX PHOTO

Martin Buckley
Always had a soft spot for the
Ro80 – bar the usual concern
about the rotary mill. Martin Buckley has
the first full story of this car with its
futuristic look and effortless poise,
outlining its origins, development and
what it might have led to. Packed with
facts about the engine, those involved
(including the tragedy of the car’s stylist
who killed his own son) and the market
the car was chasing and finally lost.
A great history for a great car. GC
The Crowood Press, £30
ISBN 9780719841743
“They were really good owners,” says
technical director Symonds of the family with
genuine affection, continuing that Luciano B
was fascinated by technology which explains
some of his attraction to F1.
Not that things were always ‘nice’: Collins
tells how he was made to dump Johnny
Herbert and then leave in turn; a prickly John
Barnard says he couldn’t care less if they didn’t
like him. Flav comments, “If you sent John to
Switzerland you’d have a war the next day!”
Benetton stalwart Symonds, whose
presence in F1 has been long and significant,
is something of an anchor through the book,
and a perfect one, a scaffolding for Smith’s
dedicated research. Woven among the racing
– and many fine photos – there’s a great quote
on almost every page, sparkling bubbles that
keep things fizzing. On the Hockenheim pit
inferno of 1994 Smith talks to most of those
involved including Steven Tee who captured
that famous photo. “All I could see in the
viewfinder was an orange flash.”
Benetton triggered plenty of ‘legality
questions’ and Smith lets everyone talk,
on the fire’s cause, illegal planks, launch
programmes, the controversial ’94 title, a

diplomatic Damon Hill saying, “They were
prepared to do a lot to push the boundaries…”
As if to keep the energy up Smith waits
until the post-Schumacher trail-off when the
equipe had lost works engines to describe
the partying and team holidays. One mechanic
comments, “If you didn’t come in with a
hangover it was frowned upon.” Benetton
seems to have taken on Hesketh’s slot as the
fun team. There was less fun about results
and team affairs by 1997, when David Richards
was sent in unannounced to fire and replace
Flavio. “It was like one of those gangster films,”
Richards says. “He looked up from his desk
and said, ‘I wondered who it was going to be.’”
But Benetton needed an engine partner,
and Regie Renault needed a team for its F1
comeback – steered by Flav. From 2002
Benetton became Renault and a chapter
closed. Smith’s close is an interview with
Alessandro Benetton which colours in why a
family clothing firm became F1 winners, and
why team manager Joan Villadelprat feels,
“Benetton was a special place to be. Everybody
there loved Benetton, everybody had good
times.” A decade and a half of good times isn’t
bad, and they couldn’t be better conveyed.

FAST LADY
Michael W Barton
A full investigation into the life
of pioneer early motorist
Dorothy Levitt. Michael W Barton digs up
every reference to a lady who entered
speed and reliability trials before World
War I, acclaimed as “the fastest girl on
Earth”. She won medals in motor boats,
too. Protégée of SF Edge of Napier Cars,
Levitt was good for, and at, publicity,
retelling her doings in books and
journals. Barton’s research reveals
frequent speeding fines among the auto
events but after her short career there’s
something of a blank until her early
death, and even his doggedness can’t
produce much firm detail after her
moment as champion of women’s right
to compete. And all in long dresses. GC
Butterfield Press, £40
ISBN 9781999632540
FOR THE LATEST MOTORING BOOKS GO TO

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

47

RACING LIVES

GREG DOHERTY/GETTY IMAGES

THE MOTOR SPORT INTERVIEW

Jimmie Johnson

He first raced on sand and aimed for IndyCar. Instead, this Californian
matched Petty and Earnhardt to become the new king of NASCAR
INTERVIEW: ROB WIDDOWS

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

49

J

immie Johnson is a true American
hero, a NASCAR legend with his own
chapter in the sport’s history. Born
and bred in California, he was racing
bikes, buggies and trucks in the
desert when he was still in school
and had a Chevrolet contract as a teenager.
His dream was IndyCar but Chevy steered
him towards North Carolina and NASCAR
where he was immediately quick on asphalt,
right at home in the big saloons. A long and
stable relationship with Chevy and the
Hendrick team brought him seven NASCAR
Cups, five of them consecutively, equalling
the record set by Richard Petty and Dale
Earnhardt, and two wins at the Daytona 500.
Two years in IndyCar with Chip Ganassi
proved a tough challenge and now JJ has set
his race suit aside (mostly) as joint owner of
the Legacy Motor Club NASCAR team,
running Toyotas in the Cup series next year.

50

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Jimmie looks back on a stellar career and
ahead to a new challenge.
Motor Sport: You started out racing
motorcycles as a kid. Was that ever a career
path for you?
Jimmie Johnson: Not really. My parents
became concerned at how injury-prone I was,
so with all the injuries and a big commitment
from my family, we decided to move
away from the bikes when I was about 14.
The energy and commitment that
motorcycle racing required really helped me
understand the discipline you needed,
mentally and physically, to jump all the
obstacles in motor sport and those lessons
carried forward into my four-wheeled career.
At first it was off-road, sports desert buggies,
then I got the opportunity as a development
driver for Chevrolet in their stadium trucks.
I didn’t even have a driving licence but I had

a contract with Chevrolet… and that led
to racing in the top division of both stadium
racing and desert trucks. At this point in the
journey I was still at high school, racing
the trucks, travelling round the country, and
it wasn’t until I was 21 I thought this could
be a career. It was an incredible time, a lot
of fun. At school I was the odd one out, you
know, because back then nobody [in my
circle] really knew about or had experienced
racing trucks or cars.
What led you to NASCAR? How did that
big step forward come about?
JJ: My dream was to do IndyCar, and initially
Chevrolet was leading me that way, but then
we heard that General Motors was going to
pull out of IndyCar. They said if I wanted a
professional career on the asphalt I should
consider moving to Charlotte in North
Carolina and do NASCAR. So in 1997

Under a blood-red sky at
Homestead, Miami in 2008,
the middle year in Jimmie
Johnson’s run of five
consecutive NASCAR Cup
titles. Left, from top: driving for
Herzog Motorsports in the
Busch series, 2000; Jeff Gordon
was an early mentor, team-mate
and inspiration

RACING LIVES Jimmie Johnson
I immediately bought a one-way ticket and
I’ve been there ever since.

things that I just had no idea about. I’d
qualify well but I still didn’t know how to
make adjustments to the car during the race.
I didn’t even know what they were talking
about with these stock cars early on. It was
all new to me.

“Jeff Gordon
blazed the
trail. I really
looked up
to him

How easy was it to adapt to
racing on the asphalt tracks,
and to stock cars, in the early
years before signing with Rick
Hendrick’s NASCAR team?
JJ: From the actual driving
perspective I was already at a
pretty high level but I knew
nothing at all about the cars.
I didn’t know how to adjust them. Racing in
trucks it was all about the jumps and bumps,
dealing with a desert surface, and now I was
on smooth asphalt and not having to worry
about cornering, but there were technical

How important was it to
get that seat with Hendrick’s
respected and successful team?
JJ: Oh, without a doubt, to join
that team and work with my
chief engineer Chad Knaus was
a huge step forward. I mean,
Hendrick is like a racing
factory, super-impressive – the
facilities are incredible. I would not have had
all the success without the leadership and
guidance from Rick and Chad. They really
helped me to develop as a NASCAR driver.
There was a great chemistry, a stable

GETTY IMAGES

Coming from California, did you feel
like an outsider arriving in Charlotte, the
home of NASCAR?
JJ: I really didn’t. Jeff Gordon, who came
from a similar racing background in
California, had been there for some time,
and there were other guys from other places
who were doing really well. OK, there were
certain tracks we went to where the fans
were, shall we say, a little less welcoming,
but in general I had great support and felt
very welcome. Jeff Gordon was someone
I had really looked up to. He’d blazed the
trail, and he opened up doors for me and
other drivers. He helped me towards the
drive with Rick Hendrick’s team when I met
him in 2000 while I was doing the Busch
series with Herzog Motorsport. I was already

good friends with Ricky Hendrick, Rick’s
son, and he’d told Jeff a lot about me, about
my potential, that I’d already had some good
results in the ASA and Busch races. So that
led to four races with Hendrick in 2001 and
my first full season in 2002.

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

51

RACING LIVES Jimmie Johnson
JJ: I don’t think so. I won my first Daytona
before I ever won a championship, and I did
realise that victory gave me a title, a status,
that no other race can or ever will. The 500
is a stand-alone race, the biggest draw, but
it’s below winning those seven Cup titles in
the bigger picture.

Johnson finally made it to the
Indy 500 with Ganassi in
2022, crashing out on lap 194.
The late career switch was a
brave move, and a struggle

The NASCAR schedule was brutal – 36
races in a season all across the States, plus
all the testing. How did you deal with such
a punishing series?
JJ: Yeah, it was tough, for sure. I was racing
for 19 years and in the first half of my career
I did miss seeing friends and family, but I
was with my girlfriend [now his wife
Chandra] and we made the most of the
travelling, saw a lot of the States, and we had
a great time. In the later years it was a grind,
now we had children growing up. So yeah,
there was their routine to consider, and the
second half of my career the schedule was
more difficult. But you deal with it and then
there was the desire Chad and I had to win
those last two Cup series championships in
2013 and 2016.
52

Motor Sport December 2023

Put me in the car for that thrilling
NASCAR pack racing when you’re running
nose to tail, three, four abreast.
JJ: It’s like being in a boat on a lake. You’re
in the wake of the boat ahead, your car is
punching a hole in the air, so where you
place the car changes the airflow. There
are places where the airflow is very low – we
call those dead spots – so you learn quickly
not to be there, and you edge the front of
the car into a place that allows higher airflow,
a better wake. At places like Daytona and
Talladega, being in that wake is useful. You
feel the extra speed. The leader is a sitting
duck, he’s punching the hole, using more
fuel, so you’re thinking all the time about
the best place to be.
You can’t see much around
you, ahead or behind, but you
might be able to see through the
windscreen of the guy ahead.
That’s where trust comes into
play, but you need to be aware
of what’s happening in your
lane. If you want to create a
pass, you drag the brake, slow
down your lane, allow the cars behind
you to stack up, and that energy
from behind finds its way forward
to you over a third of the lap. Then
you might see an opening, but
everyone is playing this game, so
timing is everything. I guess it’s a
bit like bicycle racing when they’re
riding in a pack.

So what was the motivation to do IndyCar
– to go up against mainly younger and more
experienced drivers in a competitive series?
JJ: It was my original dream. After so many
years full-time in NASCAR I wanted to slow
down a bit and IndyCar has far fewer races
in the season – 38 down to 17 seemed like a
nice reduction. I knew I was
going to struggle, but it was a
challenge. My speciality was
NASCAR and not a highdownforce single-seater, but
I wanted to try it. I quit caring
about the criticism, about what
people were saying, what was
on social media, and Chip
[Ganassi] was very encouraging
and understanding all the way. He
wanted me to have that opportunity,
go on that journey. I felt like I had
earned the right to do it. I had a great
sponsor in Carvana, and I enjoyed
every minute of it.
The Indy 500, as a great occasion,
was everything I’d hoped it would be
but in the race itself I was surprised at
how physical it was to overtake in the
dirty air running in the pack. When
the Speedway is full, all those fans, the
pageantry, the energy of the place, was

“You might be
able to see the
track through
the screen of
the car ahead”

You won the Daytona 500 twice.
Is winning that race as important as
winning the championship itself?

GETTY IMAGES FOR NASCAR

relationship for many years, and that’s very
important to a driver. There are so many
layers to build on for any sportsman at that
level and with a team like Hendrick and Chad
as my engineer, I had great support behind
me. We had such a passionate desire to win,
to work on every aspect to be the best. When
we won those five championships
consecutively there were some low periods
in there too but we’d never settle for second
best. Testing was allowed in those days. Chad
and I would load up the test hauler, go to
the track, and work, work, work around the
clock. We didn’t have families back then, we
were young, spent all our time working,
making ourselves better, that’s all we focused
on. We were aware of how special that fiveyear run was and we didn’t want to let it slip
away. And there was also a fear of failure.
That’s a powerful motivator.

Having won five championships in five
years you won two more at the end of your
career. Did they mean more in some ways?
JJ: Yeah, without a doubt, I needed to prove
the doubters wrong. They were quick to say
I wouldn’t be the same in 2010 when my first
daughter was born and then again in 2013
when our second daughter was born. So that
was a motivation and you realise you don’t
have as much time left so there’s a different
sense of urgency. People don’t realise how
important a wife and family is to all careers,
the support you have at home, the
understanding of the schedule involved,
accepting the opportunities that pop up when
there’s been no advance notice and they
might have made other plans. So yeah, that’s
important for any sportsman, anyone in a
demanding career. I tried to retire twice, and
both times it failed, so winding down from
racing at the top level is definitely a problem.

Leading AJ Allmendinger
at Phoenix in 2010.
Above: Proving the
doubters wrong at
Homestead, 2013
December 2023 Motor Sport

53

Climbing in for a Le Mans
stint as Jenson Button
steps away in June. Left:
lost in confetti after a first
Daytona 500 win, 2006

an incredible experience and it was just so
frustrating that a caution put me at the back
of the field for the second part of the race.
We have to talk about Le Mans in the
Garage 56 Chevy NASCAR.
The whole place seemed to be
rooting for you.
JJ: Yeah, what a great
experience, incredible to be
representing US motor sport,
and we could really savour the
moment. We’d worked so hard,
testing, practising pitstops,
developing the car – we were
totally buttoned up by the time we got there
for the race weekend. The car was actually
really well-suited to Le Mans. We had more
pace than we’d seen in the simulations and
testing, and there was so much excitement

surrounding bringing that car to the race. It
was some fine print deep in the rule book
that put us a lap down at one point. The
‘innovation car’ does not get a waiver when
the field was under caution so, when we made
a pitstop under the safety car
but when they packed up the
field to go racing again, the GT
category was given a waiver to
pass the leader and we didn’t
get that. So when there was
another safety car we did things
differently and in the end we
were able to drive right back up
to where we were, which was
great. I mean, we were racing for a win in the
GT category. The Hendrick team did a great
job, of course, and the driver line-up was
decided early on. We spent a lot of time
together testing, so that worked well too.

“With righthand drive the
gearshift is
on the wrong
side... but hey“

54

Motor Sport December 2023

What about the future? You now have
joint ownership of a NASCAR team and
you’ve talked about doing some Cup races
yourself next year.
JJ: Yeah, I’m very excited, sharing ownership
with business partner Maury Gallagher. We’ve
re-branded the Richard Petty team, calling it
Legacy Motor Club. I’m very focused on the
business side of this, talking to sponsors, and
we’re looking good. We’ve signed with Toyota
which is exciting because they run eight cars,
far fewer than Chevrolet,. This means we’ll
have access to a lot more information. I will
always appreciate what Chevrolet did for me,
everything we accomplished together, and
I’m just so thankful they took a chance on me
as a kid from California all those years ago.
The record-breaking success we shared
together will always be in the history books
but now I am committed to building a winning

RACING LIVES Jimmie Johnson

JORDAN BUTTERS, GETTY IMAGES

team with Toyota. I will do some races, we’re
working on when, where and how, and
meanwhile I’m working with Maury on the
business side, on sponsor relations. But sure,
I will have input on the competition side of
things with the drivers and right now I plan
to do the 500 at Daytona.

From left: Johnson, Richard Petty and
Legacy team driver Erik Jones.
Above: A40 high jinks at Goodwood

Many of us have been excited to see you
racing historic cars at Goodwood recently.
How and why did you get into this very
different side of the sport?
JJ: That was Dario [Franchitti], when I was
racing in IndyCar with Ganassi. He said it
was great and he got Scott [Dixon] involved
as well, so that was fun. He arranged for me
to drive a Cobra and a Ford Galaxie in 2022
when the Revival didn’t clash with the
IndyCar schedule. I love driving these
beautiful old cars, it’s a lot of fun. Dario

said I’d love the event, and I did. I was more
comfortable in the Cobra and the Galaxie
than I was in IndyCar because they’re much
more like a NASCAR. They move around a
lot more, so the driving style is similar. Righthand drive takes time to get used to, and the
gearshift is on the wrong side... but hey,
Goodwood is a beautiful circuit, and then
there’s all the fans who turn out in their
period clothing. There’s nothing like it
anywhere else and it’s certainly not like the
motor racing I’ve ever been involved in. You
get to ride to the track in some wonderful
classic cars, there’s a party atmosphere, a
glass of champagne – that’s not what I’m used
to. This year I raced an Austin A40 and had
a great battle with Jenson [Button] in an Alfa
Romeo Giulietta. That was so much fun.
So yeah, when there’s an opportunity,
I’ll do some more.
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

55

MY LIFE IN CARS

David
Brabham
My family car as a child...
The first family cars I remember were a Ford
Falcon and a Ford Fairlane. My father had
a Ford dealership in Bankstown in Sydney.
He was a practical man and his cars
reflected that. My brother had a Ford Escort
2000 and I wish I had that car now.
My first road car...
Was a Holden Kingswood ute, below, a
great car for drifting on the dirt roads on the
farm where I learnt how to throw a car
around and that taught me about grip
and balance. I really pushed the
limits and have no idea how
I didn’t kill myself.

My first ever win was...
At the Griffith kart track in New South
Wales in the Country Titles. I was racing
Class Australia 100cc sprint karts and just
a year earlier I’d been to this very event as

Brabham was reunited with his favourite car, the
Jaguar XJR-14, at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed

56

Motor Sport December 2023

Lewis or Max?
Max.
Senna or Prost?
Prost.
Oversteer or
understeer?
Neither.
Brands Hatch or
Silverstone?
Brands Hatch.

a spectator, and that was
the first race I ever saw.
The win I remember the most was...
The win I treasure most is the Australian
Gold Star support race at the Grand Prix in
Adelaide in 1987. I went from 35th to first
in 15 laps after a huge blow-up with my
father, which triggered something
inside me and took me to a
different level. I think that win
convinced my father I had
what it takes despite his
reservations after I told him
my girlfriend was pregnant.
My favourite racing car is...
The TWR Jaguar XJR-14. That car
would have made the top 10 of a Formula
1 grid. Tom Walkinshaw only had three
drivers for two cars in the WEC in 1991 so
I drove both cars in the same race. My
first race was at the Nürburgring where
I managed to come first and second
which was pretty cool. The Jaguar was the
most impressive car I ever raced and it felt

just as good when I drove it at Goodwood
Festival this year.
If I could race in any era...
It would be the 1980s. The Formula 1 cars
and sports cars of that era were mega and it
was when I got interested in racing. I just
love watching these cars at historic events.
If I could take part in one more
big race it would be...
The Indy 500. My father, (Jack,
left, at the Brickyard in 1964)
brother and nephew all did
that race and I think my style
and sensitivity to the car would
have been good for me. And... it’s
one of racing’s biggest prizes.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been
given was...
My father said – with that famous grin on his
face – “David, if you want to go quicker use
less brake and more throttle.” I was also
told, “if you want to know your future, just
look at yourself in the mirror.”

THE ENTHUSIAST NETWORK VIA GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY, GRAND PRIX PHOTO

I was hooked on motor
racing when...
I was 17 and went to America
with my brother Geoff who was
racing in IndyCar. I saw a kart in
a workshop and I didn’t even know
people raced them. After three months
holding Geoff’s helmet and listening to
his team meetings I was inspired to start
racing myself.

Sprint race...

RACING LIVES

Flashback...
An impromptu 1991 boat trip around
Sydney Harbour and a visit to the cinema
remind Maurice Hamilton how Formula
1 people used to spend their downtime
between popular ‘flyaway’ grands prix

or nine successive years, the F1
season ended with Suzuka and
Adelaide a fortnight apart. Sydney
was a favourite place to spend the
intervening weekend. This is
the afternoon of Saturday,
October 26, 1991 as Jean Alesi and Eddie
Jordan take a boat ride around the harbour.
It was completely unplanned – as such events
with Jordan tended to be – and started when
I and two colleagues, lying low in a motel on
Pacific Highway, discovered Eddie was
staying in a posh hotel on the waterfront.
Lunch in Jordan’s – a fish restaurant
which, naturally, EJ insisted we simply had
to choose – was washed down with chilled
Chardonnay as we shot the breeze and,
among other things, discussed Ayrton Senna’s
extraordinary rant the previous Sunday.
Despite having just been crowned world
champion for the third time, Senna spent the
post-race press conference launching a
vitriolic attack on how FIA president, JeanMarie Balestre, had favoured Alain Prost at
the same race during the previous two years.
It had been breathtaking in its content and
invective-flecked delivery.
Jordan, knowing Alesi was also in town,
tracked him down and insisted he join us for
the afternoon. Despite being a Ferrari driver,
Jean arrived without either an entourage or
a camera crew (Sky and Netflix had yet to
invade F1 and fill drivers’ free time with silly
stunts for, allegedly, the viewers’ delectation).
Alesi and Jordan had heartfelt history. Jean
spent his first year in the UK living with Eddie
and his family in Oxford. It was Jordan who
arranged the deal with Tyrrell to give Alesi his
stunning debut when the Franco-Sicilian
finished fourth in the 1989 French GP. Their
conversation in Sydney covered many topics
– but certainly not their respective races at
Suzuka where Alesi’s engine had blown up
on the first lap and Jordan’s two drivers, Alex
Zanardi and Andrea de Cesaris, managed eight
laps between them.
When the boat trip finished, on Jordan’s
urging we went to the cinema to see The
Commitments, the film version of Roddy
Doyle’s riotous book about a struggling pop
group in Dublin. Alesi did not join us, which
was probably just as well because the raw
Irish humour would have gone over his head
– although he would have enjoyed, as we all
did, the sight of EJ gasping for air as he slid
down his seat in hysterics.
This year, the final GPs in Las Vegas and
Abu Dhabi are a week apart at the end of a
23-race marathon. In 1991 the championship
had 16 rounds – allowing time in-between to
savour days such as this.
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

57

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C A L E N DA R 2024

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the centenary of Motor Sport magazine using a superb selection of colour and
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Drivers included in our special calendar include Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark and Tony Brooks from the
golden era of GP racing, through to James Hunt, Jackie Stewart and Nigel Mansell amid a cacophony
of DFVs, right up to Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes F1 prime. Order your limited edition calendar
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58

Motor Sport December 2023

LETTERS
STAR LETTER

D

oug Nye seems to accept Felipe
Massa’s legal claim that he might have
won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix
had it not been red flagged, an event which
in turn, Massa asserts, resulted in his loss of
points which spoiled his tilt at the F1 title [The
Archives, November]. Unfortunately, Felipe
is ignoring the severe delays caused when he left his pitbox with the refuelling hose still
attached, above, which forced him to stop at the pits exit to await mechanics to sort him
out, plus earning a drive-through penalty for unsafe release. Felipe’s spin in lap 49
compounded his loss of time, resulting in a dismal 13th place finish. Alonso’s win was
fortuitous indeed, [but] Felipe Massa heaped misfortune on himself and Ferrari. Perhaps
the motto ‘never go to law’ would suffice here?
PATRICK DOYLE, HUNGERFORD, BERKSHIRE
OUR FEATURED LETTER OF THE MONTH, CHOSEN BY THE
EDITOR, WINS A SCALEXTRIC GRAND PRIX RACE SET PRIZE.
EMAIL YOUR LETTERS TO THE USUAL ADDRESS

W

hat a wonderful and informative
read your article was on Howden
Ganley in the October edition [The
Motor Sport Interview]. It enlightened me on
the Howden Ganley journey. The emotions of
climbing the ladder with the best of the best
including the highs and lows, marked by the
tragic and emotional loss of Bruce McLaren.
We know this was still an incredibly exciting
and dangerous period for the development of
Formula 1 – but to be reminded of the
determination and passion that came from as
far away as New Zealand and the influence this
has had on the sport should be remembered.
JEREMY SAMENGO-TURNER, FROXFIELD, HANTS

GRAND PRIX PHOTO

R

eading October’s Howden Ganley
interview I fondly recall his visit to
Mondello Park for Leinster Motor Club’s
F5000 feature Leinster Trophy, where I was
chief paddock marshal, and how sportingly
down to earth he was, eagerly bringing his car
to the pre-formation paddock gate grid and
making time to have a word with enthusiasts.
Another larger than life F5000 character
in the Leinster Trophy of that era was Ulf
Norinder. My recall may be faulty but I seem
to remember Mike Hailwood along for the ride;
like illustrious John Watson, precursors all for
Ayrton Senna’s Trophy win just a few years later
in FF2000 – no intrusive media handlers
forming a buffer zone between fans and drivers.
How times have changed. I enjoy your
magazine every month.
GORDON LENNOX, DELGANY, CO WICKLOW

F

licking through the
August edition of Motor
Sport, of which I was the
assistant editor some 50 years
ago, an image jumped out of the
Letters page – the Willie Rushton
cartoon, right, of the Silverstone grid
from the one-off booklet The Heavily Censored
History of Hesketh Racing. Not only did
I conceive and write much of this, as one third
of GBM Associates, I commissioned and own
the original of this marvellous cartoon – except
that it has disappeared.
It was Alexander – Lord Hesketh – who
came up with the title, while the Rushton idea
was mine as I was a devotee of the multitalented actor, satirist, radio and TV personality
and cartoonist, one of the founders of Private
Eye. We hatched a plan where Willie would be
taken to the International Trophy meeting at
Silverstone to be ‘embedded’ with the team
and given free range to produce the cartoon of
whatever he liked. We didn’t even insist on any
Hesketh content. Willie did rather enjoy the
fine wines and cuisine of the Hesketh Racing
hospitality presided over by chef Tom Benson.
About two weeks later I received a phone
call from Willie. “Cartoon’s finished, come and
collect it.” Off I went to a smart apartment on
Cheyne Walk, by Battersea Bridge. Rushton
opened the door, handed me the cartoon
already wrapped with a “hope you like it” and
that was it.
There was this fantastic drawing plus a few
other smaller cartoons we hadn’t even

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

commissioned or expected. What you can’t
see from the picture in Motor Sport is that the
cartoon is actually a montage; many of the cars
and people were drawn separately.
Rushton’s work was beautifully observed
and funny but also the cartoons of Alexander,
Harvey Postlethwaite, Bubbles Horsley and the
rest of the Hesketh squad are wonderfully
drawn. Everyone seemed happy – including
his Lordship – and the cartoon was much
admired by all.
This does prompt the question – where
have all the great motoring cartoonists gone?
Cartoons were a staple of motoring magazines
in the past and people like Brockbank and Giles
nationally known figures. These days I run the
Art of Motoring annual exhibition for the Royal
Automobile Club – who have some great
motoring cartoons – and see the work of many
talented and emerging motoring artists.
But no cartoonists!
I kept the Rushton original for some
time, until, as one of the producers of
the ITV programme about James Hunt
and Barry Sheene When Playboys
Ruled the World, I lent it to the
production team.
Not only did it not get used in the
final cut, when I asked for the cartoon
back, it had mysteriously disappeared from
the South Bank studios. So if you’ve got it or
seen it on someone’s wall – it’s mine and I would
like it back!
ANDREW MARRIOTT, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT

L

ooking at Parting Shot of November
2023, below, I think Alonso may have
been hoping for this from his pit crew
during the latter stages of the Qatar GP.
MARK TYRRELL, DOWNTON, WILTSHIRE

CONTACT US
Write to Motor Sport, 18-20 Rosemont
Road, London, NW3 6NE or email,
editorial@motorsportmagazine.co.uk

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

59

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61

In 1977, Lotus stole a march
on its Formula 1 rivals with
its ground effect design.
As Mark Hughes sets out,
there are clear parallels
between Colin Chapman’s
foresight and what is
happening at Red Bull today
ILLUSTRATIONS: GIORGIO PIOLA

62

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

BERNARD CAHIER/GETTY IMAGES, DPPI

GROUND EFFECT

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

63

olin Chapman was very irritated. He was a day late arriving
at the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix and during Friday qualifying,
in Chapman’s absence, Mario Andretti had lapped 1.54sec
faster than anyone else. Chapman took Andretti to task for
revealing the extent of the car’s advantage. Everyone would be
wanting to find out the secret of the Lotus 78 now, he scolded.

Mario Andretti set a
blistering pace at Zolder
in 1977 in the Lotus 78,
but Colin Chapman was
far from happy

64

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

GROUND EFFECT
Its secret, of course, was ground effect – a
secret that could only be implied by the
Lotus’s unusual shape but which would have
required a good look at its internals to
understand. So it was a secret that took a
while to be decoded. In the right
circumstances, such as those of Zolder
where Andretti set that resounding pole, the
78 was in a different league to its 1977 rivals.
The next big technological leap in F1’s
evolution had just been taken. As such, a
grid-full of copies may have been expected
for 1978. Yet it didn’t happen like that. Tony
Southgate – who had been part of the Lotus
78 programme – created the ground effect
Shadow DN9 and Arrows FA1 (the same
design for two different teams). Harvey
Postlethwaite gave us the distinctive radiatoron-the-cockpit-front Wolf WR5. And that was

it. They were the only two ground effect
designs competing with the title-winning
Lotus 79 in 1978. No other team had gone
near ground effect despite its obviously
enormous potential and despite watching
the Lotus’s performances through ’77.
Ferrari and Brabham were thwarted
anyway by the unsuitable shape of their flat-12
engines, but even so Ferrari’s Mauro Forghieri
said at the time that he was unconvinced that
ground effect was even real! Brabham’s design
chief Gordon Murray recalled: “No one knew
exactly what they’d harnessed. We were all
still trying to understand it.” Others – including
Williams’ Patrick Head – said they wished to
get a fuller understanding of it before
committing to such a design (which a couple
of years later would materialise as the FW07).
It wasn’t until 1979, two years after Lotus had

shown the way, that we saw a grid full of
ground effect cars.
Fast-forward to 2022, the first year of the
new ground effect regulations (after 39 years
of enforced flat-bottomed cars) and the Red
Bull RB18 won all but five of the 22 races. It
was clearly more effective than the other
cars, but what was the design secret
conferring such an advantage? That wasn’t
immediately obvious. The waters were
further muddied by the fact that its two
closest rivals – the Ferrari F1-75 and Mercedes
W13 – were visibly very different. But there
were other, slower cars which looked
superficially much like the Red Bull.
Still, it was confidently expected that into
2023, as teams full of clever design and
engineering brains had been given a chance
to observe and learn from the RB18, Red

LOTUS 78 AERO SECRETS
diffuser at the rear progressively
returns the airflow to atmospheric
pressure, amplifying the
low-pressure effect further
forward while preventing the high
drag which would otherwise be
induced at the rear where the
high-pressure over-body flow

meets with the low-pressure
underbody flow. The steeper the
diffuser ramp, the faster the air
rushes through the choke point.
Sealing off the sidepod with
sliding skirts allowed this lower
pressure to be sealed, effectively
sucking the car into the road.

PHIPPS/SUTTON

The underside of the radiators
concealed within the Lotus 78’s
sidepods helped form the venturi
shape (beneath the yellow shaded
area). The choke point nearest the
ground, in trying to constrict the
airflow, increases its speed which
reduces the pressure, while the

December 2023 Motor Sport

65

GROUND EFFECT

Bull’s advantage would at least be reduced.
Instead, it increased. To the extent that the
RB19 set new records of achievement in
world championship history. In winning the
Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen extended
the consecutive victory record for a driver
to 10 and for a team to 15. The RB19 was
proving literally unbeatable.
There are parallels in how long it took
rivals to understand and catch up on Lotus’s
breakthrough in the ’70s and Red Bull’s
advantage in the first two years of the new
ground effect formula 2022-23. But the factors
driving those two scenarios are quite different.
Lotus in 1977 entered a new dimension,
harnessing some strange new force. It was just
physics, of course, but may as well have been
magic to the others. Such things were possible
in an F1 era of unlimited technical freedom,
albeit limited resource. The very opposite
applied in Red Bull’s era – very limited
technical freedom but vast financial resource.
o while Peter Wright and
Chapman were able to blue-skythink their way to a totally new
type of car, even redefining what
an F1 car was, four decades later
the Adrian Newey-led Red Bull
technical team were operating within
regulations defining virtually every
dimension. The key to an advantage in such
an environment was finding and unpicking
a small thread leading to a vast hidden
cavern of performance. Whereas in
Chapman’s day the caverns were wide open,
just waiting for someone with the
imagination to walk into them.
Talking with Wright for a Motor Sport
piece in 1998, he recalled, “The work really
started when I was at BRM in the late ’60s
with Tony Rudd. We’d started to build a wing
car there but it didn’t have skirts and probably

Chapman with stopwatch times
Andretti’s practice at the 1978
Austrian GP. Right: Sergio Pérez’s
crash at Monaco in 2022 let rivals
study the underside of the Red Bull

66

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

GRAND PRIX PHOTO, DPPI, GETTY IMAGES

“It was just
physics, of
course, but may
as well have
been magic”

Despite the rigorous
regulations of modern F1,
Red Bull’s Adrian Newey
saw some wriggle room –
advantage Max Verstappen

wouldn’t have worked very well.” But the
venturi tunnels within the floor were there.
When Chapman tasked Wright and Rudd
to go back to fundamentals in the conception
of the 78, they revisited the idea they’d looked
at with BRM. How to seal off the sides of the
tunnels to create a powerful pressure
difference was going to be key. “We were a bit
nervous about what we’d be allowed to run,”
recalled Wright, “and so we first tried it with
brushes. They didn’t really work. But we
found a precedent for running skirts and they
were much more effective.” When the moving
belt in the wind tunnel was sucked off its
runners, they knew they were onto something.
Allowing the skirts to slide up and down so
there was always a physical seal with the road
sent the downforce numbers off the scale.
“The real breakthrough came when we put
ceramic tips on the skirts and made them suck
down instead of up by sealing all the time.”
So F1 ground effect was born. With its
boxed-off sidepods connected to the ground
by nylon skirts, the venturi shape within was
able to create a big low-pressure zone
beneath the car, sucking it down to the road.
It was the season’s fastest car but lost the
title through engine unreliability. Its 1978
successor, the 79, took the basic concept but
moved the centre of aerodynamic pressure
further back so it no longer needed a big
rear wing to balance the forces generated
on the front axle. Its advantage over the
largely non-ground-effect opposition was
enhanced and it took Andretti and Ronnie
Peterson to a 1-2 in the drivers’ championship
(albeit posthumously for Peterson, who died
after a startline crash at Monza).
Skirted ground effect cars reached their
zenith in 1980 before the governing body –
alarmed at the exponential increase in
cornering speeds – acted to limit ground
effect, initially with a skirt ban, subsequently
also a minimum ride height before finally
banishing the tunnelled ground effect car

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

67

GROUND EFFECT
RED BULL RB19 UNDERFLOOR
A look beneath the car and there’s a landscape of tunnels and
archways. You can see how much more complex and sophisticated
the geometry is than the Mercedes underfloor, right.

CENTRAL FLAT
SECTION

TWIN-PLANE
BEAM WING

The profile of the central
flat section (upon which the
regulation plank is mounted)
determines the varying width of
the tunnels either side, along
their length. This variation is to
fully energise the flow through
the tunnels. The tunnel diffuser
is regulated much further back
than on the original ground
effect cars and its maximum
ramp angle is also defined by
regulation, limiting its potential,
as does the regulation absence
of physical skirts. But the flow is
energised by the intricate
changes in geometry of the
tunnels. Those of the Red Bull
are higher-roofed and more
arched than rivals, giving greater
resistance to porpoising and
better spread of downforce
through the full speed range.

The twin-plane beam wing
in continuing the ramp angle
of the tunnel’s diffuser
connects up that airflow
with the underside of the
rear wing. This effectively
increases the diffuser’s
length (sucking the car down
harder from beneath) and
decreases the pressure on
the main wing’s underside,
creating a bigger pressure
differential with the
high-pressure flow over
the wing’s upper surface
(pushing the car down
harder from above).

altogether with the 1983 flat-bottom
regulations. Nothing can be un-invented and
in the following decades even the flat-bottom
cars were in actuality ground effect, with
floors that merged into big diffusers at the
back to induce a low-pressure area beneath
the whole flat surface of the floor. In place
of the banned physical skirts were invisible
airflow skirts, whereby vortices were created
which spun down the edges of the floor to
prevent the airflow going through the floor
to leak from the sides.
The sidepod tunnel ground effect car
made its reappearance by regulation in 2022

68

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

“The first real
clue came
when Sergio
Pérez crashed
at Monaco”

as F1 tried to create an aerodynamic formula
in which the cars would create a cleaner
wake to help aid overtaking. But this was
a tunnelled ground effect car born within a
vastly more regulated era, with many of the
body surfaces prescribed by the rule book.
When Adrian Newey first looked at these
regulations he was dispirited at how they
seemed to leave no room for creativity. But
then he began to look a little harder. “As you
dig into it more,” he said in 2022, “particularly
in the area of the sidepod and floor – there’s
actually a reasonable degree of freedom.
More than you first think. The chassis is near

MERCEDES W14 UNDERFLOOR
Although Mercedes has taken inspiration from the 2022 Red Bull’s more
stepped central floor profile (the previous year’s Mercedes central section was
much more teardrop in profile), it’s still visibly less intricate than the Red Bull’s.

LATERAL VANES

The lateral vanes at
the front of the floor split the
airflow which has entered
the tunnel inlets. Air entering
the inboard vanes continues
through the length of the
tunnel. Air channelled by
the outboard vanes is directed
back outside and along the lower
floor edges. This helps power-up
vortices of spinning air at the
outboard edge of the floor and
these act as a virtual seal, doing
the same job as the banned skirts
in sealing off the floor and
allowing it to be sucked down
harder. The airflow passing along
the length of the tunnel avoids
the spinning vortices at the
outboard edge, retaining its
energy as it rushes towards
the diffuser. The different
arrangement of these vanes
compared to the Red Bull
reflects the very different
front sidepod shapes.

TUNNEL ROOF

The W14’s tunnel roof
(pre-Spanish GP update)
is lower and less arched.
While the lower roof just
before the choke point
would theoretically
create more downforce,
in practice the limitation
of bouncing or porpoising
means its theoretical limit
cannot be reached.

enough designed for you by the regulations,
the front wing quite prescriptive. Front and
rear suspension, although there is some
prescription on the angles, in terms of layout
there’s still some freedom.” But it was the
sidepod/floor/suspension combination
where the Red Bull team – which as well as
Newey includes technical director Pierre
Waché and chief of aero Enrico Balbo – was
able to carve out an invisible advantage.
There was nothing about the exterior
shapes of the RB18 and RB19 to suggest they
were radically different from, say, a McLaren
or Alpine. They all featured sidepods with a

heavy undercut at the front beneath which
lay the tunnel inlets. The relatively slim
sidepods sloped gently down to a point just
ahead of the rear wheels. Yet the RB18 was in
the order of 1.5sec per lap faster. When you
looked at Lotus 78 and compared it to a
McLaren M26 in 1977, they were explicitly,
obviously, created around totally different
sets of priorities. One informed by a new
branch of science, the other not. Even if that
science was not understood on the outside,
it made sense that the new concept, so
radically different in appearance, should be
so much faster than the old. There was

something fundamentally different. But
without the resources or people to research
it deeply and quickly, even the big clue of the
78’s very different appearance didn’t allow
that secret to be uncovered immediately.
But this time around there is all the
resource and personnel anyone could
reasonably wish for. Yet no external clue
from the shape of the car. So what is the
source of Red Bull’s crushing superiority
when the cars look so ostensibly similar to
so many others?
The first real clue came when Sergio Pérez
crashed in qualifying at Monaco in ’22 and

December 2023 Motor Sport

69

RB18

Look beyond the packaging of the front
suspension internals to the shape of the
chassis bottom beneath, red arrows. The
RB19’s, below, is much more V-shaped than
that of its predecessor, above. That shape is
carried the length of the central section of
floor and it creates more downforcegenerating volume beneath the floor. In
increasing the height of the undercut area
between the radiator inlet bodywork and the
floor edge, it also allows a more powerful
propagation of vortex as the air spills down
the side and therefore a faster flow along
the lower body towards the rear and a
stronger seal for the underfloor.

RB19

70

Motor Sport December 2023

“The RB18 was
a devastating
tool in the
hands of
Verstappen”
only cure was to increase the rear ride
height, thereby losing a big chunk of that
theoretical downforce. By contrast, the high
arched roofs of the Red Bull tunnels allowed
the floor to keep sucking as the throat of
venturi (its lowest point) was almost touching
the ground. The result was a much wider
spread of downforce delivery through
different ride heights (cars naturally lower
themselves as speed increases and rise as it
reduces) and angles of roll, pitch and dive.
Its peak downforce may have been lower,
but it’s the spread and delivery of downforce
which is more critical to lap time. The Red
Bull ran a high tunnel roof with a low ride
height while the others ran the opposite and
the former was much superior. Coupled with
a long-travel rear suspension and tight
platform control from an extreme anti-dive
front suspension geometry, the RB18 was a
devastating tool in the hands of Verstappen.

GETTY IMAGES

RED BULL CHASSIS
RB18 vs RB19

the car was lifted high in the air by crane.
That’s when everyone got their first real look
at the Red Bull underfloor – and it was unlike
anyone else’s, all of which looked remarkably
similar with a teardrop-shaped flat central
section (or ‘canoe’ as it is nicknamed) with
two very low-roofed tunnels running either
side. The teardrop shape of the flat central
section of floor determines the width of the
tunnels along their length, wide at the front,
narrow in the middle, wide again at the back.
The low tunnel roof would in theory maximise
the low pressure and thereby downforce.
But the Red Bull’s central section was not at
all teardrop-shaped; instead it featured sharp
profile changes to energise the tunnel airflow
at specific points. The roof was arched, not
square like the others, and visibly higher. It
was the product of a more sophisticated
understanding of the underbody airflow.
If only the idealised airflow was
modelled, simulation would show the
common layout with the low ceiling and
simple contours would create more
downforce. But insert a few real world
limitations and the picture alters
dramatically. Teams quickly found that they
could not exploit the full theoretical
downforce of their floors because of the
bouncing phenomenon. As the car got lower
to the ground at speed the airflow at the
lowest point of the floor would choke,
stalling the downforce, the car would rise
up in its suspension, allowing it to work again
etc, all repeated at very high frequency. The

GROUND EFFECT
Can we expect the rest
of the grid to catch up
with Red Bull in 2024?
Don’t bet on it...

In their 2023 designs, many teams –
notably Mercedes, Aston Martin and others
– took inspiration from Red Bull’s stepped
canoe central floor to better energise the
airflow before it arrives at the venturi throat.
But Red Bull had moved the game on further
with its RB19.
Looking very little different to its
predecessor at a casual glance, it was in reality
a totally re-engineered car retaining that great
consistent downforce delivery but now with
a greater peak. Red Bull did this by raising
the whole cooling system up out of the way
of the initial downward sweep of the tunnel
(allowing it to be profiled much more
aggressively) and by giving it a V-section
chassis, increasing the available tunnel
volume. These changes brought with them a
higher centre of gravity but the aerodynamic
gains more than overcame the penalty of that.

It was McLaren which seemed to be the
first to understand where the RB19’s gains
had originated. Its Austria update comprised
a repackaged cooling system which allowed
the front of the sidepod to be lifted, enabling
that more aggressive tunnel shape. The gains
in McLaren’s competitiveness seemed to
have triggered light-bulb moments elsewhere
and by the time of the Singapore Grand Prix
Alpine, AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo all
turned up with similar developments.
So it may be, two years after Red Bull
stole a march, the competition will be ready
with designs that finally incorporate what
were Red Bull’s secrets. But Red Bull may
move the game on again. Which is what
Lotus tried to do in 1979 with the full-length
venturis of the Lotus 80. It was a disaster
and scrapped after a handful of races. That’s
where the historical parallels may end.

RED BULL RB16B VS RB19 COOLING LAYOUT

RED BULL
RB16B (2021)

The final flat-bottomed
car. Low-mounted lower
radiator (the edge of
which is seen here
towards the front, in blue)
helps minimises the
centre of gravity height.

RED BULL RB19 (2023)

The lower radiator (now of a slimmer
design) has been moved up to create
more space for the contouring of the
tunnels. The aerodynamic benefit will
have overcome any loss from the
increased centre of gravity height.
The inlet plenum (behind the airbox)
and the intercooler around it has
been shortened and angled further
downwards. This re-plumbing has
enabled the exhaust primaries to be
mounted lower, as can be seen by
how the exhaust outlet now has to
angle downwards to meet them.
This will have offset the effect on the
centre of gravity height at the front.

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

71

72

Motor Sport December 2023

ILLUSTRATION: CHRIS RATHBONE

Forty-one years after the
last grand prix in Sin City,
Formula 1 heads for
The Strip. As Edd Straw
reveals, it’s a comeback
that promises to outclass
Miami for glitz and glamour
but for Liberty Media much
is riding on its success

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX
he house always wins in Las
Vegas. That’s why Formula
1 is the house for its return to
Sin City, four decades on from
its forgettable first foray to the
Nevada desert for two unloved
races around a dull track mostly in the north
parking lot of the Caesars Palace Hotel. F1 is
in full control and banking on its dream race
fuelling the latest phase of its growth.
Today, Las Vegas is the self-styled ‘Sports
and Entertainment Capital of the World’.
Liberty Media has gone all-in by promoting
the race itself at vast expense, in harness
with Live Nation Entertainment, which it
part owns. Headed up by CEO Renee Wilm,
inset right, who has worked across a wide
range of Liberty Media’s activities, the race
has got up and running in double-quick time.
In August, F1 confirmed the creeping
costs of building the track and the
permanent facility that includes the pits
and paddock complex, which will host
F1-related attractions all the year round, are
“close to $400m [£330m]”. Investment in
the event is set to be over half-a-billion
dollars, so the stakes are high. And that
means it must not only bring in money for

Las Vegas, with the predicted economic
impact of £1bn, but also cash and eyeballs
for F1, not just in the USA but globally.
This is a dramatic deviation from F1’s
business model, in which promoter fees are
key to its income. As F1 CEO Stefano
Domenicali jokes, “we went a little
crazy a couple of years ago to think
a Vegas Grand Prix was possible”
– and the result is a grand prix
that must not fail. McLaren CEO
Zak Brown, regarded as the preeminent sports marketer in F1,
has no doubts it will work.
“I don’t see how it doesn’t pay
off,” says Brown. “Short of having some
[unexpected] operational issue I don’t see
what can go wrong. I don’t see how the
spectacle is not going to be as big as we
expect. Logistically, Vegas is built for huge
entertainment, the streets are huge and
wide, there’s hotel rooms everywhere. This
city does this for a living and I don’t see it
being a problem.”
This isn’t a case of F1 falling for the
gambler’s fallacy and assuming Vegas can’t
fail a second time. While the original race
of 1981-82, dubbed the Caesars Palace Grand

Prix, was at best a marginalised curiosity,
the Las Vegas GP is front and centre in the
city. The long back straight runs down The
Strip with views of legendary hotel/casino
complexes including Bellagio, The Venetian,
Flamingo and, with a nod to its barely
remembered history, Caesars Palace.
No backdrop, no race.
“It’s going to be very fruitful
for the business,” says Lewis
Hamilton. “Having more races
in the States was always [positive]
because it’s a huge market.
There’s a massive sports fanbase
there and to really crack that takes
more than one race in the US.
“And Vegas is an iconic place. The dream
of driving down [The Strip] with all those
casino lights… everyone’s watched the
movie Casino, right? I’m really excited about
getting to experience it. I don’t know if it’s
going to be a great racing circuit, I’ve not
driven it so we’ll wait and see, but I’m always
down to add great races and great venues.
It’ll be an exciting weekend for us all.”
It will be a great venue, but a great race?
That’s a trickier question. The recent swathe
of street circuits has produced a mixed bag

“It will be a great venue, but a great
race? That’s a tricky question”

The Las Vegas Grand Prix
will be the first Saturday
race Formula 1 has seen
since South Africa in 1985
– with a 10pm start
74

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

of tracks, and the 17-turn, 3.853-mile track,
designed by Hermann and Carsten Tilke’s
company, is a far cry from Suzuka or Spa but
it could produce decent racing. Add to the mix
the cold temperatures thanks to holding a race
at 10pm on Saturday plus long straights that
will mean the set-up will be similar to Baku or
perhaps even Monza and it’s an intriguing
combination. Overtaking should be possible
on a track that’s perhaps best characterised
as a higher-speed, flashier Miami.

GETTY IMAGES

Lewis Hamilton at the Las Vegas GP
launch party, 2022. Inset: seats in the
West Harmon stand cost more than
£1200. Below: 1981 Caesars Palace
GP. Bottom: the view after Turn 12

he skewed timetable, including
the first Saturday race since the
1985 South African Grand Prix,
is the price F1 pays for placing
itself at the heart of Vegas.
Running on Thursday and
Friday starts at 8.30pm, with the unusual
timings and lack of support races not only
facilitating the night-race format needed to
make the most of the bright lights of Vegas,
but also minimise disruption to the city.
“It’s huge,” says Brown. “It’ll be different
in the sense it will have a Vegas element to it
and it’s off the charts. Our biggest concern
will be being able to do it all in a way that
our partners are accustomed to, and we
will. But logistically, we’re getting in
earlier than normal, we’re bringing
in the Mikas and the Emmos. We’re
gearing up recognising it’s going to be
the biggest grand prix we’ve ever had.”
This is great for the bottom line but
the rhetoric around Vegas, which is closer
to that surrounding the original F1 race, frames
it as more event than motor race. That can be
dangerous and is reflected in the stratospheric
ticket pricing focusing on high-rollers willing
to pay big money for high-end hospitality
packages. The Miami Grand Prix has already
set new standards for a VIP-focused race and
Las Vegas is set to hit that out of the park,
despite buzz-phrases such as “fan experience”
proliferating. Realistically, given the event has
buy-in from the big hotels, this is an event
designed to attract high-value customers. The
cheapest three-day general admission ticket
was priced a little over £400 and sold out in
double-quick time.
“There’s different levels of hospitality in
Las Vegas,” says Brian Gullbrants, chief
operating officer North America of Wynn
Resorts, which has an F1-adjacent hotel on The
Strip and is a founding partner of the race.
“There’s entry-level properties, there are midtier properties, there’s luxury properties.
There’s a place for everyone. With respect to
tickets, F1 has different levels of tickets. It is
expensive but demand is greater than we’ve
seen for any event. It’s supply and demand.”
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

75

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX
However, the demand hasn’t been quite
as frenzied as hoped. Ticket sales have been
strong, but at the time of writing it’s not quite
a sell-out. The sky-high hotel rates have eased
recently, suggesting the take-up isn’t as big as
anticipated. These two indicators only reflect
slight underperformance and the financial
predictions are still healthy, but this is a
reminder that for all the hype, what really
matters is delivery. This race has a lot going
for it, but it can go wrong and given the hasty
way the event has been pulled together there
are signs that the organisation is perhaps a
little stretched. Equally, how could it not be
given the circumstances?
And as Guenther Steiner, team boss of
America’s only F1 team – Haas – explains, the
pay-off is not going to be instant, but over
the long term enormous.
“I went there last year for the presentation
of the race and there were 20,000 there
with two show cars running and
nothing else, so it brings attention
and grows F1, especially in the
States,” says Steiner. “Racing
down The Strip, who would have
ever imagined that five years ago?
“The first year is a learning curve
because they open up the roads when
we are not racing then shut them again so it
will be difficult logistically, but if Vegas can’t
organise it no one can. Commercially I don’t
think it will be a short-term success, but it’s
an investment in F1 because so many people
will look at it. It’s a good thing [long-term].”
Organisers promise 2023 is just the start,
with the expectations of the race getting bigger
and better. That’s easy to say and different to
deliver once the novelty fades, but there’s no
reason why Las Vegas can’t establish itself as
an F1 centrepiece. It’s in keeping with Liberty
Media’s oft-promised standard of the calendar

comprising “24 Super Bowls”. Vegas, which
stages the actual Super Bowl in 2024, should
be a new Monaco for the modern world.
There’s also incongruity. F1 makes much
of its push for net zero and sustainability,
with the glitz and glamour of Vegas optically
at odds with that. That’s covered off with
promises of “environmentally conscious
practices” as well as a partnership with
infrastructure company Switch that aims to
make the race net zero carbon emissions by
2030, in line with F1’s objectives.
Vegas could also herald a paradigm shift
for F1. It’s potentially proof-of-concept of a
new race-staging model meaning F1 can create
its own events in key markets rather than
relying on third parties.
“Which is what I think’s exciting,” says
Brown. “If we can get this right, all of a sudden
in some of those other markets that we need
to be in, maybe we can control our own
destiny more. If that model works
then all of a sudden, the dream
schedule [is possible]. I’d love to
see us back in India. It didn’t work
[from 2011-2013] but if the Vegas
model works let’s go to India and
not be reliant on a country writing
us a cheque, let’s go and do it ourselves.
It’s a great way to test if it works.”
Will Vegas succeed? Probably. It will also
be the garish, loud, celebrity-infested version
of F1 many traditionalists will baulk at, but this
race isn’t for them. For F1 to have any chance
of preserving the old-world staples like Spa,
it needs Las Vegas to work.
As Steiner says, “If we have cookie-cutter
races, you won’t get attention because there’s
too much of the same.” He’s right, and Las
Vegas is breaking the mould in ways that, if
successful, could have a profound impact on
the evolution of F1.

Riding the “F1 new
wave” in Las Vegas
Hey Grandad! It’s Instagrammable...
Williams isn’t at Formula 1’s
cutting edge performance-wise,
but it is one of the most active
teams in the United States.
And not just because it has
F1’s only American driver in
Logan Sargeant.

76

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

It has a New York
commercial office with more
than 20 staff drawn from major
US sports. Despite US TV
numbers still being modest, with
1.3 million on average watching
on ESPN last year and similar

Drivers like
Williams’s Alex
Albon are reaching
a new breed of fan

GETTY IMAGES

“If the Vegas model works let’s go to India and
not be reliant on a country writing us a cheque”

numbers in 2023, it’s Williams’s
top market for merchandise
sales, video watches and digital
visits. As commercial director
James Bower explains, Vegas is
perfect for the ‘new wave fan’.
“There’s extreme interest
around the Las Vegas Grand
Prix,” says Bower. “All our major
partners will be activating
heavily and there’ll be a lot of
executive attendance.
“What’s fascinating is if you
look at F1 in the US, the growth
is in this new wave of fans that

has been following for less
than five years. They’re very
digital and social media-led,
so any live experience that’s
‘Instagrammable’ and where
there’s social currency, they’re
really into.
“The Vegas Grand Prix will
be the ultimate new wave fan
race. It’s got incredible
landmarks, it’s one of the
most exciting cities in the world
in terms of events, the
nightclubs, the restaurants, the
shows. This is the next level

of engagement for
these fans.”
This might
sound distasteful for
those devotees used
to watching trackside at
Silverstone or Spa, but
this audience is key to Formula
1’s future. And Williams
understands it can’t only cater
for the big spenders.
“We recognise a lot of fans
can’t go to the race because of
cost,” says Bower. “So we
provide fan pop-ups in city

centre locations,
and they are free.
They get to see a
driver, see our team
principal [James
Vowles] give a Q&A, they
can race on simulators. We do
that at several races throughout
the season, like Piccadilly Circus
for the British Grand Prix. And
we’re doing one in Las Vegas.”
Instagrammable fan
experiences… it’s best to just
think of it as Mansell-mania for
the 21st century. ES

December 2023 Motor Sport

77

STR EETS
We all love a city
circuit but as Clive
Bowen of Apex
Circuit Design tells
Damien Smith,
regular roads –
especially in the
US – can cause
plenty of problems

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MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

The best street circuits
require three defined
sequences to offer a proper
challenge for teams and
drivers. So says Clive Bowen,
left, founder of Apex Circuit
Design that counts the Miami Grand Prix track
among its many projects.
“You need something that will generate
very high speed, ideally including corners as
well as straights, like in Jeddah,” he explains.
“But you also need the yin to the yang: a lowspeed sequence, ideally one that also has
gradient change so that you need compliance
from a vehicle that’s not reliant on downforce.
Then you need something in the middle, all
to create ‘intentional mistake generators’. If
you optimise your car so you gain time in the
high-speed sequences you’ll lose time in the
low-speed parts because you’ll have a car that’s
stiff and not compliant. Likewise, vice versa.”
As a circuit designer, Bowen also targets
two other key ingredients to encourage
overtaking – which is never easy on street
tracks. “One is the classic hairpin after a
straight, a device that frankly is a push-to-pass
mechanism to allow for DRS,” he says. “The
other one is somewhere you can have multiple

lines through a corner. Examples are the
banked Turn 3 and final corner at Zandvoort,
which were the idea of Charlie Whiting. The
shorter route is slower in terms of vehicle
speed with less aero effect, but you have the
same time delta using the high line which is
faster for the car but is a longer route. That
is a great concept and it has been proven to
work at Zandvoort. Equally, if you have a
sequence where you are either accelerating
through corners, or better still decelerating,
the opportunity for a mistake under braking
increases. We did it through Turns 6 and 7 at
Miami. Some got it right, some got it wrong,
so there were passes in that location.”
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. When
it comes to street circuits, Bowen stresses how
much more complicated they are to create
than permanent courses – long before he gets
to consider DRS zones and the rest. “It’s about
stakeholder management, understanding
who’s who and how you get them on your
side,” he says. “That includes the obvious: the
police, the national guard or civil defence,
hospitals and emergency services, the local
transport authority and parkland authorities
– which we had to deal a lot with when doing
work on Singapore a few years ago.

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

When devising a circuit layout,
like here at Miami, what lies
beneath the surface has to be
considered. Left: construction
of the Vegas track and pit
complex underway in August.
Inset: Ferrari’s Patrick Tambay
in qualifying at Vegas in 1982

“And there are a myriad of different
agencies. For example, on roads some
authorities are responsible for national
highways in the USA and others are responsible
for urban ones. So you have to identify who’s
who and where they fit into the puzzle, and
that’s before you even start talking to the
neighbours. You might have a hotel, casino, a
residential block, an office block, shops at
street level. Those all need to be engaged with
as individuals, their voices need to be heard,
their aspirations, expectations
and most importantly their buy-in
needs to be secured.
“Did you ever see the film Up?
You could have a little house that
is not playing ball and that causes
chaos with projects like this.”
Although as he says, Formula 1
made life easier for itself in one
key regard in Las Vegas. “Liberty
Media acquired the land on which
to build the pit and paddock, which I think
is a masterstroke.”
As he discovered while working in Miami
– both on the original site in the Biscayne Bay
area and the final version around the Hard
Rock Stadium – the first priority is not what’s

above the ground but under
it. “The subterranean world
beneath the asphalt was
unmapped, so we were dealing
with uncharted territory,” says
Bowen. “That absolutely drove our
engineering. A permanent circuit is
usually built on virgin ground where you can
put down pipes for the drainage, immediately
make sure radio signals can be picked up and
once the asphalt is down cut trenches
and connect and join the dots. In
Miami we couldn’t do that,
because we had no idea what was
under the ground. So the process
of excavation was also the
process to build because we had
to deal with thousands of cables
and pipes and things that nobody
knew were down there.”
Then there’s drainage.
“Everything in the US is big, and
that goes for rainstorms too,” says Bowen.
“The same is true in Nevada as it is in Florida.
It’s dry, dry, dry – and then suddenly it’s not.
The drainage infrastructure has to
accommodate large volumes. The Americans
have a great expression for the grates that take

BERNARD CAHIER/GETTY IMAGES

“A modern
race track
needs a
billiardsmooth
surface”

the rainwater away. They call
them ‘gulpers’.”
What about track surface?
The days of simply marking out
a course with concrete barriers
in a Caesars Palace car park are
long gone. “A modern motor racing
circuit needs a billiard-smooth surface, so you
must negotiate and agree a whole new
engineering strategy for these roads,” says
Bowen. “The other thing is the FIA require a
constant fall on a road surface used for racing;
they won’t allow for a crown in the middle.
Imagine you have got, as you do in Vegas, a
wide strip that is, say, 100ft wide. It is probably
the same level on each side. But if you have F1
you need to go up or down on one side to take
water off the edge, so someone is going to have
to compromise on their adjacencies.”
So what does he think of the Vegas track?
“I’ve only seen what you’ve seen,” says Bowen.
“But I know it will work. Is it going to be a
classic race track? I don’t know, but I’m not
entirely sure that is important. There will be
passing and the fastest car will be a Red Bull.
But it will have the wow effect, people will say
what an incredible event. I suspect there will
be more talk about the event than the race.”
December 2023 Motor Sport

79

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

What’s Las Vegas like to drive?
Pietro Fittipaldi, the Haas F1 reserve
who has taken on the track in the team’s
simulator, guides us round a lap of the
dazzling new 3.8-mile circuit
TURN 6, 7 & 8

We then sweep through 6, 7 and 8
– it’s going to be pretty difficult to
pass through 6, because you brake
on the inside of the track but end up
on the outside to make the turn-in.
This section is tight from here on
– very similar to Singapore.

TURN 9

Here the field circles round
the eye-catching Las Vegas
Sphere – I think the scenery
is going to be a little
distracting for the drivers!
Provided your tyres are in a
decent condition, a clean exit
is crucial for the next part of
the track, which is fast.

TURN 13
TURN 12

Because of the flowing Turns 10 and 11,
Turn 12 is a great place for overtaking and
it has a very open braking zone. You reach
almost 200mph before slowing for the
corner. You’ll see a mix of approaches here,
with some people divebombing to get past,
taking a risk due to the run-off available.

80

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

TURN 5

Turn 5 is a standard
90-degree corner
– braking from
200mph before the turn.
There are going to be
some good opportunities for
overtaking, but if the car ahead
takes the right line it will be
possible to defend.

This is the second DRS zone and there could
be some games here. Someone might get
overtaken in T12, but they’ll be able to recover
on this massive straight down the Las Vegas
Strip. You can activate DRS just after the
Venetian Hotel tower which looms over the
track. There might be some interesting threeto four-car battles here. If two cars are fighting
at T12 and get a bad exit, you could see cars
behind catch them on the long run to T14.

TURN 1

There’ll be some good action going
into the first turn on the race start
because it’s so wide – now would be the
time to overtake. After slamming on the
brakes at just over 200mph at T1, it will
be about getting decent traction
through the following corners for the
best exit on to the straight.

TURN 17

This is the final straight,
leading onto the startfinish area. There’s no trick
to Turn 17, it’s going to be
as flat out as you can go on
race trim, getting ready to
start the lap again.

START/
FINISH

TURN 3

PIETRO FITTIPALDI WAS TALKING TO JAMES ELSON

You accelerate through 2, 3
and 4, while skimming the
wall, then have the first DRS
zone from T4 into T5,
meaning the lap’s opening
exchanges could be
action-packed
each time round.

TRACK FACTS

Estimated top speed: 212mph
Circuit length: 3.8 miles
Corners: 17
Straights: 3
DRS zones: 2

TURNS 14, 15 & 16

Another overtaking spot – after hitting
top speed once more, there’s a pretty
heavy braking zone into Turn 14. From
there you’re ‘tractioning’ – feathering
the throttle – through the last tight
left-right-left switchback section.

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

81

“HOW I ALMOST GOT
THE FIRST LAS VEGAS GP
CANCELLED”

Really? No doubt about it. Back in 1981, it was only the intervention
of the FIA president that saved the race... and an impertinent
Limey hack from a trip to the cooler, as Mike Doodson recalls
00

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

LAS VEGAS GP SPECIAL

GRAND PRIX PHOTO, MIKE DOODSON

Oh the glamour. ABBA
drummer Slim Borgudd
was a non-qualifier for ATS.
The winner takes it all, eh?

orty-two years ago, staging a
Formula 1 race in Las Vegas was yet
another example of Bernie
Ecclestone’s fabled ingenuity. By
1981, to be exporting grand prix
racing to a start-up venue in a dusty
car park alongside a casino-hotel in the Nevada
desert emphasised that the Little Big Man had
broken the grip that the owners of the classic
European circuits had held on the governance
of the sport only a decade or so earlier.
Not all of Bernie’s wheezes had worked
out perfectly. For the French GP he was still
persisting with the Dijon-Prenois circuit,
owned and built by a one-time all-in wrestler
who had financed the project privately.
A Bernie sort of guy, you might say, although
the ex-grappling star’s habit of settling disputes
by punching his adversaries in the throat was
hardly the Ecclestone style. Bosses of American
gambling joints were reputed to fit a similar
confrontational stereotype. What should we
expect of Las Vegas, then?
Representatives of the casino were
despatched to an early season event to
reassure the media. Most of us having seen
The Godfather, we trepidatious scribblers were
half-expecting gents in dark glasses and silk
suits. Instead, an affable pair of Anglos in
comfortable slacks turned up to declare that
the casino business in Vegas was now on the
level. Silly us for imagining anything different.

The only hint of anything felonious was
their insistence that Caesars Palace should be
written without the possessive apostrophe, this
being an atrocious crime against the
conventions of correct English. All very
soothing, though, for those of us who set
off for the race that would decide the 1981
Formula 1 world championship.
With no disrespect to the fine people at,
er, Caesars, I think it is safe to say that their
temporary circuit, running between
featureless concrete barriers, presented
minimal challenge and even less glamour.
One of my duties at distant races in those
days was to shoot off a couple of rolls of blackand-white film on Friday and get them back
to London overnight, to complement the

Above and left: our hardened criminal faces the
music... but he deserved to be cuffed for that hat

expensive agency photograph that would
illustrate my report when I telexed it to the
offices of my employers’ weekly magazine on
Sunday evening. (Telex? If you’re under 40
ask your grandfather).
When practice started on Friday morning,
we photographers discovered that for some
reason access to the centre of the circuit was
barred. Representations were immediately
made to the promoter, Chris Pook, who
promised to sort things out. The Friday
afternoon session (first qualifying in those
days) was just about to begin when, by chance,
I ran into Pook at the edge of the circuit. He
confirmed that the infield was now “legit” for
lensmen and he even had a word with a
marshal to escort me across the track.
As a result of this last-minute move, I was
the sole photographer working that session
from the inside of the circuit. Also present were
a number of policemen, all looking a bit lost.
One of these cops soon approached me to
inform me that I was working in a forbidden
area. Not so, I told him, that restriction had
now been countermanded, and I continued
working. Very soon I had two more policemen
tracking me and demanding that I instantly
cease operations.
My entreaties, and my insistence that the
word had come direct from none other than
Mr Pook, had no effect. When I attempted to
move away, they pounced upon me and
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

83

LAS VEGAS GP SPECIAL
clapped me into handcuffs. This would prove
to be an unwise move.
My plight quickly came to the attention of
colleagues working on the other side of the
track. By the time the session was over and
I was being escorted by my new police chums
to a temporary lock-up underneath the casino,
the word was out that The Dude had been
arrested. The reaction in the press room,
I would discover, had been a mixture of hilarity
and mild concern. Some suggested that I was
a bumptious clever-dick who probably
deserved to spend a night in the hoosegow, if
only for his appalling choice of headgear (see
previous page). Others were concerned for
their own freedom to work unhampered by
overweight men in uniforms who clearly did
not understand racing but also happened to
be carrying a lot of personal artillery.
Fortunately for me, one of the people who
endorsed the latter view was none other than
the choleric Frenchman Jean-Marie Balestre,
president of the FIA. Widely regarded as a
figure of fun whose unpredictability often
ended in embarrassment, Balestre did not

command universal respect. On this occasion,
though, his response was immaculate – at least
as far as I was concerned – for he demanded
my immediate release.
When the cops hesitated to let me go, a
furious Balestre upped the pressure on them
by calling an impromptu press conference at
which he cited a long-standing FIA rule which
specifically prohibits police officers from being
involved in the administration of the sport.
Their presence at the circuit as self-appointed
marshals clearly usurped the majesty of the
Federation. Unless Monsieur Doodson was
released, he thundered, the Las Vegas Grand
Prix would lose its world championship status
and all the teams would be forbidden from
taking any further part in it.
Your correspondent, still under guard in
the bowels of the Caesars (no apostrophe)
Palace hotel, only became aware that
something significant was up when my cuffs
were unlocked by a cop whose mood had
suddenly gone from stern to worried. There
was a cheer from my fellow hacks when
I returned to the press room.

The incident was welcomed by colleagues.
They, and the photographers who had been
close enough to shoot pics of me in irons, were
particularly delighted because now they had
something more interesting to offer to their
editors than humdrum images of racing cars
dodging between concrete blocks.
The best stories, though, had to wait for
the specialised monthlies. In Road & Track
magazine, Rob Walker gleefully recounted my
misfortune, alongside a separate lavishly
illustrated sidebar by my former flatmate Pete
Lyons, who wrote that I had been arrested.
This raised the hackles of the Las Vegas chief
of police, who sent a carefully worded
response to the effect that, “Mr Doodson was
not arrested, he was merely taken into
custody.” While this was technically true (I had
not been read my rights when Officer Chubster
clapped me in bracelets), the significance of
a senior cop writing so punctiliously to the
Editor of R&T had not occurred to me.
All these years later, do I have any regrets?
You bet I do! If only I had reflected more
profoundly on the consequences for my

“The reaction in the press room had
been a mixture of hilarity and concern”
Nelson Piquet
passes a near-empty
stand. Right: event
poster. Below right:
basic pits for Ferrari

How about a flutter on
Alan Jones to win in the
‘car park’ – at 10/1? Nah...

84

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Jones leads Gilles Villeneuve
and the rest at the grand prix.
Above: Mon sauveur! Doodson
with president Balestre at a
slightly damper Zolder, 1980

GRAND PRIX PHOTO, MIKE DOODSON

professional image of being illegally detained.
Alas, those deeper implications of the chief’s
‘correction’ were lost on me. A New York lawyer
later informed me of the implications for those
cops if I had chosen to sue.
Just think of it: denial of rights, denial of
work, unlawful detention, professional
humiliation! The damage to my reputation! Had
I been more awake, I’d have pressed my case.
The mere threat of engaging the LVPD in court
would surely have resulted in an offer of
damages, and you don’t have to be an expert
in transatlantic litigation to know any
compensation would have been substantial.
For the record, that trip was financially
unrewarding in other respects. Before
departing I had primly resolved not to bet so
much as a nickel in Vegas, a promise which
proved difficult to uphold when I saw the odds
that the local bookies were offering for the
race. Alan Jones was carelessly assumed to be
a backmarker, at one stage being listed at 10-1.
Nevertheless, I held firm. You can imagine my
chagrin when Jonesy led every one of the 75
laps to win by a comfortable 20 seconds.

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

85

Aston’s
grand prix
pioneer
With the brand back in Formula 1,
Mark Bisset recalls where it all started
with the experimental DP155 and how,
after the trials of just one tour of New
Zealand in 1956, it finally found redemption
86

Motor Sport December 2023

ASTON’S FORGOTTEN RACER

GRAND PRIX PHOTO

Reg Parnell at speed in
DP155 during its sole tour
of New Zealand. Had it
fared better, it could have
kick-started a different
grand prix trend for Aston

December 2023 Motor Sport

87

In exalted company at Dunedin in 1956;
DP155 at the back behind the Whitehead
and Gaze Ferraris. Below left, Parnell at
the controversial Ryal Bush road race.
Below right, DP155 at Dunedin Wharf

88

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

ASTON’S FORGOTTEN RACER

After its sole tour as a ‘works’
Aston racer, Geoff Richardson
acquired DP155; he is seen here
testing it at Snetterton in 1957

T SELFE, RYAL BUSH, AUTOSPORT

ston Martin’s ownership
structure and commercial
fortunes have had more twists
than a Federico Fellini movie
in the 110 years since Lionel
Martin and Robert Bamford
commenced business. Perhaps the only
similarities between Aston Martin’s first and
latest grand prix cars – the 55bhp 1.5-litre
1922 TT and 750bhp 1.6-litre turbo 2023
AMR23 – is the stupendous wealth of their
backers, first Count Louis Zborowski and
currently Lawrence Stroll.
As the David Brown Ltd-owned business
focused on racing the DB2 and DB3 in the
early-1950s, “the team suffered from a
frenetic neurosis that they should really be
competing in single-seater racing,” wrote
AM historian Anthony Pritchard.
The Feltham technicians therefore
created an F2 car by marrying a modified
DB3 chassis with a 2-litre variant of the 2.6litre LB6 engine. Assembled over the 1951-52
winter, it was rejected by technical director
Professor Dr Robert Eberan von Eberhorst,

and dismantled and forgotten. John Heath
showed interest in the engine for his F2
HWMs but David Brown knocked that notion
on the head, too.
In the autumn of 1953 Aston Martin
contemplated F1 again, and this time
proceeded with a low-priority project, busy
as it was with DB3S sports car racing
programmes, which made sense for the
business from both product development
and marketing perspectives.
Project designation DP155 was allocated
with chassis number DP155/1 applied to an
un-numbered DB3S twin-tube frame “in
narrower single seat form,” powered by an
alloy-head, 2493cc (83x76mm) triple Weber
DCO-fed version of the Willie Watsondesigned 2.9-litre Aston Martin engine.
The gearbox was a David Brown fourspeed unit, brakes were two-leading-shoe
Girling with Al-fin drums, steering was rack
and pinion and the suspension independent
by trailing links, torsion bars, piston
dampers with anti-roll bar at the front, and
De Dion at the rear with trailing links and

“The team suffered from a neurosis that it
should really be competing in single-seaters”
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

89

DP155 at Wigram airforce base, one of
New Zealand’s early post-war racing
arenas. Right: start of the NZ Grand Prix
in 1956 at Ardmore. Moss’ Maserati lines
up on pole and would win comfortably

“Aston Martin denied it was eyeing F1, but chatter
increased when DP155 went to New Zealand”
torsion bars, Panhard rod and, again, piston
dampers. Works mechanics John King and
Richard Green were among the constructors
involved, while legendary stylist Frank
Feeley designed the aluminium bodywork
of a car in which the driver sat high atop
the prop-shaft.
John Wyer estimated an output of
180bhp on alcohol fuel, well short of the
contemporary F1 Tipo 625 Ferrari and
Maserati 250F, which were developing at
least 200bhp by early 1954.
The twin-plug 1955/56 DB3S engine
made 215bhp, but by then the F1 opposition
were at 240/250bhp. Pritchard wrote “it
seemed a futile exercise for Aston Martin,
whose sports-racing cars were notoriously
and persistently underpowered, to
contemplate building an F1 car powered by
a derivative of these engines”.
After testing, the car was set aside in the
workshop as sports car programmes were
90

Motor Sport December 2023

prioritised. DP155’s 2.5-litre engine was
installed in DB3S chassis no5, which Reg
Parnell drove to third place in the ’55 British
Empire Trophy race at Oulton Park behind
Archie Scott Brown’s Lister Bristol and Ken
McAlpine’s Connaught ALSR.
This prompted rumours that Aston
Martin was considering grand prix
competition. It denied that, but the chatter
gained traction when Aston confirmed
Parnell’s plan to race DP155 in the Kiwi
Formule Libre internationals in early 1956.
Parnell – a post-war star and works Aston
Martin driver since 1951 – identified these
events as offering useful race testing and
earnings during the northern winter,
perhaps in conversation with Peter
Whitehead and Tony Gaze, veterans of the
trip to the ‘Land of The Long White Cloud’.
DP155 was fitted with the supercharged
3-litre engine Parnell and Roy Salvadori had
used at Le Mans in 1954. It would have been

competitive so equipped, but the engine
exploded while Reg tested it at Chalgrove
airfield in Oxford. The car was therefore
shipped south with a normally aspirated
2493cc engine fitted with special camshafts,
connecting rods and pistons.
The ‘British invaders’ comprised Stirling
Moss in the family Maserati 250F, the two
amigos, Whitehead and Gaze with their well
sorted and fast Ferrari 750S 3-litre-engined
Ferrari 500s, Leslie Marr’s streamlined
B-Type Connaught-Jaguar, and Parnell.
re-war NZ racing was mainly
confined to beach tracks, but
post-conflict the sport grew
substantially. The Otago and
Southland Car clubs secured
the Wigram RNZAF base for
racing in 1948, and the Manawatu Car Club
the Ohakea Air Force base. They staged the
first NZ GP, won by John McMillan’s Jackson

ASTON’S FORGOTTEN RACER
Despite a mix-up in the
shipping of his car, Moss
was the star of the GP.
Below: Gaze’s Ferrari ahead
of DP155 at Dunedin

CA NEWS, GETTY IMAGES, T ADAMS

Leslie Marr’s Connaught leads
Tony Gaze’s Ferrari 500 at
Ardmore in 1956. Parnell would
have to borrow a Cooper after
the Aston broke a conrod

Ford V8 Special in 1950. Public roads at
Mairehau, Christchurch were closed for
racing for the first time in 1951 and a roundthe-houses track near Dunedin’s wharves
operated from 1953. When the first
international NZ GP was held at Ardmore
in 1954 the Kiwis had five meetings annually,
three on airfields and two on road circuits.
That 1954 grid was headlined by Ken
Wharton’s howling V16 BRM P15 Mk2,
Whitehead’s Ferrari 125 and Gaze in a
supercharged factory HWM-Alta. Australians
Jack Brabham (Cooper T23-Bristol), Stan
Jones (Maybach), and Lex Davison (HWM
Jaguar) crossed the ditch (the Tasman Sea),
Jones victorious after Wharton’s BRM failed.
In 1955 Prince Bira’s Maserati 250F won.
The first of the 1956 races was the NZ GP
held at Ardmore Airfield, 25km south-east
of Auckland, in the North Island.
Moss and his Maserati were a huge draw
and he was favourite for the race, but his
car, the two Ferraris and Marr’s Connaught
were mistakenly shipped to Wellington
instead of Auckland, so things didn’t get off
to a great start.
Moss, Whitehead and Parnell all took
two seconds off Wharton’s two-year-old
BRM lap record in practice, then Moss

bagged pole from Whitehead, Gaze and
Brabham in the Cooper T40 Bristol – first
raced by Jack at F1 championship level at
Aintree six months before – then came Ron
Roycroft’s Bugatti T35-Jaguar and Parnell.
Parnell had a fraught start to the
weekend when DP155 threw a conrod during
practice, but Whitehead saved the day by
offering him the Cooper T38-Jaguar that he
his half-brother Graham Whitehead had
campaigned throughout 1955. On its farewell
tour and conveniently up for sale, a good
showing would enhance its attractiveness.
Gaze led early, then Moss romped past
and away for the balance of the 200-mile

Unimpressed by the Dunedin track, Marr did just
one lap in his Connaught-Jag, for the start money

journey, lapping the field by the end of his
33rd tour. Some late-race excitement was
provided when a broken fuel pipe sprayed
fuel into his cockpit, but even after a splash
and dash he won by nearly a minute from
the Gaze and Whitehead Ferraris. Then
came Marr’s Connaught and Parnell’s
Cooper-Jag. Poor Brabham didn’t start, his
gearbox case split as he warmed the car up
in the paddock.
The circus then gathered at Wigram,
Christchurch in the north-east of the South
Island on January 21.
The Feltham crew ensured that a new
2922cc engine was flown out for DP155. Moss
returned to Europe after Ardmore, his 250F
was sold and put to good use by local aces
Ross Jensen and John Mansel for the ensuing
half-decade. New Zealand proved a happy
hunting ground for Moss – he won the GP
again in 1959 and 1962 aboard Rob Walker
Cooper T45/Lotus 21-Climax respectively.
DP155 finished a distant fourth in the
71-lap Lady Wigram Trophy, while up front
Whitehead was five minutes ahead of the
Aston hybrid, winning from pole ahead of
Gaze and Marr.
From there the racers travelled south to
Otago Harbour city, Dunedin for the NZ
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

91

ASTON’S FORGOTTEN RACER

ith the tour over, the
cars were shipped
back to Europe or
Australia while
their intrepid pilots
indulged in some
deep-sea fishing round The Bay of Islands
before Whitehead departed for South Africa
and Parnell headed to the US for Aston
Martin’s Sebring 12 Hours commitments
(DNF in a DB3S shared with Tony Brooks).
By then the pattern of uncompetitive
racing cars being sold to eager colonials was
well established, so quite why DP155 wasn’t
flogged on in the Antipodes in the manner
of the Whitehead/Gaze cars is a mystery,
92

Motor Sport December 2023

but either way its role in this particular
campaign was complete.
The car had spawned another idea and
before long Aston Martin began work on
the DBR4/250: a full-blown 2.5-litre RB6
powered, spaceframe, disc-braked F1 car
which was tested by Salvadori and Parnell
– by now Aston Martin’s team manager – at
MIRA in December 1957, but that’s as far as
the project went.
Had DBR4s raced in 1958 the failures of
competing with antiquated front-engined
racers against the mid-engined hordes in
1959-60 might have been avoided, but who
can criticise David Brown’s prioritisation of

“Had DBR4s
raced in 1958,
the later F1
failures may not
have happened”
scarce resources into sports car programmes
which yielded both a Le Mans win and World
Sportscar Championship success for the
superb DBR1/300.
So, unloved and lonely, the sole DP155/1
remained tucked away in a Feltham corner
until John Wyer sold it to specials builder
Geoff Richardson of Richardson Racing
Automobiles, who fitted it with a 2.5-litre
single-plug engine. Richardson told

Pritchard, “I paid about £900. It was a great
source of annoyance because John Wyer
guaranteed it gave 190bhp, but on my test
bed I only got 145bhp. Wyer had a twin-plug
engine that he wouldn’t sell to me so I
never spoke to him again. I made a 2483cc
Jaguar XK engine fit and got nearly 200bhp
on regular pump fuel.”
Richardson raced the Aston-Jag twice
before buying Brian Naylor’s ex-works
Connaught B-Type. David Gossage bought
DP155 late in 1957 on the condition that
Richardson rebuild it as a sports car.
Fitted with the body of the Lord O’Neill
DB3S/105, it was modified at the front with
a simple oval radiator intake and then
registered as ‘UUY 504’. Richardson sold
DP155’s aluminium grand prix ‘slipper’ body
to a buyer in Ireland, and it’s now fitted to
a well-known Aston Martin Special.
ossage later sold DP155 to
hotelier Greville Edwards,
who had a bad accident in
it that killed his girlfriend.
Richardson then reacquired
it, building a replacement
chassis using “main tubes supplied by Aston
Martin”. Further modifications included
replacement of the torsion bar rear
suspension with coil/spring damper units,
fitment of a De Dion axle with a Watts
linkage in place of the sliding guide, and
a Salisbury ‘slippy diff ’. The nose was
reprofiled to a more aerodynamic form.
Finally he finessed a 3-litre crank into a
2.4-litre Jag XK block to give a capacity of
about 3.2 litres. Back together in 1962, Geoff
raced and sprinted it and used it as a fast
roadie before selling to Richard Bell in 1973.
Bell restored the machine to original DB3S
shape and built a twin-plug engine, and along
the way the no131 DB135 chassis
number was applied. The car soon became
a global investment commodity and passed
through several owners in the late 1980s,
during which time the body was modified to
1955 team specifications. The last owner was
in the US, though the car was auctioned in
August. While the lineage and provenance of
DP155/1 is clear, the car now is quite different
to the single-seater that Reg Parnell raced in
New Zealand during that summer of 1956.
Aston Martin has a longer history than
most car-makers and DP155 stands as a mere
blip in the company’s scale of achievements.
But despite its early componentry being
repurposed as a sports car, ensuring its
oblivion as an F1 hopeful, David Brown’s
toe-in-the-water 2.5-litre experimental grand
prix machine should not be forgotten.

COREY ESCOBAR ©2023 COURTESY OF RM SOTHEBY'S, T ADAMS

Championship Road Race on January 28,
which was run across 120km or 44 laps of a
2.74km course adjoining the wharves. The
surface was rough and tough including a
gravel section, just to add to the challenge.
Syd Jensen’s nimble, fast Cooper started
from pole with Gaze and Arnold Stafford in
a similar Cooper on the outside of the front
row. Marr, Parnell and Whitehead were back
on row three, while local lads Ron Roycroft,
(Bugatti T35-Jaguar), Ron Frost (Cooper
Mk9-Norton) and Tom Clark (Maserati 8CM)
were on the second row.
While Jensen set the crowd roaring –
the little Cooper hassling the bigger cars
throughout, eventually finishing third and
claiming the fastest lap – Gaze won from
Parnell, Jensen, Whitehead and Clark. Marr
started the race, did one lap to get his
starting money and then voluntarily
retired... he wasn’t impressed with the place
or the circuit at all.
The visitors then raced at Ryal Bush on
February 4. The first Southland Road Race
was 240km (41 laps) around a 5.87km circuit
that Kiwi journalist Allan Dick described as
“The Reims of New Zealand: three long
straights with three tight corners and high
speeds. But unlike Reims, Ryal Bush was
narrow and lined with lamp-posts, hedges,
ditches, drains and fences. Average speeds
were around 150kph, making it the fastest
circuit in New Zealand.”
Whitehead bagged pole from Marr,
Gaze, Clark and John Horton in the ex-works/
Gaze HWM Alta s/c, while Reg was back on
row three in the Aston. Given the European
experience of Whitehead, Gaze and Parnell
they would have felt right at home in such
a dangerous place. Whitehead won the race
in a time of 1hr 35min from Gaze, with
Parnell in a good but rather distant third
place, with Roycroft fourth and Frank
Shuter’s Cadillac V8 Special fifth.

Left: Peter Whitehead’s Ferrari resplendent
in colour ahead of its win at Wigram, 1956.
Here: Marr’s streamlined Connaught would
wind up third in this race

DP155 as it looks now as a DB3S
Special, the slipper-like grand prix
shape replaced by a sports car body
modified to ape the works cars
Note the chassis
number. Left: the
3-litre twin-plug
Aston engine

OCTOBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

000

PORSCHE IN FOCUS

Le Mans, 1973

Georg Loos leans on his
self-entered Porsche 911
Carrera RSR that, co-driven
by Jürgen Barth, has just
finished 10th at Le Mans.
He seems oblivious to the
crowd control efforts of
the massed gendarme ranks

94

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

For the
love of
his art

Taking photos of racing
drivers and their cars for
money was never the
point for master lensman
Rainer W Schlegelmilch,
as a new book featuring
his images of Porsche
sports cars reveals
WORDS: DAMIEN SMITH

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

95

PORSCHE IN FOCUS

Le Mans, 1978

Top: sunrise as a lonely
Porsche 935 passes under
the Dunlop bridge on its
way down to the Esses.
The shot has become a
Le Mans signature. Note
the lack of debris fencing

96

Motor Sport December 2023

Targa Florio, 1969

Above: competitions chief
Rico Steinemann, pointing,
and Ferry Porsche, hand in
pocket, head to the podium
with drivers Udo Schütz, left,
and Gerhard Mitter after
their victory in a 908

Targa Florio, 1968

Below: local Sicilians take a
look at the Porsche 907 of
Hans Herrmann and Jochen
Neerpasch, both of whom
are behind the open door.
Hand-painted number belies
the car’s works status.

erman master Rainer W
Shlegelmilch is best known
for his photograhic work on
the grand prix circuit, but
a sumptuous new book,
Porsche Racing Moments,
collates his finest images from a parallel
existence in sports car racing – specifically
surrounding his favourite carmaker.
He first began taking pictures of racing
drivers and their cars in 1962. “A friend took
me to a grand prix because he wanted
pictures for racing driver autographs; I was
attending a good photo school in Munich
and I took good portraits,” he explains.
“I enjoyed it very much. That’s how I met
Jim Clark and Graham Hill. They were
gentlemen and it was very open.”
Schlegelmilch stood out because he
didn’t work for a specific newspaper or
magazine. “I just wanted to take good
pictures and I enjoyed travelling, from Monte
Carlo to Le Mans,” he says. “Travelling was
my pleasure. In the week I worked in my
studio and made money, which allowed me
to travel as a free photographer. I paid my
expenses myself and kept all my pictures.
I didn’t want to be a photographer for a
magazine full-time and the pictures I wanted
to take were just for my personal enjoyment.
That was very important.”
Without a dictated brief, Schlegelmilch
became known for his artistic approach that
led to spectacular results. Throughout the
1960s, he shot only in black and white,
sending pictures to prestige magazines to
ensure press officers would give him a pass
the following year. He switched to colour
film on a trip to the Targa Florio in 1968.
“I went to sports car races partly because
I enjoyed travelling in my first Porsche,” he
writes in the foreword. “At the 1969 Targa,
I met Ferdinand Piëch, the head of the
Porsche racing team, who advised me on
the purchase of my second 911 Targa. My
later trips with that car from my home in
Frankfurt through Alsace, Paris, Chartres to
Le Mans – exclusively on country roads in
France – were pure adventure.”
A friendship with Klaus Reichert,
Porsche’s in-house photographer, allowed
him greater access to the racing team. “Klaus
took me along to the Porsche garage in
Teloché, while I encouraged him to take
pictures under the Dunlop Bridge at sunrise.”
The images span his black and white
1960s, a ’70s colour explosion and some ’80s
Group C. “I want to awaken memories of
people my age,” he says, “and to motivate
an enthusiastic younger generation in their
passion for Porsche.”

Targa Florio, 1970

Above: John Wyer, in black, and
Jo Siffert chat at the presentation
of the works Porsche team. That’s
Vic Elford to the right in blue
overalls. Siffert and Brian Redman
won the race in the No12 908/03

Le Mans, 1969

Top: mechanics’ tools of the trade
laid out on the Porsche pits
worktop. Beyond the crew, the
911 T of Claude Ballot-Léna and
Guy Chasseuil begins another lap
on its way to 11th overall. The
image exemplifies Rainer W
Schlegelmilch’s artistic approach

Le Mans, 1985

Left: one of many Schlegelmilch
studies of Jacky Ickx, at his final
Le Mans where he shared a
Rothmans 962C with Jochen
Mass. The pair suffered a string of
delays and could only finish 10th
December 2023 Motor Sport

97

PORSCHE IN FOCUS

Le Mans, 1968

Above: Rolf Stommelen makes
a lightning getaway from a
wet September running start
to lead the 908 squadron.
Pedro Rodriguez still has the
door open as he prepares for
blast-off in the eventual race
winner (GT40 No9)

Targa Florio, 1969

Top right: children clap the
Porsche 908/02 of Rudi Lins
and Gerard Larrousse at that
favourite Targa photographer
spot, the hairpin on the way
into Collesano

Le Mans, 1968

Bottom right: Porsche pair
dive into the Esses as a dry
line appears after early rain.
Neither car made the finish.
US duo Joe Buzzetta and
Scooter Patrick (No34) had
alternator failure, while
reserve entries Herbert Linge
and Robert Buchet (No67)
were disqualified for a
mechanical violation

Le Mans, 1985

Right: Rothmans Porsche
squad in 1-2-3 pit formation
before the start. The team
had been absent in 1984 (as
was Schlegelmilch) because
of a fuel regulation row. It was
still an issue as customer
team Joest beat the factory
for a second successive win

98

Motor Sport December 2023

December 2023 Motor Sport

99

PORSCHE IN FOCUS
Monza, 1970

Below: Pedro Rodriguez puts his
feet up as Wyer team-mates, from
left, Jo Siffert, Brian Redman and
Leo Kinnunen take a moment
besides a 917K . Rodriguez, sharing
with Kinnunen, stormed to victory,
but Siffert and Redman were
severely delayed by damage
incurred in the Swiss’s early spin

100

Motor Sport December 2023

Zeltweg, 1969

Bottom left: garlands of victory
adorn the Porsche 917 of Jo Siffert
and Kurt Ahrens after the 1000Kms
in Austria at the majestic new
Österreichring. The victory was the
first for the model, the result of
much work to quell its alarming
handling characteristics. But Siffert
still had his doubts at this stage

Le Mans, 1970

Bottom right: Porsche Salzburg
917K splashes past the fairground
on its way to the Esses and an
epochal victory. Richard Attwood
and veteran Hans Herrmann were
unfancied pre-race, but that didn’t
stop them making history and
kicking off Porsche’s run of 19
Le Mans wins (and counting)

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*Discount code valid for tickets bought online before midnight on Thursday 22 February 2024. When the code is entered on the online booking form the page will reload to show the discounted rates.

PORSCHE IN FOCUS

Watkins Glen, 1972

A US trip for a taste of Can-Am
paid off for Schlegelmilch. Here’s
Roger Penske posing with a
couple of young fans and his
team’s 917/10. Newly obsolete at
Le Mans, the Challenge Cup
offered a fresh outlet for the 917

Porsche Racing Moments by Rainer W
Schlegelmilch (Taschen, from £850) is
limited to a run of 962 copies. It is on sale
from November 1 at www.taschen.com

Nürburgring, 1969

Vic Elford takes flight in his 908/02 at
Brünnchen. It’s no wonder the master
was drawn to this spot, like most
photographers of this era. Elford,
sharing with Kurt Ahrens, finished
third in a 908 top-five lock-out at the
1000Kms, a race he won three times
December 2023 Motor Sport

103

NEW FESTIVAL
Mike Wilds will
entertain. Right:
Porter Press. Below
right: Porsche expert
Serge Vanbockryk
with Derek Bell

Clockwise from left: Lord
Hesketh; John Watson;
‘serious enthusiasts’; Jaguar
E-type 9600 HP. Above:
Paul Michaels of Hexagon
will chat with Wattie
Will Peter Stevens
stay on topic? Below:
authors should get
plenty of signature
practice at signings

Turning
a new page
The inaugural Motoring Literary & Art
Festival at Silverstone promises something
fresh this winter. Damien Smith is your guide
104

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

n the time-honoured words of
John Cleese, ‘and now for
something completely different’,”
says book publishing tsar Philip
Porter, the brains behind what he
claims is a global first. On this,
he might well be right. As far as we are aware,
the Motoring Literary & Art Festival breaks
new ground in ‘our’ world and has the
potential to become a new annual favourite.
The inaugural event takes place at The
Wing, Silverstone on December 2-3 and, as
it says on the tin, will provide a bespoke
showcase for specialist automotive
publishers, writers and artists. More than
40 exhibitors have already signed up. The
roster includes renowned book retailers and

BRM V16 – always a
crowd pleaser. Below:
Lee McKenzie will
joust with TV rival
Karun Chandhok

Howden Ganley will join BRM
panel discussion. Above:
authors Matthew Field and
David Salamone

Ian Flux: author. We
never thought we'd
write such a thing

GARY HARMAN, PHILIP PORTER, WONDERHATCH

Art exhibitors will
gather. Left: Benetton
book author will ramble
on during Sunday

publishers, motoring artists, magazine
publishers – ahem, including media partner
Motor Sport – makers of luxury writing
instruments, chronographs and model cars,
motoring memorabilia vendors and
something that caught our eye: a
demonstration of the too easily overlooked
art of bookbinding. We’re guessing there
won’t be a staple in sight.
Naturally, there will also be some cars,
and we’d describe what’s offered as a highly
selective coterie: the beloved Ferrari 250 GT
SWB ‘Breadvan’; 9600 HP, the oldest
surviving Jaguar E-type prototype; and that
perennial crowd-pleaser, a BRM P15 V16.
But beyond the exhibition hall, the
festival’s headline draw is the varied and

busy line-up of guest speakers, Q&As and
specialist panels that have been gathered to
discuss all things motoring and motor sport,
in three separate ‘theatres’ across what
promises to be two packed days (full running
order overleaf ). At this point, we should
point out it’s extra to attend each session,
beyond the general admission price.
All manner of potential highlights stand
out from the schedule. It’s a matter of taste,
of course, but given this is Motor Sport we’ll
obviously find ourselves drawn mostly to the
chatter on this sporting life… Saturday
morning kicks off with author Richard
Heseltine hosting what promises to be a
colourful discussion with John Watson and
Hexagon Classics chief Paul Michaels, who

have plenty of conjoined history. Wattie and
Michaels have a deep well of stories to draw
from, specifically from their Formula 1
season together in 1974 when the Northern
Irishman drove a Goldie Hexagon Racing
Brabham BT42 and 44 in a less than glorious
shade of ‘flush’ brown. The colour scheme
was surely of its time. Still, Wattie picked up
his first world championship points at
Monaco, the Österreichring and Watkins
Glen, plus a wealth of experience.
Elsewhere, Peter Stevens will talk The
Business of Going Fast – which judging from
usual conversations with the design hero
could head off in any and all directions. Then
later that afternoon Channel 4 F1 pundit
Lee McKenzie will sit down for a chat with
DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

105

Timetable
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2

THEATRE 1

10.00-11.30 John Watson and Paul Michaels in
discussion with Richard Heseltine
11.30-13.00 Film: Stewart, supporting Race
Against Dementia
14.30-16.00 Lee McKenzie in conversation with
Gary Anderson
16.00-17.30 Blowing the Bloody Doors Off
with Matthew Field & David Salamone

THEATRE 2

10.00-11.00 Desire & Design – Keith Helfet in
conversation with Philip Porter
11.00-12.00 70 Years of Ian Fleming’s
James Bond – Matthew Field and
Ajay Chowdhury
12.00-13.30 Designer Discussion – Ian Callum
and Julian Thomson
14.30-16.00 The All-conquering Porsche 956s &
962s – discussion with John Watson,
John Fitzpatrick, Serge Vanbockryck
and Sean Roberts, with Mark Cole
16.00-17.30 Camel Trophy Winners – Bob and Joe
Ives chat with event photographer
and author Nick Dimbleby

On Saturday Sir John
Egan will talk about his
time at the helm of Jaguar

Jordan F1 designer Gary Anderson, while
Wattie returns for a panel discussion on the
fêted Group C Porsche 956/962 alongside
author Serge Vanbockryck and one of the
great Porsche privateers John Fitzpatrick.
Our eye was also drawn to Sir John Egan
explaining how he ‘saved Jaguar’ from
crumbling British Leyland in the 1980s –
should be illuminating – plus a two-hander
entitled 70 Years of Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
So a focus on Villiers blown Bentleys over
Aston Martins? We’d hope so.
On the Sunday, Stevens is back to talk
specifically about the Jaguar XJR-15 – but he’ll
never stay on one subject, surely – and Lord
Alexander Hesketh follows straight after to
tell ripping James Hunt yarns from the
‘Superbear’ ’70s. A BRM panel discussion
featuring Jackie Oliver, Tony Southgate,
Howden Ganley and Mike Pilbeam sounds
unmissable, as does ever-popular Mike Wilds
talking about his rich racing life.
Oliver and Southgate feature in another
theatre to mull on Ford GT40s; Karun
Chandhok, Sky F1 pundit, former driver and
one of the most popular people in motor
racing will entertain with tales from the grid;
and conversations about the best (and
hopefully worst) car movies, plus cheats in
motor sport, should offer plenty of juice.
There’s even some chap who rings a bell

“Any event
that features
Ian Flux won’t
be short of
belly laughs”

THEATRE 3

9.30-10.30 Three Men in a Land Rover with
Chris Wall, Mike Palmer and
Waxy Wainwright
10.30-11.30 Professor Peter Stevens on
The Business of Going Fast
11.30-12.30 Saving Jaguar with Sir John Egan
12.45-13.45 The Evolution of Motoring Art
with Andrew Marriott and guests
14.00-15.00 JUE 477: The World’s First Production
Land Rover – Julian Shoolheifer in
conversation with author Martin Port
15.00-16.30 Paul Griffin – When is the History Not
the Whole Story?

wittering on about his new book about the
Benetton F1 team. Not to be missed, surely.
Porter reckons the festival is “designed
for serious motoring enthusiasts” – although
any event that features Ian Flux as a guest
speaker won’t be short of belly laughs.
A welcome lunchtime addition also
promising to pop any degree of pomposity
– and happily free of charge too – is another
Motor Sport old boy, Andrew Marriott, who
will host a session each day entitled The
Evolution of Motoring Art.
You have to book tickets in advance, so
plot your day via the event website. Head to
motorlitartfest.co.uk – and hopefully see you
at Silverstone in December.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3

THEATRE 1

10.00-11.30 Peter Stevens – My Jaguar
XJR-15 Story
11.30-13.00 Lord Hesketh in discussion
with Superbears author James Page
14.00-15.30 BRM panel with Jackie Oliver, Tony
Southgate, Howden Ganley and Mike
Pilbeam, hosted by Ben Edwards
15.30-16.30 Mike Wilds – From West London Flat
to F1 to Much More

THEATRE 2

10.00-11.00 Which Is the Greatest Car Film?
with Richard Heseltine, Matthew
Field and Gary Tomkins
11.00-12.00 Crispian Besley – Driven to Crime
12.00-13.00 Karun Chandhok chats with
Richard Heseltine
14.30-15.30 Dr Andy Palmer on The Future of the
Auto Industry
15.30-16.30 Damien Smith – Benetton: Rebels of
Formula 1

Ferrari ‘Breadvan’
completes a special
trinity of cars on
display at the festival

JOHN COLLEY

THEATRE 3

106

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

10.00-11.30 GT40 panel with Jackie Oliver, Tony
Southgate and Mark Cole
11.30-12.30 For Flux Sake - Ian Flux interviewed
12.45-13.45 The Evolution of Motoring
Art with Andrew Marriott and guests
14.00-15.00 Stuart Pringle on The Future of
Silverstone
15.00-16.00 Cheats in Motorsport! with Richard
Heseltine and James Page

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DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

107

Timing is everything

WRITTEN AND EDITED BY

W I N T E R

Simon de Burton

2 02 3

In this season’s issue

p.111 All shipshape with Richard Mille p.114 A Lange & Söhne on the concourse circuit
p.117 Bremont teams up with the armed services p.118 Meteoric rise of Frederique Constant
p.120 Christopher Ward chimes in p.123 Chopard bucks the trend with a big and bold dial
p.124 Brooklands Watch Company has an eye on speed records... p.127 ...As does Marloe
p.128 Our round-up of some of the most exciting new releases from the biggest brands

December 2023 Motor Sport

109

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

Richard Mille’s new-found
interest in maritime
matters has led to the
creation of the Richard
Mille Cup. The trophy,
left, stands at 1m tall

few years ago I was lucky enough to visit
Richard Mille at his home in Brittany where,
in a series of elegantly converted stables, he
keeps one of the most impressive collections
of competition cars I have ever seen –
including a ‘fleet’ of Formula 1 machines that
includes several McLarens and a BRM V16.
During our conversation I asked him whether or not he
would be attending that year’s Voiles de St Barth Regatta in
the Caribbean, at which Mille’s business partner, Peter
Harrison, was due to compete in a Maxi 72 yacht – complete
with a set of Richard Mille-liveried sails that cost £500,000.
Richard Mille looked at me with an expression of dismay
before replying: “No, I don’t like sailing and I don’t like boats.
I am a ground guy, a man of the earth, not of the water.”
So it was more than surprising to tune in to an online
press conference earlier this year at which Mille announced
the founding of an event called the Richard Mille Cup – a
race series not for four wheels, but for classic yachts.
The fact is, Mille has (to use a nautical term) gone off on
a whole new tack after discovering the joys of boats through
a friend from the old car world. Historic Porsche fans will
be familiar with the name Benoit Couturier, the celebrated
French restorer and dealer in some of the most important
examples of the marque.
The two men became close after Mille commissioned
Couturier to work on some of his classic Porsches (he has
since performed his magic on “nine or 10” of Mille’s cars)
and, during the course of many conversations, the subject
of boats came up.
“One day he took me to see an old racing yacht he had
bought, called Mariquita,” explains Mille. “I was so impressed
by her beauty that I decided to buy one myself – and now
I’m completely converted.” But Mariquita isn’t just “an old
racing yacht”. She’s one of the most celebrated vessels of
her type in the world, a 62-feet beauty built by William Fife
III and launched in 1911 at Fairlie on the Clyde.
And the one Mille bought – another Fife-built yacht called
Moonbeam IV – is equally attractive and similarly famous,
having hosted numerous celebrities while in the ownership
of Prince Rainier of Monaco. It was his ownership of
Moonbeam IV that inspired Mille to establish a tough, longdistance race for classic yachts.
The Richard Mille Cup had its first running this summer,
with 11 pre-war yachts battling it out from Falmouth to

RICHARD
MILLE
Le Havre, putting-in at harbours in Devon and Hampshire
along the way.
“I wanted to carry on the racing tradition of these
beautiful and historic yachts, but in a genuine way – which
is why we chose to hold the regattas off the English coast,
repeating similar events of the 1900s rather than doing
something in a typical glamorous location.”
The success of the inaugural Richard Mille Cup means
it is set to become an annual event and, for next year’s
edition, Mille says a dedicated watch will be created that
attempts to combine the brand’s high-tech engineering with
the soulful nature of the century-old yachts.Watch this space
to see the (inevitably spectacular) result.
December 2023 Motor Sport

111

Stainless steal.

In 1972, famed designer Gérald Genta created an oxymoron.
Priced more than many precious metal rivals, the ‘luxury stainless
steel timepiece’ was not an immediate success. But eventually its
tough, elegant body, integrated bracelet and patterned dial caught
on. A watch that dressed up for dinner. Or down, at the pool. Today’s
40mm, base automatic of that original watch costs £22,850 more
than the new ‘Twelve’ - named for its dodecagon-sided bezel
and rear lock ring. Our watch is thinner, goes deeper and offers
a choice of C1/BL Grade X1-lumed dials. A polished, brushed and
sandblasted case of daylight (and night time) robbery?
Do your research.

christopherward.com

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

A LANGE
& SÖHNE
f you did the rounds of concours events this summer,
there’s a good chance you would have seen the name
A Lange & Sohne. That’s because the watch house –
based in the German town of Glashütte – is a sponsor
of Italy’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the UK’s
Concours of Elegance and, most recently, the Audrain
Concours which was held last month in Rhode Island.
The fact that such shows attract some of the world’s most
valuable automobiles and their high-profile owners is not
lost on Lange’s classic car-loving CEO Wilhelm Schmid, who
brokered the brand’s first concours partnership (with the
Villa d’Este event) soon after taking up his role in 2011.
The son of a garage proprietor and the former head of
sales and marketing for BMW South Africa, Schmid counts
among his personal stable of classics a 1954 Frazer Nash,
two AC Aces, 356 and 911S Porsches and an MGB roadster
that he has owned for more than 40 years.
Lange creates a unique wristwatch each year for
presentation to the owner of the car judged best in show at
the Concorso and, in 2022, it also made a one-off chronograph
114

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

The auctioned
2022 engraved
‘Hampton Court’
1815. Top: Fritz
Burkard, left,
receives his best in
show award from
Wilhelm Schmid

dedicated to the annual Concours of
Elegance at Hampton Court (which
the brand has sponsored since 2018).
Instead of being awarded to the
winner, the watch was sold by auction
house Phillips, raising more than
£900,000 for the Prince’s Trust.
“That was a one-off donated as
‘give-back’ strategy,” says Schmid.
“Our usual action at Hampton Court
is to sponsor the ThirtyUnder30
category of cars under 30 years of age
owned by people under 30 – to keep
classics relevant to younger people.”
Schmid says he chose to associate A Lange & Sohne with
concours events because of the unifying thread between
cars and watches and because he believes such shows help
the brand reach the type of people who can afford to spend
anything between £22,500 and six figures on a watch.
“It is far easier for someone who already loves mechanical
objects to appreciate what we do than, say, for someone
who is purely a collector of conventional art,” he explains
– hence the reason for this year bolstering its portfolio of car
show sponsorship with the addition of the Audrain Concours.
Although the event was only founded in 2018, the area’s
connections with cars goes back to the dawn of motoring
with the first Vanderbilt Cup taking place in Newport in 1904
when Willie K Vanderbilt and a few of his well-heeled chums
competed against one another by driving their imported
automobiles around the Aquidneck Park horse-racing track.
Combine that history with Newport’s motoring museum,
a slew of historic mansions and its backdrop of the Atlantic
Ocean and it comes as no surprise that the Audrain Concours
& Motor Week is where A Lange and Sohne wants to be.
The event’s best in show trophy was this year scooped
by collector Fritz Burkard, owner of a 1938 Delage D8-120
de Villars, who received a winner’s certificate from Schmid.
So will Lange be back next year? Or is that a silly question?
A Lange & Sohne concours dates 2024: Concorso d’Eleganza
Villa d’Este, Cernobbio, Italy, May 24-26; Concours of Elegance,
Hampton Court, Surrey, August 30-September 1; Audrain
Concours, Portland, Rhode Island, US, October 6. A Lange &
Sohne 1815 Chronograph, above, £POA. alange-soehne.com

PRECISION GIVES
SPEED A MEANING
What drives us?
It’s the edge-of-the-envelope verve that impels us to set
new records, push new boundaries… to go faster, further
than ever before.
The exclusively inclusive power of British innovation to
transform the roar of an engine or the whirl of a rotor into
something that transcends the mere mechanical and
enters the realm of the exquisite.
The way passion and precision combine to create
enduring beauty that withstands the test of time.
This is the spirit of Brooklands.

Discover the Triple-Four Racing
Chronograph at brooklandswatches.com

LIMI T E D E D IT IO N
VINTAG E RA LLY H E A LE Y AUTOM AT I C
L iv e your passion.
Frede rique C on stant and Austin Healey have enjoyed many years
of partnersh ip geared around sport a nd watchmaking. Drawing on
tradition to create retro des igns with a modern interpretation,
e spe cially for th ose who apprec iate c raf tsmanship and elegance.

FC-301HGRS5B6

LIMITED
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Fe atur ing th e automatic FC-3 01 ca libre, the new Frederique Constant
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38- hour power res erve, racing green c oloured dial and a perforated
brown le at h er racing ins pired s trap to c omplete the look.
Authenticat ed by the original “ Healey” logo marked on the dial and
e m bosse d case bac k this Vintage R ally Healey Automatic COSC model
is in fittingly short supply, with 1,8 8 8 pieces available worldwide.
Presented in a lux ury gift box with a miniature Austin Healey.

Luxurious gift box with
Austin Healey miniature

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

BREMONT
t’s little more than 16 years since Bremont sold
its first watch, but the resolutely British brand
led by machine-mad brothers Giles and Nick
English has established a following that many
more historic dial names might envy. Bremont
watches have become especially popular with
military personnel around the world, many of whom
have privately commissioned special pieces marked
with the insignia, symbols, nicknames or monograms
of regiments, squadrons and ships.
But the ultimate vote of confidence from His
Majesty’s Armed Forces has been to grant Bremont a
covenant with the Ministry of Defence that makes it
the world’s only luxury watch manufacturer allowed
to use the signs, symbols and insignia of all three
services – the British Army, the Royal Navy and the
Royal Air Force.
The key word there is ‘luxury’, because it alludes
to the fact that today’s cost-conscious MoD no longer
issues its personnel with the sort of top-quality,
relatively expensive watches that were produced in
their millions throughout the war years and on until
the 1970s. By that, we mean mechanical models by
English and Swiss makers (Rolex included) that were
once available from the quartermaster’s stores in
exchange for the correct chit.
Nowadays a cheap and low-maintenance quartz
watch is as good as it gets, with official issue watches
now often being the more rugged efforts of Japanese
brands such as Seiko, Casio or Citizen. But in the
civilian world, the appeal of wearing a classic military
watch has never been stronger, as evinced by prices
achieved at auction for authentic examples made by
the so-called ‘Dirty Dozen’ – the 12 wartime
manufacturers (Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JaegerLeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor,
and Vertex) whose products met the exacting criteria of
Britain’s MoD for a ‘WWW’, or ‘wristlet watch, waterproof’.
The official specification demanded a watch be accurate
and reliable, waterproof and shockproof, have a black dial,
Arabic numerals, luminous hands and hour markers, an outer
minute track, a shatterproof crystal and a stainless steel case
housing a movement that fell within specific size parameters.
Most such watches were also marked with the MoD’s
‘broad arrow’ property mark that dates back to the 1600s
when it was first used to denote objects paid for with the
monarch’s money or owned by the government.
Initially adopted by the Navy, use of the broad arrow
spread to the Army and other government-run institutions,
including prisons – hence the popular image of inmates
dressed in uniforms printed with the symbol. Today, the
broad arrow is used almost exclusively by the MoD, and it
remains an offence to apply it to an object without permission.

Bremont is the
only watchmaker
allowed to use the
signs, symbols
and insignia of
our armed forces

Since its watches are not bought in bulk by the MoD for
issue to personnel, Bremont’s covenant does not allow it to
use the broad arrow – but it is entitled to create designs with
an authentic military look and, uniquely, it has that express
permission to decorate them with the aforementioned signs,
symbols and insignia.
As a result, most models created under the partnership
are decidedly reminiscent of the Dirty Dozen watches of old,
with the entry-level piece being the Broadsword, a 40mm
three-hander which is a dead ringer for one of those originals.
The remainder of the line-up comprises the blackened
Broadsword Jet, the Broadsword Bronze (bronze case), the
Arrow, a 42mm chronograph and the Navy-inspired Argonaut,
which can be had in black or blue dial configurations.
Prices for these watches range from £2895 to £3495 – and
if you’re a serving member of His Majesty’s Armed Forces,
you’ll get a 15% discount.
Bremont British forces watches, from £2895. bremont.com
December 2023 Motor Sport

117

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

FREDERIQUE
C O N S TA N T
t was a bold move on the part of Dutch couple Peter
and Aletta Stas when they set out to establish an
all-new business making mechanical watches – in
1988. Traditional watch manufacturing was still deep
in the doldrums after being knocked for six by
the wide-scale arrival of quartz movements during
the ’70s, and the revival of some of the great dial names
of old was still years away.
All the same, the couple forged ahead with their aim
to create ‘affordable luxury’ with the Frederique Constant
brand, a name created from the first names of their
respective great-grandfathers. Thirteen years later, they
achieved their dream with the launch of Frederique
Constant’s first in-house movement, the so-called Heart
Beat Manufacture that proudly displayed its balance wheel
through an opening in the dial.
As the years rolled by, the number of such
‘manufacture’ movements steadily grew to an impressive
30-plus, while innovations came thick and fast in the form
of the use of silicon for key components (2007); an
affordable tourbillon watch in 2008; a unique WorldTime
mechanism in 2012 and, in 2018, the launch of the world’s
first ‘hybrid’ smartwatch – a model featuring Bluetooth
technology beneath a traditional, analogue dial.
By then, however, the couple no longer owned
Frederique Constant and its smaller sister brand Alpina
(a 120-year-old dial name they had acquired in 2002) – they
had sold it, lock stock and barrel to Japanese giant Citizen
in 2016 for an undisclosed sum.
Frederique Constant remains, however, at the Geneva
manufacturing base that was established by the pair, a
sizeable building which extends to almost 67,000 sq ft
over four floors.
And, despite the couple no longer being at the helm,
it continues to forge ahead with the design and manufacture
of ever more intriguing, ever better quality watches – such
as the just-released Classic Tourbillon Meteorite
Manufacture pictured here.
Described as Frederique Constant’s “most exclusive
creation”, it celebrates both the 35th year of the brand’s
founding and 15 years since it unveiled its inaugural,
in-house tourbillon watch.
Limited to just 35 examples, each of the timepieces
has been built from start to finish by a dedicated team of
118

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

As the name
hints, the Classic
Tourbillon Meteorite
Manufacture is part
space rock – and
limited to 35 pieces

two watchmakers, with every movement component being
finished to an exceptional level – front and back – using
traditional hand tools.
The 39mm watch features a case hewn from 950
platinum containing a dial cut from a meteorite that fell
to Earth in Gibeon, Namibia.
Measuring just 0.5mm thick, the celestial slice is coated
in ruthenium to prevent it from crumbling – and no two
dials are alike due to the unique patterns found in each
meteorite cross-section.
So each one really is an ‘exclusive’ in the true sense
of the word.
Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Meteorite
Manufacture, £37,995. fredriqueconstant.com

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

C H R I S T O P H E R WA R D
hen Mike France, Peter Ellis and Chris
Ward – three entrepreneurial British
horophiles – established the
Christopher Ward dial name in 2004,
e-commerce was largely regarded
with suspicion by the industry. “The
main intent was to take the middle man out of the process
and deal directly with the consumer via a website,” France
once told me during an interview for The Daily Telegraph.
“We were one of the few companies shaking the tree and
I genuinely think we spearheaded a trend.”
Operating from its Maidenhead HQ, Christopher Ward
launched its first watch, the C5 Malvern, in 2005. It soon
gained traction thanks to positive reviews on internet forums
and, in 2008, the brand upped its game by collaborating with
Swiss movement maker Synergies-Horlogères to introduce a
mechanical chronograph to its collection, the C7 Rapide. But
it was the official merger with Synergies-Horlogères in 2014
that really established Christopher Ward as a serious player
in the mechanical watch game, a place it sealed with the
introduction of its first in-house movement, the Calibre SH21,
which was developed by a young, 20-something watchmaker
called Johannes Jahnke.
As a result, Christopher Ward’s proud mantra during the
past decade has been ‘British design – but Swiss made’.
Set to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, Christopher
Ward has covered the whole watchmaking gamut from dive
watches to aviation watches and from dress watches to, of
course, automotive models – even announcing a partnership
in 2017 (but now defunct) that made it the official watch of
the Morgan Motor Company.
120

Motor Sport December 2023

And the fact that it has majored on making timepieces
that are both of good quality and affordable hasn’t held the
brand back from creating some decidedly ambitious pieces
featuring mechanisms and complications that would normally
be associated with watches costing five or even six-figure sums.
The most recent of these came with the November 2022
launch of the remarkable C1 Bel Canto model, a watch that
made a mockery of the long-held tradition of chiming watches
being within the reach of only the wealthiest of collectors.
The Bel Canto, which carries a price tag of just £3195 on
a leather strap (£3530 on a bracelet) caused such a stir in the
watch world that the first limited run of 300 blue dial versions
sold out in eight hours.
The brand has been able to make the highly complex
musical watch at such an affordable price thanks to a
combination of its ownership of Synergies-Horlogères
(meaning the mechanism could be designed, developed and
created in-house) and, of course, the direct-to-consumer
selling method on which it was founded.
Even so, the watch represents real value for money (the
most affordable chiming watch in the world from a reputable
brand, bar none) not least since its open-worked architecture
compares favourably with models by ultra high-end brands.
So the fact that Christopher Ward has left the Bel Canto’s
dial mischievously unbranded is probably a move to keep
people guessing for as long as possible…. and it works.
The watch has been nominated as a contender in the
prestigious Petite Aiguille category at the Grand Prix de
L’Horlogerie de Genève taking place on November 9.
Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto, from £3195.
christopherward.com

The chime of the
C1 Bel Canto
comes courtesy of
a steel spring that
runs around the
edge of the dial

YE ARS

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P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

atches come in all shapes and sizes
and with a range of different
functions – but one very specific
feature that has enjoyed a
resurgence of late is the so-called
‘integrated’ bracelet. It’s nothing
new, of course. Integrated bracelets – which blend almost
seamlessly with the watch head rather than being attached
by bars between its lugs – have been around since the late
1960s when designer Gérald Genta revamped Omega’s
Constellation to create some groovy models such as the
rectangular Emeraude and the cushion-cased Chronometer.
It was Genta, too, who penned the two most celebrated
integrated sports watches of all – the Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak (1972) and the Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976).
In the past two or three years, however, the integrated
sports watch offering has burgeoned with brands including
Bell & Ross, H Moser & Cie and A Lange and Sohne (to name
but a few) all joining the fray. Among the most successful
new arrivals has been the Alpine Eagle from Chopard, a
watch first seen in 2019 that (as we explained in last year’s
Precision special) was inspired by the quartz-powered St
Moritz of 1979.
The St Moritz was designed by brand co-president and
insatiable classic car fan Karl-Friedrich Scheufele when
he was just 22 years of age and was working his way around
the firm’s various departments in order to understand the
ins and outs of the business.
In turn, his son Karl-Fritz championed the idea of
creating the Alpine Eagle which, up until now, has been
available in 41mm and 36mm versions, all with rock-like
textured dials designed to evoke the iris of an eagle’s eye
and hands reminiscent of the bird’s feathers.

The case, meanwhile, features a bezel secured by eight
visible screws and a crown engraved with a compass rose
– symbolic of the eagle’s remarkable navigation ability.
But just as this magazine issue was coming together,
Chopard revealed a surprising new take on the Alpine
Eagle. At a time when watches are once again becoming
smaller and more delicate, with case sizes dropping back
to as little as 36mm in diameter, the latest Alpine Eagle – the
XL Chrono – measures a bold 44mm.
It really is a hefty, statement-making piece – and one
that’s probably a lot more of a practical proposition for
anyone who wants a chronograph to use, for example, as
a rally or lap timing tool. The large size makes everything
on the dial easy to read, while the flyback movement –
which allows the chronograph to be stopped, re-set and
re-started with a single push of the button – has been
specifically developed for the watch and features a
unidirectional gear system that enables it to self-wind more
quickly after the energy-sapping chrono has been used.
There’s also a hack seconds function that allows the
watch to be set precisely to a time signal, while a tachymeter
scale and a few subtle, orange highlights that contrast
sharply with the new, Maritime Blue dial facilitate speed
and distance calculations.
We love it. Although small might be beautiful, Alpine
Eagles seem to be even more so when they are XL sized.
Chopard Alpine XL Chrono, from £17,400. chopard.com

The new Alpine XL
Chrono is a bold
statement from
Chopard, with its
44mm case

C H O PA R D
DECEMBER 2021 MOTOR SPORT

123

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

BROOKLANDS
nyone who appreciates the sort of meticulous
engineering required to create a competitive
racing car will likely agree that the Concorde
supersonic passenger plane was among the
great marvels of 20th century design. Pilot,
saloon car racer and aerospace engineer
Simon Jeffs certainly does – and, unusually, it was his love
of Concorde that resulted in him founding the Brooklands
Watch Company back in 2017.
“I have had a long association with the Brooklands race
circuit, both as a result of my own interest in racing and
through that of my uncle, who bought various cars that had
competed there including an Alvis and a supercharged Alta,”
explains Jeffs. “The Alta was awarded a Brooklands 120mph
badge and was one of the cars that was supplied in kit form
and built at Brooklands. During visits there, I had often seen
the test nose cone from the sixth Concorde air frame, which
was a prototype aircraft used ahead of the main fleet being
built. Brooklands needed to raise funds to purchase an actual
Concorde for display and put the nose cone up for sale – so
I bought it.”
It might sound like an odd object to covet, but if anyone
should own such a thing Jeffs is surely the man: his business,
Orange Aero of Thame, Oxfordshire, specialises in supplying
pre-owned (and meticulously reconditioned) components
for the type of Rolls-Royce Trent turbofan engines used on
aircraft such as the Airbus A330.
Once Jeffs had taken possession of the nose cone,
however, he had to decide what to do with it – at which point
he turned to designer Sebastian Conran, son of Sir Terence.
“I commissioned him to create a sculpture of it, a project
that took six years to complete,” says Jeffs. “A full-sized study
of the nose cone and visor assembly, it sits on a base made
from 6mm thick stainless steel that weighs five tons and is
fitted with bearings from an Olympus turbine engine that
enable the whole thing to rotate and to be locked in any
position. The project sowed the seed for the design and

124

Motor Sport December 2023

The recordbreaking Napier
Railton has been
an inspiration for
the Brooklands
Watch Company

manufacture of a British heritage product, and it was then
that I started to really appreciate the amazing heritage of
Brooklands – and, in particular, the fact that Colonel Henry
Lofft Holden, who had designed the track, had also designed
the world’s first motor racing chronograph accurate to
1000th of a second way back in 1907.”
Thus Jeffs founded the Brooklands Watch Company and
asked Sir Terence – who died in 2021 – to design its first
model, the Triple Four Racing Chronograph. For what
proved to be one of his last projects, Sir Terence took
inspiration for the watch from the W12, 24-litre Napier Lion
aero engine that powered Sir John Cobb’s Napier-Railton to
the all-time Brooklands lap record of 143.44mph in 1935.
The Triple Four has since been well-received in motoring
circles, so much so that Jeffs has several new watch designs
in the pipeline – the first of which will be revealed in Motor
Sport’s monthly Precision page very soon.
Until then, try to visit Oxford Airport at Kidlington where
Sebastian Conran’s Icon sculpture is on long-term display
having previously been shown at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal
Ascot and the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Brooklands Watch Company Triple Four Racing
Chronograph, £5754. brooklandswatches.com

duckworthprestex.co.uk
GMT automatic 9075, steel 42mm case, 2-way bezel with ceramic insert, screw down crown, sapphire glass, w/r 200m,
4 dial colour options, applied indices. £795 on a strap or £895 on steel bracelet including VAT

THE UK’S LARGEST
WATCH SHOW
10 - 11 NOV 2023

The Londoner, Leicester Square

Browse over 50 watch brands | Get face-to-face with watchmakers
Discover and take home pre-owned pieces | Meet like minded collectors and aficionados

Book tickets at watchprosalon.com

Motorsport Magazine readers get 15% OFF
tickets when booking using the code MOTMAG

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

e can expect to see the products of
Marloe Watch Company cropping
up in pit garages and around race
circuits a whole lot more following
news that the Scotland-based
business has been officially
announced as a patron of the British Racing Drivers’ Club.
Part of the deal will see Marloe serve as an official
partner of the BRDC’s Young Driver Programme that seeks
to help burgeoning talent on the road to success through
its complementary SuperStars and Rising Stars schemes.
A key element of these sees BRDC scouts visiting
national and international race meetings with a view to
spotting already successful young drivers who might have
the potential to make it into the big league.
Marloe founders Oliver Goffe, a marketeer, and Gordon
Fraser, the brand’s designer, will attend events at the
BRDC’s Silverstone base – including next year’s British
Grand Prix – and will make the firm’s presence felt through
trackside sponsorship and the installation of custom-buit
Marloe clocks in the clubhouse.
Mark Brown, head of sponsorship at the BRDC, believes
the new relationship promises to be mutually beneficial.
“As a new and emerging British watch brand producing
mechanical timepieces, Marloe is a perfect fit,” he says.
But as regular readers of Motor Sport’s Precision pages
will know, this is not Marloe’s first foray into the automotive
world. Back in 2021 we announced a partnership it had
formed with the Campbell Family Trust which enabled
the brand to create watches commemorating some of the
many milestones in the lives of record-breaking duo Sir
Malcolm Campbell and his son, Donald.
The first such watch was the centenary piece launched
two years ago to mark the 100th anniversary of Donald’s
birth, since when the Coniston model on which it was

based has been made available in four further variations
(from £349). The blue dial CN7 (named after Donald’s 1964
Lake Eyre record car); the white dial K4 (named after Sir
Malcolm’s Bluebird hydroplane that achieved 141.74 mph
on Coniston Water in 1938), the black dial Black Edition
and the pale blue dial Trackday (now sold out).
One benefit of the partnership is that royalties earned
from the sale of each Campbell-related watch go towards
maintaining and promoting the surviving Bluebird vehicles.
Earlier this year, Marloe Watch Company installed a
display cabinet at the National Motor Museum as part of
an exhibition of memorabilia, trophies and personal items
belonging to past Land Speed Record drivers. “It’s worth
noting,” observes Goffe, “that British drivers, engineers,
mechanics and cars have broken the Land Speed Record
more times than any other nationality.”
The exhibition enabled Marloe to present the CN7
watch alongside the actual Proteus Bluebird CN7 which
has been on permanent display in the museum since 1972.
Goffe says Marloe’s role as the museum’s official timing
partner promises to provide the brand with significant
inspiration – even hinting that Fraser may already be
working on a watch based on the 350HP Sunbeam in which
Sir Malcolm clinched his first Land Speed Record by
reaching 146.16mph on Pendine Sands in Wales.
The centenary of that famous event falls on September
25 next year – so Fraser still has a bit of time to get it right...
Marloe Watch Company Coniston Auto CN7, from £349.
marloewatchcompany.com

Marloe’s Coniston
CN7 takes its name
from the Proteus
Bluebird CN7,
which reached
403.1mph in 1964

MARLOE

December 2023 Motor Sport

127

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

ROLEX

To mark the 60th birthday of its celebrated Cosmograph Daytona
driver’s chronograph, Rolex has given the latest versions
(Oystersteel, above) a redesigned case, a metal edge around the
Cerachrom ceramic bezel and tweaks to the shape of the hour
markers – but the changes are so subtle that only diehard Daytona
fans would notice them. Beneath the dial, an upgraded Calibre
4131 movement benefits from the Rolex Chronergy escapement
and Paraflex shock absorbers. But don’t expect to walk into
your local Rolex dealer and buy one. You’ll have to ‘express an
interest’ and then wait many months for the call to collect.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, from £12,700. rolex.com

AUDEMARS PIGUET

Launched in 1993, Audemars Piguet’s original Offshore featured
a 42mm diameter case measuring 14mm thick with a shamelessly
visible gasket beneath its bezel and a crown and push-pieces
sheathed in rubber. To mark the model’s 30th anniversary, AP
has reinterpreted a version worn by Hollywood star Arnold
Schwarzenegger in the 1999 film End of Days. Made from black
ceramic complemented by a titanium case back, chronograph
pushers and bezel screws, the watch, left, has yellow detailing
and comes with a choice of black and yellow textile straps. It’s
powered by the in-house 4401 self-winding, flyback chronograph
movement – and just 500 examples will be made.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, £53,900. audemarspiguet.com

JUNGHANS

Founded in 1861 as a maker of wall clocks, Germany’s Junghans
grew to become the largest producer of timepieces in the world.
But it hit hard times during the noughties and might have
disappeared without trace had it not been for springmanufacturing tycoon Dr Hans-Jochem Steim. He stepped in
to save Junghans, which now makes an extensive range of
watches such as the new Form A Chronoscope automatic
chronograph, left. Available with a choice of orange, grey or
‘curry’ dial highlights, each version features an image of a New
York street scene on the back of its 42mm case.
Junghans Form A Chronoscope, £1750. junghans.de

128

Motor Sport December 2023

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

MAURICE LACROIX

Back in 2013 Maurice Lacroix launched one of the best-looking
watches in its then 38-year history, the Pontos S Diver – but no
sooner had it attracted fans than ML canned it in order to focus
on its lynchpin Aikon range. Now, however, the most-missed
Pontos is back as an all-new dive model which can be had in
steel, left, or as a 500-piece limited in bronze. Both versions
have textured dials and an inner rotating countdown bezel
operated from a secondary crown. Steel models are supplied
with one fabric and two rubber straps, while the bronze version
is delivered with one in vintage leather and one in blue rubber.
Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver, from £1800. mauricelacroix.com

DOXA

The Doxa Sub of 1967 might never have been revived had it not
been for the persistence of American fan Rick Marei. In the early
2000s, he enquired about buying a new orange version to match
his freshly restored Porsche 911 – but since the Sub was no longer
in production, the only way Marei could get one was by ordering
a batch of several hundred. He re-sold the bulk online, attracting
so much attention that the model was returned to the official
Doxa line-up and became a smash hit. This luxurious new Sub
300 Beta Sharkhunter, below left, combines a black ceramic
case with a bezel and crown made from 18-carat gold.
Doxa Sub 300 Beta Sharkhunter, £6950. doxawatches.com

HERBELIN

The name Newport will be familiar to yachting types as the
well-to-do Rhode Island city famed for its links to sailing, most
notably as the venue of the America’s Cup for more than half
a century from 1930 on. But in 1983 the defeat of Liberty
by Australia II meant the 1987 challenge was staged in Fremantle,
inspiring the French horologist Jean-Claude Herbelin to
commemorate Newport’s long-standing role in the event with
a watch named after the city and designed along the lines of the
portholes found on transatlantic liners. This new Newport
chronograph model, below, measures an anchor-like 43.5mm
in diameter and gets a brushed and polished stainless steel case
that’s water resistant down to 100m.
Herbelin Newport, £2249. herbelin.com

December 2023 Motor Sport

129

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

BREITLING

Breitling’s business-like Avenger watch was created 20 years ago
for use by fighter pilots, hence its robust case, high-visibility dial
and shock-resistant mechanism. The Avenger line has been given
a major makeover for the 2024 model year, with the old range
being replace by three 44mm diameter models – two chronographs
and a GMT watch – plus a 42mm automatic. Among the most
striking is the 44mm Night Mission chrono which combines a
black ceramic case with a dial in black carbon or screaming yellow,
above left. Each is supplied on a matching leather strap, with all
Avenger models being chronometer-certified for accuracy.
Breitling Avenger Night Mission, £TBC. breitling.com

BELL & ROSS

What began in 1992 as a university project for designer Bruno
Belamich and business brain Carlos Rosillo is now a leading name
in the watch biz. The original concept was to make watches that
had seemingly been ripped from the cockpit of fighter jets, with
the first model, the BR-01, featuring a ‘soft square’ case and toploading screws. But at 46mm it was too big for some, so smaller
versions were introduced. Of these, the 42mm BR-03, above, has
been especially popular – and the trend for downsizing has seen
it reduced by 1mm around the edges and given thinner lugs and
more rounded corners. Six designs are available.
Bell & Ross BR-03, from £3200. bellross.com

D U C KWO RT H P R E ST E X

Neil Duckworth has been a British watch industry stalwart since
establishing TAG Heuer’s presence in the UK more than 40 years
ago. His horological roots can be traced back to the 1920s
when his grandfather’s jewellery firm, Prestons, became world
-renowned for its Prestex-branded pocket watches. The Prestex
name faded into obscurity, but was revived by Duckworth in
2021 with much success. It now offers a range of five different
models, the latest of which is the Rivington GMT chronograph,
left. The waffle dial can be had in green, orange, blue or black
smoked finishes and there’s a choice of straps.
Duckworth Prestex Rivington GMT, from £795.
duckworthprestex.com

130

Motor Sport December 2023

P R EC I S I O N
W I N T E R 202 3

W I L L I A M WO O D

British entrepreneur Jonny Garrett found horological inspiration
in the exploits of his firefighter grandfather William Wood – and
the watches bearing his name are not short on symbolism. The
Triumph chronograph, above, features a crown forged from part
of a 1920s fireman’s helmet, brass push pieces, a strap made from
a piece of recycled firehose and a dial based on a fire tender’s
cockpit instruments. You even get an ‘in case of fire’ sapphire case
back, and each watch is supplied with a pair of helmet cufflinks
– the set being contained in a box designed to look like a fire alarm.
William Wood Triumph, £2525. williamwoodwatches.com

TUDOR

There were radical things happening in horology back in 2012,
but the smash-hit of that year’s Baselworld show was the
burgundy bezel Heritage Black Bay designed by Davide Cerrato
(now CEO of Bremont) that led Tudor’s re-launch in the US and
Europe. Those first BBs are now collectible but, for similar
money, you can have a new version, left, with manufacture
movement, METAS certification (confirming qualities of
accuracy, water resistance and anti-magnetism) and a five-year
warranty. The only thing missing is the original Heritage Black
Bay’s gnarled leather strap – the new one’s on rubber.
Tudor Black Bay, from £3530. tudorwatch.com

TAG H E U E R

TAG Heuer has brought 81-year-old Japanese racing driver Tetsu
Ikuzawa back into the limelight – more than 40 years after he
retired from competition. Ikuzawa’s return to fame is the result
of his fashion influencer daughter, Mai, encouraging TAG Heuer
and watch customiser Bamford Watch Department to create a
Team Ikuzawa tribute piece, left. The Carrera chronograph gets
a white dial with red highlights, a scheme inspired by the livery
of some of the cars driven by Ikuzawa, one of Japan’s most
successful drivers and, in 1973, the joint-first Japanese person
to compete at Le Mans (alongside Hiroshi Fushida).
TAG Heuer Carrera Team Ikuzawa by Bamford, £5250. tagheuer.com
December 2023 Motor Sport

131

EXCLUSIVE SIGNED MOTOR RACING AUTOMOBILIA, GUARANTEED

THE
STORE

www.thesignaturestore.co.uk

NIGEL
MANSELL
BY EMMA CAPENER
NEW Nigel Mansell signed, limited edition,
Giclée fine art print by artist Emma Capener.

Emma Capener creates highly detailed originals
using only pencils. The level of detail made
possible by the oversize original, these superb
drawings produce amazing Giclée art prints.
Exclusive A2, limited edition (of 92), numbered
prints, signed by Emma and Nigel Mansell are now
available to pre-order, visit the Signature Store
website to reserve your print, today.

www.thesignaturestore.co.uk
www.emmacapenerart.com
© Emma Capener, 2023

www.motorsportmagazine.com/shop

www.thesignaturestore.co.uk

The 2023 Christmas

Fancy going one better than socks in a box this Christmas?
Whether buying gifts or dropping hints, take your choice
from the finest the Motor Sport shop has to offer

POCHER LOTUS 72D 1:8 SCALE MODEL KIT
In need of a project to see you through to the
New Year and beyond? This exquisite model
kit of Emerson Fittipaldi’s 1972 Lotus 72D is a
beauty. With 477 parts made from premium
materials, it should be top of your list. £789.99

All items available at motorsportmagazine.com/shop unless otherwise stated
December 2023 Motor Sport

133

2023 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

BENETTON: REBELS OF F1 BOOK
Get the inside story of one of F1’s
big-hitters in this superb work by
Motor Sport’s Damien Smith. £60

STEERING WHEEL CUFFLINKS
Add some class to your cuff. Solid silver and
with a classic three-spoke design, like that
famously favoured by Stirling Moss. £300

FORD MUSTANG ADVENT CALENDAR
Sick of cheap chocolate countdowns? Grab
one of these instead and build your own
1:24 Mustang GT across 24 days. £125

EMMA CAPENER PENCIL ARTWORKS
It’s hard to believe you’re not staring at a photograph. Artist
Emma Capener creates stunning works using pencil (plus a
considerable dose of talent), and they’re simply magical to
behold. The detail on her driver portraits (Lewis Hamilton,
above, and Ayrton Senna, right) is out of this world. From £99

CHOCOLATE CARS GIFT TIN
Stocking fillers don’t get more fun, or tasty,
than this tin chocked full of choccy cars.
Each contains 20 milk chocolates. £14

KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN SIGNED ENDPLATE
Full-sized replica of the rear wing endplate
used on the Ferrari F2007, which carried
the Finn to his world title in 2007. £395

CLASSIC GRAND PRIX COASTERS
Enjoy your favourite brew alongside this set
of four hand-made coasters, each featuring
historic race poster artwork. £30

motorsportmagazine.com/shop
134

Motor Sport December 2023

2023 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

ALAIN PROST SIGNED STEERING WHEEL
Display steering wheel hand-signed by
four-time world champion ‘The Professor’
Alain Prost, one of grand prix racing’s
all-time greats. £249.95

SHELBY COBRA POSTER
Available in A3, A2 and A1 sizes, this print by London-based
artist Martin Allen features the David and Oliver Hart 1963
Cobra racing at the 2016 Goodwood Revival. From £49

MCLAREN MP4/4 POSTER
Nobody does posters like Automobilist. This
one celebrates the 35th anniversary of the
McLaren MP4/4, and depicts Ayrton Senna’s
first win in it at the 1988 San Marino GP. £62

LE MANS 2023 ART PRINT
Celebrate Ferrari’s fairy tale
return to La Sarthe with this print
by Frederic Dams, available in
two sizes – standard 28x27cm
and premium 51x49cm. From £39

MOTOR SPORT CUFFLINKS
The perfect companion to your favourite
monthly. These die-cast zinc alloy cufflinks
display the Motor Sport ‘M’ logo. £40

motorsportmagazine.com/shop
136

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

www.Martin Allen.art












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Christmas gifts
for the drivers
Motoring Lifestyle
Art
Suixtil clothing
Boy’s toys
Jewellery
Auto gifts
Office & ‘Den’

www.meandmycar.co.uk
order line 01865 883061

138

Motor Sport December 2023

2023 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

SCALEXTRIC RETRO GRAND PRIX SET
So many of those memories of Christmases
past include Scalextric, so why not bring them
flooding back with a shiny new set this year?
Grand Prix includes the turbo Lotus 98T and
99T, 5.3m of track and controllers. Just plug in
and play for hours in your living room. £159.99

T H E O R I G I NA L RAC I N G M AGA Z I N E

PEAKF1
Eighties
Revival!
Green
Hell
WILLIAMS FW15C

T H E O R I G I NA L RAC I N G M AGA Z I N E

LEGENDS OF THE

Why Prost’s final title winner will never be beaten

Ultimate F1 underdogs reunited for our exclusive double track test
The 20 greatest drivers to master the Nürburgring

Benetton

PLUS

‘Just like
Fernando‘

How the Italian
brand brought
fashion to the grid

Mark Hughes
on McLaren’s
rising star

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Brands ‘68

The F1 duo that
were out of
their time

ROSS
BRAWN

Behind the
scenes pics
from ‘lucky
reader’

“These are
the cars I can
genuinely say
I designed”

INSIDE

ALEX PALOU

INSIDE

EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW RICCARDO
WILD PATRESE
XJR-15 TAMED ASTON DB12
SCULPTURED
POCKET
ROCKETS
DRIVEN GENIUS

VERSTAPPEN VICTORY

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BEST OF RACING AT
THE MOVIES
You’ve seen the films, now
discover the stories behind the
scripts as we delve into behindthe-scenes looks at cinema
greats such as Steve McQueen’s
Le Mans, Grand Prix and Winning,
as well as modern works like
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has cropped up in pitlanes.
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JAGUAR HEROES
Celebrate the history of an
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even its ill-fated Formula 1 foray.
Oh, and there’s plenty of road
cars in there too for those in love
with the E-type or even unicorn
cars such as the XJ220 and
controversial XJR-15.
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DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

139

Winner of the 2010 Petit Le Mans, Pole Position at the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours
1 of only 2 Works C6.R GT2s, Ex - Gavin / Magnussen / Beretta / Collard / Fassler

2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R ZR1 GT2
£POA

mitchellcurated.com
E: ben@mitchellcurated.com T: +44 (0) 7535 148470

THE

BUYING, SELLING, AUCTIONS, MEMORABILIA
and r

In 49 years, this pristine
Escort Mexico has covered
a mere 7862 miles

DEALER STAR CAR

Arriba, arriba!

KGF CLASSIC CARS,

For Simon de Burton, the Escort Mexico is the car of his dreams,
and he’s found the best available example on the planet
t’s an indisputable fact that the (now)
classic cars we loved as kids are often
the ones we want to own as adults,
especially if we harbour fond memories
of favourite toy/model versions.
In my case, there was nothing
better in the toy box than my Scalextric Ford
Escort Mexico, a purchase made with hardsaved pocket money and inspired by Roger
Clark’s epic performances behind the wheel

of an RS1600 in events such as the Acropolis,
East African Safari and RAC rallies.
I loved the red ‘Mexico’ stripes running
along the sides of my white car – although my
dream was to own one of the much harderto-find yellow versions.
And yes, I’d buy this real one in a
heartbeat if funds permitted.
But not only because it would realise a
childhood dream, but because it’s very likely

the best example of a Mark 1 Mexico available
in the UK, if not Europe, if not the world.
Steve De’Ath, operations manager at KGF
Classic Cars, explained that it joined the
Peterborough firm’s inventory after 25 years
in the ownership of a die-hard Ford AVO fan
who had it restored to the superb, period
correct condition that it remains in today.
According to De’Ath, the only reason the
car’s long-standing custodian parted with

December 2023 Motor Sport

141

THE SHOWROOM Dealer
Daytona Yellow is factory
fresh. Left, from top: RS
reclining sports seats, and
no rips; trophies are
included; spotless engine

it was to acquire his true dream
machine, a Mark 1 RS1600 (just
like Roger Clark drove).
During his ownership, however,
the Daytona Yellow car became celebrated
in ‘fast Ford’ circles and scooped numerous
awards at shows around the country –
including at the prestigious Ford AVO National
Day – despite his insistence on driving to the
events, regardless of weather.
The resulting two boxes of trophies will
be sold with the Escort, which was built at
Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations factory
in Aveley, Essex in July 1974 and supplied to
its original owner by the TC Harrison car
dealership of Sheffield.

Official period extras fitted
include a quartet of Cibie Oscar
fog and spotlights (with stone
guards), reversing lights, hazard
warning flashers, brake warning light,
wiper arm spoiler and the RS Custom Pack
comprising reclining seats, sound deadening,
RS centre console with clock, varnished wood
trim panels and a heated rear window.
In a world populated by numerous
‘tribute’, ‘continuation’ and ‘homage’
Mexicos (plus plenty of blatant fakes) this one
is as genuine and honest as they come, with
a bulging history file that includes details of
the Ziebart rust proofing treatment it received
in 1975, reams of old MOT certificates

confirming its mileage, all relevant handbooks
and a spare set of keys.
There is even a photograph of the car
taken outside the AVO plant, which was
ceremoniously opened by Graham Hill in
1970, but knocked flat almost a decade ago.
It only takes a cursory glance at
photographs of this car to see just how good
it is – the only problem is, would you want to
use it to try to emulate Clark on a gravelstrewn stage in Hamsterley Forest? Not with
that gleaming undercarriage, surely.

1974 FORD ESCORT MEXICO

On sale with KGF Classic Cars, Peterborough,
£54,995. kgfclassiccars.co.uk

DEALER NEWS

● A 1949 MG TC
‘GAMMON SPECIAL’, right,
from the collection of Dave
Saunders is on sale for the
first time in 50 years. In the
’50s Peter Gammon took
the MG to a slew of wins
before Saunders bought it
in 1975 and returned it to
Gammon-era spec. It’s on
sale at CLASSIC MOTOR
HUB in Bibury for £95,000.
● More than 200 VIPs and
customers attended the

official opening of the
world’s largest McLAREN
showroom. The new 10,000
sq ft space in DUBAI ,
below, saw the regional
unveiling of the 750S. The
facility also has a McLaren
Special Operations

department for “virtually
limitless” customisation.
● If you missed out on
Princess Diana’s Escort last
year but still hanker for
royal wheels, you’re in luck.
A 1954 ASTON MARTIN
DB2/4 VIGNALE at
ASTON WORKSHOP in
Stanley was commissioned
by KING BAUDOUIN OF
BELGIUM, who wanted a
fastback designed by
Turin’s Carrozzeria Alfredo

IF YOU HAVE ANY INDUSTRY NEWS OR TIPS CONTACT LEE.GALE@MOTORSPORTMAGAZINE.COM

142

Motor Sport December 2023

Vignale on an Aston Martin
chassis. It’s fully restored,
with a regal price: £3.65m.
● West Midlands car dealer
BRINDLEY GROUP has
closed its 13 showrooms
on Sundays to promote a
healthier work/life balance.
“We want our employees
and customers to relish
their weekends,” said Che
Watson, MD of Brindley
Group. Digital teams will be
available 9am-7pm.

● Average used car prices
have fallen for the first time
in three and a half years,
according to the AUTO
TRADER RETAIL PRICE
INDEX – down 0.4% to
£17,736. The PORSCHE
TAYCAN’s year-on-year
price plummeted 23.3%
to £89,992, but the feisty
SUV SUZUKI JIMNY, the
hairdressers’ favourite, rose
by 20.3% to £12,488. LG

KGF CLASSIC CARS, McLAREN, THE CLASSIC MOTOR HUB

Gammon Special is a sizzler on the track

THE SHOWROOM Auctions

AUCTION PICKS

Kuwaiti royals’
orange crush
Simon de Burton on citric Astons, an exotic
Alpine and other assorted auction highlights

1957 CHEVROLET BEL AIR
SOLD BY RM SOTHEBY’S, £71,800
A ’57 Bel Air is widely regarded as being the
quintessential Chevy, with this example being ultra
desirable thanks to its factory-fitted Rochester
Ramjet mechanical fuel injection system.

144

Motor Sport December 2023

1996 CAGIVA ELEFANT
SOLD BY BONHAMS, £11,940
This was ridden in the 1996 Dakar Rally by
Frenchman Cyril Esquirol and was among a single
owner collection of nine Dakar-type machines that
fetched more than £60,000 between them.

2010 ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE
SOLD BY BONHAMS, £99,500
Some believe the V12 Vantage was the best
modern-day Aston – especially, like this one, in
manual. The car was still factory fresh having
covered just 80 miles and was one of eight Astons
from the same era (one of each model then
available) believed to have been supplied to the
Kuwaiti royal family. Each was finished in unique
Orange No1 paint. Part of the Orange Special
Limited Edition Collection, all eight cars crossed the
block without reserve, realising a total of £650,000.
The one that had been used the most was a 2010
V8 Vantage. It had a whole 235 miles on the clock.

2010 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL SUPERSPORTS
SOLD BY HAMPSON AUCTIONS, £33,750
This early iteration of Bentley’s souped-up
Continental would originally have cost more than
£165,000. In immaculate condition and 33,000
miles on the clock – someone bagged a bargain.

1971 FIAT DINO SPIDER
SOLD BY H&H, £100,417
Much of the appeal of the Fiat Dino lies in its
2.4-litre Ferrari V6 engine. But it’s a great-looking
car too, especially in Spider configuration. This one
had been in the same ownership for 20 years.

2023 MASERATI MC20
SOLD BY BARRETT-JACKSON, £206,400
This is the fourth of Maserati’s latest supercar to
have crossed the block this year – but only two
have sold. If the MC20 is destined for future classic
status, now’s the time to buy a pre-owned example.

1964 FIAT MULTIPLA TAXI
SOLD BY RM SOTHEBY’S, £93,300
If you turned up for a holiday on Lake Como in
1964, you might have hailed a Fiat 600 Multipla taxi
just like this. Restored, the six-seater was fitted with
period-correct fair meter and roof rack.

FORTHCOMING SALE HIGHLIGHTS
● BONHAMS, LONDON,
NOVEMBER 3

BONHAMS, DARIN SCHNABEL/ PETER SEABROOK/RM SOTHEBYS, H&H, BARRETT-JACKSON, HAMPSONS

Some believe interest in classics
will wane when the people who
remember them while growing
up are no longer around to buy
them. But the popularity of
vintage cars from the turn of the
20th century should give hope.
The Bonhams Golden Age of
Motoring sale always attracts
strong bids, especially for
London to Brighton-eligible cars.
A 1912 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo PM
Roadster on offer this year could
realise £500,000.

● RM SOTHEBY’S, LONDON,
NOVEMBER 4

● MECUM, KANSAS CITY, US,
NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 2

● ARTCURIAL, PARIS, FRANCE,
FEBRUARY 2-3

The first London sale held by
RM Sotheby’s took place at
Battersea Park way back in
2007. An annual fixture ever
since, it has achieved some
impressive prices and even a
few records. The current venue
is the historic Marlborough
House on The Mall where
this year’s event, once again
held in conjunction with the
London to Brighton Veteran
Car Run, will see around 50
cars cross the block.

Mecum auctions ends 2023 in
its usual, blockbuster style with
this three-day auction of cars,
motorcycles and trucks. Expect
a 1000-lot ‘docket’ (entries
were still being compiled at the
time of writing) and a sale in
which there really will be
‘something for everybody’. Be
that a 1995 International tractor
unit with 7.3 litres of V8 diesel
power, a 1918 Oldsmobile
Model 45A or a 660cc
Daihatsu Midget II pick-up.

Artcurial reprises its role as the
official Rétromobile auctioneer
for the eighth year in a row,
aiming to top the £30.7m total
achieved in February, which
included a £5m 1951 Ferrari
340 America Barchetta Touring
Superleggera. Interesting barn
finds and single-owner
collections are typical fare, with
this year’s sale extended to
two days through the addition
of a section dedicated to
racing, flying and yachting.

1971 ALPINE A110
SOLD BY H&H, £50,072
Owned and campaigned by the same
husband-and-wife team for the past
decade, this 1650cc, Group 4 spec A110
was set up for hillclimbs, sprints and
regularity rallies. Its livery, inspired by
the 1976 Tour de Course-winning
Alpine, was entirely hand-painted.

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

145

WE CHANGED

EVEN WHERE
THE STEERING IS
THE NEW CORVETTE STINGRAY
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 6.2L V8 - Fuel consumption combined (mpg): 23.3.
CO2 emissions combined (g/km): 277. Energy efficiency category: M.
www.chevrolet.uk

Sandhills Lane, Virginia Water GU25 4BT

01344 842801
www.ianallanmotors.co.uk
© 2021 GENERAL MOTORS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CHEVROLET®

DEALER GALLERY
To advertise, please call Paula Trainor on 020 7349 8479
or email paula.trainor@motorsportmagazine.com

The largest classic car showrooms in central London
A selection from 65 cars available

1961 Austin-Healey 3000 MK II Tri-carb, restored & upgraded

1954 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 Fully restored and little use since

1991 Mini Cooper One family owner for 31 years

1975 Honda Goldwing 1000 First year of production example

1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1 of 25 produced

1964 Gordon Keeble GK1 3 owners since new & full restored by
Ernie Knott

www.graemehunt.com
+44 (0)20 7937 8487 • mail@graemehunt.com

December 2023 Motor Sport

149

1951 JAGUAR XK120 LE MANS COMPETITION ROADSTER ‘AEN 546’
THE HIGHEST PLACED XK120 EVER AT LE MANS
Chassis 660449 was race-prepared by the Jaguar Factory for the 1951 Le Mans 24hr – running race number 21,
in sequence with the works C-types. At the event it became the first ever XK120 to run on wire wheels, and was
equipped with many unique factory features, including Le Mans fuel filler, C-type head and three large access holes
in the bonnet. It is one of only five XK120’s ever to race at Le Mans, and is the highest placed of all, taking 11th overall.

356 Speedster

911 GT3RS (997.2)

911 Turbo (991.2)

911 Carrera 4 S Targa (991.2)

Signal Red • Black Leather Sports
Seats • 15” Steel Wheels with Chrome
Hub Caps • Chassis No. 83032
Certificate of Authenticity • Tool Kit
& Jack • Previously Sold & Serviced
by Paragon • 1957

Grey Black • Black Half-Leather Bucket
Seats • 19” GT3 Centre Lock Wheels
Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes
Sport Chrono • Front Axle Lift
Previously Sold & Serviced by
Paragon • 29,346 miles • 2011 (11)

GT Silver • Bordeaux Red/Black
Dual-Tone Leather • PDK Gearbox
20” Turbo III Wheels • Sport Chrono
Glass Electric Sunroof • Previously
Sold & Serviced by Paragon
18,583 miles • 2016 (66)

Graphite Blue Metallic • Black Leather
Sports Seats • PDK Gearbox • 20”
Carrera S Wheels • Touchscreen
Satellite Navigation • Sport Chrono
Rear Axle Steer • 10,069 miles
2018 (18)

£314,995

£169,995

£99,995

£94,995

911 Turbo (991)

911 GT3 (996)

911 Turbo (997.2)

911 Carrera 4 S (991)

Basalt Black • Black Leather Sports
Seats • PDK Gearbox • 20” Turbo
Centre Lock Wheels • Touchscreen
Satellite Navigation • Sport Chrono
Carbon Interior Pack • 16,012 miles
2015 (15)

Arctic Silver • Black Leather Bucket
Seats • 18” GT3 Split Rim Wheels
Stainless Steel Rear Roll Cage
Air Conditioning • Previously Sold &
Serviced by Paragon • 55,191 miles
2000 (V)

Meteor Grey • Black Leather Adaptive
Sports Seats • PDK Gearbox
Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes
19” Turbo II Wheels • Touchscreen
Satellite Navigation • Sport Chrono
33,619 miles • 2010 (60)

Guards Red • Black Leather Sports
Seats • PDK Gearbox • 20” Carrera S
Wheels • Switchable Sports Exhaust
Touchscreen Satellite Navigation
Bose Sound System • 22,782 miles
2014 (64)

£89,995

£84,995

£79,995

£67,995

911 Turbo (997) GEN 1.5

911 Carrera 2 S (991)

Boxster S (981)

911 Carrera 2 (997.2)

GT Silver • Cocoa Leather Bucket
Seats • Manual Gearbox • 19” Fuchs
Wheels • Touchscreen Satellite
Navigation • Sport Chrono
Previously Sold & Serviced by
Paragon • 56,458 miles • 2009 (58)

Basalt Black • Black Leather Sports
Seats • PDK Gearbox • 20” Carrera
Classic Wheels • Touchscreen
Satellite Navigation • Switchable
Sports Exhaust • Sport Chrono
39,561 miles • 2013 (63)

Platinum Silver • Bordeaux Red
Leather Sports Seats • Manual
Gearbox • 19” Boxster S II Wheels
Full Leather Interior • Electrically
Folding Mirrors • 4,126 miles
2012 (12)

Meteor Grey • Black Leather Seats
PDK Gearbox • 19” Carrera S II Wheels
Touchscreen Satellite Navigation
Sport Chrono • Previously Sold &
Serviced by Paragon • 66,671 miles
2011 (61)

£67,995

£61,995

£44,995

£42,995

01825 830424

sales@paragongb.com

www.paragongb.com

We have superb in-house workshop and preparation facilities. Each car is supplied fully serviced with a new MOT and our
12-month/unlimited mileage comprehensive parts and labour warranty. See more of our current stock at paragongb.com
PA RAG ON G B LT D

F IVE AS H ES

EAST SU SSEX

TN 2 0 6 H Y

CHARLES RAMSEY
THE CLASSIC CONNECTION
www.classicconnection.co.uk

1956 Land Rover Series 1
1956 Land Rover Series 1 with 89,150 miles. This is a marvellous example of a very sought-after Land Rover,
which is finished in the traditional bronze green with green seats, whilst also being mechanically sound
throughout. This Land Rover features the 2 litre 4 cylinder engine, that runs and drives like a dream. It has
been restored at some point in its life. This car has got a very solid chassis with a lot of time, love and care
spent on the vehicle all over. This car also comes with a canvas which can be removed, or the sides and rear
can be rolled down. This is a must see and definitely a great investment. The door windows are also included
with the vehicle. £29,995

1961 Jaguar E Type Roadster Outside Bonnet Lock LHD
2000 Miles. Gunmetal Grey with Blue Mohair hood and matching tonneau cover. Blue leather
interior with blue carpets. Beautifully restored some years ago with very little use since. Chassis
number 875135 is still in superb condition throughout and wonderful to drive. Very rare matching
numbers car in its original highly sought after colour, although the interior trim was red according
to the heritage certificate.
£174,995

1961 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Outside Bonnet Lock LHD
Matching numbers car supplied new to the USA . Number 339 of 385 cars built in left hand
drive. Rescued in 2008/9 after being stored in a barn for over thirty years. Subject to a
complete ‘ground-up’ restoration completed in 2012. When the car was restored in the USA
the colour was changed to Carmen Red, the interior retrimmed with black leather and it was
fitted with a black soft top. Superb condition throughout. £154,995

Ford Escort RS2000 MK2 1978
T registration. Diamond White with black Beta trim. 54,000 miles, the history file contains some old mot’s
and receipts. An older restoration that has been restored to an excellent standard, and it is still in superb
condition throughout. Correct four spoke RS wheels with new Yokohama tyres. The engine bay is detailed
and so is the underside as you can see from the photos. The iconic car is in one of the best colour schemes
and it turns heads wherever it goes. £44,995

1995 Porsche 993 Ruf Turbo R Conversion
48,000 miles. Black with black interior. Supplied to the last owner by Official Porsche
Centre South East Germany in 2004. The conversion was carried out by a Porsche
specialist at 5,000 miles. Lovely condition throughout, has to be seen, heard, and driven to
truly appreciate just how special this car is. Huge history file.
£139,995

1963 Volvo P1800S
Red with black leather interior and black carpets. Early Cow horn bumper car. Recent
full restoration with works to body plus all chrome restored, interior retrimmed, engine
and gearbox rebuilt and much more. Large history file showing all works completed.
Number 900 of the Swedish built cars in its original colour.
£49,995

2018 Ariel Atom 3.5R
550 miles from new with full Ariel service history. Fully loaded and
extremely rare 3.5R. 350bhp. This is the pinnacle of the Atom 3 and
now very well sought after. Excellent condition throughout as you
would expect.
£72,995

1988 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Coupe
98,000 Miles. Black with full black leather interior. This stunning
looking 80’s icon has the sought after G50 five speed gearbox.
Fuchs alloys, sunroof, whale tail. Lovely condition throughout, the
paintwork is absolutely stunning.
£64,995

1974 BMW 2002
57,000 Miles. Chamonix White with dark blue interior. Original UK Car. Recent
£42,000 full body and chassis restoration plus full interior re-trim, new glass and new
chrome. Huge history file including a Certificate of Authenticity and its original keys.
One of the best 2002’s we have seen and driven.
£29,995

1971 Mini Cooper S Mk3
43,000 miles, comprehensive history file. Gleaming solid black
paintwork with black interior and red carpets. The car is matching
numbers with the genuine body shell throughout. The body was fully
restored and the interior was re-trimmed by Newton Commercial
many years ago and still looks like new.
£44,995

1956 Land Rover S1 109 Diesel Prototype
1956 Land Rover Series 1 109” diesel prototype. This is the only long-wheelbase diesel prototype known
to have been made. First registered in October 1956, this diesel prototype was quite some time before the
production run started in the summer of 1957. It is based on a Station Wagon chassis (which has been
extended by 7”) and given the chassis number ‘LR109/1’. The prototype remained registered to the Rover
Company Ltd, Solihull until 1957 when the prototype diesel engine was removed and a petrol engine
installed, the change being recorded in the original buff logbook on 16th September 1957. The restoration
was completed in 1997 and the prototype is presented today in excellent restored condition. £44,995

Triumph TR5 PI 1968 G registration.
UK original car, red with black interior. Very rare Surrey top with matching red removable hard top.
Comprehensively restored in 2015 using a new old stock body shell. The interior has all been replaced and is
in superb condition throughout, including the woodwork. The paintwork is unmarked and has a lovely finish.
All the chrome is lovely, and the alloy wheels really set it off. The history file contains receipts for ten years of
ownership by the last owner and the parts purchased for the restoration. There is also a heritage certificate
confirming its origin. It has always been mot’d since restoration even though It doesn’t legally require one.
Must be one of the best TR5’s on the market especially being a Surrey top UK model. £54,995

Classic Connection, sales, service & restoration
Pound Lane, Burley, Hampshire, BH24 4EB
Telephone: 01425 489575 Mobile: 07970 024634 Email: sales@classicconnection.co.uk

Our passion is classic competition cars

1974 Surtees TS16/02 - P.O.A.

1959 Lotus 15 – P.O.A.

1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Gp C (AMR1/04) – P.O.A.

1965 ex-Autodelta Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA – P.O.A.

1981 Zakspeed Ford Escort Group 4 – EUR 249.00

1972 ex-Schnitzer BMW 3.5 CSL Group 2 – P.O.A.

We have a wider variety of great cars for sale. Please call or visit our web-site for more information.
www.rmd.be – salesinfo@rmd.be – +32 (0) 475 422 790 – Schoten, Belgium

1970 CHEVRON B16 - FORD FVC

Built for the 1970 season and a competitor at both Daytona 24H and Sebring 12 Hours events with owner Brian Robinson
early in the season. DBE -04 then returned to Europe and raced in various World Sportscar Championship events in 1970 and
1971. One of only 4 B16s with undisputed history, DBE-04 is eligible for Le Mans Classic, Masters Sportscars and Peter Auto
CER1. This car has been raced regularly in Peter Auto and has only 6 hours running since engine rebuild. Complete with spares
package, and new HTP. A well known, fantastic car for the world’s greatest motoring events. Please call for more information.

SPEEDMASTER SPECIALIST IN HISTORIC AUTOMOBILES
Tel: +44 (0)1937 220 360 or +44 (0)7768 800 773
info@speedmastercars.com www.speedmastercars.com

2022/72 Dodge Hellcat SRT Redeye ‘Widebody’ - VAT Q

Hellraisin Purple Metallic w Blk Interior; 6.2L V8 S/Charged HW Engine; 8-Speed Auto; Comp Suspension; Park
Assist; Harmon Kardon; Ventilated Seats; Power Sunroof +++ * One Owner * 2,500 mls only **
£109,995

2022/72 Porsche 992 GT3 Touring - LHD - VAT Q

GT Silver Metallic with Black Leather/Silver Stitching; Ceramic Brakes; Lifting Equiptment; Ceramic Roof;
18-Way Adaptive Sports Seats; Carbon Interior+++ ** Delivery Miles only **
£269,995

1995 Porsche 911 993 Carrera Cabriolet

Midnight Blue Metallic, Grey Seats & Blue Soft Top/Tonneau/Carpets; Sports Seats; 17” Alloys; Alarm; Crested
Wheel Caps; 10 Stack CD ** One Owner ** Full Service & MOT History ** 34k mls only **
£79,995

HISTORIKA.COM
INSTAGRAM.COM/HISTORIKA911
FACEBOOK.COM/HISTORIKA911
TWITTER.COM/HISTORIKA911
YOUTUBE.COM/HISTORIKA911
+44 (0) 7836 384 999
+44 (0) 7717 212 911

1965 FIA Porsche 911 2.0L Cup Car
- Undergoing restoration to be completed for start of 2024 race season.
- Genuine first series early 1965 production.
- Being built to front running 2.0L Cup Specifications.
- Owned and rallied by Ex Porsche driver Åke Andersson.
- FIA Historic Trophy Winner.
- Will be painted in it’s orignal factory colour of light ivory.

COCKFIELD HALL LANE, WITNESHAM, IPSWICH, IP6 9JB UK.
ACQUISITIONS // RESTORATION // PRE PURCHASE INSPECTIONS // RACE PREPARATION // RARE PARTS

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MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

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Latest motor
sport news

Video clips &
highlights

THE SHOWROOM Competitors
To Ulster in an Ulster – an
Austin 7 Ulster, that is –
Rebecca Smith was part of the
revival of an epic vintage road
trip of the 1990s

HISTORIC RACING

Austin rovers

PHIL JONES

VSCC competitor Rebecca Smith looks back over the late
summer’s club activities, including a family hillclimb and a tour
to Northern Ireland, before tragedy struck at Mallory Park
otor racing perhaps has
more ups and downs than
any other sport, and this
last month has been as
varied as it has been
emotional. After two
great events out with Mord, the death of
Roger Twelvetrees at the Vintage Sports-Car
Club’s Mallory Park meeting in August was
nothing short of a tragedy, one that left the
entire paddock in mourning.
Roger’s accident showed the dark side
of the sport we all love, and his loss has been
deeply felt across the VSCC community.
The month began with a hillclimb on the
Prescott Short Course in Mord, where
I would be sharing the drive with my sister,
Jessica, who was making her competition
debut. Annoyingly what had promised to be
a special event proved to be a bit of a washout
for us before a mechanical malady ended
our run prematurely.
The weather was horrible, but both
Jessica and I completed our practice runs
with decent times, yet both felt Mord’s
brakes were a bit on the soft side. We
adjusted them before second practice and
Jessica improved her time, but said they still
didn’t feel right. I jumped in for my run and

Rebecca in Mord battles a Morgan at Mallory
Park, but the day’s schedule would come to a halt

bang: no brakes at all. Turns out the seal on
the master cylinder had given up, so it was
an early bath for us. But at least we got to
enjoy the great paddock hospitality and
watch the event unfold on Sunday. Special
mention to Patrick Teague in his Austin 7
Ulster for winning the Garry Whyte Trophy,
which is awarded at Prescott each year to a
young driver who has beaten their handicap
by the most.
After Prescott came an entirely different
kind of event with a trip to Ireland for a
rebirth of the ‘Ulsters to Ulster’. Basically,
a selection of the VSCC’s youth members
re-enacted a road trip many of our parents

had done in 1995 by driving from England
to Ulster (Northern Ireland), conveniently
in Austin 7 Ulsters. We had five Ulsters – plus
a Citroën 2CV in our group, which caused
some controversy, but we allowed it. The
trip was brilliant, thanks to the hospitality
of the Johnson family; driving through the
centre of Belfast, visiting the old TT circuit,
swimming in the lough, before heading
home via the ferry to Liverpool and straight
down to Mallory.
Mallory had been shaping up to be a
great event, with the Youth Race first and
three of the Ulsters that had come straight
from Ireland on the grid. I swapped back to
Mord, and had a great start to pass a handful
of cars off the line before engaging in a
superb fight with the Morgans of Hamish
Cameron-Eveleigh and Finlay HopeCameron. I wound up fourth after a duel
which ended when Finlay passed me out of
the final corner. I was rewarded with second
place in the Handicap rankings though.
Then came the tragedy in the second
race of the day, which led to the remainder
of the meeting being cancelled.
Roger had been a member of the VSCC
since the early 1970s and was a very popular
figure within the club, as well as a successful
children’s author. All our thoughts go out to
his family and friends at such a difficult time.
I think I speak for all of the VSCC community
when I say that Roger will
be missed greatly.
Next month: we’re back to
kicking up grass and mud
in the trialling season

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

161

Abington
Non Electric and Electric from:

£1499

The Abington is a sleek town Bike
designed and made in Cambridge:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Gates Carbon Belt Drive
Single, 8 or 11 Speed Shimano Alfine or 14 Speed Rohloff
Custom-drawn Reynolds Technology steel tubing
Machined stainless-steel dropouts
Schwalbe Marathon Plus 650b x 38 tyres
Optional custom colour
5-year warranty

The ARCC Intellegent Drive System:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Automatic hill/ gradient compensation
Exclusive features like Launch Control
Range up to 52km
30 mins recharge time
Can also be used without the battery
Smooth, natural ride

MADE IN
BRITAIN

5 YEAR
WARRANTY

LIGHTWEIGHT
TECHNOLOGY

ARCC Innovations
Pampisford Road,
Great Abington, Cambridge,
CB21 6AH

BOSCH
BATTERY

arccbikes.com
info@arcc.co.uk
+44 (0)1223 893290

1970 Chevron B16 FVC - £224,950

A very rare unrestored and authenticated B16 which has
continuous history from new

1969 Chevron B15 Historic F3 - POA

The Goodwin Racing/Cyd Williams race winner with
extensive provenance. Offers invited

1959-type Lotus 15 Evocation - £49,950

A stunning Alfa Romeo-engined homage to a very rare
Lotus, built by leading specialists

1965 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce - £79,950

1963 Lotus 23B - £79,950

Multiple class-winner with a fresh HTP, recently
benefiting from a full professional rebuild

Immaculate and absolutely ready to race, with extensive
history and a huge spares package

1964 Merlyn Mk 7 Historic F3/Libre - £29,950

1986 Ferrari 328 GTS - £79,995

First raced by John Bridges and currently in Libre
specification with a Connaught TC engine

1958 MGA Twin Cam - £44,950

Superb to drive; this expertly restored Twin Cam must
be one of the best currently available

Forfurther
furtherinformation,
information,
please
contact:
For
please
contact:

Adam Sykes
Sykes on
on 07429
07429600332
600332ororDamon
DamonMilnes
Milneson
on07802
07802
779301
Adam
779301

A desirable early UK-market and fully-maintained
example with only 31,000 miles recorded

LD
SO

1976 Ferrari 308 Vetroresina - POA

An immaculate and comprehensively maintained
example of a very collectable Ferrari

e info@adamsykes.co.uk
! www.adamsykes.co.uk

Photo by James Lipman

TURRINO WHEELS LTD

info@turrinowheels.com

7.5x16 alloy rims

Eagle Speedster

+44 (0)1780 470460

www.turrinowheels.com
December 2023 Motor Sport

165

Melvyn Rutter Limited

International Morgan Sales, Service, Parts and Restoration for Morgan Cars from 1936 to Present Day

AS Motorsport ltd

New

2019 Morgan Plus 4

Metallic Red with cream leather interior, stainless steel wire wheels, walnut dashboard, Moto-Lita
steering wheel, red mohair weather equipment, stainless luggage rack and only 8,717 miles. A
desirable ‘traditional’ Plus 4 - £48,950

2022 Morgan Super 3

Our own demonstrator available for purchase. Safari Yellow with Mariner Black leather, LED
headlights and spot lights, Moto-Lita steering wheel, footwell heater, heated seats, lockable
underseat storage, EXO side racks with black bungee cords, low clear flyscreen and
CAT S5 vehicle tracker . Delivery Miles - £53,695
47 years

WE BUY MORGAN CARS, INCLUDING PROJECTS – WE COLLECT
The Morgan Garage, Little Hallingbury, Nr Bishops Stortford, Herts CM22 7RA England
Tel: 01279 725725 www.melvyn-rutter.co.uk Email: mr@melvyn-rutter.net

Virtual
Tour

te

See websi

ASM hand build bespoke versions of the R1 roadster, inspired by the Aston Martin
race cars that won Le Mans and the world Sportscar championship in 1959.
Contact us for details of commission builds and stock.

Poplar Farm, Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 2AP

Tel: 01379688356 • Mob: 07909531816
Web: www.asmotorsport.co.uk
Email: info@asmotorsport.co.uk

IVAN DUTTON LTD

Things you probably know we do…

Things you probably don’t know we do…

7th Plateau 1 / 4th in Class Le Mans Classic
2023 – Bugatti T44

Best of Show Villa D’Este Concours 2022
– Bugatti T57S

2nd Rudge Whitworth Cup, Goodwood Revival
2023 – Bugatti T44

Best of Show Salon Privee 2018
– Bugatti T55

1st & 2nd in Class Spa Six Hours 2023
– Bugatti T35C & T44

Best of Show Salon Privee 2023
– Bugatti T57S

1st Bugatti Owners Club Williams Trophy,
Cadwell Park 2023 – Bugatti T51

Class Winner Pebble Beach 2019
– Bugatti T59
Class Winner Pebble Beach 2023
– Bugatti T57S

3rd Goodwood 79th Members Meeting 2022
– Jaguar Mk 7
For 2024 - Retromobile, Monaco Historic Grand Prix, Bonneville Speed Week,
Century Oils Capri, Ginetta G50 and …
Peacehaven Farm, Worminghall Road, Ickford, Bucks, HP189JE
Tel: 01844 339457 • Fax: 01844 338933 • Ten minutes from M40 Junction 8a • www.duttonbugatti.co.uk
166

Motor Sport December 2023

1974 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33-3/Flat 12: Rare,
fantastic race record, Ickx, Stommelen,
Reutemann, Monza, Nurburgring, Imola.
All orig., fresh rebuild, race ready.

WE WILL BUY AND CONSIGN ALL FERRARI AND ALL VINTAGE SPORTS RACING & GT CARS
PARTIAL TRADES CONSIDERED - FINANCING AVAILABLE

1967 Porsche 910-001: First of 28 910
1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Spider:
1951 Ferrari 212 Inter: Vignale / Drogo,
racers constructed - 220hp Fuel-injected Mille Miglia 1952, 1954. Ground up resto- Excellent, well-preserved, original condiFlat 6 - considered to be Porsche's great
tion throughout; no rust or signs of repair.
ration. Race and Rally ready.
leap forward into racecar development.
Matching numbers.

1958 AC Aceca: Matching #s.
Comprehensive frame-up restoration,
RHD, Rally proven.

1965 Porsche 356SC Cabriolet: Matching #s, 1 of 533. 3-owner, full docs, COA.
67k miles. One repaint. Euro version.
Outstanding original throughout.

WWW.MOTORCLASSICCORP.COM
350 ADAMS STREET, BEDFORD HILLS NEW YORK 10507
914-997-9133 • SALES@MOTORCLASSICCORP.COM

1958 MGA Twin Cam: Rare, frame-up,
show quality restoration on an iconic
sports car.

1974 Jaguar XKE V12 Roadster:
One of a kind, uniquely built. Bare metal
repaint, new interior, 5-sp, Webers,
SS headers, Alloy radiator, Two tops.

1962 Lotus Super 7: 22 year ownership.
Super well developed; quick and easy to
drive. Known for its winning provenance.
Everything has been rebuilt or replaced.

1965 Griffith Series 200:1 of
191. Totally remanufactured.
Better than new. Extraordinary
driving experience!

December 2023 Motor Sport

167

CARS FOR SALE / ART & AUTOMOBILIA

CARS FOR SALE
AH Classics
FORD MUSTANG 1966
Lancashire’s BEST Classic and British sports car dealership.
MGA Rally Car
1688cc Engine On Weber Carb. • Alloy
Rad With Electric Fans • Safety Devices
Cage • Very Well Prepared & Maintained
• Competed in Classic Monte, Classic
Marathon, Manx etc • Great Car
£19,995

Van Diemen RF89 FF1600
Chassis no 1461 • Ex Dave Harwood
• Momo wheel • In date belts • This is the
model to have with the LD200 gearbox
• Good overall condition.
£13995

Diamond R6 Classic Clubmans 1976
• In full class B Specification • engine built by
RSM • close ratio gearbox • Lotus diff with
CV jointed driveshafts • AVO dampers
• AP brakes • 2 different styles of nose
• Very nice car £7995

Chevron B1 MK2
Red, Black Trim,Tubular Chassis. All round Independent
Suspension, GRP, Bodywork Ford 1600cc RoCam Engine.
Toyota 5 Speed Gearbox. Built By Chevron Racing Cars
Ltd. Ideal for Someone Who Wants To Be A Bit Different
Or A Chevron Collect. Great Car. £12,995

Royale RP2
FF1600 1970
Rare car for
restoration, its been
unused and stored
for many years.
Direct from one
family ownership.
For Sale less engine
and gearbox. Great
project.
£6995

Silver blue.
GT Coupe. 289 V8.
Award winning car.
Deluxe Pony interior. Front discs. Electronic ignition.
Owned 8 years. Kept in carpeted garage. MOT April 24.
£28500 Tel: 07860 315883

T +44(0)1263 768768
F +44(0)1263 768336
bmw@jaymic.com
2002 Thurgarton Road, Aldborough, Norfolk, NR11 7NY, UK

Hewland MK9 Gearbox
Heavy Duty Casing • 7.8” 20 Spline Input
Shaft • Free Diff • Good Condition
£5,500

CLASSIC BMW PARTS

WANTED FF1600 ANYTHING CONSIDERED

Shaw, Oldham, Lancashire • 07761549454
andrewhenson@btinternet.com
www.ah-classic-cars.co.uk

A

A

Tel: +44 (0)20 8688 4443

1974 ALFA ROMEO TIPO 33-3/
FLAT 12. Rare,fantastic race record,
Ickx, Stommelen,Reutemann,
Monza, Nurburgring, Imola.All orig.,
fresh rebuild, race ready. www.
motorclassiccorp.com

1965 ASTON MARTIN DB6
VANTAGE in Fiesta red with perfect
black hide interior. Long term
ownership and recently fully restored
at enormous expense. A joy to drive.
£315,000 TEL: 01753 644599

168

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

2002 ASTON MARTIN DB7
VANTAGE VOLANTE, Finished in
Silver with black hide interior and a
black mohair electric soft top.
Supplied by us to the last owner when
it was only 3 years old in 2005 when
the mileage was only 25,000. This
beautiful motor car has always been
garaged and has covered only a
further 17,000 miles in his ownership.
It comes with a full service history
and the specification includes
Touchtronic transmission, 19” alloys
with high speed rated tyres, Uprated
Hifi, alloy pedals and a well-fitting
leather hood cover for when the soft
top is in the lowered position. We
consider this car to be excellent value
at £29,950TEL: 01753 644599

1958 ASTON MARTIN DB MK III in
original Elusive Blue with Burgundy
hide interior. Superb throughout,
Fitted with Overdrive and fabulous
to drive. Really good value at
£245,000 TEL: 01753 644599

See our NEW Online Shop at www.jaymic.com
B

B

1951 BENTLEY MK VI 4.5 BLOWER
SPECIAL Now available at www.
graemehunt.com. Tel. 0207 937
8487

L

1951 BENTLEY MK VI JUSTINE
SPECIAL Now available at www.
graemehunt.com. Tel. 0207 937
8487

F

CLUB
LOTUS
Tel: 01362 691144/
01362 694459
Email:

annemarie@clublotus.co.uk
1964 BENTLEY S3 CONTINENTAL
FLYING SPUR Now available at
www.graemehunt.com. Tel. 0207
937 8487

1949 BENTLEY MK VI Now available
at www.graemehunt.com. Tel. 0207
937 8487
To advertise, please call
Paula Trainor on
020 7349 8479

1951 FERRARI 212 INTER. Vignale
/ Drogo, Mille Miglia 1952, 1954.
Ground up restoration. Race and
Rally ready. www.motorclassiccorp.
com

THE ORIGINAL
& BEST CLUB
FOR ALL LOTUS
OWNERS &
ENTHUSIASTS
• Colour Magazine
• Insurance & Parts
• Discounts
• Free Technical Help

FERRARI 250 Testarossa rebody
1962 . V12 Ferrari £275,000 Tel. 00
32 474 681 781
To advertise, please call
Paula Trainor on
020 7349 8479

Lotus Regalia & more
for only £3 per year

www.clublotus.co.uk
58 MALTHOUSE COURT
DEREHAM
NORFOLK NR20 4UA

CARS FOR SALE

CARS FOR SALE
2 WHEEL

MUSEUM
32 500cc/Moto GP Helmets Collection
SIGNED BY RIGER AND HEAD MECHANIC

For sale individually
Please email Rosco Holden/Holden
on tight rholden66@bigpond.com or
call 0412 992 666 with your interest,
or for a full list that’s available.
Valetino Rossi

Kel Caruthers

Luchinelli

Barry Sheen

Marc Marquez

Valetino Rossi

Lorenzo

It has taken 27 years to accumulate, here is your
chance to own this rare and unique collection,
54 Helmets in total which is the only one like it
in the world, 98% signed by the rider and head
mechanics.
All information listed on each pic and dates and
rare docuemnts in this album will come with it.
The helmets have been all over the world, from
Spain, Italy, UK, Europe, the USA to be signed,
some have taken about 3 nervous years to return.
It will include 38 GP Motorcourse Bible’s many
signed, also a compy of MotoGP Who Works In
and also Motocourse 50 years and Grandprix
Riders. To help use the proceeds of sale towards
the Holden On Tight, MX, Off-road and Dakar,
History an Memorabilia Museum.

A huge thanks to my mate Johnny Kral of Kral Creations for endless hours of superb work, to also MAX 77 design and Enrico Crippa and Oberdan Tomasoni from Nolan, Pauline, David Hailwood, Mick Doohan, Aurelio Longi, Bob Heath Vistors, Paul & Kel Carruthers, Bob Toomey, Jeremy
Burgess, Freddie Sheene, Martyn Ogbourne, Pete Bensen, Marcus Holt and all the Riders and Mechanics, Families and so many more, this collection would hot have been possible without your help and support. All awesome work of Jorden Bethune, Pixpig Images.

F

L

L

M

MASERATI BIRDCAGE Typo 61 fia
papers £449,975 Tel. 00 32 474 681
781
FORD SIERRA GR A Works rally car
1986 Tel. 00 32 474 681 781

1962 LOTUS SUPER 7: 22 year
ownership. Super well developed;
quick and easy to drive. Known for its
winning provenance. Everything has
been rebuilt or replaced. www.
motorclassiccorp.com

LANCIA 037 Gr B ex works 1983 Tel.
00 32 474 681 781

SUNBEAM ALPINE GT 1967.
Green black trim. Hardtop. Stalled
restoration. Engine running and
moves in the yard. Great project.
£5,995. Tel: 07761 549454

T

LANCIA STRATOS STRADALE V6
DINO With mechanical injection
Tel. +32 493 32 33 13

L

S

M

MONTESA COTA 310 1990. From
a private collection. Monoshock
suspension. Disc brakes front and
rear. Alloy swinging arm. Running
bike in good condition. £2,200. Tel:
07761 549454

1977 LAND ROVER SERIES 3
RECOVERY VEHICLE. 2 1/4 Diesel
engine. Overdrive. F/W Hubs.
Stainless steel exhaust. Well
maintained. May 2023 MOT. Period
Harvey Frost crane. Used in period by
Royal Mail Workshops at Cardiff &
Newport, then on show at London
Royal Mail Museum. It would be great
for events like Goodwood Revival,
commercial vehicle show and runs.
£10,500. Tel: 07761 549454

1965 MERCEDES-BENZ 230SL Now
available at www.graemehunt.com.
Tel. 0207 937 8487

1958 MGA TWIN CAM. Rare,
frame-up,show quality restoration
on an iconic sports car. www.
motorclassiccorp.com

P

P OR S C H E
996
TURBO
TIPTRONIC 2002. Silver, dark blue
ruffled leather. Porsche main dealer
and specialist service history.
£34,995. Tel: 07761 549454

TRIUMPH TR6 CR 1974. Mimosa
Yellow With Black Leather Trim.
Duck Hood and Moto Lita Wheel.
Overdrive. Stainless Exhaust. Drives
Well. £12850. Tel: 07761 549454

TRIUMPH TR6 1973. Magenta
With Black Trim. CR Model.
£6,995. Tel: 07761 549454

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

169

ART & AUTOMOBILIA / BOOKS / GARAGE / PARTS

DIRECTORY
To advertise, please call Paula Trainor on 020 7349 8479
or email paula.trainor@motorsportmagazine.com

Ties • Bow ties • Cravats •
Cummerbunds • Flat Caps
Hand Crafted in the UK

www.dapperjack.co.uk

garagefindsuk@gmail.com

Unique to Dapper Jack Carbon Fibre Bow Ties

POOKS MOTOR BOOKSHOP

Motoring Brochures, Books, Manuals, Programmes, Magazines
and original posters BOUGHT AND SOLD
pooks.motorbooks@virgin.net • www.pooksmotorbookshop.co.uk
Shop open: Monday–Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm
Fowke Street, Rothley, Leicestershire LE7 7PJ – Tel. 0116 237 6222
or call John’s mobile on 07808 576 837

U

T H E NTI

AUTHENTIC
G

U

E

Robert Saunders Autographs are
international dealers in quality autographs and
documents for pleasure and investment portfolios.

A

QUALITY
AUTOGRAPHS
C

Mob: 07756 862188

Tel: 07887 898331

Dapper Jack

E
AR
ANT

To view our full inventory, visit AUTOGRAPHMAN.CO.UK

CAN’T FIND PISTONS
FOR YOUR ENGINE?

JonWilliamStables.co.uk

Fast and reliable delivery on custom forged pistons.
4 stroke pistons made from your sample.
Call us on: (0)1462 684300

sales@cambridgemotorsport.com
www.cambridgemotorsport.com

170

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Unit 5 Lacre Way, Letchworth
Hertfordshire, SG6 1NR

Garaging
Garaging ~
~ Carriage
Carriage Houses
Houses ~
~ Workshops
Workshops
Call us
us today
today on
on 01380
01380 850965
850965
Call

BOOKS / GARAGE / PARTS

34143

Maserati, the Family Silver
The definitive marque history by Nigel Trow

Britain’s Tools &
Machinery Specialist

65

SUPERSTORES
NATIONWIDE

GARAGES/WORKSHOPS
UP TO 40’ (12M) LONG

LENGTH
UP TO
40' (12m)
LONG
ZIP CLOSE DOOR

PRICE CUT
NOW FROM
£
.00

249exc.VAT

BRIGHT WHITE
INTERIOR

£298.80
inc.VAT
DOUBLE

WAS £310.80 inc.VAT

MODEL SHOWN CIG81220

Great for use as a garage,
workshop or storage area

Triple-layer, waterproof cover Fully UV treated for
long-term protection Heavy duty, powder coated steel
tubing Ratchet tightening to ensure drum-tight cover
Includes ground anchoring system

5 EASY WAYS
TO BUY...

Model
CIG81212
CIG81015
CIG81216
CIG81020
CIG81220
CIG81224
CIG1432

size (LxWxH)
3.6 x 3.6 x 2.5m
4.5 x 3 x 2.4m
4.9 x 3.7 x 2.5m
6.1 x 3 x 2.4m
6.1 x 3.7 x 2.5m
7.3 x 3.7 x 2.5m
9.7x4.3x3.65m

WAS
NOW
exc.VAT inc.VAT inc.VAT
£249.00 £310.80 £298.80
£279.00
£334.80
£329.00
£394.80
£349.00
£418.80
£399.00
£478.80
£499.00
£598.80
£1099.00
£1318.80

CALL & COLLECT CLICK & COLLECT
AT STORES TODAY
OVER 10,500 LOCATIONS

IN-STORE TELESALES
SUPERSTORES NATIONWIDE

0115 956 5555

ONLINE
machinemart.co.uk

Calls to the catalogue request number cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. Calls may be monitored.
All prices correct at time of going to press. We reserve the right to change products and prices. All products subject to availability, E&OE.

Winner: Guild of Motoring Writers Montagu of Beaulieu Award
Maserati, the Family Silver is the culmination of fourteen years painstaking research
by the renowned automotive historian Nigel Trow, during which time he was given
unfettered access to both company and family archives and conducted exclusive
in-depth interviews with key players in the Maserati story.
This superbly produced two-volume work extends to 872 pages over two volumes and
includes over 200 photographs and illustrations, many previously unpublished.

TIFOSI EDITION - Two volumes, 872 pages, presented in a
bespoke cloth-bound slip-case: £195
Also available in Collector’s and Archive editions.

For full details or to order online go to our website:
www.maseratifamilysilver.com
Also available from Hortons Books: 01672 514 777
‘Buy your copy now…it’s certain to be worth considerably
more in years to come’. Octane Magazine

PERFORMANCE CONRODS

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS (FEA)

BESPOKE CRANKSHAFTS
LOW-VOLUME SPECIALISTS
•

CRANKSHAFTS

•

CONRODS

•

CRANKCASE LINE BORING

•

FEA DESIGN

•

MANUFACTURED IN THE UK

01923 220370
|
SALES@PHOENIXCRANKSHAFTS.COM
|
PHOENIXCRANKSHAFTS.COM
PHOENIXCRANKSHAFTS.COM
| SALES@PHOENIXCRANKSHAFTS.COM
| 01923 220370

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

171

PARTS

U.K. Concessionaires

FILTER KING

Used professionally in:

FUEL PUMPS

Glencoe Ltd - Facet UK Concessionaire
Test life cycle: 6,000 hrs

BenEfits

ALWAYS BUY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
Historically original equipment with

Tel: 01784 493 555
Email: sales@glencoeltd.co.uk

www.glencoeltd.co.uk

172

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

SPECIALISTS / STORAGE AND TRANSPORT

LOCKHEED & GIRLING

BRAKE & CLUTCH HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS
FOR BRITISH VEHICLES 1935-1980. MASTER CYLINDERS, WHEEL CYLINDERS,
CALIPERS, CLUTCH SLAVES, FLEXIBLE HOSES, PADS, KITS ETC.
WORLDWIDE MAIL ORDER
Tel/Fax: 01344 886522

POWERTRACK Ltd

www.powertrackbrakes.co.uk

Elite Auto Storage

Specialists in cherished vehicle storage and transportation
• From priceless classics to family saloons • Maintenance and exercise programs
• UK wide covered transportation • Long and short term storage
• Descreet and secure

Phone: +44 (0)1279 850709
Email: info@autostorage.co.uk • www.autostorage.co.uk
PO Box 85, Great Sampford, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 2FX, England

COVERED VEHICLE TRANSPORT
Offering open and closed secure vehicle transport for single and
multiple vehicles throughout the UK and Europe
•

Classic and vintage covered vehicle transport

•

Single and multi-vehicle covered transport

•

UK and European solutions

•

Fully tracked and insured loads

CLASSIC LANCIA SPECIALISTS
AURELIA • FLAMINIA • FLAVIA • FULVIA • STRATOS
Rapid international mail order parts service. We ship to 70+ countries worldwide
Full or partial restorations undertaken to concours conditions.
Fully equipped bodyshop and mechanical workshops. Race & rally prep undertaken
We also look after an increasing number of British cars for East Anglian based customers.
Chris Loynes is our British car expert and he brings an encyclopaedic knowledge of Triumphs
and MGs in particular.

TRIUMPH, MG, MORRIS & MORE...
Omicron Engineering Ltd., 6 miles south of NORWICH
Tel: (01508) 570351 • Web: www.omicron.uk.com

T H E U LT I M AT E B E S P O K E
STORAGE FACILITY & HMRC APPROVED

CUSTOMS WAREHOUSE
An exceptional, high security building with
state of the art humidity and dust controlled
technology. Discreetly situated on the London
Hertfordshire border.

T 020 3973 1520 E info@mossauto.co.uk
mossauto.co.uk

0800 282 449
www.cmg-org.com
Email: coveredmoves@cmg-org.com

DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

173

STORAGE AND TRANSPORT

01580 753939
www.jarcarstorage.co.uk

Specialists in high specification car storage & enclosed car transport (UK & Europe)
2 locations – Tunbridge Wells & recently opened Ashford – a stunning, purpose designed storage facility
JAR Ashford – 2 miles M20 Jct 9 & 10 / 38 mins London St Pancras / 15 mins Eurotunnel

Vehicle storage | Logistics | Automotive Care

Driven by Excellence

www.classicconcierge.co.uk
07974 333789 mark@classicconcierge.co.uk

@classicconcierge_carstorage
174

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

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DECEMBER 2023 MOTOR SPORT

175

PARTING SHOT

OCTOBER 3, 1965
WATKINS GLEN, US

The very definition of an open paddock.
Mechanics tend to cars in full view of the crowds
ahead of the US Grand Prix. This would be the
final year of the 1.5-litre engine formula and,
while Jim Clark had already wrapped up the title
for Lotus, BRM’s Graham Hill reigned supreme at
the Glen, winning for the third year in a row.
PHOTO: GRAND PRIX PHOTO

176

MOTOR SPORT DECEMBER 2023

Telephone
01753 644599

Mobile
07836 222111

Sensibly Priced and very desirable Classic Cars

1958 Jaguar XK150 FHC, Excellent
restoration by a qualified engineer £67,500

1965 Jaguar E type 4.2 Roadster,
Undoubtedly one of the best in existence
£165,000

1964 Jaguar E type 3.8 Roadster, superbly
restored, Nothing further needed. £135,000

1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage, Body off
restoration, Huge history file £299,950

1973 Aston Martin AM Vantage, Beautifully
restored by us some years ago, still perfect
£99,500

1958 Aston Martin DB MkIII, Sold by us 13
years ago, Incredibly well maintained £175,000

1971 Aston Martin DBS V8, Older restoration
but remarkably well kept, £129,950

2000 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, low mileage
with manual transmission, Beautifully kept,
£29,950

1965 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage, Recent full
restoration, perfect throughout, Too cheap at
£299,950

2007 Aston Martin DB9, Owned by a
successful Concours participant, Superb
£36,750

1973 Jaguar E type 5.3 Coupe, Clean and
tidy at a very attractive price. £49,500

2005 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, 2 owners,
HWM service history, Not expensive at
£32,500

1998 Aston Martin V8 Long wheelbase
Volante, Low mileage and very rare. £149,950

1952 Aston Martin DB2 Le Mans
Lightweight, Perfect for classic events and
Mille-Miglia Eligible, £250,000

1998 Aston Martin V600, Highly collectable,
reduced for quick sale at £259,500

“OVER 20 ASTONS CURRENTLY IN STOCK”
Email: martin@runnymedemotorcompany.com
www.runnymedemotorcompany.com