BULLETIN BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB DRIVERS’ RACING BRITISH THE OF BULLETIN Volume 29 No 4 • WINTER 2008 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 29 No 4 4 No 29 Volume • WINTER 2008 WINTER Saturday 20 July 1968 Just a few short months after the death of Jimmy Clark, Two laps into the race Graham takes over the lead and setting fastest lap in the process, to take victory by 4.3 his successor at Gold Leaf Team Lotus, Jackie Oliver, is tailed by Jackie until a drive shaft fails on the leading seconds, the fi rst for Rob Walker in a World Champion- leads off the line at the start of the British Grand Prix car. This is Jackie’s fi fth race in a Grand Prix car and on ship race since Stirling Moss’s rout of the Ferraris at at Brands Hatch from the middle of the front row with one of his favourite circuits he seems to be heading for the Nurburgring in 1961 with the Lotus 18/21. But the team mate and World Champion-to-be Graham Hill on a superb win as he pulls away from the battle raging days of the private entrant in Formula 1 are numbered his right,Chris Amon’s Ferrari 312 to his left and Jo Siff ert between ‘Seppi’ and Chris, the Ferrari having passed the and Rob’s team never wins again. For Seppi there is in Rob Walker’s brand new Lotus 49B slotting in behind. blue and white Lotus. But then it all turns sour in a small another win in store with the Yardley BRM P160 at the After a hefty shunt at Rouen two weeks earlier Jackie cloud of smoke at South Bank as the transmission fails Osterreichring in 1971 but a few weeks later it all came has been handed ‘Seppi’ Siff ert’s old 49 and, like the just after half distance. A little further back, Seppi has to an end for the popular and courageous Swiss driver in 49Bs, a rear wing a further 12 inches higher than before. repassed the Ferrari and keeps it at bay to the end, a horrifi c fi ery crash in the Brands Victory Race. BULLETIN THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB Volume 29 No 4 • WINTER 2008 OF THE BRITISH RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB President in Chief HRH The Duke of Kent KG Volume 29 No 4 • WINTER 2008 President Damon Hill OBE CONTENTS Chairman 06 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 42 ROAD TEST Robert Brooks 10 Damon Hill It’s electric, and it’s only got two wheels. Directors We test the Vectrix scooter Ross Hyett Jackie Oliver 09 NEWS FROM YOUR CIRCUIT Stuart Rolt The Latest from the Offi ces of SCL 44 BLAST FROM THE PAST Ian Titchmarsh Derek Warwick The magnifi cent story of the glorious Nick Whale 10 FORMULA ONE REVIEW Lister-Jaguar Knobbly Peter Windsor reviews the 2008 season Club Secretary Stuart Pringle Tel: 01327 850926 50 OBITUARIES email: [email protected] 16 LEWIS HAMILTON PA to Club Secretary Why the rough edges only add to 56 BTCC REVIEW Becky Simm Tel: 01327 850922 32 the excitement email: [email protected] 63 SECRETARY’S LETTER BRDC Bulletin Editorial Board 18 RACING MEMBERS Ian Titchmarsh, Stuart Pringle Our end of year round up of 62 BECKETT’S CORNER Guest Editor international action Beckett’s taken one last time Will Buxton BRDC 20 2008 BRDC SILVER STAR 66 BOOK REVIEWS Silverstone Circuit Jason Plato hits a four A few last-minute Christmas ideas Towcester Northants NN12 8TN 21 2008 BRDC GOLD STAR 68 CAR OF THE YEAR Who else but Lewis? A more expensive Christmas present… Sponsorship and advertising 44 Adam Rogers Tel: 01423 851150 email: [email protected] 30 MACAU MUSINGS © 2008 The British Racing Drivers’ Club. All rights in and relating to Ian Titchmarsh looks back on a brilliant this publication are expressly reserved. Nothing in this publication may Macau GP be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission from the BRDC. The views expressed in Bulletin are not necessarily those of the editor, the BRDC or the publishers. 32 BRDC ANNUAL AWARDS Relive our annual celebrations in London Design Damion Chew Front cover Produced by 36 SIR STIRLING MOSS 2 November 2008 – Lewis Hamilton holds aloft the Union Jack as he Barker Brooks Media Ltd 56 Barker Brooks House The legend refl ects on the BRDC and its celebrates becoming Formula One’s youngest World Champion in Parc 4 Greengate, Cardale Park modern role Ferme at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo LAT) Harrogate HG3 1GY Tel: 01423 851150 Back Cover email: [email protected] 38 BRDC MCLAREN AUTOSPORT AWARD Two Gold Stars to signify an incredible year. 50 Years on from the www.barkerbrooks.co.uk Alexander Sims takes the prize awarding of a BRDC Gold Star to Mike Hawthorn in recognition of him becoming Britain’s fi rst F1 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton receives his www.brdc.co.uk 40 UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT World Championship Gold Star. (Images courtesy of Bonhams) James Winslow in profi le BRDC Bulletin Vol 29 No 4 3 3 August 1978 One of the great drivers in one of the great cars on one of the great circuit almost immediately after the start. From pole position Ronnie to dry tyres, before carrying on as before to win by nearly 50 seconds. circuits of 30 years ago. Ronnie Peterson takes his JPS Lotus 79 romps off into the lead as Mario Andretti in the other Lotus 79 slides off Two weeks later Ronnie dutifully follows Mario home at Zandvoort for a through the Hella Licht S, the fi rst corner at the full strength, original into retirement. After seven increasingly wet laps, the race is stopped JPS Lotus 1-2. Two weeks more and tragically Ronnie loses his life after Osterreichring, in an utterly dominant display of his and his car’s and it is Ronnie’s turn to slide off but not so as to prevent him taking being caught up in an accident at the start of the Italian Grand Prix. But, capabilities on his way to his 10th and last Grand Prix victory. pole position for the restart. Once more the brilliant Swede disappears as one of the fastest and most spectacular Formula 1 drivers ever, he will It becomes a race of two parts, heavy rain arriving over part of the long into the distance, temporarily loses the lead whilst everyone changes never be forgotten. 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FREE Visit our comprehensive website: HALF-SCALE HAMILTON HELMET ers who WWW.MONACO2009.COM all BRDC memb To Jan 2009 book before 31st book now call us on 01382 480077 e Lewis Discover more of th offi cial e-shop collection in the m or email [email protected] at mclarenshop.co GPA.indd 1 10/12/08 5:26:25 pm DAMON HILL OBE PRESIDENT’S LETTER ear Fellow Member, compromises the possibility of being effective in Opposite I hope you enjoy this edition of the a range of different (and sometimes confl icting) Damon Hill crosses the Suzuka fi nishing line to win the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix and seal a famous and richly deserved Formula One World Championship. Thrust into the limelight as D Bulletin. The excitement is all over for this roles. My feelings today are that the BRDC could Williams team-leader in only his second full season of Formula One following the tragic and untimely death of Ayrton Senna in 1994, it had been here, in Suzuka, during that 1994 season year, and all we can do now is prepare for the benefi t from a good re-think about where the that Damon had truly emerged as one of the drivers of his generation, putting in one of the next.