Remembering Stirling Moss’ 1955 British Grand Prix Victory at Aintree

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 30, 2015

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In the first five British Grands Prix of the Formula One world championship era (beginning in 1950), only two British drivers finished on the lead lap. Reg Parnell was third in 1950, 52 seconds behind the winner, Nino Farina. Mike Hawthorn finished second in 1954, one minute, 10 seconds adrift of Jose Froilan Gonzalez.

London-born Stirling Moss arrived at the 1955 race at Aintree, outside Liverpool, after finishing second to his Mercedes team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio at the previous two grands prix. Fangio was on his way to his third championship that year and was the clear No. 1 driver for the German team.

But everyone was aware of what a home win would mean to Moss and to the British fans. A victory at Aintree would not only be the first home win for a British driver, but the first world championship win of Moss' career.

Before the race, the Times reported:

There is much speculation about the Mercedes team tactics, and whether these might be varied on this occasion. ... The propaganda value of a victory by a British driver in Britain is not lightly to be discarded, and Fangio's leading position on points for the world championship would not be jeopardized by his having to be content with second place today.

Team orders or not, Moss qualified first, ahead of Fangio, around the 4.83-kilometre circuit, built on the same grounds as the famous horse track, Aintree Racecourse.

Robert Daley, an American correspondent for the New York Times, was not particularly impressed with the Liverpool track. "The British make much of the amenities of the Aintree circuit, bragging about its grandstands, its bars, its 'lavatories,'" he wrote in his book, Cars at Speed. "It is true that you can buy scotch whiskey during a race, and usually the weather is so awful you will want to."

The weather on race day was clear and hot, though, and the Times estimated more than 100,000 spectators showed up, hoping...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1

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