Motor Sport's 'the last word' with Stirling Moss: reflecting on a legendary career
We should end with Stirling Moss himself. In the October 2009 issue of Motor Sport he introduced an extract from his then-new and still superb book All My Races, which illustrates the hectic nature of his career
In my era we raced more than one type of car in more than one championship – and sometimes on the same day! It was a lot different from the challenge that today’s grand prix drivers face. Here I recount a month in 1959, which shows the variety of cars and events that one could enjoy.
French Grand Prix, Retired
BRM Type 25. July 5, 1959, Reims (F)
F1 World Championship, round four
SM: Race day was punishingly hot and Tony Brooks simply ran away with the race. I ran second from the start, then dropped to fifth and, despite driving as hard as I could, I found myself making virtually no impression at all on the leading bunch. Eventually I caught Brabham for third place and set off after Phil Hill’s Ferrari. Then I spun on melted tar at the Thillois hairpin and, because the clutch had packed up, I exhausted myself by fruitlessly attempting to push-start the car while it was in gear. There was simply no chance of achieving that and I was out of the race.
Coupe de Vitesse, 1st
F2 Cooper-Borgward. July 5, 1959, Reims (F)
Makes you think, doesn’t it? After wrestling the BRM in the grand prix, I had a short break before it was time to line up for the Formula 2 supporting race, still with the temperature nudging the wrong side of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I had a good start and went straight into the lead, ahead of Hans Herrmann in the Behra Porsche Special, which was a bit quicker than my Cooper. But Herrmann overdid his braking and slid off, so I came home to win, feeling exceedingly tired in that terrific heat.