1957 Vanwall VW5 

Before Cooper, Lotus and the 1960s British ‘takeover’ of F1, there was Vanwall. Active as a racing entity for a few short years, Tony Vandervell’s ‘teardrop’ racers paved the way for everything that would follow. It’s fitting VW10 should reside in Ecclestone’s collection, particularly of course because of his relationship with Vanwall’s promising third driver of 1958, Stuart Lewis-Evans. This is the car Stirling Moss drove to victories in the 1958 Dutch, Portuguese and Moroccan GPs, yet still missed out on becoming world champion – in a season that changed his attitude to such trinkets. The last of this type built, it also took pole position at Monaco in Tony Brooks’ hands. The death of Lewis-Evans from injuries sustained in the Casablanca finale disconnected Ecclestone from motor racing for years. But it was a friendship that left a lasting mark he’d carry into his next driver relationship with Jochen Rindt, the Brabham years and on into his decades as the commander of all he surveyed.

Moroccan GP: Moss class of the field but Hawthorn takes F1 crown

Second by second Moss drew away from Hawthorn and meanwhile Phil Hill was passing first Bonnier and then Hawthorn, getting back into second place on lap eight, by which time Moss was lapping the tail end of the F2 runners and in and out the traffic Hill could not hope to gain any ground.

The Vanwall pit signalled their No 1 to “WATCH TEMP” but all was well and Moss continued his fantastic pace, setting up two record laps. He was driving at his masterful best and no-one had any hope of catching him, the gap between him and Hill now being 14sec. Brooks was now doing a fine supporting job, leading Hawthorn and holding third place while Lewis-Evans had passed Behra and was tailing Gendebien.

On lap 30 Brooks’ valiant efforts to prevent Hawthorn getting at Moss came to an end when the Vanwall engine blew up when on full song and the ensuing slide was more than frightening, with Brooks holding it and stopping on the edge of the road. This left Hawthorn unhampered in third place quite a way behind Phil Hill, who was in turn 27sec behind Moss and losing ground steadily.

Now that Phil Hill had no hope of catching Moss or even worrying him into blowing up, the Ferrari pit signalled the American driver to ease up and let Hawthorn take second place for the result of the World Championship crown depended on this race. In spite of Moss winning and making fastest lap in this race, a second place by Hawthorn would give the Ferrari driver the Championship, so Hill eased right up and let Hawthorn by. Hill had got such a lead over his team-mate that it took some four laps for Hawthorn to catch him, which he did on lap 39. As he took second place he automatically took the World Championship providing he finished in that position, no matter what Moss did.

Lewis-Evans was holding fifth place when his engine broke on a bend and sent him sliding off the road into the sand, and the car then caught fire and burnt right out, the driver sustaining serious burns as he scrambled out.

Moss having driven a superb race, showing for the third time this year that he is a perfectionist while all goes well and he made certain of the Manufacturers’ Championship for Vanwall, an achievement never before equalled by a British Grand Prix team. Hawthorn’s second place gave him the title of World Champion, the first time it has been won by a British driver, and though he beat Moss on points rather than a ‘knock-out’ win, he has worked and driven with the quality worthy of a World Champion throughout the entire season. DSJ

Taken from Motor Sport, November 1958

Vanwall VW5

Years 1957-58
Designer Frank Costin
Races 15
Wins 9
Poles 8
Fastest laps 6