Monaco misremembered

Sir,

I was delighted to learn from Gordon Cruickshank’s Historic Scene story in the July issue that the Rob Walker Lotus 18, driven by Stirling Moss to that unforgettable 1961 Monaco victory, has seen a new lease of racing life at Silverstone.

My wife and I admired the Moss Lotus at Donington some years ago and agreed that, compared to today’s F1 cars, it resembled a large biscuit box, albeit a rather important one.

However, if I might take brief issue with GC on one point: Moss’ win was not over Phil Hill’s Ferrari but the similar car of Richie Ginther, who in fact finished second, with Hill third. I can remember this incredible race as if it were run yesterday, shown in live but fragmented relay on BBC TV. My understanding is that once the Ferrari pit had despaired of Hill catching Moss, they signalled Ginther, who had been half a second faster than Hill in practice, to pass his fellow American and see if he could do any better.

At Chelsea AutoLegends last year I waited patiently in the rain to shake Sir Stirling’s hand, still unable to forget that Sunday in May half a century earlier. Of such stuff are legends made.

Craig Brown, Caterham, Surrey