Letters, December 2023

Doug Nye seems to accept Felipe Massa’s legal claim that he might have won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix had it not been red flagged, an event which in turn, Massa asserts, resulted in his loss of points which spoiled his tilt at the F1 title [The Archives, November]. Unfortunately, Felipe is ignoring the severe delays caused when he left his pitbox with the refuelling hose still attached, above, which forced him to stop at the pits exit to await mechanics to sort him out, plus earning a drive-through penalty for unsafe release. Felipe’s spin in lap 49 compounded his loss of time, resulting in a dismal 13th place finish. Alonso’s win was fortuitous indeed, [but] Felipe Massa heaped misfortune on himself and Ferrari. Perhaps the motto ‘never go to law’ would suffice here?
Patrick Doyle, Hungerford, Berkshire

Our featured letter of the month, chosen by the Editor, wins a Scalextric Grand Prix race set prize. Email your letters to the usual address

What a wonderful and informative read your article was on Howden Ganley in the October edition [The Motor Sport Interview]. It enlightened me on the Howden Ganley journey. The emotions of climbing the ladder with the best of the best including the highs and lows, marked by the tragic and emotional loss of Bruce McLaren. We know this was still an incredibly exciting and dangerous period for the development of Formula 1 – but to be reminded of the determination and passion that came from as far away as New Zealand and the influence this has had on the sport should be remembered.
Jeremy Samengo-Turner, Froxfield, hants

Reading October’s Howden Ganley interview I fondly recall his visit to Mondello Park for Leinster Motor Club’s F5000 feature Leinster Trophy, where I was chief paddock marshal, and how sportingly down to earth he was, eagerly bringing his car to the pre-formation paddock gate grid and making time to have a word with enthusiasts.

Another larger than life F5000 character in the Leinster Trophy of that era was Ulf Norinder. My recall may be faulty but I seem to remember Mike Hailwood along for the ride; like illustrious John Watson, precursors all for Ayrton Senna’s Trophy win just a few years later in FF2000 – no intrusive media handlers forming a buffer zone between fans and drivers. How times have changed. I enjoy your magazine every month.
Gordon Lennox, Delgany, Co Wicklow

Flicking through the August edition of Motor Sport, of which I was the assistant editor some 50 years ago, an image jumped out of the Letters page – the Willie Rushton cartoon, below, of the Silverstone grid from the one-off booklet The Heavily Censored History of Hesketh Racing. Not only did I conceive and write much of this, as one third of GBM Associates, I commissioned and own the original of this marvellous cartoon – except that it has disappeared.

It was Alexander – Lord Hesketh – who came up with the title, while the Rushton idea was mine as I was a devotee of the multi-talented actor, satirist, radio and TV personality and cartoonist, one of the founders of Private Eye. We hatched a plan where Willie would be taken to the International Trophy meeting at Silverstone to be ‘embedded’ with the team and given free range to produce the cartoon of whatever he liked. We didn’t even insist on any Hesketh content. Willie did rather enjoy the fine wines and cuisine of the Hesketh Racing hospitality presided over by chef Tom Benson.

About two weeks later I received a phone call from Willie. “Cartoon’s finished, come and collect it.” Off I went to a smart apartment on Cheyne Walk, by Battersea Bridge. Rushton opened the door, handed me the cartoon already wrapped with a “hope you like it” and that was it.

There was this fantastic drawing plus a few other smaller cartoons we hadn’t even commissioned or expected. What you can’t see from the picture in Motor Sport is that the cartoon is actually a montage; many of the cars and people were drawn separately.

Rushton’s work was beautifully observed and funny but also the cartoons of Alexander, Harvey Postlethwaite, Bubbles Horsley and the rest of the Hesketh squad are wonderfully drawn. Everyone seemed happy – including his Lordship – and the cartoon was much admired by all.

This does prompt the question – where have all the great motoring cartoonists gone? Cartoons were a staple of motoring magazines in the past and people like Brockbank and Giles nationally known figures. These days I run the Art of Motoring annual exhibition for the Royal Automobile Club – who have some great motoring cartoons – and see the work of many talented and emerging motoring artists. But no cartoonists!

I kept the Rushton original for some time, until, as one of the producers of the ITV programme about James Hunt and Barry Sheene, When Playboys Ruled the World, I lent it to the production team.

Not only did it not get used in the final cut, when I asked for the cartoon back, it had mysteriously disappeared from the South Bank studios. So if you’ve got it or seen it on someone’s wall – it’s mine and I would like it back!
Andrew Marriott, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Looking at Parting Shot of November 2023, above, I think Alonso may have been hoping for this from his pit crew during the latter stages of the Qatar GP.
Mark Tyrrell, Downton, Wiltshire 

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