Can-Am

Sir,

Never before has a major championship been dominated as has this year’s Can-Am championship. It has never happened before and will probably never happen again and we should make the most of it. In 11 races works McLarens had 11 wins, eight seconds and one third, while privately-owned McLarens had one second and two thirds, making overall statistics for McLaren cars 11 races, 11 wins, nine seconds, three thirds. Considering the tremendous technical ability of McLaren’s rivals, Ferrari, Porsche, Lola and Chaparral, this performance is no less than stupendous. The nearest thing to it that I can find was the 1952 World Championship, when in the seven European races, Ferrari won all seven, were second six times and third four times. There was also the Argentine Temporada of 1967 for F3 cars when Matra won all four races, took two thirds and three seconds.

I think that McLaren should be warmly congratulated on his Can-Am Championship win (for himself and his cars) and his third in the World Championship. He took part altogether in 24 races this year, won six, was second four times and third twice with two fourths, three fifths and one sixth. After 12 years of F1 racing he has scored 192.5 points (which is fifth best in the world) and has won four Grands Prix. He is thus a double champion—on the track and in the workshop; and both at the same time, a rare phenomenon. His cars have dominated Cam-Am for three years now and are top competition in F1. I have heard rumours that he is thinking of retiring from F1; I hope not for F1 would not be the same without the greatest New Zealand racing driver ever.

Ferryhill.
A. R. HaiIle.