Hits and misses

Sir,

It was good to be reminded of the life and times of the great Jo Siffert by Michael Cotton in the November issue. I must, however, clarify a couple of points over his early Formula 1 career.

That career began in 1962 with a four-cylinder Filipinetti Lotus 21 Climax prior to delivery of the BRM-engined Lotus 24. Unfortunately, Jo never did beat the Ferraris of Baghetti and Bandini at Enna, although he did lead the first lap in the Lotus 21. He subsequently finished fourth with a holed radiator behind the Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Porsche 718/2 of Carlo Abate – coincidentally the very chassis that Andrew Frankel drives in the magazine!

Jo’s greatest performances of the period were undoubtedly his consecutive wins over Jim Clark at Enna in both 1964 and ’65, now driving a Brabham BT11. Incidentally, I was standing inside the circuit opposite the Chicane at Goodwood on Easter Monday ’65 as he demolished the brickwork in the Brabham before my very eyes.

Mark Whitelock, Flimwell, East Sussex