Bond relives F3 era in Lotus

Formula 3 ace Bev Bond was reunited with his Lotus 59 from the 1970 season during Race Retro, when the Gold Leaf Team Lotus car was part of the HSCC’s display. James Wigmore now owns the 1-litre F3 racer.

“I last saw that car when I drove it at the end of 1970,” said Bond (left), now 70 years old. “It started off with the nose that it now has again, then halfway through the year we went to a shark nose.”

Bond still has a passion for the 1-litre F3 era. “I came third in one of the championships. Dave Walker was my team-mate and let’s just say it was a case of two hot heads together. They were fantastic days in the 1-litre F3 cars and it was absolutely tragic that they got rid of them and went to the horrible 1600cc engines.”