Racing History

When Tony Southgate saw the engine around which he had to design a new Group C car, he did two things: utter a profanity under his breath and reach for…

We’re out the back now, the chicanes behind us. The oil is warm, the slicks are hot. I can feel the V12 chuntering behind me. It is demanding its release.…

F1 Retro July 2008 It’s 25 years this month since Damon Hill, after several near misses, finally stepped out of his father’s shadow and claimed the drivers’ title for himself…

It’s hard to believe it’s 30 years since world-class endurance racing virtually died on its feet. Only eight FIA World Sportscar Championship rounds were run in 1991, and in general…

Gordon Spice, who has died aged 81 after a long battle with cancer, was one of British motor racing’s great characters and one of the finest tin-top drivers of his…

One of the most storied race cars in history has been officially retired 66 years after its most famous win. The Mercedes 300 SLR, No722, which was driven by Stirling…

The Mercedes 300 SLR steered by Stirling Moss to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia has been permanently retired after its appearance at the Goodwood Revival this weekend. The No722…

From a Modena museum to the Mega Web showroom, there are plenty of unraced and unrallied delights to be discovered around the globe – read our museum trail below

It has never been possible to score Formula 1 World Championship points in qualifying – a corresponding grand prix is always required, even when it amounts to only a handful…

F1 is headed back to Zandvoort this weekend for the first time in 36 years. And the newly-banked corners have form when it comes to altering the direction of the championship

Enthusiast tastes change inevitably with each generation. Most of us grow up in motor sport entranced by the successful cars of our personally formative era. Therefore it’s perfectly natural for…

I must have attended hundreds of press conferences across the years, but nothing compared to this one on Friday, September 4, 1987. The scene is the garden of St Georges…

“I had many great rivals over the years but the one who stands above the rest has to be Clay Regazzoni. He was my nemesis in both Formula 3 and…

This month marks 40 years since Team Enstone made its F1 debut, as Brian Henton laboured the ungainly Toleman TG181 to 23rd on the grid at the 1981 Italian GP.…

Throughout racing history we have seen clean drivers and dirty drivers, aggressive drivers, and timid ones too. Partisan – largely social media – outbursts plonked convenient labels on both the…

Ford recently announced a new ‘Heritage’ edition of its GT supercar, painted black and white in honour of the original 1964 GT40. And you might think it an odd car…

It was a record that stood the tests of time and distance for almost 40 years: 3315.21 miles in a 24 Hours of Le Mans. Yes, significant changes to the…