Being the first major Grand Prix of the European season, everyone was out in full force and the entry list was one of the most interesting seen for some time. The BRM team had three of their 1960 rear-engined cars, with Bonnier, Gurney and Graham Hill as drivers; Cooper had their two 1960 cars in the hands of Brabham and McLaren, these new cars looking much improved, lower and squatter, with five-speed gearboxes and coilspring rear suspension, and they also had one of last year’s cars as a spare.
The other two 1959 works Coopers have been sold, one to CT Atkins, which was now being driven by Salvadori, and the other to Fred Tuck, who entered Halford to drive it. Yeoman Credit had their three Formula One Coopers all immaculately turned out, with Brooks and Bristow as drivers, the third car being kept for practice, and Naylor was there with his homebuilt JBW-Maserati.
The works Lotus team were there with three 1960 rear-engined cars, for Ireland, Stacey and Surtees, and a fourth car, identical to the works cars except for larger-diameter radius rods to the rear wheels and the fact that the car was blue and not green, was being run by the Walker team for Moss to drive.
