61st, Moss Outpaces Fangio for British GP Victory: Mercedes Domination
The word was that Mercedes-Benz might let Stirling Moss win at home as a logical way of building bridges between the two countries. There were, however, no official team orders forthcoming from M-B’s famed fat controller Alfred Neubauer.
If the young Englishman were to be helped by his inestimable number one Juan Fangio, he would have to earn it. Pole position – two-tenths faster than the Argentinian superstar – was, therefore, a good start.
Moss had spent the preceding 100-lap Dutch GP grooved in Fangio’s wheel tracks: mainly learning, partly proving a point and always convinced that the maestro could pull away at will should he so wish. Aintree was different: he took the lead on the third lap. ‘Okay, let’s see what you can do.’
Fangio certainly kept him on his toes. Moss, running a shorter final drive than his team-mate and more at ease with the car’s ‘back to front’ gearbox now that an interlocking mechanism had been fitted to prevent botched changes – was driving as hard as he knew how.