1955 British GP

## Track Facts

* Name – Aintree
* Location – UK
* Corners – 8
* Laps – 90
* Base (Worst) Lap Time – 3:00.000
* Lap Record (Real Life) – 2:00.400 (Stirling Moss)
* Lap Record (F1R) – No Record
* Pit Lane Length – 20 seconds
* Fuel Consumption – Low
* Tyre Wear – Medium

## Qualifying

Home-town advantage played a real part, with the non-Brits struggling to get used to the unusual twists of a track better known for horse racing than horse power. In fact the top non-Brit is in a lowly 7th place, as Villoresi puts in a sterling effort for Cooper in a decent session for them. Although Hawthorn can only manage a lowly 26th (so being British isn't they key to instant success here!), Fairman claims a brilliant 5th position to give the team a real chance at points here for the 2nd race in a row!

Farina is next up in 8th place for Ferrari, with his championship hopes starting to come under threat, he must be delighted the title will almost certainly come down to the final race of the season in his back-yard at Monza. He is not even top Ferrari here though, as Brit Stirling Moss claims 6th place for the Prancing Horse at Aintree (despite only completing 1/2 his laps!) - Iglesias meanwhile starts a lowly 17th overall.

Lucas in the HWM lines up 9th, as the most-improved team of the season take 4th for McAlpine too and manage to book-end the field, as Fitch has a woeful session to start 30th out of 30 and pole position goes to the unlikeliest of title challengers in the shape of home town hero Ken Wharton!

Maserati have another session to forget, as the best they can manage is Herrmann in 10th, with Castellotti and Perdisa closing the gap but still not quite on par with the defending champion in 13th and 14th respectively. Lancia also have a slow session, with Maglioli 11th and Brabham only 15th overall.

Mercedes are another to have a mixed session; Kling can only manage 12th place whilst Salvadori really gets stuck in at the sharp end and manages to emerge in 3rd on the grid with a great opportunity to take a 2nd consecutive points-scoring place.

Of the other front-running teams Vanwall have possibly the most disparate session, with Mediteguy only 16th a whole heap of time off the pace and Collins pushing for pole position and only losing out by 3 tenths of a second in the end! Could this be the impetus to get his title challenge back on track?!?

Of the other runners we have several returning drivers on the grid, including Pollet for Gordini in 19th, Mantovani for Gordini in 25th (with Simon there as usual in 23rd) and Rosier for Connaught in 24th (with the standard compliment of da Silva Ramos, Fangio and Sparken lining up in places 20-22 and Claes in 29th). Arzani claim best of the rest today, with Whiteaway an admirable 18th overall, with his team-mates Piotti and Frere in 27th and 28th respectively.

## Grid

With the race relatively imminent, the drivers begin to line up on the start-line for the 1st ever race at Aintree in the F1R championship. An exciting race in prospect, as Wharton's HWM and Collins' Vanwall were evenly matched in qualifying, and with 2 British cars and 2 British drivers in the top 2 places the home crowd are eager to see an all British victory in Britain for the 1st time ever!

Salvadori in 3rd in the Mercedes will be looking to hunt down the leading pair, with Brits McAlpine, Fairman and Moss all also in contention. Then come the Italians as last time's surprise package Villoresi in the Cooper starts 7th ahead of championship leader Farina in 8th. Jean Lucas starts 9th for HWM, with defending champion Hans Herrmann in 10th now assured to lose his crown this season.

Further down notable names include Kling in 12th, Brabham 15th, some impressive drives from Whiteaway, Pollet and da Silva Ramos to make it into the top 20 and the return of both Louis Rosier (24th) and Sergio Mantovani (25th).

## Race Commentary

*Lap 1* - As the British flag drops, the drivers get under-way with Wharton leading Collins and Salvadori safely through Waterway and Canal Side into the Anchor Bend and on through the lap. McAlpine gets a very slow start in comparison, and is actually stationary on the grid for a while as he tries to get going.

That moves Moss into 4th, as the Ferrari manages to capitalise a little more effectively than Fairman, who simply retains 5th in the Cooper. Farina similarly jumps Villoresi for 7th, whilst Lucas, Herrmann and Maglioli all move up 1 place thanks to the misfortune of McAlpine.

Speaking of the HWM as he eventually makes it to the 1st turn, he is clobbered by Menditeguy's Vanwall - the Argentine wallops the Brit so hard that both are instantly eliminated, joined by both Fangio and Mantovani who are unable to get out of the way of the accident at the 1st turn.

All of that moves Castellotti, Perdisa and Brabham up comfortably, whilst one HWM's downfall is another's gain - as John Fitch finally finds some form after starting at the back of the grid, and thus moves up an incredible 15 places to 15th overall! Whiteaway also gets away well to claim 16th and move ahead of Iglesias in the Ferrari, with da Silva Ramos 18th, Hawthorne also threading his way through the traffic and claiming 19th and Sparken rounding out the top 20 for Connaught.

Simon, Pollet, Frere (who has started well for Arzani), Claes, Piotti and Rosier round out the field, with already some 20+ seconds between the back-markers and the race leaders!!!

*Lap 2* - A lap without much overtaking, as the tight corners at Aintree mean that several moves are thwarted by a lack of space; including Perdisa on Castellotti and Hawthorn on da Silva Ramos.

*Lap 3* - Another quite lap, with Wharton and Collins pulling away at the front. Fairman will be pleased to already have a 5 second advantage over Farina!

*Lap 4* - No overtaking attempts on this lap…

*Lap 5* - Hawthorn has another crack at da Silva Ramos, but the Connaught stands firm and shuts the door at Country Corner to hold on to 18th place.

*Lap 6* - Another quiet lap, as this looks to be a race that will be won on strategy…

*Lap 7* - Hawthorn closes back up to da Silva Ramos, and Perdisa is exerting pressure on Castellotti - though neither are close enough to make a move.

*Lap 8* - Another attempt from Hawthorn is thwarted by da Silva Ramos, who slams the door shut at the entrance to Tatts Corner. No way through for the Cooper!!!

*Lap 9* - Lucas is gaining on Villoresi, but is still a little way behind. Collins is now nearly 4 seconds down on Wharton, who looks determined to pull away from the field again. Salvadori and Moss look comfortable in 3rd and 4th respectively, whilst Fairman in 5th is keeping a good gap back to Farina at this stage of the race.

*Lap 10* - Hawthorn's efforts to pass da Silva Ramos finally come to fruition, as the Connaught runs wide at Canal Curve and damages his under-body. 18th place now belongs to the Cooper, whilst Sparken is now right on his team mate's tail and preparing to make a move…

*Lap 11* - Sparken does move past his fellow Connaught driver, who is now on the verge of falling outside of the top 20. Meanwhile Collins is now just over 5 seconds down on Wharton, as the HWM continues to move away in front with a new fastest lap of the race!

*Lap 12* - Perdisa has another look at Castellotti for 12th place, but the man in front stays strong as he frustrates his team-mate once again! Meanwhile Simon now moves inside the top 20 at the expense of da Silva Ramos.

*Lap 13* - A quiet lap here, but there's activity in the pit-lane as the Ferrari and Cooper mechanics prepare for 1 of their drivers each to come in…

*Lap 14* - First stops of the race…Moss and Fairman both come in, the Ferrari mechanics look far more alert and get the Brit out well ahead of the Cooper man by some 5 seconds or so! The Ferrari driver emerges in 4th place as a result thanks to some great work by his pit-crew. Meanwhile Fairman is out in 9th place, just behind Herrmann, despite making a lunge up the inside of the Maserati at Waterway, which doesn't pay off.

*Lap 15* - Fairman has another go at Herrmann, but the defending champion is used to being under pressure and has no difficulty in slamming the door on the Brit. Meanwhile Pollet is the latest man to pass da Silva Ramos' ailing Connaught, now for 21st place.

*Lap 16* - Wharton breaks the 2:09 barrier for the 1st time - and Fairman again attacks Herrmann, but can find no way through at Tatts Corner this time.

*Lap 17* - Another fastest lap for Wharton, as he looks set on taking this field apart in the same way he has done time and again this season. Over 8 seconds is the HWM's lead at this stage. Meanwhile Fairman is relentless in his pursuit of Herrmann, but in a display of incredible defensive driving, the Maserati allows the Cooper to go up the inside at Country Corner, only to then show him round the outside at Village Corner!

*Lap 18* - Several drivers come into the pits this lap, including Wharton from the lead of the race! Both Collins and Salvadori stay out, meaning the HWM drops down to 3rd place - and it wasn't a particularly quick stop either!

Fairman has another go at Herrmann and almost makes it stick, as he tries the outside of Country to give him the inside line at Village - but the wily German uses the grip at the outside of Village to get a better run through Canal Curve and stay ahead.

Other pit-stops this lap include Villoresi, Kling, Brabham, Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon. All of which puts Farina up to 5th, Lucas 6th, the Herrmann vs Fairman battle now over 7th place, Maglioli 9th and Villoresi out in 10th position. Just outside the top 10 is now Castellotti 11th, with Perdisa in hot pursuit.

Fitch is up to 13th, from Kling 14th and Brabham out in 15th place. Iglesias is now 16th, whilst Whiteaway only drops to 17th thanks to the lead he had over Hawthorn, though despite a very slow stop from Arzani! Sparken emerges in 21st place, which promotes Pollet and da Silva Ramos into the top 20, as Simon also pits and comes out in a lowly 25th place.

*Lap 19* - Fairman maintains the pressure on Herrmann, but just cannot find a way past. Farina comes in this time around, emerging from the pits behind Lucas (now 5th), Herrmann, Fairman and Maglioli in a relatively slow stop.

Da Silva Ramos is still experiencing issues, as he is quickly overtaken by Sparken to relinquish his top 20 place to his team-mate. Further back Piotti gets it all wrong going into Village, and runs wide to let Simon through for Gordini.

*Lap 20* - Another round of stops on this lap, and crucially Collins comes out ahead of Wharton thanks to some brilliant work by the Vanwall mechanics! Salvadori now leads the race for Mercedes, though he's unlikely to stay there for long…

Also coming in on this lap are Herrmann (who drops down to 10th place as a result) to release Fairman; Castellotti, Perdisa and Fitch who promote Kling to 11th, with the Maserati duo out in 12th and 13th ahead of Brabham 14th, Iglesias 15th and then Fitch in 16th for HWM.

Piotti also pits this time around, but just comes out ahead of Rosier to avoid being rock-bottom last at this stage.

*Lap 21* - Castellotti has opted for wet tyres?!? The bright skies up ahead and the dry track are right at odds with that decision, but Perdisa doesn't mind as he slides up into 12th with Maglioli following him through into 13th, and Iglesias also capitalising to take 14th place off the bizarre decision making of the Maserati.

Claes also comes in on this lap, to promote Simon up to 23rd place in the Gordini.

*Lap 22* - Wharton is now on the back of Collins, but the more experienced Vanwall driver stands firm at this point. Fitch passes Castellotti, who should probably get used to that feeling as he refuses to come in to change his tyres.

*Lap 23* - Salvadori pits from the lead, and predictably comes out in 3rd place - putting Collins back in the lead, though Wharton looks desperate to pass the Vanwall if he can! Lucas pits on this lap, emerging JUST behind Villoresi in 9th place. Fairman is now 5th for Cooper, and putting in some strong lap-times to stay there!!!

Farina is pressuring Maglioli, but the Lancia man has held firm thus far. Iglesias pits, moving both Fitch and the wet-shod Castellotti back past the Ferrari. Pits for Hawthorn and Pollet move the Gordini back behind Sparken's Connaught.

Da Silva Ramos comes in on this lap, moving both Frere, Simon and Claes ahead of him as he finally fixes the issue with his under-body.

*Lap 24* - Maglioli pits this time around, coming out behind Herrmann in 10th place. Meanwhile Simon continues to make his way through the back-markers, as he passes Frere for 20th position! Da Silva Ramos is right on the back of team-mate Claes, and clearly enjoying having a car that is functioning correctly!

*Lap 25* - Frere comes into the pits on this lap to gift 21st place to Pollet, and da Silva Ramos now takes 22nd as he passes both the pitting Arzani and team-mate Claes in one lap. Incidentally Frere emerges ahead of his team-mate in 24th place.

*Lap 26* - Castellotti's tyre choice is really hurting him now, as he loses places to both Iglesias and Whiteaway - but the Arzani is more awake than the Ferrari as he powers around the outside of Canal Curve to take 15th position! Iglesias maintains 16th with Castellotti now 17th overall.

*Lap 27* - Simon had been progressing well up to this point, but a misplaced wheel at Tatts Corner sees him collide with some fencing and means he has to come in to fix his Gordini. He comes out ahead of only the Arzani's of Frere and Piotti and Rosier's Connaught.

*Lap 28* - Collins has pegged the gap to Wharton back to 1.3 seconds, whilst several drivers are making inroads on the car in front of them - including Hawthorn on the stubborn Castellotti, the recovering da Silva Ramos on Pollet and Simon on Claes as well.

*Lap 29* - Wharton cuts a big swathe out of Collins lead, to take the gap down to 0.5 seconds. Da Silva Ramos is now on the back of Pollet and angling to reclaim his top 20 position.

*Lap 30* - Pollet is wise to the danger from the Connaught behind and takes the inside line through as many corners as possible to frustrate the Brazilian. Meanwhile Rosier finally pits on this lap, with tyres that look incredibly worn out!!!

*Lap 31* - Another attempt from da Silva Ramos is thwarted by Pollet - both are fortunate that Claes looks more concerned with Simon gaining ground on him than on catching the squabbling duo up ahead!

*Lap 32* - Da Silva Ramos pulls level with Pollet, but doesn't attempt to get by - smart move from the Connaught who looks poised to attempt a pass next time around. Hawthorn spins!!! The Cooper driver gets it all wrong going into Tatts, and clouts a fence post to damage the side of his car - and that has handed Sparken an undeniable advantage!

*Lap 33* - Wharton is also looking menacing, as he makes a lunge up the inside of Cottage Corner - Collins is an experienced driver though, and he uses his better exit to keep the place going into Country. Meanwhile Rosier comes across the fence post hit by Wharton, now strewn across the middle of the track, and runs over it - certainly damaging his under-body in the process. A brave marshal retrieves the post before it can do further damage to cars in this race!

In amongst the confusion on-track, da Silva Ramos capitalises with a well-timed pass on Pollet at Melling Crossing, exploiting the confusion to slip past the unsuspecting Gordini. Also on this lap both Moss and Fairman pit, with the latter having a better stop but still coming out in 6th place (compared to 4th for Moss) behind Farina.

*Lap 34* - Fairman is already within 2 seconds of Farina in the battle for the final points position, meanwhile the somewhat inevitable pass for 18th by Sparken on Hawthorn happens - with the Cooper still refusing to pit to fix the damage! Simon is right on the back of Claes now for 22nd place as well.

*Lap 35* - A brilliant sub 2:09 for Wharton sees him close the gap to Collins again, and crucially open up enough breathing space to be able to pit and come out ahead of Salvadori in 3rd. Simon comfortably overhauls Claes with a professional move at Waterway to take the place.

*Lap 36* - The next set of stops are well under-way, and several drivers peel into the pits to refuel and change tyres. Wharton leads these drivers in, followed by Villoresi, Kling, Brabham, Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon. Wharton emerges 2nd as expected - and will now use these laps with fresh tyres to try and overhaul Collins. It's a strong pit-stop by the mechanics too, which lends precious seconds to his cause!

Villoresi comes out in 8th behind Lucas, whilst Kling retains 11th after this pit-stop. Brabham slips behind Fitch to 14th, Whiteaway loses a position to Iglesias, Sparken does stay ahead of Hawthorn, but Simon really loses out as a very slow stop sees him lose places to Claes, Frere and Piotti to drop him back down to 25th on track.

*Lap 37* - Stunning lap from…Collins! What a time to do your 1st 2:08 lap of the race!!! Wharton by contrast can only manage a 2:09.2 and there looks to be some hope for the Vanwall driver!

Fairman continues to pressure Farina, now just 1.1 seconds behind the Ferrari. Hawthorn's damage, and worn-out tyres, are really hurting him, and the Cooper goes for an adventure over the grass at Canal Curve before rejoining the circuit - he really should pit to fix that car ASAP!!!

*Lap 38* - Collins pits from the lead with a 35 second advantage…a better in-lap than Wharton's lap gives hope to the Vanwall driver, but DISASTER in the pits, as the front-left tyre wont go on properly. Precious seconds drip away, before it finally goes on and Collins comes out of the pits…in 2nd place, 4 seconds down on his rival.

Da Silva Ramos moves past Hawthorn for 19th, and Pollet reclaims his top 20 position too thanks to the ailing Cooper. Simon is now just 1.2 seconds behind Piotti and pushing hard.

*Lap 39* - Farina pits, along with Herrmann and Perdisa. Lucky for Maserati there's such a big gap between the 2 that they don't have to queue their drivers. Meanwhile out on track Whiteaway finds himself with nowhere to go, as he comes up on the ailing pair of Hawthorn and Rosier, who block the road. The Arzani tries to go round the outside but clips the Connaught on the way through and damages his right rear tyre with what looks like a slow puncture!

As a result of the pit-stops Farina drops behind both Fairman and Lucas, Hermann loses 9th to Maglioli and Perdisa drops behind Fitch for 12th. Simon is frustrated by Piotti further down the grid, as the Arzani defends strongly at Anchor Bend to keep the Gordini behind him.

*Lap 40* - Wharton up-front is starting to pull out a gap on Collins, who is losing a couple of tenths each lap to the HWM. Salvadori is relatively close to the two of them, but has done 1 stop less.

Several drivers lower down the order pit this time, including Fitch (who cedes places to both Perdisa and Brabham), Castellotti (who finally pits to sensibly put on dry tyres!) and Piotti (who loses the place to Simon). Claes passes Hawthorn, who really needs to come in and fix his damage!

*Lap 41* - A quieter lap, with the main focus being Castellotti gaining on the ailing Whiteaway, and Frere catching the damaged Hawthorn.

*Lap 42* - Claes pits, and retains position, but will likely have Frere for company soon as the Arzani dispatches Hawthorn this time around.

*Lap 43* - Sparken is confronted by the same challenge as Whiteaway - he tries to go between the two of them, but collides with the back of Rosier and spins, with definite damage to his front right as a result!

Simon meanwhile is the latest driver to pass Hawthorn, as he continues to hunt down Frere and Claes ahead of him.

*Lap 44* - Nothing much to report here…

*Lap 45* - The gaps at the front are getting bigger, whilst the action continues near the back of the field. Pollet comes in, but holds on to his top 20 spot, whilst Simon is within 10 seconds of Claes and Frere now and gaining ground quickly!

*Lap 46* - Several drivers pit this time around, including Salvadori (who emerges still comfortably in 3rd place), Lucas (who loses positions to both Farina and Villoresi), Iglesias (who retains 15th place), da Silva Ramos (who also holds onto 19th by some distance), and Hawthorn (who falls behind Piotti down to 25th place).

*Lap 47* - Wharton sets a new fastest lap, as he opens the gap to Collins up to 8 seconds now. Otherwise the only real action on track is Simon passing Frere for 22nd, and setting off on his way to track down Claes in 21st place.

*Lap 48* - Maglioli comes into the pits for his 2nd stop this lap, and gifts 9th place back to Herrmann as a result.

*Lap 49* - Villoresi is starting to eat into Farina's lead - which he now has down to around 7 seconds. Slowly but surely he is gaining ground in the battle to be the top non-British driver in the race (currently Farina in 6th place).

Castellotti passes the ailing Whiteaway this time around to take 16th place, whilst Simon makes short work of Claes to grab 21st and set off in pursuit of team-mate Pollet and 20th position overall.

*Lap 50* - The effort is clearly getting to Collins and several other of the more experienced drivers, as their lap times begin to deteriorate. It now looks as if Wharton's dominance is likely to go unchallenged for the remainder of the race. Frere also pits this time around, but doesn't lose a position.

*Lap 51* - With a quieter lap we can see who the closest battles are between; Villoresi is 5.4 seconds behind Farina, Fitch is 2.8 behind Brabham, da Silva Ramos is 8.8 behind Sparken (but gaining fast on his ailing team-mate) and Hawthorn is 16 seconds down on Piotti, but also catching him quickly.

*Lap 52* - Both Moss and Fairman pit on the same lap again, with a slightly better stop for the Ferrari ensuring that the Cooper wont challenge him again. Elsewhere the Farina - Villoresi gap is 4.7 and the Fitch - Brabham gap is 2.3 in total.

*Lap 53* - Villoresi takes a full second out of Farina this lap - that Cooper looks like it's on rails at the Italian's hands! Meanwhile da Silva Ramos challenges Sparken for 18th, but it's such an obvious move at Waterway that even the damaged Brit is able to move over and block off his team-mate's advances.

*Lap 54* - Wharton pits from the lead, and comes out in 2nd place - another good stop though solidifies his claim for the race victory here. Villoresi also comes in, and after his stop comes out behind Lucas for 7th place. Other drivers pitting on this lap are Kling (retains 11th), Brabham (predictably loses 13th to Fitch), Whiteaway and Sparken (who both fix their respective issues - though the latter cedes 18th to da Silva Ramos as a result).

Simon also pits for Gordini, and despite another slow stop he comes out ahead of the Arzani duo, and around 20 seconds down on Claes with his bid for the top 20 still very much intact!

*Lap 55* - Collins is being caught by Wharton, and will need a mighty pit-stop when he comes in to have a hope of securing the lead.

*Lap 56* - That stop looks to be the final nail in the coffin for the Vanwall, as his mechanics seem to be caught napping by the stop (even though it was scheduled!) and he comes out some 23 seconds behind Wharton. Indeed Salvadori in 3rd is closer to him, and starting to gain ground.

*Lap 57* - Herrmann and Perdisa both come into the pits this lap, but there is enough of a gap between them that neither is forced to queue. Herrmann loses 9th to Maglioli and Perdisa drops to 14th behind Fitch and Brabham as a result.

Near the back Hawthorn has Piotti under some real pressure as he pushes the Arzani to reclaim 24th place and get his comeback under-way again.

*Lap 58* - Collins puts in a good lap-time to keep Salvadori at bay, for now at least! Farina pits this time to ease the pressure on Fairman in 5th, with the Ferrari man coming out a whisker ahead of Villoresi in 7th place.

Perdisa is pushing Brabham hard after his stop, clearly revelling in having fresh tyres he can use. Meanwhile Hawthorn makes light work of getting past Piotti with a well-timed pass at Tatts Corner.

*Lap 59* - Villoresi has a crack at Farina - he lunges down the inside at Anchor Bend but the championship leader simply holds his line and keeps the place. Near the back Simon is hauling Claes in for 21st place, and no sooner has Hawthorn dispatched one Arzani that he's now on the back of another - Frere is the man in the spotlight now, as the Cooper charge continues.

*Lap 60* - Villoresi again pushes Farina hard at Anchor Bend, but the Ferrari keeps him behind despite looking somewhat vulnerable at this stage of the race! Fitch has been really pushing and has a good in-lap, but it's not quite enough and he rejoins the race a mere second behind Perdisa.

Elsewhere Castellotti pits without losing position, as do Piotti and Rosier at the back - the latter finally coming in to fix his damage. Hawthorn moves up again, with Frere easily dispatched - but he now has a huge gap to the fast-moving Simon to close that will not be so easy!

*Lap 61* - Villoresi seems to be thwarted by Farina at every turn, as he again tries at Anchor without luck - his team are in anguish that he isn't attempting this move at a different corner!

*Lap 62* - Well, they aren't in anguish any more!!! Villoresi sticks to his guns, and slings his car into anchor - Farina defends his line but the Cooper goes around the OUTSIDE at Cottage and Country to grab the inside line at Village and take the place - breathtaking stuff from the Italians!

*Lap 63* - Action near the back as Claes pits to promote Simon into 21st place, though with quite a gap to his team-mate Pollet in 20th. Claes is now only 20 odd seconds in front of Hawthorn, who is charging hard to close that gap.

*Lap 64* - Perdisa is right on the back of Brabham for 12th place now, whilst it's clear that stamina is going to be a real issue for some drivers as the twisty Aintree circuit takes its toll on those who are not quite as young as they used to be!

*Lap 65* - Salvadori, Farina and Herrmann are 3 such drivers who are starting to struggle, and beginning to not quite clip the apex of certain corners to relax their tired arms. Moss is now taking a couple of seconds out of Salvadori each time, Farina is losing a second a lap to Maglioli and Herrmann is also bleeding a second to Kling as it stands.

Perdisa is also gaining ground on Brabham still, and is within striking distance now. Claes is another suffering from the demands of this circuit, and Hathworn will be past him for 22nd in the next few laps unless something surprising happens.

*Lap 66* - Brabham and Perdisa are now very close together, with Fitch also not too far back and ready to pounce once these 2 become embroiled in a battle.

*Lap 67* - Perdisa makes the 1st move, trying a switchback at Cottage that doesn't come off - Fitch is now right on the back of the Maserati as a result.

*Lap 68* - New fastest lap of the race from Wharton who looks well set to make it a 3rd race victory in a row and really put the pressure on Farina for his home GP. Lucas pits to let Villoresi into 6th place, but is comfortably ahead of Farina in 8th when he exits.

Pressure off after that move, Brabham has increased his pace and Perdisa now has Fitch in very close attention! Da Silva Ramos pits this time around, letting Sparken into 18th place - Pollet also pits, but manages to hold onto 20th with around a 15 second gap to his team-mate. Hawthorn is now just 2.7 seconds down on Claes, but he looks like he may pit next lap.

*Lap 69* - Salvadori pits, most likely for a bit of a rest as well as refuelling etc! He comes out only about 10 seconds ahead of Moss, whilst Maglioli pits and retains 9th place.

Iglesias pit moves Castellotti closer, and the Maserati has been driving faster, though is still around 1 minute down on the Ferrari man. Hawthorn also comes in on this lap, letting Claes off the hook and putting Frere back up to 23rd place.

*Lap 70* - Kling spins! The German gets his approach to Tatts all wrong and slides off track, and looks to have picked up a puncture on the rough stuff. He has a cushion back to Brabham in 12th, but he is losing time on him now.

Speaking of the Lancia man, Perdisa and Fitch are now both within touching distance of the Australian, as he isn't quite able to raise his pace enough to leave them behind.

*Lap 71* - Hawthorn is once again zeroing in on Frere, whilst Kling is still struggling with his tyre issue. Moss and Fairman both come into the pits this time around,

*Lap 72* - Several pit-stops this time around, with Wharton coming in to the pits, and emerging in the lead by some way, as Collins has certainly slowed his pace in the last few laps.

Villoresi pits too, dropping behind both Lucas and Farina in the process. Kling stops to change his tyres over, whilst Brabham also comes in and loses places to both Perdisa and Fitch as a result. Whiteaway and Sparken come in, with the latter losing 18th to da Silva Ramos while he is in the pits. Simon also comes in, but retains 21st place.

*Lap 73* - Collins pits this time around, emerging with a decent gap to Salvadori still in place. The Mercedes driver is now bleeding around 3 seconds per lap to Moss, and it's going to be a question of whether there are enough laps for the Ferrari driver to catch his adversary.

Villoresi is taking 2 seconds a lap out of Farina, and looks like he will catch him in the next few laps at this rate. Another Cooper gaining ground is Hawthorn, who is now about 3 seconds behind Frere.

*Lap 74* - Perdisa pits this time around, which will open things up for Fitch to set a strong lap-time and take advantage. Crucially for the Maserati he does enough to exit in front of Brabham to claim 13th place.

Moss is 30 seconds down on Salvadori, and at this rate he will be able to take away the Mercedes' podium. Villoresi is only 1.5 down on Farina, and should be able to challenge next lap. Hawthorn takes Frere with ease, to move into 23rd place for Cooper.

*Lap 75* - Villoresi muscles his way past Farina at Canal Curve, with some real conviction in his choice of line that the Ferrari driver seems unable to match. Meanwhile disaster strikes for Herrmann, who pulls off the track at Valentine's Way with no fuel left in the car. Maserati mechanics have their heads in their hands after again they are struck with a fuel issue!!!

Fitch pits on this lap, and we see Perdisa go through into what is now 11th and then Brabham up to 12th place with the HWM now out in 13th. Further back Frere's tyres seem to be giving up as he is losing bucketfuls of time to team-mate Piotti.

*Lap 76* - Sparken is going to put team-mate da Silva Ramos under pressure in the closing laps, as he's around 1 second per lap quicker as it stands. Hawthorn is right on the back of Claes for 22nd place - and looks likely to comfortably go past the Connaught at the pace he is going.

*Lap 77* - Only 20 seconds between Salvadori and Moss now, whilst Hawthorn makes short work of getting past Claes for 22nd place and Frere's tyre blows on the way through Melling Crossing, which gifts Piotti 24th place.

*Lap 78* - Farina looks exhausted, as he comes into the pits and almost knocks one of his mechanics down as he struggles to get the car slowed down for his stop. He still has a cushion back to Maglioli, but it's not as much as he would maybe wish it could be!

*Lap 79* - Now just 12 seconds between Salvadori and Moss, as the latter Brit is really honing in on his rival. Less than 20 seconds between Farina and Maglioli, so it's not all good news for Ferrari.

*Lap 80* - Castellotti comes in on this lap, pitting and emerging still in 15th place. Piotti also pits here, which moves Frere back into 24th but with a slower car than his team-mate at this stage of the race!

*Lap 81* - Just 6 seconds separate Salvadori and Moss, and it looks somewhat inevitable for the Mercedes driver that he will lose his podium - the saving grace for him will be that Fairman is 5th is over 2 minutes down on this battle, so wont be a threat.

13 seconds is the gap in the Farina v Maglioli fight, whilst Fitch is manoeuvring himself into position behind Brabham to have a late crack at the Lancia driver. Sparken is now right on the back of da Silva Ramos in the all-Connaught contest for 17th. Near the back Claes spins at Anchor Bend, getting it all crossed up and clouting a fence post as a result! Damage to that car now…

*Lap 82* - Moss is right on the back of Salvadori now, and will need to make his move soon as time is running out! 10 seconds is the Farina-Maglioli gap, in the all Italian fight.

Fitch tries a move on Brabham, but has the door shut rudely in his face at Cottage Corner - Perdisa uses this opportunity to make good his escape from this pair and solidify 11th position. Another attempt thwarted is that of Sparken, who has a look at da Silva Ramos at Tatts, but is unable to make the move stick.

*Lap 83* - It's an easy pass in the end for Moss, as the exhausted Salvadori is powerless to defend as he drifts wide at Canal Curve to let the Ferrari through into a podium position. Another attempt from Sparken is blocked by his team-mate, whilst Claes comes in to fix his damage - but they can't get the fuel pumped into the car, so he has to leave without refuelling!

Piotti gets the better of Frere with a well-timed pass at Country Corner to take what will become 23rd thanks to the misfortunes of Hans Herrmann.

*Lap 84* - Maglioli is within 3 seconds of Farina now, and looks odds on favourite to claim 8th position. Meanwhile another passing move from Sparken is knocked back by da Silva Ramos, who defends tigerishly from his more experienced team-mate.

Claes pits again to put more fuel in the car, which puts both Arzani's up into what is now 22nd and 23rd positions! It's all gone horribly wrong for the Belgian here today.

*Lap 85* - Maglioli is right on the back of Farina, but patiently waits to pick his moment to pass. Fitch attempts a dive at Waterway, but Brabham has him well covered in the fight for 12th. Meanwhile stout defending from da Silva Ramos continues to keep him ahead despite Sparken's best attempts. Claes goes off again, with 24th now looking like the best he can hope for as his car is once more damaged and slow.

*Lap 86* - Wharton has sped up here, most likely because he has realised that Collins is a potential target so he can again lap the field! He sets a new fastest lap of the race by some way in his pursuit of the Vanwall!!! Moss is taking lumps of time out of Collins too, but it's too little too late for the Ferrari to advance.

Maglioli claims 8th place for Lancia, with a strong move to demote Farina at Anchor Bend. Another attack from Sparken is halted by da Silva Ramos, as this one looks like it will last for the remainder of the race.

*Lap 87* - Sparken elects this time not to try and overtake, but rather to position himself to have a crack at his team-mate next time round…Claes pits to fix his damage again, with little to lose he may as well have the best car possible for the final few laps.

*Lap 88* - Wharton laps Collins, as he unceremoniously dispatches the Vanwall again with another fastest lap - still 2nd place looks sown up for the Brit, which he will be pleased with. Sparken makes his move, lunges down the inside at Tatts and is through…but he slides wide at Waterway and lets da Silva Ramos get the better of him! Sensational recovery from the Brazilian!!!

*Lap 89* - A desperate attempt from Fitch is doomed to fail, as he overcooks it at Cottage and now looks unlikely to trouble Brabham any further. Sparken tries the same move on da Silva Ramos, but this time holds his nerve through Waterway, keeps the position and wins a thrilling battle just in the nick of time!!!

*Lap 90* - The race ends in relatively processional style, Wharton taking a well-earned victory and his 3rd in a row, and indeed his 3rd hat-trick in succession as well (a feat that no driver has ever achieved thus far in F1R!). Collins grabs his 3rd podium of the year, with Moss also taking his 3rd too.

Salvadori misses out on a podium for the 2nd consecutive race, whilst Fairman will be delighted to get his 1st points of the season under his belt for Cooper! 6th for Lucas is respectable, as is 7th for Villoresi, Maglioli should be pleased to be in the top 10 in 8th, though Farina will be dismayed to only be 9th overall, with Kling rounding out that group in 10th after a quiet race for the German.

Perdisa, Brabham, Fitch, Iglesais and Castellotti are in places 11 to 15, with a great drive from Whiteaway giving him a season's best finish of 16th place. Sparken takes a hard-fought 17th, with da Silva Ramos 18th, Pollet 19th and Simon completing the top 20 for Gordini.

Hawthorn takes 21st, from Piotti, Frere, Claes, Rosier as the final finisher in 25th, with the luckless Herrmann 26th after the Connaught in front did just enough laps to overhaul the deficit. And of course we lost McAlpine, Menditeguy, Fangio and Mantovani all at the start of the race.

## Race Setups

**How close setups were to perfect**

* 0.1148 Jack Fairman
* 0.250825 Ken Wharton
* 0.26006 Stirling Moss
* 0.28048 Eugenio Castellotti
* 0.30304 Giuseppe Farina (s)
* 0.31136 Hans Herrmann (s)
* 0.318176 Cesare Perdisa
* 0.3435 Jean Lucas
* 0.356375 Umberto Maglioli
* 0.3572 Roy Salvadori (s)
* 0.4036875 Peter Collins (s)
* 0.447024 Luigi Villoresi
* 0.50672 Jack Brabham
* 0.700276 Karl Kling
* 1.54875 John Fitch
* 1.70425 Jesús Iglesias
* 3.184064 Hermano da Silva Ramos
* 3.44741 Ted Whiteaway
* 3.579136 Mike Sparken
* 4.138688 André Simon
* 4.67338 Jacques Pollet
* 4.796832 Luigi Piotti
* 5.27113 Paul Frere
* 6.99525 Johnny Claes (s)
* 7.580227 Louis Rosier
* 9.4325 Mike Hawthorn (s)