Mark Donohue (1937-1975), nicknamed “Captain Nice” was an American race driver known for his ability to set up his own car as well as driving it very fast, very often to victory. His association with Roger Penske is legendary. In 1969, Penske and Donohue raced in their first Indianapolis 500, with Donohue finishing 7th, winning […]
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Helmut Marko
Helmut Marko (born in Graz on 27 April 1943) is an Austrian former racing driver and current advisor to the Red Bull Racing team and head of Red Bull’s driver development program. Marko completed a doctorate in law in 1967, before starting his racing career. He later managed the early careers of fellow Austrians Gerhard […]
Can-Am vocation
Denny Hulme (1936-1992) was a racing car driver born in Nelson, New-Zealand. Like journalist Andrew Frankel wrote in Motorsport Magazine, his Formula One career was ‘more successful than stellar’, providing eight wins, one pole position and nine fastest laps in 112 starts over a total of 10 seasons. But he not only claimed the 1967 […]
Optical illusion
This photo-finish of the two Matra 670’s at the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours, could make you believe in a sprint finish (picture here-above), but no less than eleven laps separated the winners, Graham Hill and Henri Pescarolo and the second placed pair, François Cevert and Howden Ganley, who scored a resounding double for the […]
A rookie on pole
It has happened three times in the history of Formula 1: a beginner or rookie on pole position. The last one to do so was Jacques Villeneuve for his first Grand Prix with Williams, at Melbourne in 1996. Before him, Mario Andretti had achieved this performance at home, in 1968, when he took pole for […]
For a fistful of dollars
The 1972 Canadian-American Challenge Cup was the seventh season of the Can-Am Series. It consisted of Groupe 7 racing cars, with their huge engines, running two-hour sprint events. Basically it was a battle between Penske Racing running two Porsche 917/10 for George Follmer and Mark Donohue, and the McLaren Motor Racing Team, running McLaren M20-Chevrolet’s […]
Number 2
The new short-wheelbase Tyrrell 006 wasn’t satisfying Jackie Stewart in the fall of 1972, so François Cevert debuted it at the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport. The Scotsman would nevertheless take the wheel in practice (photo above), bearing the number 2 and his teammate’s name! But it was in the Tyrrell 005 that Stewart won […]
312B2 at sunset
For the needs of an advertising shoot, we were very lucky to rediscover the fabulous Ferrari 312B2, driven in 1972 in the Formula One World Championship by Jacky Ickx, and winner of that years German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (picture below).
Wedge on wheels
The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman (assisted by Tony Rudd and Maurice Philippe). It was another innovative design by Chapman featuring inboard brakes, side-mounted radiators, and an overhead air intake. The overall shape of the car was innovative too, resembling a wedge on wheels. This shape made for better air penetration and higher […]
“Only one way, faster”
“There is only one way to win the Targa Florio”, said Helmut Marko, “Faster, even faster, …and tell yourself: I have to drive faster, brake later, push harder, again and again, the same thing in every corner.” Main picture: Helmut Marko’s Alfa Romeo, passes Sandro Munari’s Ferrari in the hills of Sicilia, or the true […]