Race B

Voitures de Grand Prix et F2 avant 1961

On Sunday morning the first class was of the B series, cars from Grand Prix and of Formula 2 pre 1961. As for the spectacular performance of driving ability required by these single-seaters, featured by little grip compared with the engine power, the series B has seen the Cooper T51 with rear engine starting in pole with Roger Wills. Behind him there was the Lotus 16 with Duncan Dayton, as always among the leaders of the weekend, and the other Lotus 16 with Joachim Folch. The first seven positions were occupied by British cars; among them were also two fantastic BRM cars: the P25 and the P48, first car with rear engine of the British House. In the eighth position we had the wonderful Ferrari 246 Dino of 1960 with Tony Smith.

At the start of the race Wills was in the lead, holding the position before Dayton. Folch hadn’t a car in good form and made a bad sprint, thus in the third place the BRM P25 with Pearson proposed itself. The fight for first position came immediately incandescent with Dayton who pressed behind Wills. The British driver was in great difficulty on lap 7, when Dayton took advantage of the traffic due to the one-lap delayed cars to insert himself on the Rascasse corner. The American seemed to be successful but the wheel of his Lotus 18 crashed into the guardrail and Wills regained the lead. The fiery American had later a spinout immediately on St. Devote, perhaps for some problem with his rear wheel caused by previous crash. With Dayton out of game Wills could easily cross the finishing line ahead of Pearson and the BRM P48 driven by Baxter. We have to point out the nine place of Nathan William who drove ahead his small Cooper Bristol T23 showing off a drive always at the most in the endless succession of counter steering, over steering, wheels not touching the ground on the bend, kerbs assaulted and continuous steering strokes to adjust the trajectory.

There was also a good result for Lancia Marino, the Italian car designed by Mario Brandoli in 1954, with the idea of proposing it as entry level in Formula 1. The Italian car has been brought to efficiency by Luigi Brandoli, the constructor’ son, and on this occasion given to Beppe Gabbiani who made it to gain the 18 th place thanks to a good start and a regular race, to compensate a weekend made it difficult by brake problems.

Stefano Costantino
Photos by Giacomo & Marco Zanello

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