Hats off, Sir Stirling!
09/25/2014
It's hard to believe who suddenly turned up in the Singapore paddock in the tropical heat: Stirling Moss with his Suzie. Barely 85 years "young" , he accepted the Mercedes invitation and attended the Singapore Night Grand Prix.
Once you have gasoline in your blood, you never lose it. Niki Lauda took his time and showed the Brit everything, even the best-kept secret in the form of the Mercedes turbo engine. "You really have to see how small it is," he says to Stirling. The two take their leave in the direction of the pits. They return around half an hour later. Moss is extremely impressed by today's technology.
But Niki Lauda is surprised by one particular statement from the Brit: "I was always so happy to follow Fangio's car!" (I was always so happy to follow Fangio's car)
Today, neither of the two current Mercedes drivers (in the picture Nico Rosberg with Stirling Moss) would say that, even if they realized that the other was clearly the faster driver on a particular track.
Fangio was the exceptional talent par excellence back then. If there had never been a Fangio, Stirling Moss, a multiple world champion, would probably be described as this exceptional talent today. Moss was runner-up in the world championship four times in the years 1955-58. The first three titles were always won by the same other driver: the Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio!
Personally, I think it's absolutely world class when a driver of Stirling Moss' stature makes such a statement of his own accord! It clearly shows how good Fangio must have been.
Chapeau, Sir Stirling!
P.S. If you want to read more about Formula 1 in the past, take a look at our Formula 1 special.
