Moss - 'In the old days, you'd just buckle yourself in'

[Wizzo]

Formula 1 has long been considered the pinnacle of automotive and motorsport technology. Many advancements on road cars, including paddle shifters, traction control and improved tire technology, have come out of the development of these engineering marvels.

Sir Stirling Moss, who won 66 Grand Prix races between 1955 and 1961, was an honorary judge at this year's Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach. While he was carefully studying the lines and mechanics of this year's competitors, a chance to ask Moss, now 77, a few questions about his role in racing and how today's cars have changed.

For one, the sheer number of races in a season was far greater when Sir Moss was racing. In the 1955 season, there were 7 races that counted toward the world championship title, and 16 non-championship races. In Moss' final year, there were 8 championship and 36 non-championship races. Today, F1 drivers only have to compete in 17 races per season.

"Back then we had many more races a year," Moss said. "And we still had time to chase pretty girls."

Current Formula 1 cars are some of the fastest in the world. The 2.4 liter, naturally-aspirated V8 engines are mandated to rev at 19,000 rpm (although they're capable of more) and can reach speeds of nearly 220 miles per hour. But being on the forefront of technology doesn't come cheap. Today's teams spend between $57 million and nearly $420 million on the sport annually. And what does Moss think of these carbon-fiber speed demons?

"I think they're just staggering," Sir Moss said. "In the old days, you'd just buckle yourself in. It's quite different now."

[raindancer]

Yes Wiz ! I think the key is that Formula 1 has been the pinnacle of motorsport inspite of Bernie.

[SennaMan]

Sir Stirling MOSS was one of the most gifted drivers of all time; an absolute genius freak and a gentleman of impeccable character too who won in all sorts of cars and competitions.

One of his most famous drives was in the 1955 Mille Miglia, the Italian 1597 km open-road endurance race, which he won in the record time of 10 hours and 8 minutes, finishing almost half an hour ahead of teammate Fangio in second place. His navigator in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR #722 (indicating the time of the start) was journalist Denis Jenkinson. As navigator, he supported Moss with notes about details of the long road trip, then an innovative technique. This assistance helped Moss compete against drivers who had a lot of local knowledge of the route. Jenkinson later wrote extensively about the experience. Moss revealed in a 2006 interview that his performance in that race also benefited from the use of amphetamines, the use of which was legal then. [Wikipedia]

He was just born to drive and in those days F1 drivers did drive all the time in the plethora of sports car and other racing competitions then available.

He once told an interviewer that he had participated in 525 races overall, as many as 62 in a single year, in 84 different cars. Like many drivers of the era, he competed in several formulae – sometimes on the same day. [Wikipedia]

They did not have the heavy PR and testing duties the modern drivers are contracted to these days.

He will forever be regarded as one of the very very best and I personally think he just was.     

[cosworth151]

"I think they're just staggering," Sir Moss said. "In the old days, you'd just buckle yourself in. It's quite different now."

In the "Formula 1 in the 60's" documentery that is an extra on the "Grand Prix" DVD set, Moss says that he never wore a seat belt in any of the Grands Prix that he drove in. He also talks of how he would pour water over his driving suit so that it would stick to him an "look a bit sexier."

He was a truely great driver. He was and still is a truely great personality.

[Steven Roy]

Seat belts didn't appear in F1 until about 1965ish.  Moss retired in 1961.  They were rarely used in any form of motor racing.  I would have thought the first time he raced with them was in his touring car comeback with Audi in the 80s.