Classic Motorsport Photos

[SVT Cobra GT]

Many of those buildings still have that 70's vibe on the outside, but from what i experienced at the Historic Festival the other weekend, the pitlane hospitality units, the toilet blocks that back onto the melbourne loop and the bar/restaurant all look to have been internally renovated recently.

I was at the Historic Festival as well!

The toilet blocks behind the podium looked dated, haven't been into the hospitality units and the bar/restaurant I just walked past. But either way, it's still in better condition than most circuits, I suppose with the high tech facilities at places like Abu Dhabi or Bahrain may look nice but they lack the history of European circuits.

 

[GTP_Nail]

Well I'm glad I kicked the hornets nest. There are still many older tracks that have remained as they were as far as ambiance and flavor, Brands comes to mind as does Road America in the states. The kiss of death for most is having a modern F1 race. I attended many races at Donnington in the 70's and even then it looked too "renovated". Having raced there I would agree that it was and is one of the great road racing facilities but it still has the "where the hell did the trees go" look. Of course I had no idea that the MOD was the guilty party. The F1 collection there is a Buckst List item for all race fans!!!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donington_Grand_Prix_Exhibition

 

[Liquid]

Donington Park was supposed to host more GPs after 1993 but circuit owner Tom Wheatcroft lost money on the event and didn't want to gamble on doing it again.

 

[Pete05]

Donington Park was supposed to host more GPs after 1993 but circuit owner Tom Wheatcroft lost money on the event and didn't want to gamble on doing it again.

I'll never forget that '93 race & how Senna made the rest look average at best.

 

[GTP_Nail]

here is the phenom at work.

 

[Pete05]

View attachment 646711
here is the phenom at work.

Thanks for the post @GTP_Nail

Unfortunately, F.O.M have blocked it

 

[Dotini]

View attachment 646711
here is the phenom at work.

That was pretty impressive. But was it the greatest ever lap in F1 history? I seem to recall John Watson doing "the lap of the Gods", but I'd need to review it.

 

[Liquid]

That was pretty impressive. But was it the greatest ever lap in F1 history? I seem to recall John Watson doing "the lap of the Gods", but I'd need to review it.

The best opening lap, almost certainly.

Some other shots from the 1993 European Grand Prix, seeing as we're talking about it.

Drivers: [front-to-back] Rubens Barrichello BRA, Jean Alesi FRA, Michael Schumacher GER, Ukyo Katayama JPN
Cars: #14 Jordan 193 (3.5L Hart V8), #27 Ferrari F93A (3.5L Ferrari V12), #5 Benetton B193 (3.5L Ford V8), #3 Tyrrell 020C (3.5L Yamaha V10)
Finished: DNF (Fuel pressure), DNF (Transmission), DNF (Spun off), DNF (Clutch)

Driver: Andrea de Cesaris ITA
Car: Tyrrell 020C (3.5L Yamaha V10)
Finished: DNF (Transmission)

Driver: Ayrton Senna BRA
Car: McLaren MP4/9 (3.5L Ford V8)
Finished: 1st

 

[wfooshee]

Thanks for the post @GTP_Nail

Unfortunately, F.O.M have blocked it

Click the link to watch on Youtube. you can't watch it while linked from another site, but you can watch it on Youtube.

 

[Roo]

I'll never forget that '93 race & how Senna made the rest look average at best.

here is the phenom at work.

The best opening lap, almost certainly.

Both Senna's opening lap and race were extraordinary, but I'll always argue that Barichello's were better. Starting 12th, in only his third grand prix and in a lower-midfield car, he was 4th by the end of the opening lap, only a fuel pump failure 6 laps from the end preventing him from finishing on the podium. You can see him at 2:43 in the video GTP_Nail posted, having passed Herbert, Patrese, Berger, Alesi and Schumacher (Andretti bundled Wendlinger into the gravel and Lehto started from the pitlane). Rubens ran in the top 4 almost the whole race and for several laps was second only to Senna, yet his drive was unrewarded and forgotten.

 

[Jimlaad43]

This doesn't really count as classic motorsport photos, but it also does.
Formula 1 photos taken on a camera that's over 100 years old.

And the camera in all its glory

Graflex 4x5 View Camera photographed by Joshua Paul

 

[DK]

I was honestly expecting him to have a moustache, a beard and/or a Conor McGregor-style haircut.

 

[-Fred-]

Nice Instagram filter, bro. I wonder how heavy that thing is.

 

[Jimlaad43]

TBH that's something I've always wanted to see, modern F1 cars taken with old cameras, just to see how they look compared to photos from the 50's or so.

My personal favourite photo is the Williams in the rain.

 

[05XR8]

Loved watching these races with my brother and cousins. We'd have our AFX cars going at the same time.

 

[m8h3r]

Really like them new F1 with the old camera photos.

 

[Roo]

Lotus 49 photos

Also, Jim Clark at the 1967 British GP:

 

[ApexDrift123]

The fleet of R32 skylines that dominated Japan's touring car scene in the early 90s

 

[Roo]

Not sure of where or when - '71, I'd guess - but the file name suggests Brian Redman is driving the lead 917.

 

[Liquid]

Formula One Pit Stops

1950s

1953 Italian Grand Prix

Driver: Stirling Moss ENG
Car: Cooper T21 (2.5L Alta I4)
Finished: 13th

1960s

1968 Spanish Grand Prix

Driver: Bruce McLaren NZL
Car: McLaren M7A (3.0L Ford-Cosworth V8)
Finished: DNF (Oil Leak)

1970s

1978 US Grand Prix

Driver: Mario Andretti ITA
Car: Lotus 78 (3.0L Ford-Cosworth V8)
Finished: 2nd

1980s

1989 German Grand Prix

Driver: Ayrton Senna BRA
Car: McLaren MP4/5 (3.5L Honda V10)
Finished: 1st

Ron Dennis is the lollipop man

1990s (Pre-refuelling)

1993 Sanmarinese Grand Prix

Driver: Michael Schumacher GER
Car: Benetton B193 (3.5L Ford-Cosworth V8)
Finished: 2nd

1990s (Refuelling)

1994 German Grand Prix

Driver: Jos Verstappen NED
Car: Benetton B194 (3.5L Ford-Cosworth V8)
Finished: DNF (Fire)

1997 Hungarian Grand Prix

Driver: Damon Hill ENG
Car: Arrows A18 (3.0L Yamaha V10)
Finished: 2nd

---

I broke the rules because I wanted to have pre- and post-refuelling.

 

[Litening1]

Practicesing on the simulator

 

[Liquid]

Brands Hatch, 1987

Driver: John Cleland SCO
Car: Vauxhall Carlton
Series: Thundersaloons

 

[Clark]

Not sure of where or when - '71, I'd guess - but the file name suggests Brian Redman is driving the lead 917.

Watkins Glen 1970. That dark blue/green hippie car was first run then. Also if it was '71 the 917s would've had tailfins.

This shot looks to be of the cars entering the esses after the first corner at the Glen.

 

[desmodan]

Great picture of Sir Stirling .
Just shows how's things have changed .
Refuelling his own car , those skinny crossplys and checkout that transverse leaf spring .

 

[GTP_Nail]

Watkins Glen 1970. That dark blue/green hippie car was first run then. Also if it was '71 the 917s would've had tailfins.

This shot looks to be of the cars entering the esses after the first corner at the Glen.

Actually then that was turn one! That is the old start finish straight. If you look
closely you can see a lone figure on the right...Tex Hopkins the starter. Im in the stands you can't see on the outside of the track.

 

[Whodoyouthink]

I spectated my first ever Climb To The Clouds/Mt. Washington Hillclimb just about a month ago. Quite an amazing 1.5 days I spent there.

I came across some vintage photos of the event. I always love sharing stuff like this in this thread (I'll insert the some of the captions that the original uploader provided):

Unsure of year, but definitely the start grid of Mt. Washington

Mt Washington 50's or 60's.

Also included was Mt. Equinox in Vermont:

 

[Liquid]

McLaren MP4/12

Year: 1997
Engine: 3.0L Mercedes-Benz by Ilmor
Tyres: Goodyear

Reason for posting? The brake steer function.

A third pedal was installed on the 1997 McLaren to aid mid-corner traction; the second brake applied only to the inside wheel of the corner and aided in preventing understeer on corner exit. It worked by simply installing a second brake cylinder to the third pedal which operated on the rear wheels only, independently of the master brake system. The trick to the system was that this secondary brake was not a pinch grip brake but a more delicate 'tapping' brake to avoid locking the wheel or slowing the car down too much.

Suspicion was raised when photographers noticed that the McLaren's rear brakes were still glowing on the exit of corners. Photojournalist Darren Heath photographed the foot well of David Coulthard's MP4/12 at the 1997 Luxemburgian Grand Prix after the McLarens suffered an engine failure. The third pedal was noticed, unusual for an era where the clutch pedal was 6 years out of fashion.

The technology was acknowledged and copied by both Jordan and Williams in time for the 1998 Australian Grand Prix but whereas the McLaren, including the 1998 MP4/13, had a gradually applied brake the Jordan 198 and Williams FW20 had an immediately applied brake and thus the two teams failed to gain maximum performance from their systems.

Given that McLaren dominated the 1998 Australian Grand Prix by lapping the entire field, the technology was ultimately banned even though Ron Dennis claimed it was merely a way of maximising operation of the existing braking system rather than an illegal technological aid.

Of interest is that David Coulthard struggled to adapt to the system at first because he was a right-footed braker.

 

[Michelin Man]

Not only is that a really interesting read, but I've always wondered what the foot-well of the cockpit looked like, and that's an awesome photo! I always thought it would've been quite narrow, but that really puts it into perspective, as I didn't realise it was that tight, especially given how busy with the feet an F1 driver would be .

Also a pretty neat feature the Mclarens had, quite ingenious actually when you think about it.

 

[Roger the Horse]

That's an extraordinarily tight looking cockpit. Is the lens distorted or something? I'm having trouble seeing how anyone could fit comfortably in there for any extended period, yet alone operate the pedals with any level of precision or accuracy.

 

[Whodoyouthink]

Right foot braking huh? Is that even possible in today's F1 cars? It seems the pedals are shaped to the driver's feet now, with some slight ridges on the edge to keep them in place if I remember right.

Makes me wonder how many pro drivers over the years have gotten away with right foot braking in cars that had no clutch pedal.