Every season I try and give F1 another shot. But more and more I find myself hoping for another series to follow. Something more accessible. Something more inclusive of its fans. Something…. different.
I guess I’ve just never quite forgiven F1 for the 2005 USGP farce.
This footage from various running of Sicily’s non-championship Grand Prix of Syracuse only fuels my desire for a racing series that’s about the race and not the championship. Can you imagine contemporary non-championship races for Formula 1? Or even a reinvigorated Formula 2 (or, better yet, 3). The idea of Moss and Fangio and Ascari and, later, Siffert and Clark running alongside hometown hero local entrants sounds thrilling. The advances in racing technology at the top-levels makes this kind of thing all but impossible today—the notion of a wealthy enthusiast dropping in at Ferrari and buying a customer F1 car is almost laughable. But these images remind me that this type of participation was once commonplace.
0 replies on “Gran Premio di Siracusa”
Not to mention still running a race where 2/3 of the track is blocked by a burning car. Yikes.
and to win an ex-equo GP, with the chrono with thousandth of seconds
Nice flick! Narrator reels off the names of all the winners from ’51 to ’66 but says little about what the film actually shows! First scenes are from ’55 with Farina winning (“..the cars from Maranello won many times..”; shows Hawthorn’s Ferrari rounding the hairpin, then the cars of Hawthorn and Gonzales aflame (neither badly hurt). Mentions Villoresi and Ascari victories of ’51 and ’52. Then shows Fangio winning in 56 in the Lancia/Ferrari, and shows Brooks in the Vanwall in ’57 but says Collins won that year and Musso the next, followed in ’59 by Moss, shown in the winner’s circle. Then talks about Baghetti’s wins and finally shows Parkes and Scarfiotti dead heating in ’66. Thanks! MJ