Formula 1
The first book of the "In Camera" series used the work of the legendary Rainer Schlegelmilch and covered the 1970s. ‘Schleg’s wonderful pictures captured the gradual evolution of the sport that had begun late in the previous decade with the advent of overt commercial sponsorship. This provided the finance to drive the technological advances, the increase in media coverage and also the gradual corporate takeover of the teams and their identities as illustrated by the jacket cover. This also heralded the end of the largely English speaking hegemony of F1 drivers after years of dominance. Inevitably some famous teams faded away such as Rob Walker and the short lived and spectacular Hesketh team but the birth of Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1978 and myriad other small teams provided variety. Colin Chapman's ground-effects Lotus 79 and innovations such as Tyrrell's six-wheeled P34 and the Brabham "fan car" characterised an era where original thinking was still possible if not always welcome. Dunlop, Goodyear, Firestone and Michelin provided the rubber and F1 as we now know it had arrived.
This original Formula 1 in Camera 1970-79 featuring the photography of Rainer Schlegelmilch, was republished on 1st June 2018. The book has been subtly updated and visually improved.
Following on from the original 1970-79 in Camera book which featured the pictures of Rainer Schlegelmilch, volume 2 covers all the GPs in period plus those that Rainer did not attend.
The contents include some of the lesser lights and one offs that were able to compete in that less proscriptive age. Revisiting this era it was surprising just how F1 recovered from the relative doldrums of the late 1960s when grids reached an all time low to the point in 1974 where it was necessary to pre- qualify for qualifying, such were the number of entrants and willing sponsors.
Inevitably the usual suspects dominated and it is no surprise that these were Lotus, Tyrrell, McLaren and Ferrari with Brabham gradually recovering from its post Jack Brabham decline. Of the ten seasons in question the World Champions were Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Mario Andretti and Jody Scheckter. It was also possible to indulge in original thinking and radical design which produced the six wheel Tyrrell P34 and the Brabham ‘fan car’ but one fell victim to its dependency upon its one off front tyre size and the other was tacitly withdrawn in deference to its probable illegality.
As ever Colin Chapman was usually ahead of the game, the Lotus 72, designed in conjunction with Maurice Philippe, quickly evolving into the most significant F1 car of the 1970-75 period whilst the 78 and later 79 were the quickest machines on the grid. Even more significant was the dominance of the Cosworth DFV which powered 99 victories out of the 144 World Championship GPs of this era, Lotus accounting for 35 of these.
Equally inevitably there were numerous fatalities but perhaps not as many as might be expected considering the exponential increase in performance and the lack of preparedness for this by the circuit owners. Unsurprisingly Spa- Francorchamps and the Nürburgring disappeared from the F1 calendar, albeit 6 years apart, although they were still used for other forms of racing. The potential dangers were exacerbated by the use of steel corrugated barriers known as Armco which allowed cars to pass between or under the barrier rails in certain cases. It was early days for this kind of containment with inadequate run-off areas and cars that by modern standards lacked structural integrity.
The pictures herein illustrate an age of momentous change and attitudes which many older aficionados found unpalatable but were necessary for the continuing survival of F1.
From the dying embers of the classic front engined wire wheeled era of the 1950s to the 400 bhp plus bewinged cigar tubes with their hugely wide wheels/tyres of the late 1960s F1 had finally changed irrevocably. The near 10 years that separated the last front engined GP Ferrari and the 1969 championship winning Matra had little in common aside from the still hazardous venues and of course the preponderance of English speaking drivers who won every drivers' World CHampionship during the decade. Stirling Moss had been forced to retire but Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart et al maintained the status quo together with Lotus, BRM, Cooper, briefly Lola and of course the huge contributions of Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren. The decade also witnessed the F1 debut of Honda and the first American World Champion in Phil Hill who won the 1961 title for Ferrari, a rare occurence for Maranello who won it again in 1964 with John Surtees. From 2.5 litres in 1960 to 1.5 litres for 1961-65 and then doubling in size to 3 litres in 1966 this was an era of exponentially increasing speeds and omnipresent danger, which ultimately forced the sport to confront its appalling safety record.
"an enjoyable read as well as a visual treat".Octane Magazine
"Fabulous souvenir of this glamorous decade" Classic Car Weekly
"includes a wealth of research and well-observed commentary" Best of British Magazine
"This fabulous book will keep any fan of motor racing from this era turning the page again and again" Speedscene
Formula 1 in Camera 1960-69, Volume 2 is a second look at surely the most exciting, perilous and ever varied period in Formula 1, from the end of the 2.5-litre/750cc supercharged era (1954-1960), via the small, delicate and sometimes beautiful 1.5-litre machines of 1961-65 to the 3-litre racers in 1966. It was a decade that rendered front-engined Grand Prix cars finally obsolete, to be replaced by technically superior rear-engined machines. Ultimately wider tyres, better brakes and the emergence of aerodynamic wings and spoilers dramatically increased cornering and straight-line speed. Finally with the advent of the much faster 3 litre machines and following the multiple crashes during the 1966 Belgian GP, the injured Jackie Stewart began his at first much maligned safety crusade which changed motor sport forever. Legendary figures of the era, including Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Denny Hulme and Jackie Stewart, feature throughout this visually stunning and highly nostalgic book, together with some of the now long forgotten and obscure.
Long before the world grew blasé, motor racing was something special, not yet burdened by bureaucracy and regulatory diktat or sullied by overt commercial exploitation, contrived image or media hyperbole.
It was very dangerous and too often fatal, a time when actions did have consequences. Yet it was also a magnificent endeavour full of glamour, mystique and derring do, played out on dramatic tracks and road circuits by a cast of some of the most charismatic cars and drivers ever seen. Farina, Fangio, Ascari, Hawthorn and Brabham achieved the ultimate prize but there were also Gonzalez, Moss, Brooks, Collins, Behra, Trintignant and so many more.
F1 in the 1950s was a fascinating tale of the transition from the front engined, wire wheeled grand prix car to the gradual encroachment and final ascendancy of the rear-engined philosophy. It began with Italian domination that lasted four years before being rudely interrupted for two seasons by the return of Mercedes Benz and then reverting to Ferrari and Maserati in 1956/57. They were joined by Tony Vandervell's Vanwall, who finally proved that a British car could beat the best even though BRM, Connaught, HWM and others had faltered and in some cases faded away.
The nemesis of these traditional machines, Cooper began with a front engine design in 1952, the Cooper-Bristol T20 but by 1956 the tiny Coventry Climax powered rear engined Cooper T41 had arrived. This was followed by the T43 and the Surbiton team's gradual evolution from arriviste to victor in 1959 had begun. Paradoxically the more radical thinking of Colin Chapman was wasted on his obsession with anorexic levels of weight loss and a surprising adherence to the orthodox front engine layout. The Lotus 12 and 16 were fast on occasion but simply too quixotic and fragile, much better was to come.
Three different formulae defined the decade, the already established 1.5 litre supercharged/4.5 litre naturally aspirated years of 1950/51, the 2 litre F2 interlude in 1952/53 and the 2.5 litre/750cc supercharged rules of 1954-1960.
