Disappearance – Sir Stirling Moss has bowed out

Sir Stirling Moss, legend of British and world motorsport, died this Sunday April 12 at his home at the age of 90. It was his wife Lady Moss who informed the Daily Mail. « He died as he lived, with a great attitude. He was just tired, he closed his eyes and walked away “, she said.

Born in London on September 17, 1929, Sir Stirling Moss remains today the greatest driver never to have won a world championship. Formula 1, a discipline in which he took 66 starts between 1951 and 1961. His impressive CV includes 16 victories and 24 podiums in the premier category, a track record more extensive than many riders who have won the laurels. 

Crowned with 5 titles, the great Juan Manuel Fangio, who was Moss's rival and teammate in the 1950s, held in very high esteem the man who finished vice-world champion on 4 occasions between 1955 and 1958 then 3rd in the world rankings. between 1959 and 1961.

If Moss has come so close to the Holy Grail in F1 many times, it is partly because, or rather thanks, to his sense of panache which made him play for victory in the race rather than in the general, and to his incredible fairness. play. This is how his legend was built.

In 1958, he could have become his country's first world champion but preferred to defend his rival and compatriot Mike Hawthorn during the last Grand Prix of the season contested in Portugal when the latter risked a sanction from the sports stewards for having stalled and backtracks on the track.

In the end, Hawthorne won the championship with a single victory and a single point ahead of Moss, author of 4 successes. The Uncrowned King, who showed great loyalty to his country's manufacturers, sometimes to his sporting expense, took unofficial retirement in 1962 following a violent crash at the wheel of a Lotus at Goodwood. . 

• A brilliant all-rounder

To limit the work of Sir Stirling Moss to his exploits in Formula 1 would be an insult to his colossal record in all the categories in which he distinguished himself. Among the 212 victories gleaned by Moss in 529 starts, the finest is perhaps that won during the 1955 edition of the Italian Mille Miglia at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. 

Accompanied by journalist Denis Jenkinson, who took on the role of navigator, Moss completed the 1 miles in 000 hours, 10 minutes, and 7 seconds, an astonishing average of 48 km/h, a record that still stands. 

On the other hand, rarely present at the arrival of 24 Hours of Le Mans (8 retirements in 10 participations), the English driver rarely missed the boat when racing incidents or mechanics did not eliminate him. Second in 1953 with a Jaguar C-Type, he moved up one place in 1956, this time with a Aston Martin DB3S and Peter Collins as teammate.

The 12 Hours of Sebring (Florida) also favored Moss, with a victory, again with a different car, an Osca MT4 1450 in 1954 (Bill Loyd as teammate), to which was added a second place in 1957 with a factory Maserati 300S (Harry Schell as teammate).

>>> Three notable cars in the career of Sir Stirling Moss<<

In addition, Moss has started the Monte-Carlo Rally three times. Skilled at the wheel of a plush Sunbeam-Talbot 90 Mk II, the Briton could notably boast of a second place in 1952 with Desmond Scannell, a few months before winning the Gold Cup in the Coupe des Alpes. 

Finally, Sir Stirling Moss distinguished himself by several speed records in the 1950s. At the Monthléry Autodrome, he enabled the Jaguar XK120 to become the first mass-produced car to exceed 100 miles (160 km/h). ) over a period of 24 hours, including pit stops.

We will also remember a successful excursion on the Bonneville salt lake in the United States in 1957, with an MG EX181 with a tapered body and the F category record at 395 km/h.

After his unofficial retirement, Sir Stirling Moss continued to make notable appearances at long-distance events, demonstrations, and historic vehicle races. The Uncrowned King withdrew from public life in early 2018 due to health concerns. 

To his wife Lady Moss, his family, and his loved ones, the editorial staff of AUTOhebdo sends its most sincere condolences.