15 replies to this topic

[Wark611]

I would like to know if these driver have ever entered a WC F.1 GP (even if they, effectively, didn't appear).
And if they did, which GP?

In 1950
Italian Giovanni Bracco
Italian Luigi De Filippis

In 1968
South African Tony Jefferies on a Scuderia Scribante's Brabham
British Keith Saint John on a Ken Shepperd's McLaren Climax
British Tony Lanfranchi on an Owen Racing Organisation's BRM

In 1969
British Tony Lanfranchi on a Falken Racing's Cooper Maserati

in 1970
West Germany's Werner Biekel on an UTA Racing Organisation's BRM

In 1971
Swiss Herbert Mueller on a Jo Siffert Automobiles' March (or Lotus) Ford

In 1972
Italian Giancarlo Gagliardi on a Williams Team Motul's March (or Politoys) Ford

In 1973
West Germany's Manfred Mohr on a Scuderia Finotto's Brabham Ford
French Jean Louis Lafosse on the same car

In 1975
Austrian Ewald Boisitz on a Team Surtees' Surtees Ford
Argentinian Nestor Garcia Vega on an Oreste Berta's Berta Ford (but I'm pretty sure the Berta never entered a WC F.1 GP, I knew it only entered a non WC race and was so slow that later became an F.3000 car

In 1976
Swiss Antonio Bernardo on a Team Ensign's Ensign Ford

[Alan Cox]

I would venture to suggest "No" to all of them.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Alan Cox
I would venture to suggest "No" to all of them.

Alan, not so sure about Tony L, he was entered (IIRC) in a Bernard White (not Owen Org) BRM at Brands once, but I cannot remember if it was for a GP or R.O.C. and I cannot find my programmes :

[Hieronymus]

Originally posted by Wark611
I would like to know if these driver have ever entered a WC F.1 GP (even if they, effectively, didn't appear).
And if they did, which GP?

In 1968
South African Tony Jefferies on a Scuderia Scribante's Brabham

Jefferies was entered by Aldo Scribante for the 1968 SAGP in a Cooper-Climax, but he was a "dna" in the end.

[bradbury west]

Googling Tony Lanfranchi; BRM gave this;

XV International Gold Cup
17 August 1968 - Oulton Park: 177.75 km (4.444 km x 40 laps)

1 5 Jackie Stewart Matra-Cosworth MS10 '02' 1h00m39.0, 175.90 kph
2 8 Chris Amon Ferrari 312 '0011' 1h00m43.6
3 3 Jack Oliver Lotus-Cosworth 49B 'R2' 1h01m28.6
4 12 Pedro Rodriguez BRM P126 '126-03' 39 laps
5 14 Tony Lanfranchi BRM P261 '2614' 34 laps
6 15 David Hobbs BRM P261 Special '2615' 34 laps

Without looking hard, there were 2 other races in '68 where TL raced a Brabham Climax , incl Daily Express Silverstone Intl so not official GP grade races, albeit f1.
Does anyone have his autobiog as it may mention it in there?
Roger Lund.

[Wark611]

Thank you Hyeronimus

So Jefferies was on the entry list.
Great.

I'm almost sure that Manfred Mohr too was on the entry list of the 1974 German Gp.

Do you know date and birthplace (and eventually date and deathplace) of Jefferies?
Do you know the same elements for another South African: John McNicol?

[Racer.Demon]

Originally posted by Wark611

I'm almost sure that Manfred Mohr too was on the entry list of the 1974 German Gp.

Here's what we wrote on 8W on this particular issue:

What follows is one of F1's almost unsolvable entry mysteries, with enough unrecorded withdrawals, forfeits and did-not-appears to make grown men cry. If the names De Bagration and Londono-Bridge are stirring your soul, you know what we mean...

So what's this about?

For starters, Moser's entry at Jarama, withdrawn for obvious reasons, is still missed by otherwise very commanding sources. But the real mystery starts just after Moser's fatal accident.

For unknown reasons, even before Moser's death the Bretscher Brabham was bought and fielded by Scuderia Finotto for the Belgian GP on May 12 at Nivelles, in the same pale blue colours of Bretscher, the sponsor transferring its money to Finotto. At the wheel was another sportscar regular, Gérard Larrousse, later of Renault and Larrousse/Calmels/Venturi fame. Larrousse made the race and drove the car again at the French GP on July 7, this time failing to qualify. Only twice again the BT42-06 was entered in a GP: in Austria and Italy, where the best efforts of Helmut Koinigg (driving it under the Elan Racing Team brand) and Carlo Facetti were simply not enough to qualify the car.

But then there are these two remaining ghost entries that must have popped in and out of the provisional entry lists for the German and Italian GPs before anyone could have noticed. Still it is said that a certain Manfred Möhr practiced a Finotto Brabham in Germany - or at least tried to - and that some guy called Jean-Louis Lafosse was entered for Monza. Also, Andy Sutcliffe is said to have entered his home race before his other single disaster with RAM Racing.

In the official entry lists of the events there is no sign of them, so it's easy to dismiss the rumour. With Facetti already in the car for Monza, the Lafosse story looks nothing more than a fanciful whim. But the connection between the drivers are pretty clear: Lafosse, Finotto and Möhr were all contenders in in the European Touring Cars Championship (finishing 5th, 4th and 3rd respectively), while Facetti was usually driving for the Alfa squad, of which Finotto was to become part as well. Furthermore, Finotto, Facetti and Möhr shared a BMW at Le Mans, with Lafosse sharing a drive with Bell, Brambilla and Gagliardi in several races. To make things funnier, our friends Lafosse and Möhr even had an accident between them, on lap 3 of the 1000 Kms of Imola, Möhr driving an AMS and Lafosse his usual Abarth.

It all becomes more obvious with Paul Sheldon's uncovering of the Bretscher team originally buying two Brabham tubs, the 06 chassis the team's official race car, the 05, also acquired by Bretscher, used as a spare at Jarama and Nivelles. Further investigation by Sheldon then leads us to retract our spoof allegations. Firstly, a provisional entry list shows that Scuderia Finotto entered a No.31 Brabham for Carlo Facetti plus a No.32 Brabham for Mr Lafosse. As Lafosse's entry was refused by the organizers he was out before the rest of the world knew. As for Sutcliffe and Möhr - both eventually failed to show up in Britain and Germany, allowing several overzealous experts to keep a clean sheet. But that they were intended to be there is a fact now unshaken by doubt.

See: http://www.forix.com/8w/bellasi.html

[Racer.Demon]

Oh, and here's the Berta story:

http://forix.autospo...m/8w/berta.html

[Henk Vasmel]

I have checked the names you mention, and surprisingly, it is almost always Yes. No sign of De Filippis or of Lanfranchi, in WC-GP's at least, although Lanfranchi is once mentioned as a possible entry, that didn't materialise. After seeing this, I think that the 3 "No"'s might be "Yes", but I have not found them yet

According to my Database:
In 1950
Italian Giovanni Bracco Yes, I-50, SEFAC (14) Ferrari 125 - DNA
Italian Luigi De Filippis No

In 1968
South African Tony Jefferies on a Scuderia Scribante's Brabham Yes, SA-68, (24) Cooper 55-F1-11-61 - DNA
British Keith Saint John on a Ken Shepperd's McLaren Climax Yes, MC-68, (20) McLaren M2B-B2-Godiva - DNA
British Tony Lanfranchi on an Owen Racing Organisation's BRM No, GB-68, (12) BRM P126 – DNE (did not enter)

In 1969
British Tony Lanfranchi on a Falken Racing's Cooper Maserati No

in 1970
West Germany's Werner Biekel on an UTA Racing Organisation's BRM Yes, E-70, (25) BRM P139 – DNA (I had Bickel)

In 1971
Swiss Herbert Mueller on a Jo Siffert Automobiles' March (or Lotus) Ford Yes, I-71, (6), Lotus 72C-C4, DNA

In 1972
Italian Giancarlo Gagliardi on a Williams Team Motul's March (or Politoys) Ford Yes, I-72, (27), Williams Politoys FX3-1, DNA

In 1973 This must be 1974
West Germany's Manfred Mohr on a Scuderia Finotto's Brabham Ford Yes, D-74, (29), Brabham BT42-6, DNA
French Jean Louis Lafosse on the same car Yes, I-74, (32), Brabham BT42-5 or -6, DNA

In 1975
Austrian Ewald Boisitz on a Team Surtees' Surtees Ford Yes, A-75, (19), Surtees TS16, DNA
Argentinian Nestor Garcia Vega on an Oreste Berta's Berta Ford (but I'm pretty sure the Berta never entered a WC F.1 GP, I knew it only entered a non WC race and was so slow that later became an F.3000 car Yes, twice: RA+BR-75, (29), Berta 1-DFV (or Berta engined), DNA

In 1976
Swiss Antonio Bernardo on a Team Ensign's Ensign Ford Yes, B-76, (23), Ensign 174, DNA

Regards,

Henk Vasmel

[Wark611]

Thank you so much Henk!

[Wark611]

I have a new one!

Noel Hillis, entered the 1951 belgian GP on a Platé's Maserati as reserve driver to Louis Chiron. Effectively the car never arrived at the circuit and Chiron raced on a Talbot.
That is the only trace of Noel Hillis.
He was Irish, close friend of Joe Kelly (they were ready to race together at Dundrod 1950 non ch race but finally they didn't) and later became a car designer consultant, or something like that...
Who knows something more on this man?

[sramoa]

Originally posted by Wark611
I have a new one!

Noel Hillis, entered the 1951 belgian GP on a Platé's Maserati as reserve driver to Louis Chiron. Effectively the car never arrived at the circuit and Chiron raced on a Talbot.
That is the only trace of Noel Hillis.
He was Irish, close friend of Joe Kelly (they were ready to race together at Dundrod 1950 non ch race but finally they didn't) and later became a car designer consultant, or something like that...
Who knows something more on this man?

Hi Davide!
..now mystery man
I know him:he was Norton racer in GP(motorcycle)-but I don't know where and when entered.(but sure he raced early 50 years there)
Later he made the chasiss for the Devins in Belfast

[RStock]

Some info I found on Luigi de Filippis . I'm translating this from French , so I'll be as accurate as possible .

He did enter the 1950 Italian Grand Prix in a Maserati 4CLT/48 , but was a no show for some unknown reason .

He did enter in and compete at that years Pescara non-championship F-1 race in the same Maserati . He posted 9th best time and finished 6th . Though he was shown as "not classified" as he finished more than two laps down to winner Juan Manuel Fangio .

Some more info if you want it .

He was the brother of Maria Teresa de Filippis .

He raced sportscars before 1950 , mostly hillclimbs .

Entered the 1951 GP of Napoli F-2 race , but scored a dnf .

This part caused me the most confusion .

He apparently raced at the 1950 GP de Roma .

I show him entered in an F-2 race , but went out after a first turn crash . I found him shown to be in a Ferrari 166SC , which doesn't really make sense to me if it was an F-2 race , and I could find no reference to the race or results other that this info from a short bio on him .

But I also found , with reasonable certainty , that he was in the 1950 Roma GP in the Ferrari 01C , which was the first Ferrari race car ever built (in 1947) , and he scored a DNF there also .

A bit confusing to me , but perhaps someone can shed further light . Perhaps there were two events that day in 1950 , an F-2 and Sports Car race ? And if that was indeed a 166SC in the F-2 race .

[The Mountaineer]

I'm following Swiss motor racing for more than 50 years now, but I never heard or saw anything about Antonio Bernardo. Is there anyone who knows more?

[bschenker]

Originally posted by Racer.Demon

Here's what we wrote on 8W on this particular issue:
See: http://www.forix.com/8w/bellasi.html

Team Bretscher have never bought a racing car!
Bretscher was simply a Sponsor and part of Sponsorship was the Entrance Licence.

Both Brabham's was bought in 1973 by Finotto and the cars (almost one) was tested at Monza end of 1973 or on begin of 1974 from different drivers, also from Silvio Moser, together at Monza with Bretscher. After the death from Silvio the car was hired do different drivers as Larouse with Swiss Gruyer (cheese) Sponsorship. The Team manager was Jürg Dubler. The Finotto Team, always prepared the car, also for Moser.

The Lola BMW T294 was owned (official) by the "Silvio Moser Racing Team SA" and prepared by this Team but Sponsored also by Bretscher.

The "Silvio Moser Racing Team SA" was also interested to buy a March BMW F2; the final decision was for after Spain.

[yermanthere]

Thank you so much Henk!

I have a new one!

Noel Hillis, entered the 1951 belgian GP on a Platé's Maserati as reserve driver to Louis Chiron. Effectively the car never arrived at the circuit and Chiron raced on a Talbot.
That is the only trace of Noel Hillis.
He was Irish, close friend of Joe Kelly (they were ready to race together at Dundrod 1950 non ch race but finally they didn't) and later became a car designer consultant, or something like that...
Who knows something more on this man?


I am a grandson of Noel Hillis. Tell me what you want to know about my grnadfather and I will try and help. What I do know is that he designed a chassis for Bill Devin in the States and shipped over 2 to him and then followed that up with a further order of 10, but for specific reasons no more were shipped to the best of my knowledge. The car was called the Devin Corvette. Noel raced bikes for years, especially Norton and raced cars too. Had a lovely Maserati 6cm that is still raced today by a Mr Will Balz from German (or something like that name). I am assuming this is the same Maserati you talk of. If you need any further details just ask. Colin Hillis