4 replies to this topic

[Huw Jenjin]

Talk of Tom Pryce always reminds me of the other brit who would have been world championship material, Tony Brise.
By all accounts the next "Hill" racing car was showing a lot of potential, and Brise was about to make his mark.
Unlike Alan Jones he seemed to have a good relationship with Graham Hill, and could easily have gone on to better things.
Did Alan Jones and Brise ever drive in the same race for Hill?

[Eric McLoughlin]

For some of the 1975 season, Jones was driving for Hesketh. However, Brise and Jones drove for Hill in the following races:

Dutch GP - Brise 7th, Jones 13th
French GP - Brise 7th, Jones 16th
Bitish GP - Jones 10th, Brise 15th (accident)
German GP - Jones 5th, Brise not placed (accident)

Jones was replaced by Stommelen from the Austrian GP on. Jones had no drive for the rest of the season.

[RedFever]

According to Eric's stats, it looks like he was able to outpace Alan Jones every race (but the two were he was involved in accidents), therefore supporting the theory he was champ material. I was too young back then, I started watching F1 at 11 in 1974 and Brise was one of the first drivers to disappear. I remember noticing him, but I have no recollection of his driving. But I remember reading of his plane crash.

Unfortunately, I remember very vividly Pryce's accident while watching the GP of S. Africa, the marshall running across the track, not seeing Pryce was behind another car, he trown in the air like a manequin, while Pryce was getting hit on his head by the fire estinguisher the marshall was planning to use on Zorzi's car, and then Pryce car continuing its run straight until the right turn, where it hit Jaques Laffitte. Probably the worst accident one could witness on TV after Zandvoort 73, which I am glad I saw years after it happened rather than live.

[Ray Bell]

Would the comparison of Brise and Jones be fair based on his 1975 races with Hill/Embassy? The team was undoubtedly well-stretched, in a sharp upward learning curve and probably living fairly hand to mouth.
It's quite likely that Jones was only getting the makeweight car in the team. I don't know this, but it seems most likely, and Stommelen came with Eiffelland Caravan money, did he not?
I have the utmost respect for Tony Alcock, but I feel even he would have been struggling to match the pace of F1.. after all, he'd only been there a year or so. Therefore, upgrades would be coming thick and fast, and always the lead car would have had them a race or so ahead of the other.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[island]

Brise`s finest hour was the 1975 Long Beach
F5000 race, in my opinion.
He drove Teddy Yip`s Lola T332. Brise ran
with Andretti AND passed him.
And compare Brise`s fastest race lap (1.19.90) with Andretti`s pole (1.21.297)!