Stirling Moss

British motor racing driver

Stirling Moss, champion in all but name

Stirling Moss won 16 Grands Prix and finished in the top three of the championship seven years running without ever taking the title.

Stirling Moss was born in West Kensington, London, on 17 September 1929. He began as a competitive horse rider and used his winnings to buy a Cooper 500 in 1948, winning quickly in Formula Three before his first major victory at the 1950 RAC Tourist Trophy in a Jaguar XK120.

His World Championship debut came with HWM at the 1951 Swiss Grand Prix, and for several seasons he appeared only now and then. A move to Maserati in 1954 brought his first podium, in Belgium. Mercedes signed him for 1955 as teammate to Juan Manuel Fangio, and at Aintree that July he won the British Grand Prix for his first championship victory. In 1955 he also won the Mille Miglia for Mercedes.

From 1955 to 1958 Moss was runner up in the championship four years in a row, three times behind Fangio, driving for Mercedes, Maserati and Vanwall. In 1958 he won four races, in Argentina, the Netherlands, Portugal and Morocco, yet lost the title to Mike Hawthorn by a single point. Racing for Rob Walker's private team from 1959 to 1961 he finished third three years running, winning at Monaco in 1960 and 1961 and at the Nürburgring in 1961.

A crash at the non championship Glover Trophy at Goodwood in 1962 ended his Formula 1 career. His record stands at 72 starts, 16 wins, 16 pole positions, 19 fastest laps and 24 podiums, and no driver without a title has won more Grands Prix. He later worked as a commentator and remained a well known public figure in Britain until his death on 12 April 2020.

0 world titles, 16 wins, 16 pole positions, 72 starts.

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