TWO LAPS OF HONOR

[Music] foreign [Music] guess where yes monte carlo a small principality in the sterling area and as usual all eyes are focused upon him as his rob walker entered lotus is prepared for him to drive against the porsches and the new 1961 ferraris which take their places on the starting grid as the drivers received their briefing before the first round of the 1961 world championship the monaco grand prix a briefing by that great driver of an earlier age louie around the twisting turning 1.9 mile circuit spectators and officials are gathered eagerly awaiting the start the start not just of the first major grand prix of the year but the start of the first race of a new grand prix formula limited to one and a half liters can offer into the gas works turn [Music] up the hill from san diego mosque keeps the veteran lotus well up amongst the field of brand new 1961 models [Music] one lap gone a 99 to go it's ginther on the b6 ferrari who leads from jim clark's lotus sterling moss is third [Applause] [Music] santa vote on the second lap and the order is the same [Music] but moscow's up to second place as jim clark is overdue but the new and streamlined lotus tours into the pits the frabham takes casino bend at the tail end of the field inserties on the yerman credit cooper lies ninth at 10 laps the ferrari still leads but lap by lap moss reduces it by a second or so on the porsche holds on to third place [Music] 12 laps and the order remains unchanged but now moss is right on gintha's tail as they take casinos [Music] and the new formula is exciting enough without such artificial aids as oil upon the circuit as on the 13th lap moss goes into the lead maze lotus is left and bonier races second with the porsche [Music] when the ferrari falls back to third as the cars turn right and into the tunnel then out again into the sunlight alongside the harbour its waters is calm and unruffled and just as polished as sterling's driving as he holds off the mounting challenge of the ferraris this indeed is motor racing and even the chef wants to know what's cooking moscow's on his way but he'll move his ferrari up ahead of bonie on the 26th lap as they go through station corner [Music] and on downhill to the seafront their exhaust notes bouncing off the walls of monte carlo in a blur of glorious sun [Music] sterling holds a 10 second lead despite the efforts of the far more powerful ferraris even an extra 30 brake horsepower is no substitute for the skill of moss as round and round the classic monaco circuit he drives the race of his life [Music] top of sunday vote down to mirabeau with the ferrari as his constant shadow sterling demonstrates what happens when an irresistible force of ferraris meets an immovable object like moss but slowly the red italian machines pull back those vital sections and with 55 laps gone the british lotus led by a mere four and a half seconds meantime moss's cracking pace proved too hot for many certies goes out after a fine run as also does bonie on the porsche and tony brooks leaves his brm by the bus stop [Music] 32 laps to go and moss leads by five seconds with the entire ferrari team in full cry behind him in second third and fourth places 31 to go it's still five seconds and the sparks fly with a vengeance pass the bits and turvoni signals ginther to take over the attack and ginsa does that very thing and slams past his teammate in pursuit of sterling [Music] [Applause] [Music] a club walker has a signal ready a mosque gets the gen on gear porsche leaves the fifth since mclaren comes in for fuel but is he driving a front engine cooper backwards or a rear engine run forwards are you sure mclaren and the cooper are refueled well i still think he drove it backwards but either way there's a motor race on and the ferrari pit is jubilant as sterling's lead is whittled away 17 laps to go but sterling counters every attack and now there's only 10 more laps still the ferraris press the but the incomparable moss motors on comment is superfluous let's watch the race in sign language pit sign language [Music] [Music] stand for lonely in the dead car park time is running out and ginta makes his last despairing challenge only three seconds now but sterling's father isn't worried and neither is sterling who pulls it back to five seconds with only four laps to go [Music] three laps to go the checkered flag comes out but for whom the sterling whose skill and courage alone keeps his lotus ahead of its new and more powerful challenger or for richie ginther who drives a brilliant race to even stay on the same lap as stern just one lap to go let's watch sterling on this final lap as he drives into our memories with an unforgettable display of virtuosity [Music] the crowds wait to acclaim him and the flag falls for sterling moss to mark his third victory in the monaco grand prix a feat no other driver has accomplished crowds around him luis shaw embraces him but keeps a firm grip on the trophy gentler has a well-earned drink and while sterling goes off on his lap of honor shawn goes off with his trophy for next year's race but it can be no finer than this one in 1961 when moss against all the odds drove one of his greatest races perhaps his greatest fifty thousand monogasts would say yes the three hundred thousand germans at nurburgring would disagree and say that the grand prix of europe was sterling's greatest race the day began with rain and team managers and tire technicians were in a quandary as the circuit dried out before the start ferrari decided to run on normal tires as also did the porsches but mclaren settled for rain tires on the cooper and so did moss on the lotus a zero r came up the 26 starters were pushed out to the grid whose front row comprised lotus porsche ferrari and cooper and lots of people wonder if they made the right decision over tires but it's too late now to change the tars even if you have changed your mind the grid is cleared the flag is up and off they go the first corner the south curve if you want to watch this race a balloon is by far the best there past the pits and into the north curve the cars head out for the country on the 14 mile lap which rises and falls twists and turns through 176 corners the nurburgring is as long as the monaco circuit is short but they share one thing in common both are drivers circuits and sterling is out in front as a matter of course [Music] by that three must lead the two ferraris by ten seconds [Music] lap six and sterling plays nurburgring a ringer roses with his two italian playmates increasing his lead all the time [Applause] [Music] the bits are busy and it isn't porsche's day it isn't anyone's day except sterling's who despite the drying circuit still holds off the ferraris [Music] reg parnell and mrs certis look much happier than graham gill who retired on the first lap as did in his island on the second three laps to go and the lotus rain towers are dangerously warm but the rain clouds gather and sterling's gamble pays off and sterling with his favorite number seven wins the grand prix of europe by sheer brilliance in place of brake horsepower ferraris are second and third but no rain can damp the splendor of sterling moss's victory the rest of the field are flagged off once more the garlands the anthems the applause and then the price of glory paid in full sterling moss relaxes diff with praises and all dazed with flies sterling we too salute you we shall remember nurburgring and monaco as well the world championship still eludes the man who many consider to be the finest driver in the world an irony of fate but in such defeat lies even greater victory bye you