Motorsports Trivia Thread!

  • Thread starter Cap'n Jack
  • 7,179 comments
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Which is an excellent guess. That wraps it up.

1950: Fangio out-qualified Farina
1967: Brabham out-qualified Hulme
1979: Villeneuve out-qualified Scheckter
1984: Prost out-qualified Lauda
1987: Mansell out-qualified Piquet
1989: Senna out-qualified Prost
2007: Massa out-qualified Raikkonen
2009: Barrichello out-qualified Button
 
An old rivalry: When did the Ferrari team first face the Mercedes team?

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
I'll guess the 1933 Avusrennen. That probably isn't right, I don't have much info on Mercedes racing activities in the early 30s.
 
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SagarisGTB
I'll guess the 1933 Avusrennen. That probably isn't right, I don't have much info on Mercedes racing activities in the early 30s.
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That's a great guess, although short by just a few years. 👍
The correct answer (I think) is the 1930 Mille Miglia.

I'm trying to figure out how many of us, if any, are interested in pre-war trivia - or if it's just too passe, or difficult to research, to be fair game for our thread.

Respectfully,
Steve
 
Dotini
I'm trying to figure out how many of us, if any, are interested in pre-war trivia - or if it's just too passe, or difficult to research, to be fair game for our thread.

Respectfully,
Steve
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I am definitely interested in pre-war racing trivia. I have asked a few questions on the subject before. It can be a little difficult to research at times, but always makes for interesting questions and answers.
 
SagarisGTB
On the subject, a new Q:
What year did riding mechanics become forbidden in Grand Prix racing?
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This is an easy one - if my research on wikipedia is correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riding_mechanic
Riding mechanics were banned in Europe after the death of Tom Barrett in 1924.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Barrett_(riding_mechanic)
Tom Barrett (21 November 1891 – 27 September 1924) was an English motor-racing riding mechanic. His death in the 1924 San Sebastian Grand Prix brought an end to the practice of riding mechanics in two-seat racing cars.[1]

Racing in this early period was conducted between unreliable cars over long road courses, rather than by repeated laps of a dedicated short circuit. There was no nearby "pit lane" in which to conduct repairs and so it was necessary to carry a mechanic on-board the car.

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
Now we must ask: What is the last year riding mechanics were standard at the Indianapolis 500, and who won the race?

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
All I search points to 1937 when Wilbur Shaw won the race for the first time (of 3).

How about a "what car" type riddle/question:
What car am I?
- I was initially supposed to be a one-off, but forty of me were built
- No individual is credited for my design
- I won my Swedish Grand Prix (for sports cars) class in the hands of Joakim Bonnier
 
SagarisGTB
How about a "what car" type riddle/question:
What car am I?
- I was initially supposed to be a one-off, but forty of me were built
- No individual is credited for my design
- I won my Swedish Grand Prix (for sports cars) class in the hands of Joakim Bonnier
Click to expand...

About 40 of the Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato were apparently built, and Bonnier is credited with a class win in an Alfa at the 1955 Swedish GP for sportscars. So this is my best guess.

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
Correct, it's the Alfa Romeo 1900 SSZ. Approximately 40 were built (most say 39). No individual was credited for the design, it is believed that Ugo Zagato worked off sketches by Fabio Luigi Rapio. And yes, Jo Bonnier was credited with the 2L class win at the Swedish Grand Prix.
 
I attended a sports race in 1962 in which the under 2 liter class was crushed by Jo Bonnier driving an 8 cylinder Porsche. What race was that, who won the over 2 liter class, and what car was he driving?

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
 
Dotini
This is an easy one - if my research on wikipedia is correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riding_mechanic
Riding mechanics were banned in Europe after the death of Tom Barrett in 1924.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Barrett_(riding_mechanic)
Tom Barrett (21 November 1891 – 27 September 1924) was an English motor-racing riding mechanic. His death in the 1924 San Sebastian Grand Prix brought an end to the practice of riding mechanics in two-seat racing cars.[1]

Racing in this early period was conducted between unreliable cars over long road courses, rather than by repeated laps of a dedicated short circuit. There was no nearby "pit lane" in which to conduct repairs and so it was necessary to carry a mechanic on-board the car.

Respectfully submitted,
Steve
Click to expand...

This guy was basically the telemetry for the car to pits etc? :lol:
 
Dustone
This guy was basically the telemetry for the car to pits etc? :lol:
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In the very early days, the riding mechanic and driver fixed the car alongside the road. Tires were so primitive, there could be several flats per lap, and so several spare tires were carried. Detachable rims were an early innovation inspired by the need to change tires more quickly.

Respectfully,
Steve
 
I don't have a question, but something I found out recently;

So, for a long time Riccardo Patrese, 1977-1993, was famously the most experienced Formula One driver with 257 entries (256 starts). He held this record from 1993 until 2008. Of course, Barrichello, 1993-2011, and Schumacher, 1991-2006 & 2010-2012, have overtaken this now, but Jarno Trulli, 1997-2011, ended his career with 256 entries (252 starts), just one fewer than Patrese.

An interesting piece of trivium I thought I'd share.

---

Correction: I do have a question.

After Giancarlo Baghetti's debut win, and excluding wins at the Indianapolis 500, who has the fewest Formula One grands prix before their first win?
 
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Correct! He scored a victory in just his 3rd grand prix; the 1957 British Grand Prix.
 
Thought it might be, I remembered that I read somewhere that his win was pretty early in his career, but I didn't really remember that it was only his 3rd race! Crazy.

Anyways, I guess its my go then, bit of an easy one but here goes:
Who is the last Australian driver to win the Australian Grand Prix?
 

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