primotipo…

Cripes! Move. My clutch! My water temperature!

Look a bit closer, the Formula 3 car caught in the 1969 Monaco GP traffic is being towed by the Simca in front. I love the creativity of Bryan Henderson’s shot, a Scot who emigrated to Sydney. Peter Houston tells me he was a Formula Vee racer in the mid-1970s; he plies his trade as Scanpix.

Bryan recalls, ‘The 1969 Monaco GP was my first F1 race. I had just arrived to pursue a career as a freelance photographer and jumped on a train down to the south of France to catch the race. I remember taking a photo of the car in traffic. I was waiting to cross the road, and there was the open-wheeler in my way! I was able to get the shot as it drove away.’

So, who is it?

F2 Index to the rescue. My guess as to the number is 50, 52, 58 or 59! #50 was Bernard Plaisance, who raced for Ecurie Tecno France, Tecno 69 Ford, DNQ. Car 52 did not arrive, so let’s cross him off. #58 was Peter Hanson’s Chevron B15 Ford DNQ, and #59 was Roger Keele, EMC F3 Ford; he was eighth in the race won by Ronnie Peterson’s Tecno 69 Ford. I’m going for Bernard, he’s French, the other two blokes are British, so would probably have a Pommie registered tow car…

I’ve chosen a few other Henderson shots, which are a bit different from the average. The first is Vic Elford heading up the hill from Ste Devote in his Cooper T86B Maserati. Q16 and seventh place in the race won by Graham Hill’s Lotus 49B Ford from Piers Courage’s Frank Williams Brabham BT26A Ford and Jo Siffert’s Rob Walker Lotus 49B Ford.

The next one is Jackie and Helen Stewart walking down the hill towards Ste Devote, JYS even has a bag-man, who is the guy, he looks familiar? Is it Andy Granatelli?

How great it would have been to have attended the race then, plenty of challenges too that weekend, high wings were banned after the Thursday session by the CSI, so the shot of Jo Siffert’s Rob Walker Lotus 49B Ford sans wings is probably on the Friday, by Saturday front wings were back.

Credits…

Bryan Henderson at Scanpix.com.au

Tailpiece…

Denny Hulme’s (sixth) McLaren M7A Ford on Pit Straight, perhaps a Matra ahead, classic Monaco shot with that home-made fence in the foreground!

Finito…