British Racing Motors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Raymond Mays

Raymond Mays, who pre-war was involved in the ERA project, founded BRM after the World War II as a way of building an all-British car. With the help of a large trust fund thanks to wealthy backers, he was hoping to bring together all British manufacturers and suppliers under one roof to build a car to fight off the dominance of Italian cars.

However, this dream was never realised as the whole effort proved expensive and extremely unorganised.

Answer: 1.5L supercharged V16

The first BRM was an amibitious project based around a 1.5L supercharged V16. The engine was fitted to the P15 but due to numerous design and technical problems, the car did not run until 1949. Despite sounding glorious and being tremendously powerful, the car did not run well and despite winning it's first two races in competition, would never become successful.

Answer: Jo Bonnier

Like most BRM, the P25 that Bonnier was driving was late in arriving and proved troublesome during it's early years. But by 1958 the cars were becoming competitive and in 1959, after nine years of toil but little result, Bonnier took the chequered flag at Zandvoort to take the marque's first Grand Prix victory.

Answer: Tony Rudd

Rudd joined the BRM team in 1950, but by 1960 the team was stagnating and Alfred Owen was threatening to quit unless results improved. Rudd was promoted to what would today be called Technical Director, overseeing all the development of the car as Mays was sidelined. All the problems of the previous decade disappeared as Rudd brought organisation and engineering quality to the design and manufacture of the cars.

Answer: Graham Hill

Graham Hill joined BRM in 1960 and won his first race for the team at the 1962 Dutch GP. Three more victories that season, plus two second places, gave him his first World Championship and BRM their only Constructors Championship. Hill won four more races in three years for the team, and he finished second overall in the drivers championship from 1963-65.

Answer: Richie Ginther

Ginther moved to BRM from Ferrari for the beginning of the 1962 season, and spent three highly successful seasons with the British team. He never won a race for the team (his only victory coming with Honda in Mexico 1965) but he was an excellent number two driver to Graham Hill and worked has as a development driver.

Answer: H16

While most other engine manufacturers went with standard 3L V8s or V12s, BRM decided to try a H16 engine, which was effectively two V8s mounted on top of each other, bonded by the crankshaft. Although it was tremendously powerful, the engine made the car unbelievably heavy and the design never really worked, although the engine did win the 1966 USGP in the back of a Lotus 43 driven by Jim Clark.

Answer: Belgian Grand Prix

After the H16 debacle, BRM had quickly reverted to a V12 design but lost Tony Rudd to Lotus. After a reshuffle, the promising Tony Southgate was hired by the team and the P153 was the first car to show promise since 1965. Pedro Rodriguez took the first victory for BRM since 1966 at the Belgian Grand Prix, holding off the March-Ford of Chris Amon to the flag.

Answer: Jo Siffert

Siffert won the Austrian Grand Prix and finished second at the USGP to finish on 19 points. Tragically, the Swiss driver was killed at a non-championship race at Brands Hatch at the end of the 1971 season, only months after his team-mate Pedro Rodriguez. Losing two good drivers hit BRM hard after this...

Answer: Peter Gethin

In the last great slipstreaming classic at Monza before chicances ruined the famous old circiut, Gethin came from 4th place on the last lap to clinch the closest victory in Formula One history at the time. It was also the fastest race in F1 of the 20th century.

Answer: Jean-Pierre Beltoise

Jean-Pierre Beltoise took a surprise but deserved victory at the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix, dominating in atrocious wet conditions to win by a lap from everyone except another noted wet weather driver, Jacky Ickx.

Answer: Yardley

The Yardley sponsorship in 1970, which gave the team it's first significant influx of cash, probably helped the team toward it's development of new cars, and certainly the teams success in 1971. They lost the sponsorship to McLaren in 1972 and acquired Marlboro sponsorship, which they also lost to McLaren in 1974.

Answer: 1974 South African Grand Prix

After 1972, the BRM team slowly slid down the grid and only Beltoise, their last Grand Prix winner, was able to produce results of any significance. He was the last driver to step up onto a podium for BRM, finishing second at the 1974 South African Grand Prix. Beltoise retired at the end of 1974 and with him went the last hope for any success for BRM.

The team plodded on until finally dissolving in 1977.

Answer: 17

BRM took nine years to win their first Grand Prix, their first in 1959. Graham Hill won 10 of BRM's 17 Grand Prix victories, his first in Holland 1962, his last the 1965 USGP. Six drivers shared the other seven victories achieved by BRM in Formula One. The most victories at a single Grand Prix was at Monaco, where they took five wins.

Answer: Larry Perkins

By 1977, BRM was on it's last legs. Owen had long since pulled out his backing while the team was making do with extremely out-dated cars and relying on pay drivers. Larry Perkins was the last driver to qualify for BRM , at the 1977 South African Grand Prix, where he also finished 15th. Pilette, Andersson and Edwards all tried to qualify but failed, the last appearance at a Grand Prix by BRM at the 1977 Italian Grand Prix.