F1Weekly Podcast # 1156
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
TOTO WAS SO HAPPY WITH THE SAFETY CAR FINISH AT SILVERSTONE!
MAX TO MCLAREN WILL NEVER HAPPEN!
WHAT ABOUT MAX FOLLOWING ADRIAN NEWEY TO ASTON MARTIN?? AND NOW……. WE HAVE…
FERNANDO GOING TO ALPINE AND FLAVIO…RIDICULOUS X3
THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: A MOMENT IN MOTORSPORTS HISTORY…INTERVIEW WITH HOWDEN GANLEY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EMPLOYEES AT MCLAREN
WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM ON THE AIR JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1W TAB ON THE FRONT PAGE YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! GRACIAS…
Howden Ganley
Born in 1941 in Hamilton, New Zealand, Howden Ganley’s youthful ambitions were to either race yachts or play for the All Blacks New Zealand Rugby team. However, after attending 1955’s New Zealand Grand Prix with his father and brother his ambitions changed and he set his goal on racing in Formula 1. After leaving school, he became a reporter for a newspaper and wrote a column for a magazine and once he obtained his license he raced in local events in his Mother’s Morris Minor. He progressed to a Lotus Eleven but in order to fund his racing ambitions he was doing three jobs, on a construction site during the day, waiting tables in a restaurant at night then pumping gas at weekends. Once he obtained the Lotus he entered it for 1961’s New Zealand GP at Ardmore and he won his class in the sports car race plus a race for New Zealand drivers only. He went on to race for two seasons though in a wet race at Dunedin his car finished up wrapped round a telegraph pole but he was fortunately uninjured.
He eventually moved to the UK and began a career as a mechanic, becoming involved with Mike Moseley, who was planning on producing a road car called the Falcon 515. Once he helped get the car into production he would be allowed to build a lightweight version and race it. A friend, John Muller, helped him and he said the two shared a “bedsit over a railway line, ice on the inside of the window, single light socket hanging from the ceiling. There was a coin-slot meter, but we just plugged everything into that one light socket, because that was free, and put a six-inch nail across the fuse box.” From here he moved on and joined the Gemini Formula Junior team, as a mechanic and driver. He competed in his first single seater race at Goodwood and following this was the Nurburgring (finishing 14th out of 41 starters) but the team later lost their sponsorship and folded.
He then became involved with the Talon F3 car but then came an offer from Bruce McLaren and he became one of the first employees of Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, working alongside Wally Wilmott, Tyler Alexander and Eoin Young in “a shed in New Malden full of earth-moving equipment: dirt floor, work bench, vice, set of welding bottles, a hacksaw and a file.” When asked by Tyler and Wally ‘Why are you here?’, and telling them he was a mechanic, they told him “No you’re not. We don’t know whether you can thread a nut on the end of a bolt. You’re a gopher.”
During this period he worked as crew chief at Drummond Racing for Skip Scott and Peter Revson during the 1966-67 Can-Am season. After purchasing a Brabham BT21, he went on to race for two years in the series then switched to a Chevron B15. Towards the end of 1969’s F3 season, despite starting 22nd on the grid at Brands Hatch, he was 11th by the fourth lap, sixth on lap 14 and on the last lap he was fourth after overtaking Francois Cevert in a Tecno. Going into the last corner while fighting another car for third he put a wheel on the grass, which let F.Cevert to get past. However, although he eventually finished fifth he had broken the circuit’s F3 lap record at an average of exactly 100mph.
His F3 racing then led to F5000 with a McLaren M10B-Chevrolet in 1970 and during the year he finished fourth in Oulton Park’s Gold Cup race and finished second in the series to Peter Gethin. McLaren regularly tested the F5000 car at Goodwood and on one occasion Denny Hulme was also there with the Can-Am car. They needed someone to go in the passenger seat and “take the readings on a manometer or something they had in there. And nobody wanted to get in! Bruce asked me to do it. That was pretty entertaining, Denny right on the limit with me taking the readings. It was fantastic for me, because I totally trusted Denny. I also did a little bit of Can-Am testing in the M8.” Howden described Bruce McLaren as “the greatest leader of men I’ve ever met in my life…he was one of the nicest people, always happy and smiling, even in adversity, cheery, friendly. And he had that amazing ‘can do, will do,’ attitude.”
His F5000 racing brought him to the attention of the BRM F1 team, who signed him for 1971 and he took a strong fifth place in the Italian GP at Monza and fourth at Watkins Glen while in non-championship races he finished second in Oulton Park’s Gold Cup, fourth at Hockenheim and fifth in the Race of Champions. In taking his fifth place at Monza, he was involved in the closest finish in GP history when just 0.61 seconds covered the top five finishers. In the team, he watched the strong competition between Pedro Rodriguez and Jo Siffert “As the new boy I saw their rivalry at first hand. Each was determined to beat the other. If I ever set a faster time than one of them in practice or in a test, the other was always delighted. They each wanted the new kid to put the other down. But they were both just wonderful characters, wonderful blokes.”
Racing in sports cars, he had a third place finish in a Can-Am race at Riverside with a BRM P167 and co-drove (with Paddy Driver and Mike Hailwood) to third at the Kyalami 9 Hours with a Chevron B19. At the end of the year he was awarded the Wolfgang von Trips Memorial Trophy, for the best performance by a newcomer to Grand Prix racing. Continuing with the team the following year his best finish was fourth at the Nurburgring but in sports cars he won Interserie races at Nurburgring and Zeltweg with a BRM P167 Chevrolet plus finished second at Le Mans with François Cevert in a Matra-Simca MS670.
For 1973 he raced Frank Williams Racing’s Iso–Marlboro, with his best results being seventh in Brazil and sixth at Mosport. However, that Canadian GP at Mosport could best be described as one of the most chaotic seen. When the race started, it was raining though it stopped and with the track drying the drivers headed to the pits to change tyres. However a number of drivers had to drive through as there was no space for them to be serviced in the small, busy, pit lane. When Jackie Stewart came in his teammate François Cevert’s car was up on jacks and he was waved through to take another lap. Once they were back racing nobody knew exactly where they were in the scoring and after Francois Cevert and Jody Scheckter crashed a safety car was deployed. But the safety car pulled in front of Howden, who people maintained wasn’t the leader at the time. But nobody has ever been able to say who was the leader plus nobody was really sure who had won, (was it Howden, Jackie Oliver, Peter Revson, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mike Hailwood or James Hunt?). In the end, the race organizers decided Peter Revson had won, with Emerson Fittipaldi second and Jackie Oliver third.
Asked at a later date who actually won, Howden declared it was Emerson Fittipaldi, with himself in third place. He said “My wife (Judy Kondratieff, a U.S. sports car racer who was an SCCA regional champion) was the best keeper of lap charts. It was not unusual for other teams and sometime race organisers to double-check what they had against hers. We went over and over what she had for weeks after that race. There’s no doubt that Emerson won, with Jackie Oliver probably second and me probably third. We thought, initially, that I had won but when we checked and rechecked, I was in third. As it dried up, I saw what was happening in the pits, and I said there was no way I was going in there. My teammate, Tim Schenken, had stopped, but I waited till things calmed down. I eventually made a very good stop, and the pit lane was clear; I was in and out. So, off I go again — but I didn’t know if anyone had gone by me while I was in the pits.’ When he came up behind the safety car, they were telling him he was leading and when it pulled off and continued racing, “Emerson got past and maybe Ollie (Jackie Oliver). But Peter Revson never passed me on the track or while I was in the pits.” His wife Judy took her lap chart to the officials but they weren’t interested and Howden was classed as finishing sixth, and given one point.
In sports cars that year he was usually paired with Derek Bell in the John Wyer Gulf Mirage and took fifth in the 1000Km Zeltweg, fourth at the Watkins Glen 6 Hours plus second in the Spa 1000 Km race (though with Vern Schuppan).
He started 1974 with March in Argentina and Brazil (finishing eighth in Buenos Aires) but then accepted an offer from F1 newcomers Maki. Unfortunately it was a frustrating time as he failed to qualify for the British GP but then sustained serious feet and ankle injuries when the suspension broke during practice at the German GP. He found himself in hospital with Mike Hailwood, who had also crashed, and told how team boss Louis Stanley helped them. He arranged a helicopter flight from the hospital to Cologne then “persuaded British Airways to take two stretchers on a scheduled flight, met us at Heathrow, got us to St Thomas’ Hospital and laid on the great Mr Urquart — the surgeon who’d looked after Stirling Moss and John Surtees after their big accidents. Urquart’s technique for rebuilding bone was, if you can stand the pain you should walk on it. In 16 days I was hobbling around St Thomas.” It would be nine months before he raced again, ironically returning to the Nurburgring with a Mirage GR7 in the 1000Kms race with Tim Schenken and despite Howden not being able to push the brake pedal properly they finished second.
During 1975 he also finished second and third in Interserie races at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim with the Mirage.
He then raced in Can-Am before retiring as a driver in 1978 but in that time he formed Tiga Race Cars with Tim Schenken (the name coming from TIm and GAnley). The company built Formula Fords and Sports 2000s, Formula Atlantics, C Sports for America, two Can-Am cars, 33 Group Cs, some Formula Ks for Mexico and Howden said that “by 1986 we’d delivered over 400 cars.” There were also plans to compete in Formula One but the project did not proceed due to sponsorship withdrawal.
After Tiga he was elected onto the board of the BRDC, and became a director of Silverstone Circuits and Silverstone Estates as well. He was Club Secretary for a period but after leaving the boards they made him a Vice President. Howden also published an autobiography ‘The Road to Monaco: My Life in Motor Racing’ which was described as “an exciting, absorbing and often wryly amusing view of motor racing, from the workshop, the pit wall, the cockpit, and many other vantage points.”
Sadly, Howden’s wife Judy developed cancer and passed away in 2007.
Peter Hooper
Howden Ganley endured a frustrating year driving one of Frank Williams ISO-Marlboro in 1973. His one claim to fame was “leading” the Canadian GP behind the pace car. Unfortunately for Howden, things got even worse in 1974
I always liked the Isos and this drawing was a joy to do.
Audi Nuvolari at Goodwood Festival of Speed
High-performance technology and new Audi design — the supercar takes on the Goodwood Hillclimb
Racing legend Tom Kristensen: “What impresses in the Nuvolari1 is the way all the systems work together — inspired by motorsports and refined for the road.”
The Auto Union Lucca makes its first public appearance in motion
At Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Audi Nuvolari1 supercar will show what it’s made of on the Hillclimb. The Audi RS 5 is also on display at Goodwood Circuit from July 9 to 12. Shown at speed for the first time, the Auto Union Lucca — a “Rennlimousine,” or racing sedan — adds a touch of history. Audi is thus highlighting the breadth of its performance expertise across road and track.
Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, southern England, is a pivotal fixture on the international automotive and motorsports calendar. The highlight of Audi’s appearance will come when racing legend Tom Kristensen races the near-production prototype of the Audi Nuvolari1 up the 1.86-kilometer Hillclimb in the grounds of Goodwood House, the estate of the Duke of Richmond.
“What impresses in the Nuvolari1 is the way all the systems work together — from the new quattro drivetrain and vehicle dynamics to aerodynamics and the braking system. Technologies such as the high-performance hybrid powertrain, active aerodynamics, and energy management are inspired by motorsports and have been consistently refined for road use,” says Kristensen, a nine-time Le Mans winner.
The Nuvolari1 is the fastest and most powerful production vehicle in the brand’s history — and the first to follow Audi’s new design philosophy. Just a few days ago, the supercar caused a stir when it made its UK debut in London. Deliveries of the vehicle, limited to 499 units, will begin in the first half of 2027.
Historic icons: the Auto Union Lucca makes its first public appearance in motion
Audi Tradition is also showcasing a number of legendary race cars from AUDI AG’s historic collection at Goodwood — including models from the Le Mans and rally eras, as well as the Auto Union Type C and Type D Grand Prix cars.
With the Auto Union Lucca being driven in public for the first time at Goodwood Festival of Speed, Audi is paying tribute to a pivotal chapter in motorsports history centered on the record-breaking drives of the 1930s. The Rennlimousine is part of the Silver Arrows family. In 1935, it set a widely acclaimed flying-start mile record with a calculated average speed of 320.267 km/h. Audi recreated the Auto Union Lucca based on historical photos and technical documentation and unveiled it in Lucca, Italy — the site of the record-breaking drive — in early May.
Modern performance: Audi RS 5 on Goodwood Circuit
Audi is also offering test drives in the new Audi RS 5 from Audi Sport on Goodwood Circuit. The high-performance plug-in hybrid is on display alongside its historic predecessors, the Avant RS2 and the Audi RS 4 Avant.
Audi has partnered Goodwood Festival of Speed since 2025.
Motorsport Expo and Car Culture UK: What to Expect So Far.
More than 50 exhibitors have already been confirmed for Motorsport Expo and Car Culture UK, alongside a growing line-up of major industry partnerships and exclusive features, as preparations gather pace for the inaugural events at Excel London from 26–28 February 2027.
Bringing together motorsport, performance cars, engineering, manufacturers, brands and enthusiast communities, the events aim to create a new flagship automotive experience in London, uniting every corner of the industry under one roof.
London is home to one of the world’s largest automotive and motorsport communities, yet it doesn’t have a major consumer event that truly represents the full breadth of the industry. Motorsport Expo and Car Culture UK have been created to change that.
Among the latest announcements, automotive creator Zachs_Garage has joined Car Culture UK to help curate what is set to become one of the UK’s most significant collections of enthusiast cars ever displayed under one roof.
Motorsport Expo has also strengthened its commitment to the wider motorsport community through a partnership with Race Against Dementia, the charity founded by three-time Formula One World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, which has been named the event’s Official Charity Partner.
The partnership is supported by a £20,000 fundraising pledge, with a series of initiatives planned throughout the event to raise awareness and support the charity’s pioneering dementia research.
The event has also confirmed the launch of the Championship Hub, developed in collaboration with the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC). The feature will bring together race series from grassroots karting through to top-level national competition, connecting aspiring drivers, teams and championship organisers while helping visitors discover clear pathways into competitive motorsport.
Race Tech has been announced as Official Partner of the Engineering Zone, bringing one of motorsport’s leading technical publications to a feature dedicated to engineering, innovation and technology.
Together, these partnerships reflect the ambition behind Motorsport Expo and Car Culture UK, creating an event that brings together motorsport, engineering, performance cars, modified culture, manufacturers, brands and enthusiasts in a way London has not experienced before.
Simon Bennie, CarShowCo Director, said: “From the beginning, our ambition has been to create an event that genuinely represents every part of automotive culture and brings the community together under one roof. The response from exhibitors, partners and enthusiasts has been incredible, and every announcement reinforces the appetite for a major automotive event in London.
There is still a lot more to come, but we are incredibly excited about what we are building and the experience we will be able to deliver for visitors, exhibitors and the wider industry in February 2027.”
With further exhibitor, manufacturer, special guest and feature announcements still to come, Motorsport Expo and Car Culture UK will continue unveiling new additions over the coming months ahead of opening their doors at Excel London from 26–28 February 2027.
RB17 HYPERCAR TO MAKE DYNAMIC DEBUT AT GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2026 AS PART OF ORACLE RED BULL RACING LINE-UP.
Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda and Adrian Newey headline driver line-up in RB17 at Goodwood Festival of Speed, accompanied by demonstration run in F1 and F1 Academy cars, and fan-favourite livery displays.
For the very first time, Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT) will showcase the RB17 hypercar in motion, making its dynamic debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The historic appearance forms part of a wider celebration of Oracle Red Bull Racing’s innovation and heritage, featuring demonstration runs in the Championship-winning RB9 and the Team’s Championship-leading F1 Academy car, alongside a static display of fan-favourite liveries from the Team’s history.
The RB17 will take on Goodwood’s Hillclimb in a series of demonstration runs as part of its ongoing testing and development programme. These runs will offer fans a first ever look at the car running, ahead of its full performance envelope being explored in dedicated track environments later this year.
RBAT’s hybrid hypercar will be driven by a standout roster of talent: Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Test and Reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Academy Programme driver Alisha Palmowski, and RBAT’s former CTO and RB17’s visionary designer Adrian Newey.
The wider Oracle Red Bull Racing show will see the Team celebrate a selection of its most-loved special-edition liveries in a static display, spanning from RB1’s debut livery, through to RB11’s camouflage test livery, RB14’s special-edition, RB21’s Japan livery and an RB19 featuring the 2026 gloss livery, as well as demonstration runs from Oracle Red Bull Racing drivers in RB9, celebrating of the most dominant cars in F1 history, securing 13 wins from 19 races in 2013, powering Sebastian Vettel to his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship and bringing Red Bull Racing its fourth straight Constructors’ title.
RB17 HYPERCAR
RB17 represents one of the most ambitious engineering programmes ever undertaken by the Team. More than five years in development, the project required RBAT to translate Formula One levels of performance, precision and innovation into a completely new category of vehicle.
Designed without the restrictions of racing regulations, RB17 combines extreme aerodynamic performance, advanced vehicle dynamics and a bespoke naturally aspirated Cosworth V10 powertrain into a hybrid track-only hypercar capable of delivering F1-inspired performance. The result is one of the most technically sophisticated hypercars ever created and a landmark achievement for the engineers, designers, and manufacturing teams behind the programme.
Laurent Mekies, CEO and Team Prinicpal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said: “Goodwood is the perfect place to celebrate what Red Bull Engineering is all about. It brings together our heritage, our passion for innovation, and the incredible talent of the people behind our projects. Seeing RB17 come to life and run in front of the fans is a very special moment. It represents years of dedication, creativity, and engineering excellence from an extraordinary team. We’re incredibly proud of what they have achieved and look forward to sharing that experience with everyone at Goodwood.”
Rob Gray, Technical Director of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, said: “At Red Bull, we’re at our best when we’re taking on challenges that others might consider impossible. RB17 is exactly that. The ambition was to create a car capable of delivering a level of performance rarely seen outside Formula One, while remaining true to the original vision that inspired the project. The engineering challenge has been immense. We set out to deliver Formula One-inspired levels of performance in a customer track car, requiring us to solve countless challenges across design, engineering, validation, testing and manufacture. One of the things I’m proudest of is how closely the finished car reflects the original vision. Its dynamic debut at Goodwood marks an important milestone in the programme, as we continue to validate and develop the car in real-world conditions and explore its full performance potential.”
Automobili Lamborghini to Celebrate its Miura Amidst Pebble Beach Automotive Week
Historic 60th Anniversary Display Expected to Become the Largest Gathering of Miuras Ever Assembled
A 1968 Lamborghini Miura Bertone Coupé and a 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 Bertone Coupé round the turn at the 2019 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance. Photo Credit: Kimball Studios / Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA (July 7, 2026) — This coming August, for the first time ever, Pebble Beach Golf Links will be opening its 3rd fairway in conjunction with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for a special display curated by Automobili Lamborghini celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Miura.
The display is expected to set a new world record as the largest gathering of Lamborghini Miuras ever assembled in a single location, surpassing previous gatherings for the model’s 40th and 50th anniversaries. Enthusiasts attending Pebble Beach Automotive Week will have the rare opportunity to view this unprecedented collection of groundbreaking automobiles and connect with many of the world’s most respected Miura cognoscenti.
“Part of what makes Pebble Beach so special is that this is where automotive history is made,” said Pebble Beach Concours President Vince Finaldi. “This August, the power of Pebble will become evident again as we assemble the world’s largest gathering of Miuras ever, to celebrate its 60th anniversary.”
First unveiled in 1966, the Lamborghini Miura revolutionized the automotive world with its groundbreaking transverse mid-engine architecture and dramatic design, establishing the template for the modern supercar. Six decades later, it remains one of the most celebrated and coveted collector cars in existence.
The Miura display will be open to the public on Sunday, August 16, providing guests with an unparalleled opportunity to explore the evolution, preservation and enduring legacy of Lamborghini’s most iconic masterpiece.
Current Lamborghini Miura owners interested in participating in the anniversary gathering are encouraged to inquire about eligibility and registration by emailing the Lamborghini Concierge at [email protected].
For additional information and tickets to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, visit pebblebeachconcours.net.
Aston Martin and Ferrari victorious as GT3 Revival Series winds back the clock at Le Mans Classic Legend
> Ricci’s Ferrari and Mitchell’s Aston Martin share overall and Am Gen II wins
> Beaubelique on cusp of Pro-Am title after another double victory for Ferrari driver
> Debard and Giauque sweep Am Gen I with Ford GT Matech
> Le Mans Classic Legend Results: Race 1 | Race 2
The GT3 Revival Series resumed its maiden season last weekend (4/5 July) with a pair of hotly contested races at Circuit de la Sarthe. The third round of the new-for-2026 championship was staged as part of Le Mans Classic Legend, organised by Peter Auto and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which brought hundreds of prototypes and GTs spanning 1976 through 2020 to the mecca of motor racing.
The GT3 Revival Series had the distinction staging the first competitive action of the weekend, with its opening 50-minute contest getting underway at 09:15 on Saturday morning. With a mighty entry of 28 cars the Am Gen II class dominated the front of the grid, led by Heikko Neumann (Team Motopark) who swept to both pole positions aboard his Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
The German driver began the Le Mans weekend with three podiums from four races but still chasing a maiden victory; he now had two opportunities to make the breakthrough. Neumann held the advantage at the start of Race 1 and kept his cool under heavy pressure from Pro-Am leader Alvaro Parente (Quinntech Racing), whose Audi R8 LMS Ultra was evidently very quick but did not have the top-end speed to complete a pass.
They were joined at the front by the Aston Martin V12 Vantage of Jonathan Mitchell (Scott Sport) and series newcomer Phil Quaife (Endless) at the wheel of a Porsche 997 GT3 R. This quartet ran in close company as they slipstreamed down the Mulsanne, until Quaife’s charge was ended by a technical problem.
At this moment the familiar scarlet Ferrari 458 of Benjamin Ricci (Storic and Race Cars) arrived on the scene – though not before passing three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti (Pastorelli Classic Cars) who was making his maiden GT3 Revival Series start aboard another 458.
The trajectory of the race changed during the pit window. The leading pair of Neumann and Parente chose to stop at the same moment, but the Audi driver misjudged his entry speed and made contact with the rear of the Mercedes. Neumann’s car spun and lost considerable time, while Parente suffered race-ending damage.
Amid all of this, Ricci had jumped Mitchell and thus assumed the lead of the race, both overall and in Am Gen II. The Aston Martin driver initially applied pressure but could not make a move on the Ferrari. The result was effectively settled 10 minutes from the chequered flag when Mitchell looped his car at the final corner, allowing his class title rival to cruise to a commanding victory.
Mitchell looked to have second in the bag but a problem on the final tour caused him to slow significantly. The recovering Neumann snuck past and finished as runner-up, while Mitchell took third to ensure that Am Gen II cars locked out the top three overall. Peter Moulsdale (Barwell Motorsport) was fourth, matching his best result of the season aboard the British GT title-winning BMW Z4.
