Stirling Moss, a daring, speed-loving Englishman regarded as the greatest Formula One driver never to win the world championship, has died. He was 90.
Moss died peacefully at his London home following a long illness, his wife Susan said Sunday.
“It was one lap too many,” she said. “He just closed his eyes.”
A national treasure affectionately known as “Mr. Motor Racing,” the balding Moss had a taste for adventure that saw him push cars to their limits across many racing categories and competitions. He was fearless, fiercely competitive and often reckless.
RIP Sir Stirling. A true legend and a wonderful person. To Scuderia Ferrari, he was a formidable opponent. Our thoughts are with his wife, family and friends. pic.twitter.com/MbshEwJuxq
That attitude took a toll on his slight body. His career ended early, at age 31, after a horrific crash left him in a coma for a month in April 1962.
By the time he retired, Moss had won 16 of the 66 F1 races he entered and established a reputation as a technically excellent and versatile driver.
Arguably his greatest achievement was victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia — a 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) road race through Italy — by nearly half an hour over Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentine great who was Moss’ idol, teammate and rival.
An F1 title didn’t follow, though — a travesty to many in motorsport. Moss finished second in the drivers’ championship four times (1955-58) and third on three occasions.
Moss raced for Maserati, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz — partnering Fangio in an all-star line-up. In total, Moss raced in 107 different types of car and boasted a record of 212 wins in the 375 competitive races he finished.
Moss was born in 1929 into a racing family. His father, Alfred, competed in the Indianapolis 500; his mother, Aileen, was English women’s champion in 1936. The young Moss learned his trade during a racing boom in England after World War II.
