One of the sport’s quiet greats who should not be forgotten

Tony Brooks was one of the finest racing drivers of the 1950s. The news of his passing, at the age of 90, came through shortly after our last issue went to press and marks the end of an era, so our tribute to an understated legend begins on page 4 this week.

Only Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari and Stirling Moss won more world championship grands prix during the 1950s, and Brooks could consider himself unfortunate not to have taken the title. He led the line at Ferrari in 1959 and, but for a combination of calendar changes, unreliability and farcical scenes at Sebring, he could have been world champion. As it was, he only lost to Jack Brabham by four points.

Ferrari’s latest trip to the US underlined what many had already been thinking: Max Verstappen and Red Bull must now be regarded as championship favourites in 2022 after another victory, even though the Dutchman is still 19 points behind Charles Leclerc.

There are question marks over how Red Bull will be able to keep up its development pace in the face of the cost cap (p12), but the bigger one concerns Ferrari’s ability to strike back. The new Miami GP was generally regarded as a success, but Ferrari’s lack of straightline speed needs to be addressed to give Leclerc a fighting chance this year.

There’s still time for you to give your feedback about Autosport. Please turn to p44 and take our reader survey.