Late Formula1 Drivers of the 1950s Deacade

I've been looking at a few paintings of retro Formula 1 drivers from the 1950s decade. I read a book called; The Limit. It was basically about a U.S. F1 driver called Phil Hill. He went all through the 50s decade and new some of the greats who died during the many competitions. Some of the larger than life characters that Phil Hill met were the great Fangio, Wolfgang von Trips (His teammate when Phil Hill won the F1 championship in 1961.) Others included Musso, Mike Hawthorn, and David Collins. 

These men lived, what seemed to be, glamorous lifestyles. Many perished in the fireball of danger as they reached the limit. In the above picture are Hawthorn and Collins. It is 1958 at Silverstone and is painted by an artist called Alan Fearnley. I love this picture and have a morbid fascination with F1 drivers who were killed chasing the ultimate dream. I have a special fascination with Wolfgang von Trips, Mike Hawthorn, and Peter Collins. The two British F1 drivers in this picture set in 1958 would both be dead within months. Collins within weeks. None would live to see the sixties decade. Hawthorn would win the 1958 F1 Championship but would retire from the sport because he had seen too many of his friends perish. Peter Collins, his Ferrari teammate in the picture, would not see the season out. 

Mike Hawthorn would take the F1 trophy of 1958 and retire from the dangerous sport. He had survived the many dangerous races of the 1950s circuits. In January of 1959 just months after quitting the sport, he would be killed in a car crash on a British motorway, having a reckless bit of fun racing a pal in his jaguar. What an ironic shame. 

This picture by Alan Fearnley captures two F1 heroes at their best moments with the ominous future so close. I'm tempted to buy one of these prints. I'll frame it and put it over my sofa in the living room.

Motorsport Art by Alan Fearnley, Silverstone Friday http://bit.ly/1WSNuQz Collins & Hawthorn 1958