Exhaustion!

This rather sad photograph was taken during the Monaco Grand Prix on May 29, 1960. Shown here is a truly exhausted Innes Ireland as he pushes his works Lotus 18 with its Climax 2.5 liter 4 cylinder motor up Ste. Devote hill and approaches the entry to Casino Square. Ireland was fresh off a win at Silvertsone two weeks before in the non-Championship International Trophy, 

At Monaco the Team Lotus cars were assigned to Ireland, Alan Stacey and John Surtees with an additional of what were in fact strengthened Formula Junior cars being entered for Stirling Moss by Rob Walker’s team. Moss had qualified on pole by a full second ahead of Jack Brabham’s Cooper-Climax. Ireland was the best qualifier among the works Lotus entries in seventh spot with both Stacy and Surtees down near the back of the 16 qualifying cars. A further nine entries, being slower, did not qualify and were told to pack up.

Ireland had been running eighth at half distance of this 100 lap event when his engine began mis-firing and conked out as he was going up the hill following the Ste. Dévote corner. Ireland tried to push his stricken Lotus back to the pits but first he had to get to the top of the hill and into Casino Square the entry to which is seen at the left. Once into the Square he could hop in the Lotus and roll downhill to the entry to the tunnel which would require more pushing before getting through the Chicane and on to what would become the pit straight. Ireland did not then know that his problem was a shorted out magneto wire. He was classified last of the finishers in ninth position.

While this was going on, the lead had been swapped between Moss, Jo Bonnier’s BRM P48 and Brabham, made more confusing by a heavy rain shower. Moss got the lead for good and survived for the win ahead of Bruce McLaren’s Cooper-Climax and Phil Hill’s Ferrari 246F1.

Photos by Louis Klemantaski ©The Klemantaski Collection – http://www.klemcoll.com

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Tags: grand prix photographs, Innes Ireland, klemcoll, Lotus, Monaco Grand Prix