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Motor racing great Stirling Moss has died at the age of 90.<\/p>\nMotor racing great Stirling Moss has died at the age of 90.<\/p>\n
His wife Susie Moss told the PA news agency he died peacefully at his London home following a long illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one lap too many,\u201d she said. \u201cHe just closed his eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Moss famously never won the Formula One title, he was regarded as one of the greatest ever drivers as he survived and thrived in the sport\u2019s most dangerous era.<\/p>\n
Enzo Ferrari once called Moss the greatest driver in the world while five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio \u2013 who beat Moss to the title three times between 1955 and 1957 \u2013 called Moss the best of his era.<\/p>\n
Moss finished runner-up in the championships standings four times and finished third three times in a career during which he won 16 Grands Prix.<\/p>\n
In an age when racing drivers competed in several different disciplines alongside Formula One, Moss won a total of 212 of the 529 races he entered in his career.<\/p>\n
Born in London in 1929, Moss was the son of amateur racing driver Alfred and his wife Aileen.<\/p>\n
He began his career in 1948 behind the wheel of his father\u2019s car. In the early years of his Formula One career, he often struggled due to his machinery, preferring to drive British cars rather than their often superior foreign rivals.<\/p>\n
But his breakthrough came in a Mercedes as he took his first Formula One win in 1955 at the British Grand Prix at Aintree, becoming the first British winner of the event.<\/p>\n
It was the beginning of the best period of his career as he challenged for the title year after year, ultimately unsuccessfully.<\/p>\n
His sportsmanship cost him the title in 1958 when he defended the actions of rival Mike Hawthorne following a spin at the Portuguese Grand Prix, sparing Hawthorne a six-point penalty. Hawthorne went on to beat Moss to the title by a single point.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no hesitation in doing it,\u201d Moss recalled many years later. \u201cI can\u2019t see how this is open to debate. The fact that he was my only rival in the championship didn\u2019t come into my thinking. Absolutely not.\u201d<\/p>\n
A heavy crash at Goodwood in 1962 left Moss in a coma for a month, and partially paralysed for six months.<\/p>\n
Moss officially retired in the wake of that crash, though he would continue to take part in occasional events until 1981.<\/p>\n
He was knighted in the New Year Honors list in 2000 for services to motor racing.<\/p>\n
Moss was taken ill with a chest infection while on a cruise in Singapore just before Christmas 2016.<\/p>\n
He was transferred to a London hospital and finally to his Mayfair home.<\/p>\n
News of his death on Sunday brought tributes from the world of motorsport and beyond.<\/p>\n
His former team Mercedes tweeted: \u201cToday, the sporting world lost not only a true icon and a legend, but a gentleman. The Team and the Mercedes Motorsport family have lost a dear friend. Sir Stirling, we\u2019ll miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle said on Twitter: \u201cRIP Sir Stirling Moss. A mighty racer and gentleman. He had a press on style on the track and in life. Remarkable man. Survived the most dangerous era of motorsport and died today aged 90. He had such great stories to tell, and it was a privilege to know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnny Herbert added on his account: \u201cSad sad news that legend Sir Stirling Moss has passed. World Champion in all our eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n