BOOKS
World titles and plates of sandwiches
A strapping new book on Tyrrell’s history shows what can be achieved within a homely set-up, says Gordon Cruickshank
You don’t get team photos like this any more. The Tyrrell family gathers before the
Italian GP at Monza in 1971, with Stewart and Cevert
A family affair. That was the atmosphere people always commented on after spending time with the original Tyrrell team. The eponymous Ken was a father figure, looking after ace drivers, new boys and dedicated mechanics alike, while his wife Norah was the warm centre of the outfit in the paddock. She even made sandwiches for everyone. Yet this compact unit won grands prix, a constructors’ title and three drivers’ championships with its self-built cars before being bought out and regenerating under a torrent of names. If you DNA-tested today’s Mercedes-AMG F1 team you’d find traces of the Tyrrell genes.