Matt Bishop 🏳️🌈 🏁
@thebishf1.bsky.social
Diagonal Comms MD; Racing Pride founding ambassador; MotorSport columnist; podcaster; novelist; petrolhead; snooker buff; Londoner; historian; politico; LGBTQ+
“Simply lovely”? Well, simply brilliant, anyway. #F1 #LasVegasGP
November 23, 2025 at 8:13 AM
“Simply lovely”? Well, simply brilliant, anyway. #F1 #LasVegasGP
Jackie Pretorius, born #OnThisDay in ’34, raced 3 #F1 GPs in South Africa, in ’68, ’71 & ’73, making his F1 GP debut in a privateer Brabham BT11 fitted with a Climax straight-4. Later in ’68 he won 2 #SAF1 races in an #F5000 Lola (shown here at Kyalami in ’69), beating F1 cars.
November 22, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Jackie Pretorius, born #OnThisDay in ’34, raced 3 #F1 GPs in South Africa, in ’68, ’71 & ’73, making his F1 GP debut in a privateer Brabham BT11 fitted with a Climax straight-4. Later in ’68 he won 2 #SAF1 races in an #F5000 Lola (shown here at Kyalami in ’69), beating F1 cars.
Why not put yourself forward for the FIA presidency in 2029, Max? OK, I’m not serious, because I know you’re too rich to need to take on such an arduous role, but I agree with every word you’ve said about the future of #F1 here, & you’d be a lot better than the current president.
November 20, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Why not put yourself forward for the FIA presidency in 2029, Max? OK, I’m not serious, because I know you’re too rich to need to take on such an arduous role, but I agree with every word you’ve said about the future of #F1 here, & you’d be a lot better than the current president.
#OnThisDay in ’57 Stefan Bellof was born. He started only 20 #F1 GPs, & he won none, but he might have become an F1 world champion had he not been killed during the #Spa1000km race in ’85. Yes, he was that good.
November 20, 2025 at 10:26 AM
#OnThisDay in ’57 Stefan Bellof was born. He started only 20 #F1 GPs, & he won none, but he might have become an F1 world champion had he not been killed during the #Spa1000km race in ’85. Yes, he was that good.
Remembering Alan Brown, born #OnThisDay in 1919. He drove 8 GPs, finishing 5th on his GP debut (Bremgarten, ’52), becoming the first driver to score points in a Cooper: #AnorakFact. Pic: Bremgarten that sunny May day, leading Stirling Moss (HWM) & Toulo de Graffenried (Maserati).
November 20, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Remembering Alan Brown, born #OnThisDay in 1919. He drove 8 GPs, finishing 5th on his GP debut (Bremgarten, ’52), becoming the first driver to score points in a Cooper: #AnorakFact. Pic: Bremgarten that sunny May day, leading Stirling Moss (HWM) & Toulo de Graffenried (Maserati).
#HappyBirthday Philippe Adams, 56, who won the British #F3000 championship in ’93 & drove 2 #F1 GPs for Lotus in ’94 (pic: Lotus 109, Spa, ’94, DNF). Last I heard, he was working for Seat in Belgium.
November 19, 2025 at 8:31 AM
#HappyBirthday Philippe Adams, 56, who won the British #F3000 championship in ’93 & drove 2 #F1 GPs for Lotus in ’94 (pic: Lotus 109, Spa, ’94, DNF). Last I heard, he was working for Seat in Belgium.
#OnThisDay in 2012, in Austin, the inaugural #F1 GP there, & the first time a #USGP had been held since 2007, Lewis Hamilton (pic) brilliantly won a dramatic battle with Red Bull’s Seb Vettel, which made us McLaren boys & girls very happy. Nice pic taken by Dave Wilson.
November 18, 2025 at 7:34 AM
#OnThisDay in 2012, in Austin, the inaugural #F1 GP there, & the first time a #USGP had been held since 2007, Lewis Hamilton (pic) brilliantly won a dramatic battle with Red Bull’s Seb Vettel, which made us McLaren boys & girls very happy. Nice pic taken by Dave Wilson.
Remembering Nasif Estéfano, born #OnThisDay in ’32, who raced an old Maserati 250F to 14th in his home #F1 GP (Buenos Aires) in ’60 (pic) & DNQ’d a De Tomaso 801 at Monza in ’61; was Argentine #F3 champion in ’65 & ’66; then began to win prolifically in #TurismoCarretera.
November 18, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Remembering Nasif Estéfano, born #OnThisDay in ’32, who raced an old Maserati 250F to 14th in his home #F1 GP (Buenos Aires) in ’60 (pic) & DNQ’d a De Tomaso 801 at Monza in ’61; was Argentine #F3 champion in ’65 & ’66; then began to win prolifically in #TurismoCarretera.
Pic 1: Mark Selby won the #ChampionOfChampions yesterday, dressed like a #Darts player or even an #F1 driver (in team kit rather than race overalls). Pic 2: Selby in traditional #Snooker attire. Question: which look suits snooker better?
November 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Pic 1: Mark Selby won the #ChampionOfChampions yesterday, dressed like a #Darts player or even an #F1 driver (in team kit rather than race overalls). Pic 2: Selby in traditional #Snooker attire. Question: which look suits snooker better?
Since it’s #LasVegasGP week, my #MotorSport column will focus on a related #F1 theme, albeit with a historical twist. It’ll be published tomorrow (Tuesday). These 2 pics are a clue as to its subject matter…
November 17, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Since it’s #LasVegasGP week, my #MotorSport column will focus on a related #F1 theme, albeit with a historical twist. It’ll be published tomorrow (Tuesday). These 2 pics are a clue as to its subject matter…
#HappyBirthday Damien Magee, 80. A quick man & a race winner in the Shellsport Group 8 European Championship, he started just one #F1 GP, Anderstorp ’75 (pic), replacing Arturo Merzario at Williams & racing his outdated & ungainly Williams FW03 to 14th.
November 17, 2025 at 7:12 AM
#HappyBirthday Damien Magee, 80. A quick man & a race winner in the Shellsport Group 8 European Championship, he started just one #F1 GP, Anderstorp ’75 (pic), replacing Arturo Merzario at Williams & racing his outdated & ungainly Williams FW03 to 14th.
Remembering Chris Craft, born #OnThisDay in ’39. A touring car & sports car ace, he started one #F1 GP, Watkins Glen ’71, in a Brabham entered by Ecurie Evergreen (pic), run by friend & associate Alain de Cadanet, with whom he serially tackled Le Mans, their highlight 3rd in ’76.
November 17, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Remembering Chris Craft, born #OnThisDay in ’39. A touring car & sports car ace, he started one #F1 GP, Watkins Glen ’71, in a Brabham entered by Ecurie Evergreen (pic), run by friend & associate Alain de Cadanet, with whom he serially tackled Le Mans, their highlight 3rd in ’76.
#HappyBirthday Roberto Guerrero, 67, the first Colombian #F1 driver. A winner in #F3 & #F2, he started 21 F1 GPs in uncompetitive Ensigns (pictured here in ’82, at Hockenheim, where he scored his best F1 result, 8th) then he moved to #IndyCar (or #ChampCar) where he won races again.
November 16, 2025 at 8:58 AM
#OnThisDay in ’80, at Calder Park, Melbourne, local hero & new #F1 world champion Alan Jones won the non-championship #AusGP in a Williams FW07B (pic). Bruno Giacomelli was 2nd in an Alfa 179, & Didier Pironi was 3rd in an Elfin MR8 #F5000 car.
November 16, 2025 at 8:22 AM
#OnThisDay in ’80, at Calder Park, Melbourne, local hero & new #F1 world champion Alan Jones won the non-championship #AusGP in a Williams FW07B (pic). Bruno Giacomelli was 2nd in an Alfa 179, & Didier Pironi was 3rd in an Elfin MR8 #F5000 car.
#HappyBirthday Skip Barber, 89. The founder of the eponymous racing school & series, he had 6 goes at #F1 in a March 711, beginning at Monaco in ’71 (pic), where he DNQ’d because he never got a dry lap, & ending at Watkins Glen in ’72, finishing 16th. He was quick though.
November 16, 2025 at 8:04 AM
#HappyBirthday Skip Barber, 89. The founder of the eponymous racing school & series, he had 6 goes at #F1 in a March 711, beginning at Monaco in ’71 (pic), where he DNQ’d because he never got a dry lap, & ending at Watkins Glen in ’72, finishing 16th. He was quick though.
After a busy Saturday it’s time for me to curl up on the sofa at home to watch the 2nd #ChampionOfChampions #Snooker semi-final between world number-3 Neil Robertson (pic) & world number-11 Mark Selby. They’re both truly brilliant players. It’s live on ITV4 (UK) right now.
November 15, 2025 at 7:10 PM
After a busy Saturday it’s time for me to curl up on the sofa at home to watch the 2nd #ChampionOfChampions #Snooker semi-final between world number-3 Neil Robertson (pic) & world number-11 Mark Selby. They’re both truly brilliant players. It’s live on ITV4 (UK) right now.
Excellent #AusGP win #OnThisDay in ’87 by Berger, who, despite having a bad case of man flu, put his Ferrari F1/87 on the Adelaide pole, led all the way, & posted fastest lap into the bargain: his only #F1 grand chelem. Senna (Lotus) finished 2nd but was later disqualified.
November 15, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Excellent #AusGP win #OnThisDay in ’87 by Berger, who, despite having a bad case of man flu, put his Ferrari F1/87 on the Adelaide pole, led all the way, & posted fastest lap into the bargain: his only #F1 grand chelem. Senna (Lotus) finished 2nd but was later disqualified.
After a busy week it’s time for me to curl up on the sofa at home to watch the first #ChampionOfChampions #Snooker semi-final between the world number-one Judd Trump & the world champion Zhao Xintong (pic). They’re both fluent, attacking players. It’s live on ITV4 (UK) right now.
November 14, 2025 at 7:13 PM
After a busy week it’s time for me to curl up on the sofa at home to watch the first #ChampionOfChampions #Snooker semi-final between the world number-one Judd Trump & the world champion Zhao Xintong (pic). They’re both fluent, attacking players. It’s live on ITV4 (UK) right now.
#OnThisDay 15 years ago Seb Vettel won the #AbuDhabiGP & thereby became #F1 drivers’ world champion for the first time, the then youngest ever, at 23 years 134 days - #AnorakFact. Pic: 3 great guys on the podium, all of whom I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years.
November 14, 2025 at 7:47 AM
#OnThisDay 15 years ago Seb Vettel won the #AbuDhabiGP & thereby became #F1 drivers’ world champion for the first time, the then youngest ever, at 23 years 134 days - #AnorakFact. Pic: 3 great guys on the podium, all of whom I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years.
#HappyBirthday Eliseo Salazar, 71, the only Chilean #F1 driver - #AnorakFact. He also raced in #F3, #F3000, #IndyCar, #IMSA, sports cars, #Nascar trucks, rally, autocross, hillclimb & #GPMasters. Pic: RAM March, Long Beach, ’83.
November 14, 2025 at 7:27 AM
#HappyBirthday Eliseo Salazar, 71, the only Chilean #F1 driver - #AnorakFact. He also raced in #F3, #F3000, #IndyCar, #IMSA, sports cars, #Nascar trucks, rally, autocross, hillclimb & #GPMasters. Pic: RAM March, Long Beach, ’83.
#AnorakFact: Brett Lunger was one of 4 drivers who pulled Niki Lauda out of his burning Ferrari at Nürburgring in ’76. Pic: seconds before, Lauda leads 3 of them: Guy Edwards (Hesketh), Lunger (Surtees) & Harald Ertl (Hesketh). The 4th was Arturo Merzario (Wolf-Williams). (2/2)
November 14, 2025 at 7:08 AM
#AnorakFact: Brett Lunger was one of 4 drivers who pulled Niki Lauda out of his burning Ferrari at Nürburgring in ’76. Pic: seconds before, Lauda leads 3 of them: Guy Edwards (Hesketh), Lunger (Surtees) & Harald Ertl (Hesketh). The 4th was Arturo Merzario (Wolf-Williams). (2/2)
#HappyBirthday Brett Lunger, 80, best known as an #F1 driver but also a Vietnam War vet, a political science graduate of Princeton University, a journalist, an author & a pilot: quite the all-rounder. Cool helmet, too (dark metallic blue). (1/2)
November 14, 2025 at 7:08 AM
#HappyBirthday Brett Lunger, 80, best known as an #F1 driver but also a Vietnam War vet, a political science graduate of Princeton University, a journalist, an author & a pilot: quite the all-rounder. Cool helmet, too (dark metallic blue). (1/2)
#OnThisDay in 2011 Lewis Hamilton won the #AbuDhabiGP for McLaren, & when he left the team a year later he gave me the boots he wore to win that GP. They’re now in my study at home, along with a few other mementoes & a lot of books. Working with Lewis was an honour & a pleasure.
November 13, 2025 at 10:25 AM
#OnThisDay in 2011 Lewis Hamilton won the #AbuDhabiGP for McLaren, & when he left the team a year later he gave me the boots he wore to win that GP. They’re now in my study at home, along with a few other mementoes & a lot of books. Working with Lewis was an honour & a pleasure.