Race and classic pictures

A roll of the drum in F1 for ABBA's Slim Borgudd

When Slim Borgudd, who was born on this day 76 years ago, made his F1 debut with the ATS team at the 1981 San Marino GP his credentials as a racing driver weren't exactly his biggest claim to fame.

Rather the Swede was referred to as ABBA's former drummer, albeit as a session musician who had performed mainly in the recording studio with the famous pop group.

The underfunded Borgudd (seen hereabove with ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus) had learned his trade in F3 from 1976 to 1979, winning the Swedish title in his final year before graduating rather surprisingly to F1 in 1981 with ATS

Perhaps he was a better drummer than driver, but Borgudd held his own on occasion during his ten Grand Prix appearances in '81 and '82, and even finished sixth in his second race at Silverstone!

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.