Remembering the man who conquered F1's most thrilling win

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Peter Gethin, the man who secured perhaps the most thrilling win ever witnessed in Grand Prix racing, was born in Surrey on this day in 1940.

Gethin raced for three full seasons in Formula 1 between 1970 and 1972, but the Briton's big moment came with the Yardley-BRM team at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix., a race engraved in the sport's history books as the closest finish of all time.

It took place after a monster slipstream battle around Monza's Royal Park, where five drivers were still in contention for victory as they came out of the Parabolica for the final time.

In the closing stages of the race, five drivers were left up front - March's Ronnie Peterson, Tyrrell's Francois Cevert, Surtees' Mike Hailwood, and BRM's Howden Ganley and Peter Gethin - frantically swapping the lead amongst themselves, observing each other's moves, strengths and weaknesses.

And each knew that in a slipstreaming race at Monza, if you were leading at Lesmo on the ultimate round you would almost certainly be passed before the finishing line.

On the very last entry into the Parabolica, Gethin lunged to the inside of Cevert and Peterson, and exited inches ahead of both for the mad dash sprint to the line.

His Yardley-BRM got there first, by 0.010 secs!

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.