Around 2000 people came to Westminster Abbey to remember Stirling Moss. The guests included drivers from different racing categories, family, friends, and fans who were lucky enough to get tickets. Even famous people like F1 team boss Christian Horner and comedian Rowan Atkinson were there.
The ceremony was to honor Moss, who died in April 2020. The Duke of Kent represented the King, and Prince Michael of Kent was also there. Juan Manuel Fangio’s son came from Argentina to represent his family.
This ceremony was the first chance to remember Moss’s life properly after he passed away during the Covid pandemic lockdown. Jackie Stewart, Moss’s long-time friend, spoke at the ceremony.
He shared a story about how Moss always signed his full name for autographs, which Stewart respected and did himself. Stewart also told a funny story about getting stopped for speeding in Hyde Park, where a policeman joked, “Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?”
Others who spoke at the ceremony included former Autosport editor Simon Taylor, the Duke of Richmond, and sportscar legend Derek Bell. Moss’s son, Stirling Elliot Moss, read a part of a letter from his father. The letter talked about achieving things and being ready to pay the price.
After the service, the bells rang at Westminster Abbey, and guests got to see some of Moss’s famous cars. One of them was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, which won the Mille Miglia race with the number ‘722’. Moss won 16 grands prix during his F1 career but never won the championship. He finished second four times and third three times. His career ended after an accident in 1962, which left him in a coma for a month. Though he recovered fully, he felt his driving skills were not the same, so he didn’t return to racing.
