A fun moment before darkness. Here on the quayside at Monte Carlo in 1955, Ascari is saying something which has certainly amused Mike Hawthorn and myself, while French photo-journalist Bernard Cahier (left) is in on the joke – as usual. Ascari would be poised to take the lead in the 1955 Monaco GP once my works Mercedes uncharacteristically faltered, but his Lancia’s brakes grabbed and toppled him into the harbour instead. He swam ashore with just a broken nose but just five days later would be killed testing a sports Ferrari at Monza. We genuinely mourned his loss.