DRIVER RNGWe currently lack driver bids from
Brabham,
Ferrari and
Reg Parnell, who have now all missed the deadline for this round of RNGs. That won't stop them getting drivers, it just means they'll be a little bit late to the party. So let's get going.
Bob Anderson1-100 - Already confirmed with DW. No cost.
62 - Anderson will drive for his own team. Jack Brabham1-100 - Already confirmed with Brabham. No cost.
10 - Brabham will drive for his own team. Dan Gurney1-100 - Already confirmed with Eagle. No cost.
30 - Gurney will drive for his own team. Bruce McLaren1-100 - Already confirmed with McLaren. No cost.
42 - McLaren will drive for his own team.That's the really easy ones out of the way. Now for the ones with but one offer... Phil Hill1-90 - The American signs up with Lotus for a huge £200,000 salary.
91-100 - The contract offer gets lost in the post and he doesn't get to sign it.
11 - Like any rational person, he jumps at the chance. Jackie Stewart1-95 - The young Briton jumps at the chance to be paid an eye-watering £350,000 to drive a Championship contender.
96-100 - Decides to wait and see if Brabham or Ferrari make a better offer, unlikely as it seems.
42 - Lotus replace one super-fast Scot with another. Mike Spence1-90 - Takes up the offer of a drive with Anglo-American Racers for the welcome sum of £80,000.
91-100 - Doesn't like the idea of a team based so far from home.
43 - Signs on the dotted line of freedom. Jim Clark1-85 - Controversially spurned by Lotus, Clark cannot wait to try to beat them.
86-100 - Chooses to hope for an offer from Ferrari or Brabham.
75 - After long consideration, Clark signs up to drive for the Japanese manufacturer.Now for our first real contest, a man who will prove very influential in the driver market. Jochen Rindt1-65 - He is flattered by the salary offered by BRM, as well as the car they have built.
66-90 - Cooper may pay less, but they have won Championships in the past.
91-100 - Tempted by the allure of Ferrari and Brabham.
1 - Signs immediately for BRM. Pedro Rodriguez1-75 - He is delighted to take up the chance to drive for Cooper.
76-100 - He is apprehensive about the demands of a full Formula One season.
30 - It is only a shame his younger brother isn't around to partner him. Denny Hulme1-55 - He is pleased to join Rob Walker Racing for a tidy little sum.
56-80 - Wishes to join Rodriguez at the prestigious Cooper team.
81-100 - Prefers to devote most of his time to endurance races and the Tasman Series.
25 - Hulme becomes the first driver to sign for Rob Walker. Peter Arundell1-80 - Accepts a generous offer to become Jochen Rindt's team-mate.
81-100 - Decides to retire after a disastrous 1966 with Lotus.
92 - After careful consideration, Arundell says goodbye to the Formula 1 circus. Chris Amon1-75 - Takes on the well-paid second seat at BRM.
76-90 - Decides to wait on the possibility of a Rob Walker seat.
91-100 - Perhaps Brabham or Ferrari want to offer something...?
73 - There was some major panicking at BRM, but Amon finally decided not to wait for Rob Walker. Mike Parkes1-60 - Takes up Rob Walker's offer of a drive.
61-90 - Doesn't feel that he could ever leave Ferrari.
91-100 - Opts to go out on a high after a brace of second places last year.
49 - Parkes will join Denny Hulme in driving for Rob Walker. Jo Siffert1-80 - After years of funding his own Grand Prix exploits, Siffert moves to a more conventional team.
81-100 - He doesn't want to be tied down to one team.
23 - As you might expect, Siffert takes the £30,000 on offer. Guy Ligier1-60 - Takes the opportunity to drive for Matra in his home Grands Prix.
61-100 - Baulks at the meagre salary on offer.
54 - He tries to haggle upwards, but the price is the price. Mauro Bianchi1-70 - Bianchi takes the rather meagre salary on offer from Cooper.
71-100 - He decides to stay in Formula Two, where apparently a Macau Grand Prix winner makes more money.
5 - The Belgian grabs the chance of a full-time F1 drive. Trevor Taylor1-60 - Decides to take on the part-time schedule with McLaren whilst still participating in other categories.
61-100 - Taylor prefers to race at the front end of F5000.
24 - We will be seeing him occasionally in a year-old McLaren, Harry Stiller1-65 - Accepts BRM's offer. After all, it's F1 racing.
66-100 - Tells the press that British National Champions deserve better pay than a mere £5,000.
65 - After trying his damnedest and twice dialling a journalist but not getting through, he signs up for the European races.Of course, Brabham, Ferrari and Parnell have yet to pick their drivers.
There are still several good ones available out there, including World Champions such as Graham Hill and John Surtees.