Horace Gould

Horace Gould (1921-1968) was a British racing driver from Bristol who was active during the 1950s, recording fourteen starts in the Formula 1 World Championship and also some significant appearances in sports car races.

Because of a similarity with the famous Argentine driver Jose Froilan Gonzalez, who was a chubby man, Horace Gould had been called the 'Gonzalez of the West Country'.

Horace Gould in a Maserati 250F

Starting a career in sports car races in 1952

Born as Horace Harry Twigg in September 1921, he changed his name to Gould after acquiring Gould's Garage in Bristol. Many people were asking him if he was Mr. Gould so he decided to change a name. Horace started his racing career in 1952, by driving an MG TA in sports car competitions.

In 1953, he raced in a Cooper T21 in sports car races but also made a debut in open-wheel racing, participating at Goodwood Trophy and finishing sixth.

Formula One World Championship debut in 1954

Under the banner of Gould's Garage, Horace made his Formula 1 World Championship debut in July 1954, driving the #28 Cooper T23-Bristol in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He was 20th on the starting grid and stayed in the race for 44 laps, being classified in the fifteenth place.

Earlier that year, Gould participated in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore Circuit as one of just four European drivers there, finishing in the fourth place. The highlight of the year was Gould's victory in the F1 non-championship race at Castle Combe circuit in August, where he won Joe Fry Memorial Trophy in a Cooper-Bristol.

Switching to Maserati F1 car in 1955

In 1955, Gould expanded his F1 schedule to three races, switching to Maserati 250F which he bought from Prince Bira. He was driving for his own team in the Dutch Grand Prix and British Grand Prix, recording DNFs in both races.

In September, he was driving factory-entered #38 Maserati at Monza, not finishing the Italian Grand Prix due to a mid-race suspension failure.

Horace Gould in the #18 Maserati at1956 Monaco Grand Prix

Fifth place at 1956 British Grand Prix for championship points

In 1956, Gould expanded his schedule again, recording four starts in F1 Championship Grand Prix races with Maserati. In May, he reached the finish line for the first time in the Championship race, finishing eighth at Monaco Grand Prix.

An even better result followed in July at Silverstone when Gould finished fifth in the British Grand Prix, four laps behind race winner Juan Manuel Fangio (Ferrari). Gould earned two championship points which placed him to 19th place at the end of the season.

In June 1956, Gould also scored one victory in the F1 non-championship race at Aintree Circuit.

Five starts in the 1957 Formula 1 Championship season

In 1957, Gould expanded his racing activities, even more, recording five starts in the Formula One World Championship but also participating in top-level of sports car racing.

In Formula 1, he recorded four DNFs in a Maserati 250F at Monaco Grand Prix, French Grand Prix, German Grand Prix and Pescara Grand Prix, in an early phase of the race in all four occasions. His fifth start was in the Italian Grand Prix and he finally reached the finish line, in the tenth place, nine laps behind winner Stirling Moss.

Horace Gould raced mostly as a privateer with his own team

Fifth place at Nurburgring 1000 in a Maserati 300S

Earlier that year, in May, Gould was a partner to Stirling Moss in the #4 Maserati 300S at Nurburgring 1000 Kilometers, a part of the World Sportscar Championship. They finished fifth and earned some points. Their co-drivers were Francisco Godia-Sales and Juan Manuel Fangio.

In June 1957, Gould has been listed as Maserati factory driver at 24 Hours of Le Mans but he didn't participate in the race.

Ending a racing career in 1960

In 1958, Gould continued to race in a Maserati 250F in Formula Libre and Formula 1 race, recording two entries in the World Championship. In January 1958, he finished ninth among ten drivers in the Argentine Grand Prix at Autodromo Municipal Ciudad de Buenos Aires. It was his last F1 Championship races as he failed to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix later that year.

His last appearance in the F1 Championship was in the Italian Grand Prix in September 1960 when he came to Monza but didn't drive his Maserati because of mechanical problems. That appearance also marked the end of his career.

Gould's last F1 race was the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix in the #12 Maserati

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