L. G. Hornsted

Born in Moscow as the son of the British consul, this racing driver also represented Benz & Cie. in Britain. His name is primarily associated with the Brooklands race track. It was on the high-speed track south of London that Hornsted achieved his greatest successes. For example, on 14 January 1914 he set best performances in the half mile and the kilometre. A week earlier, all his driving skills were needed when a tyre on his dark blue Benz 200 hp, a modified "Blitzen-Benz", blew out at 190 km/h and he managed to get the out-of-control car back under control and to a standstill without sustaining any damage.

On 24 June 1914, Hornsted competed again and set a new world record mark of 199.71 km/h over one mile with a flying start – the first to be counted as the average of outward and return journeys and thus comply with the new regulations of the motorsport organisation AIACR. His absolute top speed of 206.25 km/h achieved in the process not only represented a new class best, but also the highest speed ever achieved at Brooklands up to that point.