1961 Formula One Season

1961 FIA Formula One World Championship
Previous	1960
Next	1962
1961 World Champion, Phil Hill
Season Information
Number of races	8
Season opener	Monaco Grand Prix
Season finale	United States Grand Prix
Tyre suppliers	D
Drivers' World Championship
Champion	Phil Hill 34 points
Runner-Up	Wolfgang von Trips 33 points
3rd	Stirling Moss 21 points
Constructors' World Championship
Champion	Ferrari 40 points
Runner-Up	Lotus-Climax 32 points
3rd	Porsche 22 points

The 1961 Formula One World Championship was the twelfth edition of the FIA Formula One Championship, held from the 14th of May to the 8th of October. Eight races were held over the season, although there were numerous other non-Championship races held as Grand Prix throughout the season.

1961 proved to be one of the most tragic and triumphant years for Scuderia Ferrari, as they won the Constructors' Championship for the first time. Their driver Phil Hill also won the Drivers' Championship, although his victory was marred by the death of team mate and rival Wolfgang von Trips at the Italian Grand Prix, the day that both titles were secured.

Phil Hill became the first American World Champion.

The twelfth edition of the Championship was also the first to feature a maximum engine capacity of 1.5 litres, a development that benefited Ferrari above all others. Lotus built cars claimed three victories to the Ferrari's five, while engine manufacturer Climax attempted to counter the engine dominance of the Italians by releasing a V8 engine near then end of the season.

Several maiden victories were also achieved during the season, with von Trips and Giancarlo Baghetti collecting their first wins with Ferrari. Innes Ireland also added his name to the winners' list, with his victory at the US Grand Prix also the first for Team Lotus. Hill and Stirling Moss shared the other four race victories between themselves, with 1961 proving to be Moss' last F1 season after a heavy crash at the 1962 Glover Trophy before the 1962 season started.

Background

After being humiliated by Cooper and Climax during the final year of the 2.5 litre era of Formula One, Ferrari cut short their 1960 programme (missing the season ending United States Grand Prix) to focus on developing their new 1.5 litre V6 engine. Elsewhere, Team Lotus would release their latest project, the Lotus 21, although they would also run a development version of the Lotus 18. Cooper and BRM also released updated machinery, while Climax brought their familiar FPF engine, downscaled to 1.5 litres.

Elsewhere, Team Lotus allowed a single 21 to be run by Stirling Moss as a privateer entry with the R.R.C. Walker Racing Team, while a number of older spec cars were sold off to other teams. Cooper also unloaded a series of ex-factory cars, some of which were adapted to use Maserati engines, with the Italian manufacturer opting to continue in Formula One despite widespread belief that the smaller engine formula would prompt a move away. The other major manufacturer in the Championship were Porsche, who were also allowing a privateer team to use ex-factory machinery.

Teams and Drivers

Entry List

The full entry list for the 1961 Formula One Season is shown below, sorted by finishing position in 1960 Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers, then on race numbers at the earliest round that they competed:

Constructor	Chassis	Tyre	Driver	Rounds
Team	Engine
Cooper-Climax	T55 T58	D	Jack Brabham	All
Cooper Car Company	Climax FPF Climax FWMV		Bruce McLaren	All
Lotus-Climax	21	D	Innes Ireland	1, 3-8
Team Lotus	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Jim Clark	All
			Trevor Taylor	2
			Willy Mairesse	4
Ferrari	156	D	Richie Ginther	1-7
Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC	Ferrari 178 V6 1.5		Phil Hill	1-7
			Wolfgang von Trips	1-7
			Olivier Gendebien	3
			Giancarlo Baghetti	4-5
			Willy Mairesse	6
			Ricardo Rodríguez	7
BRM-Climax	P48/57	D	Graham Hill	All
Owen Racing Organisation	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Tony Brooks	All
Porsche	787 718	D	Jo Bonnier	All
Porsche System Engineering	Porsche 547/6 F4 1.5		Dan Gurney	All
			Hans Herrmann	1, 6
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Wolfgang Seidel	3, 5-7
Scuderia Colonia	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Michael May	1, 4, 6
Emeryson-Maserati Lotus-Climax Emeryson-Climax	61 18	D	Olivier Gendebien	1
Equipe Nationale Belge	Maserati Tipo 6 L4 1.5 Climax FPF L4 1.5		Lucien Bianchi	1, 3
			Willy Mairesse	3
			André Pilette	7
Cooper-Climax Lotus-Climax	T53 18	D	Masten Gregory	1-5
Camoradi International	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Ian Burgess	2-6
Lotus-Climax Ferguson-Climax	18 P99	D	Stirling Moss	All
R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Jack Fairman	5
Cooper-Climax	T53	D	John Surtees	All
Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Roy Salvadori	4-8
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Cliff Allison	1, 3
UDT Laystall Racing Team	Climax FPF L4 1.5		Henry Taylor	1, 3-5, 7
			Lucien Bianchi	4-5
			Juan Manuel Bordeu	4
			Masten Gregory	7-8
			Olivier Gendebien	8
Cooper-Maserati De Tomaso-OSCA	T53 F1	D	Maurice Trintignant	1, 3-4, 6-7
Scuderia Serenissima	Maserati Tipo 6 L4 1.5 OSCA 372 L4 1.5		Giorgio Scarlatti	4
			Nino Vaccarella	7
Porsche	718	D	Carel Godin de Beaufort	2-7
Ecurie Maarsbergen	Porsche 547/3 F4 1.5		Hans Herrmann	2
Cooper-Climax	T53	D	Jackie Lewis	3-7
H&L Motors	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Tony Marsh	3, 5-6
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Cooper-Maserati	T53	D	Lorenzo Bandini	3, 5-7
Scuderia Centro Sud	Maserati Tipo 6 L4 1.5		Massimo Natili	5, 7
Cooper-Climax	T53	D	Bernard Collomb	4, 6
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Tim Parnell	5, 7
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Gerry Ashmore	5-7
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Tony Maggs	5-6
Louise Bryden-Brown	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Gilby-Climax	61	D	Keith Greene	5
Gilby Engineering	Climax FPF L4 1.5
JBW-Climax	59	D	Brian Naylor	7
J.B. Naylor	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Cooper-Climax	T45	D	Jack Fairman	7
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
De Tomaso-OSCA	F1	D	Roberto Lippi	7
Scuderia Settecolli	OSCA 372 L4 1.5
De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo	F1	D	Roberto Bussinello	7
Isobele de Tomaso	Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5
Cooper-Maserati	T45	D	Renato Pirocchi	7
Pescara Racing Team	Maserati Tipo 6 L4 1.5
Lotus-Maserati	18	D	Gaetano Starrabba	7
Privateer	Maserati Tipo 6 L4 1.5
Cooper-Climax	T53	D	Hap Sharp	8
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Cooper-Climax	T53	D	Roger Penske	8
John M. Wyatt III	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18/21	D	Peter Ryan	8
J. Wheeler Autosport	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Jim Hall	8
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax	18	D	Lloyd Ruby	8
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5
Cooper-Climax	T53	D	Walt Hansgen	8
Privateer	Climax FPF L4 1.5

Calendar

1961 saw eight different venues host the World Championship, seven in Europe with the finale in America, while there were numerous non-Championship races held throughout the year using Formula One regulations. The World Championship rounds would be covered from the 14th of May until the 8th of October, while the non-Championship races were held when organisers were prepared to host them. 

World Championship Schedule

Seven Grand Prix were carried over from the previous season, although the Indianapolis 500, Argentine Grand Prix and the Portuguese Grand Prix were all dropped. The rest of the calendar would follow the schedule from 1960, with the German Grand Prix replacing the Portuguese race, while the United States Grand Prix was added just six weeks before the end of the season, as Watkins Glen became the third circuit to attempt to host the race.

The full World Championship Schedule for 1961 is outlined below:

Round	Grand Prix	Date

1	Monaco Grand Prix			14 May
		Official Title	XIX Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco
		Circuit	Circuit de Monaco
		Location	Monte-Carlo, Monaco
		Lap distance	3.145 km (1.954 mi)
		Race distance	314.5 km (195.421 mi)
		Date	14 May	Laps	100
		Local time	14:00 CEST	UTC	12:00

2	Dutch Grand Prix			22 May
	File:Zandvoort 1948.png	Official Title	IX Grote Prijs van Nederland
		Circuit	Zandvoort
		Location	Zandvoort, Netherlands
		Lap distance	4.193 km (2.605 mi)
		Race distance	314.475 km (195.406 mi)
		Date	22 May	Laps	75
		Local time	14:00 CEST	UTC	12:00

3	Belgian Grand Prix			18 June
		Official Title	XXI Grand Prix de Belgique
		Circuit	Spa-Francorchamps
		Location	Spa, Belgium
		Lap distance	14.100 km (8.761 mi)
		Race distance	423 km (262.840 mi)
		Date	18 June	Laps	30
		Local time	14:00 CEST	UTC	12:00

4	French Grand Prix			2 July
		Official Title	XLVII Grand Prix de l'ACF
		Circuit	Reims
		Location	Reims, France
		Lap distance	8.302 km (5.159 mi)
		Race distance	431.704 km (268.248 mi)
		Date	2 July	Laps	52
		Local time	14:00 CEST	UTC	12:00

5	British Grand Prix			15 July
		Official Title	XIV RAC British Grand Prix
		Circuit	Aintree
		Location	Aintree Circuit, Liverpool, England
		Lap distance	4.828 km (3.000 mi)
		Race distance	362.1 km (224.999 mi)
		Date	15 July	Laps	75
		Local time	14:00 BST	UTC	13:00

6	German Grand Prix			6 August
		Official Title	XXIII Grosser Preis von Deutschland
		Circuit	Nürburgring
		Location	Nürburg, West Germany
		Lap distance	22.810 km (14.173 mi)
		Race distance	342.15 km (212.602 mi)
		Date	6 August	Laps	15
		Local time	14:00 CEST	UTC	12:00

7	Italian Grand Prix			10 September
		Official Title	XXXII Gran Premio d'Italia
		Circuit	Monza
		Location	Monza, Italy
		Lap distance	10.000 km (6.214 mi)
		Race distance	430 km (267.190 mi)
		Date	10 September	Laps	43
		Local time	14:00 CEST	UTC	12:00

8	United States Grand Prix			8 October
		Official Title	IV United States Grand Prix
		Circuit	Watkins Glen
		Location	Watkins Glen, New York, USA
		Lap distance	3.701 km (2.300 mi)
		Race distance	370.1 km (229.969 mi)
		Date	8 October	Laps	100
		Local time	14:00 EDT	UTC	18:00

Non-Championship Races

In addition to the World Championship races, 21 independently organised Grand Prix were staged in 1961, all of which offered prize money to the winner. The non-Championship rounds also effectively extended the season from March until December, and added three races in South Africa to the calendar. Other countries to host non-Championship rounds included Denmark, Sweden and Austria, and would feature a range of privateers and Championship contenders.

Date	Event	Circuit	Report
26th March	II Lombank Trophy	Snetterton	Report
3rd April	IX Glover Trophy	Goodwood	Report
3rd April	XXI Pau Grand Prix	Pau	Report
9th April	III Brussels Grand Prix	Heysel	Report
16th April	II Vienna Grand Prix	Aspern Aerodrome	Report
22nd April	VI Aintree 200	Aintree	Report
25th April	XI Syracuse Grand Prix	Syracuse	Report
14th May	XIX Naples Grand Prix	Posillipo	Report
23rd May	IX London Trophy	Crystal Palace	Report
3rd June	VI Silver City Trophy	Brands Hatch	Report
23rd July	Solitude Grand Prix	Solutudering	Report
20th August	VII Kanonloppet	Karlskoga	Report
26th-27th August	II Danish Grand Prix	Roskilde Ring	Report
3rd September	XV Modena Grand Prix	Modena	Report
17th September	III Flugplatzrennen	Zeltweg Airfield	Report
23rd September	VIII Gold Cup	Oulton Park	Report
1st October	V Lewis-Evans Trophy	Brands Hatch	Report
12th October	I Coppa Italia	Vallelunga	Report
9th December	V Rand Grand Prix	Kyalami	Report
17th December	I Natal Grand Prix	Westmead	Report
26th December	VIII South African Grand Prix	East London	Report

In addition to the non-Championship races, a package of support series and other Championships in 1961 provided entertainment for the drivers through the season. Several, notably Graham Hill, Bruce McLaren and Roy Salvadori, would compete in the British Saloon Car Championship which supported many of the British non-Championship races.

Season Review

After ten years of Formula One racing, it was announced that the largely unpopular Indianapolis 500 round had been dropped from the calendar with the FIA arranging seven World Championship races for the new season. The United States Grand Prix was added as an eighth round just six weeks before it was actually staged, and would be the only race of the season not to be held in Europe.

Pre-season

The winter of 1960/1 saw all of the major engine builders involved in Formula One complete development of their engines in time for the launch of the new 1.5 litre regulations, with Ferrari immediately thought to have a 30 horsepower advantage. Climax had developed the closest engine to Ferrari's, although their biggest partner Cooper pushed for a more powerful version to be built to challenge the already formidable looking tifosi. Porsche were also back for the new season, with the German outfit joining Maserati with modified versions of their previous engines, simply reduced in capacity.

Round 1: 1961 Monaco Grand Prix

Although Stirling Moss did not have the newest product of Team Lotus, the Brit was in stunning form as he landed an early blow to the stunningly quick Ferrari 156s to claim pole position for the season opening Monaco Grand Prix in mid-May. Jim Clark would also start on the front row, the Scot in third for the opening race in the new Lotus 21, with the two Brits split by Ferrari lead driver Richie Ginther. Yet, the two Climax engined cars were to be beaten off the line, as Ginther shot past the pair to claim the lead of the race in the early stages, with Moss also briefly slipping behind Clark until the latter pulled into the pits with a fuel pump issue. With ten laps gone Moss was suddenly leading the race from Jo Bonnier, the two using a convenient back marker to both force their way past Ginther away from the cameras.

Moss' lead would ebb and flow over the rest of the race, with Bonnier ultimately dropping out of the race just after half distance with a fuel pump failure. That left the three Ferraris to try to work together to steal the win from Moss, with Ginther waved past Phil Hill in the closing stages to chase after the Brit. Yet, the older Lotus continued to pound round, despite carrying minor bodywork damage, and duly crossed the line three seconds ahead of Ginther to win the opening round with fastest lap.

Round 2: 1961 Dutch Grand Prix

Phil Hill would start the Dutch Grand Prix from pole position, a race which would only feature fifteen starters. He would lead an all scarlet front row, as Wolfgang von Trips and Richie Ginther shared the three abreast leading line, while Stirling Moss would remain a threat from fourth. A poor start for Hill, however, would see him surrender the lead off the line, as von Trips swept into Tarzan ahead of Ginther, while a fast starting Moss got caught out by the Zandvoort circuit's narrow layout and so had to remain in fourth until being passed by Jim Clark.

The race was dominated by von Trips, the West German pulling clear of Phil Hill as Ginther hit trouble and had to recover from fifth place, tussling with Dan Gurney and Moss for a time. Graham Hill was also having a strong race, running as high as third and challenging name sake Phil until a minor problem caused him to steadily fall through the field. That left Clark in third as the two Ferrari's swept across the line, von Trips claiming a maiden victory from Phil Hill in a race that would go down in history as the first Grand Prix to be completed without a retirement or a pitstop.

Round 3: 1961 Belgian Grand Prix

Another all Ferrari front row would open the third round of the 1961 Championship, with Phil Hill once again leading the way from pole. The Italian manufacturer had entered a fourth car for home hero Olivier Gendebien, the Belgian completing the front row ahead of John Surtees and Richie Ginther, Surtees the only non-Ferrari driver on the first two rows. Yet, despite a near lock out, the Ferrari quartet and Surtees were stunned off the line as Graham Hill swept into the lead from sixth, the BRM-Climax shooting ahead of Phil Hill into Eau Rouge. Yet, by the end of the lap Graham Hill had tumbled to sixth, Phil Hill was leading a Ferrari one-two-three-four and Gendebien was attempting take the lead from his temporary American team mate.

The heroics of the opening lap, however, were to be displaced by the Civil War in Ferrari, as all four of their cars led the race at one time or another, before a mistake by Gendebien dropped him back from his scarlet colleagues. Surtees tried in vein to keep with the quartet but slowly dropped back, while early charger Graham Hill would end up on the sidelines with an oil leak six laps from the end. That promoted Dan Gurney into the points, as Phil Hill won from Wolfgang von Trips by under a second, with Ginther and Gendebien a further twenty seconds back.

Round 4: 1961 French Grand Prix

A third pole position for Phil Hill in 1961 left the American racer as favourite for victory in France, with Ferrari once again entering a fourth car, this time for débutante Giancarlo Baghetti who found himself down in twelfth. It was an all scarlet front row once again too, and unlike in Belgium, the front three would pull away with the lead secure, Wolfgang von Trips jumping ahead of Phil Hill and Richie Ginther. The long straights of the Rheims circuit were an advantage to the more powerful Ferraris, and only the ever present Stirling Moss managed to stay with the scarlet cars, as John Surtees bunched up the rest of the field.

Ireland closing in on the back of Clark during the 1961 French Grand Prix.

The French Grand Prix provided an excellent demonstration of the power of slip streaming, with positions fifth to fifteenth running together for most of the race. Baghetti was one of those to take advantage of the effect, as the Ferrari 156s of his team mates suddenly showed vulnerabilities previously unseen. First to fall was von Trips, having just lost the lead to Hill, while Ginther fell a few laps from the end with an oil pressure issue. Moss should have inherited the lead when Hill then dropped down the field with a problem, but the Brit suffered a brake pipe failure at half distance, leaving Baghetti to take a début win, the first since Nino Farina. Dan Gurney and Jim Clark completed the podium, the latter having had to defeat Team Lotus team mate Innes Ireland in a race long battle.

Round 5: 1961 British Grand Prix

The weather of 1961 was proving to be something of a cliché in July, as the tarmac-melting heat of eastern France was replaced by a near washout over Aintree as the field gathered for the British Grand Prix. Phil Hill would once again start from pole position, despite hopes that the narrow circuit would hamper the dominant Ferrari 156 and its powerful engine. With the circuit resembling a river rather than a racing circuit, Phil Hill pulled smartly away from team mates Wolfgang von Trips and Richie Ginther, while Stirling Moss led the strong British presence in fourth, taking Jo Bonnier in his Porsche before the end of the first lap.

The race itself became a display of pure driving skill by many of the drivers, with a large battle rumbling over the final points paying positions, while Moss picked off the three Ferraris in front of him. It was while Moss was running in second behind von Trips that he displayed his deft touch on the steering wheel, as he turned a tank slapping slide into a perfect pirouette having hit a puddle, a puddle which would throw Lucien Bianchi off the circuit just moments later. Yet, as the clouds broke up and the sun emerged, Moss would retire with a brake failure, and despite a brief appearence in the experimental Ferguson P99, was out of the race, leaving von Trips to lead home another Ferrari clean sweep of the podium, Hill ahead of Ginther.

Round 6: 1961 German Grand Prix

Three quarters of the way through the season and Climax released their newest creation, the V8 FWMV engine designed to combat the impressive Ferrari 178 that had dominated the season so far. The new engine was bolted into Jack Brabham's Cooper T58, with the soon-to-be ex-World Champion immediately putting together his best performance of the season to claim second place on the grid, behind Phil Hill, the American claiming a fifth consecutive pole. Brabham's form continued into the opening stages of the race, as the Australian launched straight into the lead of the race, although his moment in the 1961 sun would be cut short at the end of the lap with a throttle failure.

F1 1961 - Nüburgring - Stirling Moss onboard

Moss shows sublime skills as he swings around the Nüburgring.

The German Grand Prix would see a masterful display from Stirling Moss in Brabham's place, with the Brit battling away with Hill at various times in the race. In the closing stages of the race Moss was able to pull over twenty seconds clear, leaving Wolfgang von Trips to reel in team mate Hill for second place, with von Trips establishing a four point lead over his American team mate by claiming the position. Jim Clark was another to impress with an immaculate performance, while John Surtees, Bruce McLaren and Richie Ginther battled for the final points, finishing in that order.

Round 7: 1961 Italian Grand Prix

Wolfgang von Trips qualified on pole for the race, but fate had another role to play for the German as the latest round of his title bout with team mate Phil Hill arrived in Monza. Heading into the banking to complete the second lap, von Trips drifted across the front of Jim Clark's car, causing the two to collide, throwing both into a slide. Clark was carried to the inside of the circuit unharmed, while von Trips' car smashed into the fencing on the outside of the banking, ejecting him as his car smashed into a spectators area. Fourteen spectators were killed by the errant Ferrari while von Trips met his demise when he hit the floor a few dozen metres away.

The race was not stopped, however, and Hill won the race, and the Championship for Ferrari, with the drivers only told of the accident after the race. Hill and his fellow podium finishers, Bruce McLaren and Dan Gurney were distraught, while Clark was visibly shaken by the accident, although it was not the Scot's fault in any way. With both titles secure, Ferrari opted to end their season in Monza, not travelling to the final race of the year.

Round 8: 1961 United States Grand Prix

Watkins Glen became the third host of the United States Grand Prix in as many years, but proved to be popular with teams and fans alike. Phil Hill attended the race, acting as Grand Marshal despite his hopes of racing in front of his home fans as World Champion, as the Glen saw a series of firsts. Team Lotus secured their first ever World Championship win, courtesy of maiden winner Innes Ireland, after a weekend where the Brit spun, damaged his gearbox and suffered a steering failure during practice, before nursing his car to the finish in the race.

The result, which saw Dan Gurney and Tony Brooks complete the podium, did little to affect the Championship as Hill was crowned World Champion. In doing so Hill became the first American based racer to take the Formula One crown, beating deceased team mate Wolfgang von Trips by a single point. The race also proved to be the last for Brooks and Stirling Moss, whom would be injured in a crash early in 1962, curtailling an exciting career before the Brit had secured the World Championship.

Final Standings

Formula One World Championship

Phil Hill duly became the first American driver to win the Formula One World Championship, defeating deceased team mate Wolfgang von Trips by a single point after three results were discarded. Stirling Moss ended the year in third, having led in almost every race, level on points with Dan Gurney. Richie Ginther ensured that there were three Americans in the top five of the Championship, a record for their nation, while the late season victory for Innes Ireland saw him finish as the best of the Team Lotus drivers.

Pos.	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Pts*
1st	Phil Hill	3rd	2nd	1st	9th	2nd	3rd	1st		34 (38)
2nd	Wolfgang von Trips	4th	1st	2nd	Ret	1st	2nd	Ret		33
3rd	Stirling Moss	1st	4th	8th	Ret	Ret	1st	Ret	Ret	21
4th	Dan Gurney	5th	10th	6th	2nd	7th	7th	2nd	2nd	21
5th	Richie Ginther	2nd	5th	3rd	15th	3rd	8th	Ret		16
6th	Innes Ireland	DNS		Ret	4th	10th	Ret	Ret	1st	12
7th	Jim Clark	10th	3rd	12th	3rd	Ret	4th	Ret	7th	11
8th	Bruce McLaren	6th	12th	Ret	5th	8th	6th	3rd	4th	11
9th	Giancarlo Baghetti				1st	Ret		Ret		9
10th	Tony Brooks	13th	9th	13th	Ret	9th	Ret	5th	3rd	6
11th	Jack Brabham	Ret	6th	Ret	Ret	4th	Ret	Ret	Ret	4
12th	John Surtees	11th	7th	5th	Ret	Ret	5th	Ret	Ret	4
13th	Jackie Lewis			9th	Ret	Ret	9th	4th		3
14th	Olivier Gendebien	DNQ		4th					11th	3
15th	Joakim Bonnier	12th	11th	7th	7th	5th	Ret	Ret	6th	3
16th	Graham Hill	Ret	8th	Ret	6th	Ret	Ret	Ret	5th	3
17th	Roy Salvadori				8th	6th	10th	6th	Ret	2
—	Maurice Trintignant	7th		Ret	13th		Ret	9th		0
—	Carel Godin de Beaufort		14th	11th	Ret	16th	14th	7th		0
—	Lorenzo Bandini			Ret		12th	Ret	8th		0
—	Cliff Allison	8th		DNS						0
—	Roger Penske								8th	0
—	Hans Herrmann	9th	15th				13th			0
—	Peter Ryan								9th	0
—	Masten Gregory	DNQ	DNS	10th	12th	11th		Ret	Ret	0
—	Henry Taylor	DNQ		DNS	10th	Ret		11th		0
—	Tim Parnell					Ret		10th		0
—	Hap Sharp								10th	0
—	Tony Maggs					13th	11th			0
—	Michael May	Ret			11th		DNS			0
—	Ian Burgess		DNS	DNS	14th	14th	12th			0
—	Renato Pirocchi							12th		0
—	Trevor Taylor		13th							0
—	Tony Marsh			DNS		Ret	15th			0
—	Keith Greene					15th				0
—	Gerry Ashmore					Ret	16th	Ret		0
—	Wolfgang Seidel			DNS		17th	Ret	Ret		0
—	Bernard Collomb				Ret		NC			0
—	Lucien Bianchi	DNQ		Ret	Ret	Ret				0
—	Willy Mairesse			Ret	Ret		Ret			0
—	Jack Fairman					DSQ		Ret		0
—	Giorgio Scarlatti				Ret					0
—	Massimo Natili					Ret				0
—	Ricardo Rodríguez							Ret		0
—	Gaetano Starrabba							Ret		0
—	Nino Vaccarella							Ret		0
—	Roberto Bussinello							Ret		0
—	Brian Naylor							Ret		0
—	Roberto Lippi							Ret		0
—	Jim Hall								Ret	0
—	Lloyd Ruby								Ret	0
—	Walt Hansgen								Ret	0
—	André Pilette							DNQ		0
Pos.	Driver									Pts
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

• *Only the best five finishes for each driver contributed to their points tally.

Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers

Ferrari completed the double in 1961, collecting the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers for the first time since its creation in 1958. Their victory, although in tragic circumstances, confirmed that the 1.5 litre era of Formula One was, in the early stages at least, to be dominated by the Italians, as they had one car or more on the podium in each race of the season they competed in. Team Lotus ended the season with a mix of factory and privateer efforts completing their tally, with the factory backed Porsche team making the top three for the first time.

Pos.	Constructor	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Pts*
1st	Ferrari	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st	2nd	1st	WD	40 (52)
2nd	Lotus-Climax	1st	3rd	8th	3rd	10th	1st	10th	1st	32
3rd	Porsche	5th	10th	6th	2nd	5th	7th	2nd	2nd	22 (23)
4th	Cooper-Climax	6th	6th	5th	5th	4th	5th	3rd	4th	14 (18)
5th	BRM-Climax	13th	8th	13th	6th	9th	Ret	5th	3rd	7
—	Cooper-Maserati	7th		Ret	13th	12th	Ret	8th		0
—	Gilby-Climax					15th				0
—	Ferguson-Climax					DSQ				0
—	De Tomaso-OSCA				Ret			Ret		0
—	Lotus-Maserati							Ret		0
—	De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo						WD	Ret		0
—	JBW-Climax				WD			Ret		0
—	Emeryson-Maserati	DNQ				WD		DNQ		0
Pos.	Constructor									Pts
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

• *Only the highest placed driver in each race for each Constructor contributed to their points tally.

References

Images:

References:

v·d·e

Nominate this page for Featured Article