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The 1963 Formula One season was the fourteenth edition of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged between the 26th of May and the 28th of December. The World Championship began in Monaco for the XXI Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco in late May, before coming to a complete conclusion at the 1963 South African Grand Prix at the end of the year.

First blood of the new season went to defending Champion Graham Hill, who had also tasted success at a couple of the non-Championship races earlier in the season.[1] Yet, the next four World Championship races would go to the Englishman's great rival Jim Clark, with the Scot's dominant displays in Zandvoort and Reims meant he became only the second man to take two Grand Chelems in a row in F1 history.[2]

1963 quickly proved to be the Scot's season, although he was to be denied victory at the 1963 German Grand Prix by John Surtees who earned his maiden Grand Prix victory.[3] Yet that result only managed to delay the inevitable, with Clark claiming the Championship with victory at the 1963 Italian Grand Prix, a result which also confirmed Team Lotus as the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers Champions.[4]

After Hill claimed a second victory of the season at the 1963 United States Grand Prix, Clark claimed maximum points with victory at the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, the first World Championship race to be held in Central America.[5] A sixth victory of the season meant the Scot equalled Juan Manuel Fangio's record for wins in a season, while the dominant display also ensured that Clark levelled Alberto Ascari for most Grand Chelems in a single season.

The latter record was denied to Clark by Dan Gurney at the season ending South African Grand Prix, but the American could not deny the Scot a record seventh victory.[6] It was one of the most dominant displays in Championship history, with the Scot also adding five non-Championship triumphs to his C.V. in the process. Hill beat Richie Ginther to second, while Surtees, the only other man to beat Clark all season, ended the season in fourth.

Away from the incredible dominance of Clark, the 1963 Season was filled with on track action and exciting battles between the drivers. It was also a season without fatalities, a rarity in Formula One's earliest years, but did see Willy Mairesse's Grand Prix career ended in a spectacular accident at the Nürburgring.[3]

Background[]

Teams and Drivers[]

Entry List[]

The full entry list for the 1963 Formula One Season is shown below:

Constructor Chassis Tyre Driver Rounds
Team Engine
Brabham-Climax
Lotus-Climax
BT3
BT7
25
D Australia Jack Brabham All
United Kingdom Brabham Racing Organisation Climax FWMV V8 1.5 United States Dan Gurney All
BRM P57
P61
D United States Richie Ginther All
United Kingdom Owen Racing Organisation BRM P56 V8 1.5
BRM P60 V8 1.5
United Kingdom Graham Hill All
Cooper-Climax T66 D South Africa Tony Maggs All
United Kingdom Cooper Car Company Climax FWMV V8 1.5 New Zealand Bruce McLaren All
Lotus-Climax 25 D United Kingdom Jim Clark All
United Kingdom Team Lotus Climax FWMV V8 1.5 United Kingdom Trevor Taylor 1–6, 8–10
United Kingdom Peter Arundell 4
United Kingdom Mike Spence 7
Mexico Pedro Rodríguez 8–9
Cooper-Climax T60
T66
D Sweden Jo Bonnier All
United Kingdom R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Climax FWMV V8 1.5
BRP-BRM
Lotus-BRM
Mk1
24
D United States Jim Hall 1–9
United Kingdom British Racing Partnership BRM P56 V8 1.5 United Kingdom Innes Ireland 1–7
Lola-Climax
Lotus-BRM
Lotus-Climax
Mk4A
24
D New Zealand Chris Amon 1–7, 9
United Kingdom Reg Parnell Racing BRM P56 V8 1.5
Climax FWMV V8 1.5
France Maurice Trintignant 1, 4
Belgium Lucien Bianchi 2
United Kingdom Mike Hailwood 5, 7
United States Masten Gregory 5, 8–9
United States Rodger Ward 8
United States Hap Sharp 8–9
Ferrari 156 D United Kingdom John Surtees All
Italy Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 178 V6 1.5 Belgium Willy Mairesse 1–2, 6
Italy Ludovico Scarfiotti 3–4
Italy Lorenzo Bandini 7–10
Lotus-Climax 24 D France Bernard Collomb 1, 6
France Privateer Climax FWMV V8 1.5
Lotus-BRM 24 D Switzerland Jo Siffert 1–9
Switzerland Privateer BRM P56 V8 1.5
Scirocco-BRM SP D United States Tony Settember 2, 4–7
United Kingdom Scirocco Racing Cars BRM P56 V8 1.5 United Kingdom Ian Burgess 5–6
ATS 100 D Italy Giancarlo Baghetti 2–3, 7–9
Italy Automobili Turismo e Sport ATS 100 V8 1.5 United States Phil Hill 2–3, 7–9
Porsche 718 D Netherlands Carel Godin de Beaufort 2–3, 5–10
Netherlands Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche 547/3 F4 1.5
Porsche 547/6 F4 1.5
West Germany Gerhard Mitter 3, 6
Lotus-BRM 24 D United States Phil Hill 4
Switzerland Ecurie Filipinetti BRM P56 V8 1.5
BRM
Cooper-Climax
Cooper-Maserati
P57
T53
T60
D Italy Lorenzo Bandini 4–6
Italy Scuderia Centro Sud BRM P56 V8 1.5
Climax FWMV V8 1.5
Maserati 6-1500 L4 1.5
Portugal Mário de Araújo Cabral 6–7
Italy Ernesto Brambilla 7
France Maurice Trintignant 7
Mexico Moisés Solana 9
Lola-Climax
Lotus-BRM
Lotus-Climax
Mk4A
18/21
24
D United States Masten Gregory 4, 7
United Kingdom Privateer BRM P56 V8 1.5
Climax FPF L4 1.5
Climax FWMV V8 1.5
United Kingdom John Campbell-Jones 5
United Kingdom Tim Parnell 6
Belgium André Pilette 6
Lola-Climax Mk4A D United Kingdom Bob Anderson 5, 7
United Kingdom DW Racing Enterprises Climax FWMV V8 1.5
Gilby-BRM 62 D United Kingdom Ian Raby 5–7
United Kingdom Privateer BRM P56 V8 1.5
Lotus-Borgward 18 D West Germany Kurt Kuhnke 6
West Germany Privateer Borgward 1500 RS L4 1.5
De Tomaso-Ferrari F1 D Italy Roberto Lippi 7
Italy Scuderia Settecolli Ferrari 178 V6 1.5
Lotus-Climax 18/21 D Belgium André Pilette 7
Belgium Privateer Climax FPF L4 1.5
Stebro-Ford Mk IV D Canada Peter Broeker 8
Canada Canadian Stebro Racing Ford 109E L4 1.5
Cooper-Climax T51 D United States Frank Dochnal 9
United States Privateer Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-Climax 21 D South Africa Ernie Pieterse 10
South Africa Lawson Organisation Climax FPF L4 1.5
Lotus-BRM 24 D South Africa Paddy Driver 10
South Africa Selby Auto Spares BRM P56 V8 1.5
Alfa Special-Alfa Romeo
LDS-Alfa Romeo
Special
Mk1
D South Africa Peter de Klerk 10
South Africa Otelle Nucci Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5 South Africa Doug Serrurier 10
Cooper-Climax T55 D Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland John Love 10
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Privateer Climax FPF L4 1.5
LDS-Alfa Romeo Mk1 D Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Sam Tingle 10
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Privateer Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5
Lotus-Ford 22 D South Africa Brausch Niemann 10
South Africa Ted Lanfear Ford 109E L4 1.5
Brabham-Ford BT6 D United Kingdom David Purley 10
United Kingdom Privateer Ford 109E L4 1.5
Cooper-Maserati T51 D South Africa Trevor Blokdyk 10
South Africa Scuderia Lupini Maserati 6-1500 L4 1.5

Calendar[]

A ten race calendar was released by the FIA for the 1963 Championship, with fourteen additional non-Championship races. As ever, the majority of the races were staged in Europe, including seven of the World Championship races, while a fair number of the entrants at each round would be from their home countries. Starting money was to be awarded at the discretion of the race organisers, whom would also be responsible for support programmes such as Formula Junior or the British Saloon Car Championship.

World Championship Schedule[]

The World Championship of 1963 was set to kick off in Monaco for the popular Monaco Grand Prix on the 26th of May. Spa-Francorchamps was next up before the Dutch Grand Prix, with the French Grand Prix completing a busy month of racing in June. The British, German and Italian Grand Prix would then complete the European phase of the season with a month between each race, before the cars were shipped over the Atlantic.

After visiting the popular Watkins Glen circuit for the United States Grand Prix, the World Championship would break new ground in Mexico, as the Magdalena Mixhuca hosted the second Mexican Grand Prix. There would then be a two month break as the cars were shipped over to South Africa, where the field would contest a number of non-Championship rounds before ending the season on the 28th of December with the South African Grand Prix.

The full World Championship Schedule for 1963 is outlined below:

Round Grand Prix Date
1 Monaco Monaco Grand Prix 26 May
CircuitdeMonaco1950
Official Title XXI Grand Prix de Monaco
Circuit Circuit de Monaco
Location Monaco Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Lap distance 3.145 km (1.954 mi)
Race distance 314.5 km (195.421 mi)
Date 26 May Laps 100
Local time 14:00 CEST UTC 12:00
2 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix 9 June
Spa 1950
Official Title XXIII Grand Prix de Belgique
Circuit Spa-Francorchamps
Location Belgium Spa, Belgium
Lap distance 14.120 km (8.774 mi)
Race distance 451.84 km (280.760 mi)
Date 9 June Laps 32
Local time 14:00 CEST UTC 12:00
3 Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix 23 June
CircuitZandvoort1980
Official Title XI Grote Prijs van Nederland
Circuit Zandvoort
Location Netherlands Zandvoort, Netherlands
Lap distance 4.193 km (2.605 mi)
Race distance 335.44 km (208.433 mi)
Date 23 June Laps 80
Local time 14:00 CEST UTC 12:00
4 France French Grand Prix 30 June
Circuit-Reims-1954
Official Title XLIX Grand Prix de l'ACF
Circuit Reims-Gueux
Location France Reims, Champagne, France
Lap distance 8.302 km (5.159 mi)
Race distance 440.006 km (273.407 mi)
Date 30 June Laps 53
Local time 14:00 CEST UTC 12:00
5 United Kingdom British Grand Prix 20 July
Silverstone1952
Official Title XVI RAC British Grand Prix
Circuit Silverstone
Location United Kingdom Silverstone, Northamptonshire, England
Lap distance 4.711 km (2.927 mi)
Race distance 386.302 km (240.037 mi)
Date 20 July Laps 82
Local time 14:00 BST UTC 13:00
6 West Germany German Grand Prix 4 August
Nürburgring 1927
Official Title XXV Grosser Preis von Deutschland
Circuit Nürburgring
Location West Germany Nürburg, West Germany
Lap distance 22.810 km (14.173 mi)
Race distance 342.15 km (212.602 mi)
Date 4 August Laps 15
Local time 14:00 CEST UTC 12:00
7 Italy Italian Grand Prix 8 September
Monza 1957
Official Title XXXIV Gran Premio d'Italia
Circuit Monza
Location Italy Monza, Italy
Lap distance 5.750 km (3.573 mi)
Race distance 494.5 km (307.268 mi)
Date 8 September Laps 86
Local time 14:00 CEST UTC 12:00
8 United States United States Grand Prix 6 October
Watkins Glen 1956
Official Title VI United States Grand Prix
Circuit Watkins Glen
Location United States Watkins Glen, New York, USA
Lap distance 3.701 km (2.300 mi)
Race distance 407.11 km (252.966 mi)
Date 6 October Laps 110
Local time 14:00 EDT UTC 18:00
9 Mexico Mexican Grand Prix 27 October
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez 1963
Official Title II Gran Premio de Mexico
Circuit Magdalena Mixhuca Circuit
Location Mexico Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City, Mexico
Lap distance 5.000 km (3.107 mi)
Race distance 325 km (201.946 mi)
Date 27 October Laps 65
Local time 14:30 CDT UTC 08:30
10 South Africa South African Grand Prix 28 December
Prince George Circuit 1959
Official Title X South African Grand Prix
Circuit Prince George Circuit
Location South Africa East London, South Africa
Lap distance 3.920 km (2.436 mi)
Race distance 333.2 km (207.041 mi)
Date 28 December Laps 85
Local time 15:00 SAST UTC 13:00

Non-Championship Races[]

In support of the 1963 World Championship would be fourteen races run to Formula One spec-regulations, all of which were designated as Grand Prix. As ever, these rounds allowed other countries to host a Grand Prix, with Sweden and Austria adding their names to the countries being visited in 1963. Almost half of the races were also held before the World Championship started, many of them staged in the United Kingdom.

The full Non-Championship Race Schedule for 1963 is outlined below:

Date Event Circuit Report
30th March United Kingdom IV Lombank Trophy Snetterton Report
15th April France XXIII Pau Grand Prix Pau Report
15th April United Kingdom XI Glover Trophy Goodwood Report
21st April Italy IV Gran Premio Citta di Imola Imola Report
25th April Italy XIV Gran Premio di Siracusa Syracuse Report
27th April United Kingdom VIII BARC Aintree 200 Aintree Report
12th May United Kingdom XVI BRDC International Trophy Silverstone Report
19th May Italy XV Gran Premio di Roma Vallelunga Report
28th July West Germany XIII Solitude Grand Prix Solitudering Report
11th August Sweden IX Kanonloppet Karlskoga Report
18th August Italy II Mediterranean Grand Prix Enna-Pergusa Report
1st September Austria I Austrian Grand Prix Zeltweg Report
21st September United Kingdom X International Gold Cup Oulton Park Report
14th December South Africa VI Rand Grand Prix Kyalami Report

Most of the drivers would also be allowed by their teams to race in other categories, most notably the Ferrari due of John Surtees and Willy Mairesse whom would be partnered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Graham Hill, meanwhile, would take part in the British Saloon Car Championship throughout the season, the Englishman ending the season the top three of that Championship, while several future stars were able to display their skills in the Formula Junior series.

Season Review[]

Pre-season[]

With the Lotus 25 proving to be the best car at the end of the 1962 season due to its "monocoque" design, which added strength and stability without adding weight, most of the winter was spent by the major teams in designing something to reliably challenge the green and gold machine. The British Racing Partnership outfit were to first to respond, their new creation the BRP Mk1 only just missing out on a debut at the season opening race, while BRM and Ferrari worked hard to complete their creations before the end of the season. With Lola Cars taking a step back, and Bowmaker ending their sponsorship deal, Reg Parnell Racing became a privateer but continued to field the impressive Lola Mk4 for the new season.

The majority of the pre-season non-Championship races were held in either Britain or Italy, and six of the eight battles went to drivers using Team Lotus built machinery. Jim Clark claimed the honours three times before the end of May, while Innes Ireland and Jo Siffert both battled to victory once in their privately entered cars. BRM had two wins courtesy of defending Champion Graham Hill, while Bob Anderson shocked a few people by hussling his Lola-Climax to victory in the XV Gran Premio di Roma.

Round 1: 1963 Monaco Grand Prix[]

An impressive entry list was submitted to the FIA for the season opening Monaco Grand Prix, with ATS, a team formed by former members of Ferrari after a purge by Enzo Ferrari, hoping to display their talents for the first time.[1] Yet, the man of the moment in qualifying proved to be Jim Clark, the Scot dancing his Lotus 25 round Monte Carlo at record pace to claim pole position.[1] Graham Hill, Ferrari new-boy John Surtees and Richie Ginther were the only drivers within a second of the Scot, with Hill in second place still three quarters of a second back.[1]

It was the first race to start on the "in-land" side of the circuit, with Sainte Devote replacing the Gasworks Hairpin as the first corner.[1] The change, due to a new pit complex, also meant that the grid lined up two-by-two, with the even side of the grid making better starts.[1] Therefore, it was Hill leading from Ginther off the line, Clark having thrown a cloud of smoke into the air as he set off into third with Surtees in fourth.[1] Yet, the Scot was not be overcome by a poor start, and he was soon past Ginther and attacking Hill for the lead, although the Lotus' Climax engine simply lacked the brute force of the BRM.[1]

Clark finally muscled his way past Hill after getting a good exit from the Gasworks Hairpin and forcing the Englishman wide in the run to Sainte Devote.[1] He was soon setting lap records as Hill fell away with a small oil leak, before the Lotus' major weakeness, reliability, finally played its hand.[1] With a quarter of the race to go, the Z.F. gearbox threw the car into a spin when Clark began to ease the car into gear rather than flick through as normal, and it was that spin that put the Lotus into the wall.[1] Hill inherited the lead to win on the opening round of his title defence, Ginther completing a surprise one-two for BRM, while Bruce McLaren survived a wave of retirements to put the new Cooper-Climax on the podium.[1]

Round 2: 1963 Belgian Grand Prix[]

Graham Hill had taken pole during qualifying, although he was powerless to prevent Jim Clark from taking the lead in the wet conditions as the Scot got a perfect launch.[7] Hill would challenge Clark for the lead in the opening stages, with the pair disappearing from the rest of the field at an incredible rate, as the track began to dry ever so slightly despite the heavy clouds over the circuit.[7] An almighty scrap for third ran behind for a long time, but the brawl allowed Hill and Clark to dance even further ahead.[7]

At just after half distance a storm swept across the circuit, causing chaos and delays for many while Clark pulled clear from Hill.[7] As it happened, the Scot was to run alone from that moment on, for Hill suffered a gearbox failure and was out of the race with Clark now a lap ahead of everyone bar those in a battle for second.[7] Bruce McLaren emerged from that group with a few laps to go, and was the only one to escape Clark's scything run to lap the field.[7] Ultimately, the Scot won from the New Zealander by almost five minutes with Dan Gurney completing the podium for Brabham-Climax.[7]

Round 3: 1963 Dutch Grand Prix[]

Dutch Grand Prix 1963 II

Jim Clark was largely alone for the race, the Scot's dominant pace meaning this was as close as Graham Hill got.

Having claimed pole during the combined practice/qualifying sessions, Jim Clark sprinted away from the grid to claim an early lead as his major rival Graham Hill battled for second.[8] Hill ended up getting stuck behind Jack Brabham when the Australian elbowed his way past, before both ran into mechanical issues.[8] Clark continued to dance his Lotus 25 around Zandvoort in the meantime, setting a new lap record with a quarter of the race still to go with Hill retiring just a few laps later with an engine failure.[8]

The down fall of Hill and Brabham promoted John Surtees and Dan Gurney onto the podium, with the two duelling for second place for the rest of the race.[8] The soon had the race leader in sight, with Clark coming charging past to lap them in the closing stages to complete an utterly dominant display.[8] Gurney came home second from Surtees after a mistake by the Englishman let the American through, with the remaining points heading to Innes Ireland, Richie Ginther and Ludovico Scarfiotti.[8]

Round 4: 1963 French Grand Prix[]

Many FIA rules were broken during the weekend, including the rule about having a clear weekend between Championship Grand Prix.[2] Furthermore, a red flag was used to signal the start, although Jim Clark immediately swept into the lead from pole position.[2] There was also controversy on the grid when Graham Hill stalled, with the usual procedure abandoned and the BRM allowed to be restarted and wheeled back into position.[2]

Despite having his biggest rival get a break in the rules in their favour, Clark produced a second dominant display in a week.[2] The Scot had virtually won the race by the end of lap one, dancing the Lotus 25 round the circuit without issue.[2] It was a second Grand Chelem in as many races when the Scot took the chequered flag, having taken fastest lap and led throughout for over two hours.[2] Tony Maggs and Hill completed the podium.

Round 5: 1963 British Grand Prix[]

Having qualified on pole for the XVI RAC British Grand Prix, Scottish racer Clark had the rare experience of being beaten off the line, with Dan Gurney and Jack Brabham sweeping ahead.[9] In front of a huge home crowd, Clark muscled the Team Lotus machine to the lead of the race on lap four, before Brabham retired from third with an engine failure.[9]

The Scot gradually pulled away at the front of the field ahead of Gurney, while the crowds were entertained by a British brawl for third, with Graham Hill defending from John Surtees.[9] This soon became a battle for second once Gurney dropped out with an engine failure like his team mate, before Surtees snatched the position away from Hill on the last lap, the latter running out of fuel on the run to the line.[9] Clark led home a British one-two-three to secure his fourth win in a row and extend his Championship lead.[9]

Round 6: 1963 German Grand Prix[]

As ever, the Scot with the green-gold Lotus 25 seemed to be in imperious form once again, Jim Clark taking pole by a little under a second from John Surtees with a new circuit record.[3] Clark immediately swept into the lead of the race at the start, but by the end of the lap his engine was misfiring, allowing Richie Ginther and Surtees to surge past.[3] Once Ginther dropped back with a gearbox issue, the Englishman and the Scot were left to duel for the lead, the misfire in the Climax only appearing intermittent.[3]

As they battled, Willy Mairesse came charging through the Flugplatz, got airborne and clipped a ditch, sending the Ferrari into a barrel roll into the trees.[3] A shattered arm resulted from the accident for Mairesse, although a wheel was torn lose from the car and hit Red Cross volunteer Günther Schneider as he stood by the side of the circuit.[3] Sadly, the young German was killed by the impact, although his fate was not known until well after the race.[3] There was also another scary accident involving Bruce McLaren, whose Cooper-Climax suffered a steering failure through the very same corner and disappeared into the trees leaving the New Zealander unconscious, although he would suffer no long term injuries.[3]

Eventually, Clark's issue became too severe for him to drive around, meaning he slipped away from Surtees in the closing stages.[3] Ergo, the Englishman was able to cruise home to a maiden win from the Scot, who claimed second in a race for the first (and ultimately only) time in his career.[3] Ginther completed the podium after fighting back from his gearbox problem, while Gerhard Mitter and Jim Hall claimed the first career points, with Jo Bonnier rounding out the scorers.[3]

Round 7: 1963 Italian Grand Prix[]

Jim Clark arrived in Italy having been beaten in Germany, but it still came as a surprise when the Scot was beaten to pole by John Surtees for Ferrari.[4] Off the line, Clark had beaten Surtees off the line and battled with Graham Hill for the lead into Curva Grande, but by the end of the lap Hill led from Surtees with Clark in third.[4]

On the fourth lap Surtees forced his way into the lead, with Clark also sneaking past his rival before he and Surtees pulled clear for a private dice for the win.[4] When Surtees retired on lap 17 Clark was well ahead, but he soon fell back into the clutches of Hill, who had Dan Gurney in close attendance.[4] They battled for the lead for over twenty laps before mechanical problems dropped Hill and Gurney down the order, leaving Clark on his own once again.[4]

The Scot eased his pace allowing Richie Ginther to unlap himself in the closing stages, but he remained unchallenged to collect his fifth win of the season.[4] The Scot was now just three points off of maximum points and with only three races to go Clark was duly crowned as the World Champion of 1963. Team Lotus were also crowned as the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers winners with the result.

Round 8: 1963 United States Grand Prix[]

With Jim Clark already declared as World Champion in Italy, few doubted that the Scot would win once again, but his weekend was made more difficult as now ex-Champion Graham Hill claimed pole.[10] The Scot's chances were further dampened when he suffered a battery failure on the grid, meaning he had to charge from the back of the field to catch early race leader Hill.[10]

As Clark climbed, the American fans were being entertained by an epic battle at the front, with John Surtees dragging Dan Gurney past the two BRMs early on.[10] The New Yorker would even lead the race at times while Hill's Californian team mate Richie Ginther also challenged for the lead at times, although mechanical issues would play their part.[10] Hill himself would fall victim to a suspension issue and drop from the lead group, only to be promoted as the others retired.[10]

Gurney was first to fall to the regret of the local fans, while Ginther fell away after getting caught behind Jack Brabham for a time.[10] Surtees was left with an ever increasing lead at the front of the field, but with only a quarter of the race to go, the scarlet Ferrari ground to a halt with an engine failure.[10] Hill was left to cruise round the circuit to take victory with Ginther thirty seconds pack.[10] Third went to an exhausted Clark after his race long charge from the back, although he was unable to finish on the lead lap.[10]

Round 9: 1963 Mexican Grand Prix[]

Mexican racer Moisés Solana broke motor racing tradition by using "unlucky" thirteen as his race number for the first ever Mexican Grand Prix to be held as part of the World Championship, yet there was to be no surprise when pole went to Jim Clark for the sixth time in 1963, a new record for the Championship.[5] It proved to be the Scot's weekend, with the Team Lotus driver untroubled throughout the race, while Jack Brabham thrilled the fans by climbing up from tenth.[5]

Solana ended up in eleventh despite his race ending prematurely with an engine failure, while Brabham completed a stunning performance to claim second in the closing stages.[5] His last victims were Richie Ginther and Graham Hill in the BRMs, while Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney completed the points.[5] Home hero Pedro Rodríguez, brother of Ricardo Rodríguez whom had died in the non-Championship I Mexican Grand Prix the year before, saw his race ruined with a suspension failure.[5]

Yet, no one could touch the green-gold Lotus at the front of the field, as Clark claimed fastest lap on his way to a sixth victory of the season.[5] That feat earned him a third Grand Chelem of the season and ensured that the Scot would end the season with a maximum score of 54 points.[5] The honours kept on coming, for that sixth win saw the Scot equal Juan Manuel Fangio's record of six wins in a season.[5]

Round 10: 1963 South African Grand Prix[]

Champion Jim Clark claimed pole in his search for a record seventh victory in 1963, although he would be beaten off the line by Jack Brabham after the Australian put together a perfect start.[6] Yet, by the end of the lap, both Clark and John Surtees had forced their way past the Brabham-Climax, with the two now scrapping for the lead.[6] Trevor Taylor also made a strong start in the second Team Lotus machine to run in fourth, battling with Brabham and Dan Gurney in the early stages.[6]

Clark was quick to drop Surtees, and soon the scarlet car would be harassed by the two Brabhams once they had dealt with Taylor.[6] Both Gurney and Brabham made their way past, although the latter would develop an engine problem and fall to the back of the field.[6] Surtees ran in third for a time before succumbing to an engine failure, promoting Graham Hill into third.[6]

Yet, at the very front of the field, Clark proved untouchable once again as he led every lap to set a new record of seven wins in a season.[6] Gurney claimed second and denied Clark a record equalling fifth Grand Chelem by setting the fastest lap, while Hill enjoyed a quiet race to third.[6] Bruce McLaren, Lorenzo Bandini and Jo Bonnier completed the scorers with only one major change in the Championship standings.[6]

Non-Championship Rounds[]

Final Standings[]

Unlike many Formula One campaigns, the 1963 season came to a conclusion at record pace, with the decisive race proving to be the 1963 Italian Grand Prix, the seventh round of the season. It was also a season of British dominance, with all ten race victories going to Britsh drivers, while the top three in the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers standings all built their challengers in the United Kingdom.

Formula One World Championship[]

A record seven victories throughout the season saw Jim Clark take his maiden Formula One crown, with a fifth victory in Italy securing the title with three races still to run. It was an incredible feat, the earliest that the title had ever been won, and the highest win ratio for a World Champion ever recorded with a win rate of 70%. Graham Hill ended his title defence in second, the Englishman actually being outscored by team mate Richie Ginther before dropped scores were applied before claiming second by virtue of his two wins. John Surtees was the only other man to defeat Clark on the track in 1963, but could only finish fourth.

Dan Gurney was an impressive fifth for the new Brabham-Climax outfit, ahead of Bruce McLaren and team mate Jack Brabham as the only other drivers in double figures. Tony Maggs was a lonely eighth ahead of Innes Ireland, whom missed a third of the season while recovering from his injuries sustained in a demonstration run late in the year. Seventeen different drivers managed to score in 1963, super Swiss Jo Siffert, Trevor Taylor and Ludovico Scarfiotti rounding out the table with a point apiece.

Pos. Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts*
Flag of Monaco Flag of Belgium Flag of the Netherlands Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Italy Flag of the United States Flag of Mexico 1934-1968 Flag of South Africa 1928-1994
1st Jim Clark 8th 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 1st 1st 54 (73)
2nd Graham Hill 1st Ret Ret 3rd 3rd Ret 16th 1st 4th 3rd 29
3rd Richie Ginther 2nd 4th 5th Ret 4th 3rd 2nd 2nd 3rd Ret 29 (34)
4th John Surtees 4th Ret 3rd Ret 2nd 1st Ret 9th DSQ Ret 22
5th Dan Gurney Ret 3rd 2nd 5th Ret Ret 14th Ret 6th 2nd 19
6th Bruce McLaren 3rd 2nd Ret 12th Ret Ret 3rd 11th Ret 4th 17
7th Jack Brabham 9th Ret Ret 4th Ret 7th 5th 4th 2nd 13th 14
8th Tony Maggs 5th 7th Ret 2nd 9th Ret 6th Ret Ret 7th 9
9th Innes Ireland Ret Ret 4th 9th Ret Ret 4th 6
10th Lorenzo Bandini 10th 5th Ret Ret 5th Ret 5th 6
11th Jo Bonnier 7th 5th 11th NC Ret 6th 7th 8th 5th 6th 6
12th Gerhard Mitter Ret 4th 3
13th Jim Hall Ret Ret 8th 11th 6th 5th 8th 10th 8th 3
14th Carel Godin de Beaufort 6th 9th 10th Ret DNQ 6th 10th 10th 2
15th Jo Siffert Ret Ret 7th 6th Ret 9th Ret Ret 9th 1
16th Trevor Taylor 6th Ret 10th 13th Ret 8th Ret Ret 8th 1
17th Ludovico Scarfiotti 6th DNS 1
Chris Amon DNS Ret Ret 7th 7th Ret DNS Ret 0
Hap Sharp Ret 7th 0
Peter Broeker 7th 0
Maurice Trintignant Ret 8th 9th 0
Mike Hailwood 8th 10th 0
Tony Settember 8th Ret Ret Ret DNQ 0
John Love 9th 0
Bernard Collomb DNQ 10th 0
Phil Hill Ret Ret NC 11th Ret Ret 0
Masten Gregory Ret 11th Ret Ret Ret 0
Moisés Solana 11th 0
Doug Serrurier 11th 0
Bob Anderson 12th 12th 0
Trevor Blokdyk 12th 0
John Campbell-Jones 13th 0
Mike Spence 13th 0
Brausch Niemann 14th 0
Giancarlo Baghetti Ret Ret 15th Ret Ret 0
Willy Mairesse Ret Ret Ret 0
Ian Burgess Ret Ret 0
Pedro Rodríguez Ret Ret 0
Ian Raby Ret DNQ DNQ 0
Lucien Bianchi Ret 0
Mário de Araújo Cabral Ret DNS 0
Rodger Ward Ret 0
Peter de Klerk Ret 0
Sam Tingle Ret 0
Ernie Pieterse Ret 0
David Prophet Ret 0
André Pilette DNQ DNQ 0
Tim Parnell DNQ 0
Kurt Kuhnke DNQ 0
Roberto Lippi DNQ 0
Ernesto Brambilla DNQ 0
Frank Dochnal DNS 0
Pos. Driver Flag of Monaco Flag of Belgium Flag of the Netherlands Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Italy Flag of the United States Flag of Mexico 1934-1968 Flag of South Africa 1928-1994
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts*
  • *Only a drivers' best five point scoring finishes counted towards their points total.
  • † Hill was allowed to keep his third place finish in France, but was denied the four World Championship points.

Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers[]

Like their driver Clark, Team Lotus enjoyed one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history to claim their maiden triumph in the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers. BRM claimed two one-twos throughout the season, but although their car may have been the best all round, it could not best the Lotus 25 when Clark was in form. Brabham-Climax were a surprise third in their first full season as they overhauled Ferrari at the season finale.

Cooper-Climax had a disappointing season to end the year in fifth, while BRP-BRM claimed sixth after Ireland's efforts with their new creation also taking one win in a non-Championship race. Porsche were on the board courtesy of the two ageing cars of Carel Godin de Beaufort and his privateer entry, while Lotus-BRM had points through the second British Racing Partnership effort and Siffert's private entry known as the "Siffert Special".

Pos. Constructor 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts*
Flag of Monaco Flag of Belgium Flag of the Netherlands Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Italy Flag of the United States Flag of Mexico 1934-1968 Flag of South Africa 1928-1994
1st Lotus-Climax 6th 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 1st 1st 54 (74)
2nd BRM 1st 4th 5th 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 3rd 3rd 36 (45)
3rd Brabham-Climax Ret 3rd 2nd 4th Ret 7th 5th 4th 2nd 2nd 28 (30)
4th Ferrari 4th Ret 3rd Ret 2nd 1st Ret 5th Ret 5th 26
5th Cooper-Climax 3rd 2nd 11th 2nd 9th 6th 3rd 8th 5th 4th 25 (26)
6th BRP-BRM Ret 4th 9th Ret 4th WD WD 6
7th Porsche 6th 9th 10th 4th DNQ 6th 10th 10th 5
8th Lotus-BRM Ret Ret 7th 6th 6th 5th 8th 10th 7th DNS 4
Lola-Climax Ret Ret Ret 7th 7th Ret 10th Ret Ret 0
Stebro-Ford 7th 0
Scirocco-BRM WD 8th WD Ret Ret Ret DNQ 0
ATS WD Ret Ret WD WD WD 11th Ret Ret 0
LDS-Alfa Romeo 11th 0
Cooper-Maserati DNQ 12th 0
Lotus-Ford 14th 0
Gilby-BRM Ret DNQ DNQ 0
Alfa Special-Alfa Romeo Ret 0
Lotus-Borgward DNQ 0
De Tomaso-Ferrari DNQ 0
Pos. Constructor Flag of Monaco Flag of Belgium Flag of the Netherlands Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Italy Flag of the United States Flag of Mexico 1934-1968 Flag of South Africa 1928-1994
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts*
  • *Only the best placed driver for each constructor at each round had their points contribute to the Intercontinental Cup. Of these, only the six best points finishes were counted.
  • † Hill was allowed to keep his third place finish in France, but was denied the four World Championship points.

References[]

Images and Videos:

References:

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 D.S.J., 'XXI Monaco Grand Prix', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/07/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1963/26/xxi-monaco-grand-prix, (Accessed 03/06/2016)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 D.S.J., '49th French Grand Prix: Clark and Lotus again', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/08/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1963/26/49th-french-grand-prix, (Accessed 04/06/2016)
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 D.S.J., 'The 25th German Grand Prix: A well-deserved win', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/09/2016), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1963/28/25th-german-grand-prix, (Accessed 07/06/2016)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 D.S.J., '34th Italian Grand Prix: Lotus-Climax win on reliability', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/10/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1963/40/34th-italian-grand-prix, (Accessed 09/06/2016)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 M.J.T., '11 Gran Premio de Mexico: An easy win for Clark', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/12/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1963/26/11-gran-premio-de-mexico, (Accessed 13/06/2016)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 M.J.T., '10th South African Grand Prix: Clark Wins Seventh World Championship Race', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/02/1964), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/february-1964/32/10th-south-african-grand-prix, (Accessed 14/06/2016)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 D.S.J., 'The XXII Belgian Grand Prix', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/07/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1963/11/xxii-belgian-grand-prix-lotus-all-way, (Accessed 03/06/2016)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 D.S.J., 'The Dutch Grand Prix: Clark, Lotus and Climax on their own', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/08/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1963/20/dutch-grand-prix, (Accessed 04/06/2016)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 D.S.J., 'XVI British Grand Prix: Clark (Lotus-Climax) uncatchable', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/08/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1963/14/xvi-british-grand-prix, (Accessed 05/06/2016)
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 M.J.T., 'Grand Prix of United States: B.R.M. first and second with the old cars.', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/11/1963), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/november-1963/29/grand-prix-united-states, (Accessed 10/06/2016)
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V T E Formula One Seasons
195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
V T E 1963 Formula One Season
Constructors Alfa Special • ATS • Brabham • BRM • BRP • Cooper • De Tomaso • Ferrari • Gilby • LDS • Lola • Lotus • Porsche • Scirocco • Stebro
Engines Alfa Romeo • ATS • Borgward • BRM • Climax • Ferrari • Ford • Maserati • Porsche
Drivers Amon • Anderson • Arundell • Baghetti • Bandini • de Beaufort • Bianchi • Blokdyk • Bonnier • Brabham • Brambilla • Broeker • Burgess • Cabral • Campbell-Jones • Clark • Collomb • Driver • Dochnal • Ginther • Gregory • Gurney • Hailwood • Hall • G. Hill • P. Hill • Ireland • de Klerk • Kuhnke • Lippi • Love • Maggs • Mairesse • McLaren • Mitter • Niemann • Parnell • Pieterse • Pilette • Prophet • Raby • P. Rodríguez • Scarfiotti • Serrurier • Settember • Sharp • Siffert • Solana • Spence • Surtees • T. Taylor • Tingle • Trintignant • Ward
Cars Alfa Special • ATS 100 • Brabham BT3 • Brabham BT6 • Brabham BT7 • BRM P57 • BRM P61 • BRP Mk1 • Cooper T51 • Cooper T53 • Cooper T55 • Cooper T60 • Cooper T66 • De Tomaso F1 • Ferrari 156 • Gilby 62 • LDS Mk 1 • Lola Mk4 • Lotus 18 • Lotus 18/21 • Lotus 21 • Lotus 22 • Lotus 24 • Lotus 25 • Porsche 718 • Scirocco SP • Stebro Mk IV
Tyres Dunlop
Races Monaco • Belgium • Netherlands • France • Britain • Germany • Italy • United States • Mexico • South Africa
Non-championship Races Lombank • Glover • Pau • Imola GP • Syracuse GP • Aintree 200 • International Trophy • Rome GP • Solitude GP • Kannonloppet • Mediterranean GP • Gold Cup • Austria • Rand GP
See also 1962 Formula One Season • 1964 Formula One Season • Category
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