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The first of the major seat changes had come at {{BRM-CON}}, where [[Richie Ginther]] had left the team to sign for the expanded {{Honda-CON}} effort (although the Japanese firm would miss the season opener).<ref name=MM></ref> In his place came [[Formula 3]] winner [[Jackie Stewart]], a promising young Scottish talent who slotted in alongside the experienced [[Graham Hill]].<ref name=MM></ref> The Scot, managed by [[Ken Tyrrell]], had had the opportunity to race in F1 during 1964 but had refused, meaning South Africa 1965 would be his debut.<ref name=MM></ref>
 
The first of the major seat changes had come at {{BRM-CON}}, where [[Richie Ginther]] had left the team to sign for the expanded {{Honda-CON}} effort (although the Japanese firm would miss the season opener).<ref name=MM></ref> In his place came [[Formula 3]] winner [[Jackie Stewart]], a promising young Scottish talent who slotted in alongside the experienced [[Graham Hill]].<ref name=MM></ref> The Scot, managed by [[Ken Tyrrell]], had had the opportunity to race in F1 during 1964 but had refused, meaning South Africa 1965 would be his debut.<ref name=MM></ref>
   
{{Brabham-Climax}}, in contrast, had not signed up any new drivers for their cars, as the impressive [[Dan Gurney]] partnered team owner [[Jack Brabham]] for a third consecutive season.<ref name=MM></ref> They, however, signed a contract with [[Goodyear]] as a tyre supplier, although Brabham himself still thought that the [[Dunlop]] tyres were better.<ref name=MM></ref> Last of the manufacturer entrants were {{Cooper-Climax}}, who had replaced the disappointing [[Phil Hill]] with Austrian youngster [[Jochen Rindt]], who would be number two to [[Bruce McLaren]].<ref name=MM></ref>
+
{{Brabham-Climax}}, in contrast, had not signed up any new drivers for their cars, as the impressive [[Dan Gurney]] partnered team owner [[Jack Brabham]] for a third consecutive season.<ref name=MM></ref> They, however, signed a contract with [[Goodyear]] as a tyre supplier, although Brabham himself still thought that the [[Dunlop Tyres|Dunlop]] tyres were better.<ref name=MM></ref> Last of the manufacturer entrants were {{Cooper-Climax}}, who had replaced the disappointing [[Phil Hill]] with Austrian youngster [[Jochen Rindt]], who would be number two to [[Bruce McLaren]].<ref name=MM></ref>
   
 
Into the privateer field and leading the charge were the [[RRC Walker Racing Team]], who had signed up [[Jo Siffert]] for the new season to partner the veteran [[Jo Bonnier]].<ref name=MM></ref> Both Walker and Siffert had sold equipment off to the new [[John Willment Automobiles]] team, which would run two Aussies in [[Frank Gardner]] and [[Paul Hawkins]], the former using an ex-Walker Brabham with an ex-Siffert BRM engine.<ref name=MM></ref> [[Reg Parnell Racing]] had only one car available in South Africa, signing up [[Tony Maggs]] for a blast around his home circuit, while [[Bob Anderson]] completed the invitational privateers with his [[DW Racing Enterprises]] entered {{Brabham-Climax}}.<ref name=MM></ref>
 
Into the privateer field and leading the charge were the [[RRC Walker Racing Team]], who had signed up [[Jo Siffert]] for the new season to partner the veteran [[Jo Bonnier]].<ref name=MM></ref> Both Walker and Siffert had sold equipment off to the new [[John Willment Automobiles]] team, which would run two Aussies in [[Frank Gardner]] and [[Paul Hawkins]], the former using an ex-Walker Brabham with an ex-Siffert BRM engine.<ref name=MM></ref> [[Reg Parnell Racing]] had only one car available in South Africa, signing up [[Tony Maggs]] for a blast around his home circuit, while [[Bob Anderson]] completed the invitational privateers with his [[DW Racing Enterprises]] entered {{Brabham-Climax}}.<ref name=MM></ref>
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!7
 
!7
 
|{{AUS}} [[Jack Brabham]]
 
|{{AUS}} [[Jack Brabham]]
|{{GBR}} [[Brabham Racing Organisation]]
+
|{{GBR}} [[Brabham|Brabham Racing Organisation]]
 
|{{Brabham-CON}}
 
|{{Brabham-CON}}
 
|[[Brabham BT11|BT11]]
 
|[[Brabham BT11|BT11]]
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!8
 
!8
 
|{{USA}} [[Dan Gurney]]
 
|{{USA}} [[Dan Gurney]]
|{{GBR}} [[Brabham Racing Organisation]]
+
|{{GBR}} [[Brabham|Brabham Racing Organisation]]
 
|{{Brabham-CON}}
 
|{{Brabham-CON}}
 
|[[Brabham BT11|BT11]]
 
|[[Brabham BT11|BT11]]
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|{{GBR}} [[Cooper Car Company]]
 
|{{GBR}} [[Cooper Car Company]]
 
|{{Cooper-CON}}
 
|{{Cooper-CON}}
|[[Cooper T77|T77]]
+
|[[Cooper T73|T73]]
 
|{{Climax-ENG}}
 
|{{Climax-ENG}}
 
|[[Climax FWMV|FWMV]] [[V8]] 1.5
 
|[[Climax FWMV|FWMV]] [[V8]] 1.5
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!17
 
!17
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[John Love]]
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[John Love]]
|{{RHO-1964}} [[John Love]]
+
|''{{RHO-1964}} Privateer''
 
|{{Cooper-CON}}
 
|{{Cooper-CON}}
 
|[[Cooper T55|T55]]
 
|[[Cooper T55|T55]]
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!19
 
!19
 
|{{GBR}} [[David Prophet]]
 
|{{GBR}} [[David Prophet]]
  +
|''{{GBR}} Privateer''
|{{GBR}} [[David Prophet|David Prophet Racing]]
 
 
|{{Brabham-CON}}
 
|{{Brabham-CON}}
 
|[[Brabham BT10|BT10]]
 
|[[Brabham BT10|BT10]]
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!24
 
!24
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Clive Puzey]]
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Clive Puzey]]
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Clive Puzey|Clive Puzey Motors]]
+
|''{{RHO-1964}} Privateer''
 
|{{Team Lotus-CON}}
 
|{{Team Lotus-CON}}
 
|[[Lotus 18|18/21]]
 
|[[Lotus 18|18/21]]
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!25
 
!25
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Sam Tingle]]
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Sam Tingle]]
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Sam Tingle]]
+
|''{{RHO-1964}} Privateer''
 
|{{LDS-CON}}
 
|{{LDS-CON}}
 
|[[LDS Mk1|Mk1]]
 
|[[LDS Mk1|Mk1]]
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!26
 
!26
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Ray Reed]]
 
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Ray Reed]]
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Ray Reed|Ray's Engineering]]
+
|{{RHO-1964}} [[Realpha|Ray's Engineering]]
 
|{{Realpha-CON}}
 
|{{Realpha-CON}}
|[[RE 1]]
+
|[[Realpha RE1|RE1]]
 
|{{Alfa Romeo-CON}}
 
|{{Alfa Romeo-CON}}
 
|[[Alfa Romeo Giulietta|Giulietta]] [[L4]] 1.5
 
|[[Alfa Romeo Giulietta|Giulietta]] [[L4]] 1.5
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!28
 
!28
 
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Trevor Blokdyk]]
 
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Trevor Blokdyk]]
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Trevor Blokdyk]]
+
|''{{RSA-1928}} Privateer''
 
|{{Cooper-CON}}
 
|{{Cooper-CON}}
 
|[[Cooper T59|T59]]
 
|[[Cooper T59|T59]]
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!29
 
!29
 
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Jackie Pretorius]]
 
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Jackie Pretorius]]
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Jackie Pretorius]]
+
|''{{RSA-1928}} Privateer''
 
|{{LDS-CON}}
 
|{{LDS-CON}}
 
|[[LDS Mk1|Mk1]]
 
|[[LDS Mk1|Mk1]]
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!30
 
!30
 
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Brian Raubenheimer]]
 
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Brian Raubenheimer]]
|{{RSA-1928}} [[Brian Raubenheimer]]
+
|''{{RSA-1928}} Privateer''
 
|{{Team Lotus-CON}}
 
|{{Team Lotus-CON}}
 
|[[Lotus 20|20]]
 
|[[Lotus 20|20]]
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After a preliminary qualifying session to reduce the entry list, which saw [[Dave Charlton]], [[Jackie Pretorius]] and [[Clive Puzey]] all fail to set a time under 1:37.0, joining the four withdrawals already announced.<ref name=MM></ref> The sixteen invited entries would qualify automatically for the race, meaning the rest of the nine privateers would have to fight for four further spots.<ref name=MM></ref> Three practice sessions were held over the course of the South African Grand Prix meeting running over Wednesday and Thursday, with the circuit record standing at 1:28.9 having been set in [[1963 South African Grand Prix|1963]] by [[Jim Clark]].<ref name=MM></ref>
 
After a preliminary qualifying session to reduce the entry list, which saw [[Dave Charlton]], [[Jackie Pretorius]] and [[Clive Puzey]] all fail to set a time under 1:37.0, joining the four withdrawals already announced.<ref name=MM></ref> The sixteen invited entries would qualify automatically for the race, meaning the rest of the nine privateers would have to fight for four further spots.<ref name=MM></ref> Three practice sessions were held over the course of the South African Grand Prix meeting running over Wednesday and Thursday, with the circuit record standing at 1:28.9 having been set in [[1963 South African Grand Prix|1963]] by [[Jim Clark]].<ref name=MM></ref>
 
===Report===
 
===Report===
Strong winds off the Indian Ocean, amid a bright and hot afternoon on Wednesday saw practice/qualifying kick off for the first race of the season, rookie [[Jackie Stewart]] roaring onto the circuit first.<ref name=MM></ref> He was soon joined by the class of the paddock on the circuit, with [[Dan Gurney]], [[John Surtees]] and [[Jim Clark]] all getting out in the Scot's wake.<ref name=MM></ref> Team mate [[Graham Hill]] was also an early runner, although he stopped after a few laps to have his [[Goodyear]] tyres changed for [[Dunlop]]s.<ref name=MM></ref>
+
Strong winds off the Indian Ocean, amid a bright and hot afternoon on Wednesday saw practice/qualifying kick off for the first race of the season, rookie [[Jackie Stewart]] roaring onto the circuit first.<ref name=MM></ref> He was soon joined by the class of the paddock on the circuit, with [[Dan Gurney]], [[John Surtees]] and [[Jim Clark]] all getting out in the Scot's wake.<ref name=MM></ref> Team mate [[Graham Hill]] was also an early runner, although he stopped after a few laps to have his [[Goodyear]] tyres changed for [[Dunlop Tyres|Dunlop]]s.<ref name=MM></ref>
   
 
After a slow start during the first hour, the times suddenly collapsed when Clark managed to set a time under 1:30.0, a time equalled by Surtees.<ref name=MM></ref> The two then became engaged in a tough fight for pole, the Scot landing the first blow before the Englishman responded a few moments later.<ref name=MM></ref> When Surtees disappear to try out the freshly arrived [[F12]] car he was some three tenths off of Clark, although the Scot would dip into the 1:27.0s before the end of the day.<ref name=MM></ref>
 
After a slow start during the first hour, the times suddenly collapsed when Clark managed to set a time under 1:30.0, a time equalled by Surtees.<ref name=MM></ref> The two then became engaged in a tough fight for pole, the Scot landing the first blow before the Englishman responded a few moments later.<ref name=MM></ref> When Surtees disappear to try out the freshly arrived [[F12]] car he was some three tenths off of Clark, although the Scot would dip into the 1:27.0s before the end of the day.<ref name=MM></ref>
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References: {{Reflist}}
 
References: {{Reflist}}
 
{{South African Grand Prix}}
 
{{South African Grand Prix}}
  +
{{1965}}
 
{{Wiki banner bottom}}
 
{{Wiki banner bottom}}
 
[[Category:Grand Prix articles]]
 
[[Category:Grand Prix articles]]

Revision as of 04:48, 4 June 2018

 The 1965 South African Grand Prix, officially known as the XI South African Grand Prix, was the opening round of the 1965 FIA Formula One World Championship, held at the Prince George Circuit in East London on the 1st of January.[1] The season opener for 1965 would be remembered as the debut of future World Champion Jackie Stewart, although it was his countryman Jim Clark that ultimately stole the show.[1]

The Team Lotus racer had been defeated in Mexico just five weeks previously, an engine failure on the final lap ruining his title hopes.[1] Yet, amid the New Years celebrations across the world, the Scot bounced back with a stunning pole position.[1] He would line up alongside defending Champion John Surtees on the front row of the grid.[1]

A strong start for Clark saw him catapult himself into the lead, although he was almost overshadowed by team mate Mike Spence as he launched himself into second.[1] The pair duly began to pull away together, the two Lotuses quickly escaping the clutches of third placed Surtees.[1] Dan Gurney, Graham Hill and Bruce McLaren were also running well just behind Surtees, although the actual on track action was few and far between.[1]

Clark's pace proved too much for his less experienced team mate, with Spence spinning on lap 43 to put himself right in the sights of Surtees.[1] The Champion began to wind up the pressure on the second Lotus over the following laps, and a second spin on lap 60 put Spence down in fourth behind Hill.[1] Clark, meanwhile, continued to pound on up front, and despite a brief scare when the officials waved the chequered flag a lap early, the Scot duly collected a record sixth Grand Chelem.[1]

Debutante Stewart would end his maiden Grand Prix in sixth, becoming one of the few drivers to score on their F1 debut.[1]

Background

A huge entry list was submitted for the first round of the 1965 Championship, with the organisers opting to stage the first round of the season rather than the final race of 1964.[2] This meant that the Prince George Circuit, sat on the east coast of South Africa along the edge of the Indian Ocean, would host the season opener of the 1st of January rather than on Christmas Day, which would have restricted the likely number of runners.[2] The race would follow the same format as had been used over previous seasons, with 85 laps scheduled for the first day of 1965.[2]

None of the teams had had time to build, test or otherwise run their 1965 equipment before the season opener, although with a new three litre formula set to be launched for 1966, most of these designs would be updates to current cars.[2] The only major changes would be in the driver ranks, although for World Champions Ferrari there would be no changes, as 1964 Drivers Champion John Surtees partnered Lorenzo Bandini once again.[2] Likewise, Team Lotus arrived in East London with an unchanged line-up, as Jim Clark and Mike Spence went to battle with their two 33s.[2]

The first of the major seat changes had come at BRM, where Richie Ginther had left the team to sign for the expanded Honda effort (although the Japanese firm would miss the season opener).[2] In his place came Formula 3 winner Jackie Stewart, a promising young Scottish talent who slotted in alongside the experienced Graham Hill.[2] The Scot, managed by Ken Tyrrell, had had the opportunity to race in F1 during 1964 but had refused, meaning South Africa 1965 would be his debut.[2]

Brabham-Climax, in contrast, had not signed up any new drivers for their cars, as the impressive Dan Gurney partnered team owner Jack Brabham for a third consecutive season.[2] They, however, signed a contract with Goodyear as a tyre supplier, although Brabham himself still thought that the Dunlop tyres were better.[2] Last of the manufacturer entrants were Cooper-Climax, who had replaced the disappointing Phil Hill with Austrian youngster Jochen Rindt, who would be number two to Bruce McLaren.[2]

Into the privateer field and leading the charge were the RRC Walker Racing Team, who had signed up Jo Siffert for the new season to partner the veteran Jo Bonnier.[2] Both Walker and Siffert had sold equipment off to the new John Willment Automobiles team, which would run two Aussies in Frank Gardner and Paul Hawkins, the former using an ex-Walker Brabham with an ex-Siffert BRM engine.[2] Reg Parnell Racing had only one car available in South Africa, signing up Tony Maggs for a blast around his home circuit, while Bob Anderson completed the invitational privateers with his DW Racing Enterprises entered Brabham-Climax.[2]

Then came the hoard of local racers from both South Africa and Rhodesia, all with either ex-F1 or otherwise Formula 2 equipment at their disposal.[2] The most recognisable names among them were Peter de Klerk and John Love, both of whom had raced in F1 before, with Love having been a Cooper factory driver in the BSCC.[2] Their inclusion swelled the entry list to 33, and a preliminary qualifying session was need to cull the numbers down before the weekend began.[2]

South Africa had also, rather intriguingly, produced a few F1 homologated chassis over the years, mostly using the Alfa Romeo Giulietta engine as a power source.[2] LDS had been seen a few times when F1 came to battle in the Southern tip of the African continent, while "Special" modified Alfa Romeo chassis were also a familiar sight.[2] One particularly interesting sight would also be the new Realpha RE1 designed and built by Ray Reed in Rhodesia, although the racer would be killed in a testing accident before the weekend began.[2]

Entry list

The full entry list for the 1965 South African Grand Prix is outlined below:

No. Driver Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Model Tyre
1 United Kingdom John Surtees Italy Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 158 Ferrari 205B V8 1.5 D
2 Italy Lorenzo Bandini Italy Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 1512 Ferrari 207 F12 1.5 D
3 United Kingdom Graham Hill United Kingdom Owen Racing Organisation BRM P261 BRM P60 V8 1.5 D
4 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart United Kingdom Owen Racing Organisation BRM P261 BRM P60 V8 1.5 D
5 United Kingdom Jim Clark United Kingdom Team Lotus Lotus 33 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 D
6 United Kingdom Mike Spence United Kingdom Team Lotus Lotus 33 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 D
7 Australia Jack Brabham United Kingdom Brabham Racing Organisation Brabham BT11 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 G
8 United States Dan Gurney United Kingdom Brabham Racing Organisation Brabham BT11 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 G
9 New Zealand Bruce McLaren United Kingdom Cooper Car Company Cooper T73 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 D
10 Austria Jochen Rindt United Kingdom Cooper Car Company Cooper T73 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 D
11 Sweden Jo Bonnier United Kingdom RRC Walker Racing Team Brabham BT7 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 D
12 Switzerland Jo Siffert United Kingdom RRC Walker Racing Team Brabham BT11 BRM P56 V8 1.5 D
14 United Kingdom Bob Anderson United Kingdom DW Racing Enterprises Brabham BT11 Climax FWMV V8 1.5 D
15 South Africa Tony Maggs United Kingdom Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25 BRM P56 V8 1.5 D
16 Australia Frank Gardner United Kingdom John Willment Automobiles Brabham BT11 BRM P56 V8 1.5 D
17 Rhodesia John Love Rhodesia Privateer Cooper T55 Climax FPF L4 1.5 D
18 Australia Paul Hawkins United Kingdom John Willment Automobiles Brabham BT10 Ford 109E L4 1.5 D
19 United Kingdom David Prophet United Kingdom Privateer Brabham BT10 Ford 109E L4 1.5 D
20 South Africa Peter de Klerk South Africa Otelle Nucci Alfa Romeo Special Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5 D
21 South Africa Doug Serrurier South Africa Otelle Nucci LDS Mk2 Climax FPF L4 1.5 D
22 South Africa Ernie Pieterse South Africa Lawson Organisation Lotus 21 Climax FPF L4 1.5 D
23 South Africa Neville Lederle South Africa Scuderia Scribante Lotus 21 Climax FPF L4 1.5 D
24 Rhodesia Clive Puzey Rhodesia Privateer Lotus 18/21 Climax FPF L4 1.5 D
25 Rhodesia Sam Tingle Rhodesia Privateer LDS Mk1 Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5 D
26 Rhodesia Ray Reed Rhodesia Ray's Engineering Realpha RE1 Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5 D
27 South Africa Brausch Niemann South Africa Ted Lanfear Lotus 22 Ford 109E L4 1.5 D
28 South Africa Trevor Blokdyk South Africa Privateer Cooper T59 Ford 109E L4 1.5 D
29 South Africa Jackie Pretorius South Africa Privateer LDS Mk1 Alfa Romeo Giulietta L4 1.5 D
30 South Africa Brian Raubenheimer South Africa Privateer Lotus 20 Ford 109E L4 1.5 D
31 South Africa David Clapham South Africa Lawson Organisation Cooper T51 Maserati 6-1500 L4 1.5 D
32 South Africa Dave Charlton South Africa Ecurie Tomahawk Lotus 20 Ford 109E L4 1.5 D
33 South Africa Alex Blignaut South Africa Team Valencia Cooper T55 Climax FPF L4 1.5 D
34 United Kingdom Richard Attwood United Kingdom Owen Racing Organisation BRM P61 BRM P56 V8 1.5 D
Source:[3]

Practice Overview

Qualifying

After a preliminary qualifying session to reduce the entry list, which saw Dave Charlton, Jackie Pretorius and Clive Puzey all fail to set a time under 1:37.0, joining the four withdrawals already announced.[2] The sixteen invited entries would qualify automatically for the race, meaning the rest of the nine privateers would have to fight for four further spots.[2] Three practice sessions were held over the course of the South African Grand Prix meeting running over Wednesday and Thursday, with the circuit record standing at 1:28.9 having been set in 1963 by Jim Clark.[2]

Report

Strong winds off the Indian Ocean, amid a bright and hot afternoon on Wednesday saw practice/qualifying kick off for the first race of the season, rookie Jackie Stewart roaring onto the circuit first.[2] He was soon joined by the class of the paddock on the circuit, with Dan Gurney, John Surtees and Jim Clark all getting out in the Scot's wake.[2] Team mate Graham Hill was also an early runner, although he stopped after a few laps to have his Goodyear tyres changed for Dunlops.[2]

After a slow start during the first hour, the times suddenly collapsed when Clark managed to set a time under 1:30.0, a time equalled by Surtees.[2] The two then became engaged in a tough fight for pole, the Scot landing the first blow before the Englishman responded a few moments later.[2] When Surtees disappear to try out the freshly arrived F12 car he was some three tenths off of Clark, although the Scot would dip into the 1:27.0s before the end of the day.[2]

At the end of the day, Clark was on provisional pole with Surtees a second back, with the next session scheduled for 6:00 am on Thursday.[2] Cooler temperatures, and lighter breezes, meant that times were expected to improve, and it was the Scot who managed to get the jump on everyone else, setting consistent times in the 1:27.0s within a few laps.[2] Although Surtees improved he could not breach the 1:28.0 barrier, while Clark thrashed out a strong lap to claim pole with a 1:27.2.[2]

An interesting afternoon session would sort the rest of the grid, with Jack Brabham getting third in the Dunlop shod Brabham, as opposed to team mate Gurney with the Goodyears down in ninth.[2] Best of the home contingent would be the automatically qualified Tony Maggs up in thirteenth, while Peter de Klerk led the qualifiers in seventeenth.[2] Rhodesians John Love and Sam Tingle would also get the chance to start the race, with Brit David Prophet, based in South Africa, also getting onto the starting grid.

Qualifying Results

The full qualifying results for the 1965 South African Grand Prix are outlined below:

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Time Gap
1 5 United Kingdom Jim Clark Lotus-Climax 1:27.2
2 1 United Kingdom John Surtees Ferrari 1:28.1 +0.9s
3 7 Australia Jack Brabham Brabham-Climax 1:28.3 +1.1s
4 6 United Kingdom Mike Spence Lotus-Climax 1:28.3 +1.1s
5 3 United Kingdom Graham Hill BRM 1:28.6 +1.4s
6 2 Italy Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 1:29.3 +2.1s
7 11 Sweden Jo Bonnier Brabham-Climax 1:29.3 +2.1s
8 9 New Zealand Bruce McLaren Cooper-Climax 1:29.4 +2.2s
9 8 United States Dan Gurney Brabham-Climax 1:29.5 +2.3s
10 10 Austria Jochen Rindt Cooper-Climax 1:30.4 +3.2s
11 4 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart BRM 1:30.5 +3.3s
12 14 United Kingdom Bob Anderson Brabham-Climax 1:31.0 +3.8s
13 15 South Africa Tony Maggs Lotus-BRM 1:31.3 +4.1s
14 12 Switzerland Jo Siffert Brabham-BRM 1:31.5 +4.3s
15 16 Australia Frank Gardner Brabham-BRM 1:32.3 +5.1s
16 18 Australia Paul Hawkins Brabham-Ford 1:33.1 +5.9s
17 20 South Africa Peter de Klerk Alfa Romeo 1:33.3 +6.1s
18 17 Rhodesia John Love Cooper-Climax 1:33.8 +6.6s
19 19 United Kingdom David Prophet Brabham-Ford 1:33.9 +6.7s
20 25 Rhodesia Sam Tingle LDS-Alfa Romeo 1:34.6 +7.4s
DNQ 28 South Africa Trevor Blokdyk Cooper-Ford 1:35.2 +8.0s
DNQ 23 South Africa Neville Lederle Lotus-Climax 1:35.2 +8.0s
DNQ 21 South Africa Doug Serrurier LDS-Climax 1:35.7 +8.5s
DNQ 27 South Africa Brausch Niemann Lotus-Ford 1:36.2 +9.0s
DNQ 22 South Africa Ernie Pieterse Lotus-Climax 1:37.9 +10.7s
DNPQ 24 Rhodesia Clive Puzey Lotus-Climax
DNPQ 29 South Africa Jackie Pretorius LDS-Alfa Romeo
DNPQ 32 South Africa Dave Charlton Lotus-Ford
WD 26 Rhodesia Ray Reed Realpha-Alfa Romeo Fatal accident
WD 30 South Africa Brian Raubenheimer Lotus-Ford Engine
WD 31 South Africa David Clapham Cooper-Maserati
WD 33 South Africa Alex Blignaut Cooper-Climax
WD 34 United Kingdom Richard Attwood BRM
Source:[4]

Grid

Pos Pos Pos
Driver Driver Driver
______________
______________ 1
______________ 2 Jim Clark
3 John Surtees
Jack Brabham
______________
______________ 4
5 Mike Spence
Graham Hill
______________
______________ 6
______________ 7 Lorenzo Bandini
8 Jo Bonnier
Bruce McLaren
______________
______________ 9
10 Dan Gurney
Jochen Rindt
______________
______________ 11
______________ 12 Jackie Stewart
13 Bob Anderson
Tony Maggs
______________
______________ 14
15 Jo Siffert
Frank Gardner
______________
______________ 16
______________ 17 Paul Hawkins
18 Peter de Klerk
John Love
______________
______________ 19
20 David Prophet
Sam Tingle




Race

A whole new year dawned in South Africa for raceday on Friday, although there was little drinking and celebration in the pits, that could wait until after the season opener.[2] A warm, but crucially cooler day in East London meant that the circuit was in near enough perfect shape for the race, set to start at 2:30 pm.[2] After a morning of club level support races, the Grand Prix cars were put on the dummy grid before being released to do a warm up lap just before the start.[2]

Report

An excellent start by Jim Clark saw the Scot streak into the lead of the race, a full car length to the good within the first 100 yards.[2] His closest challenger proved to be team mate Mike Spence, who managed to mirror the Scot's start from fourth and lead into second, tucking in neatly to follow his World Champion team mate through the first corner.[2] John Surtees got beaten off the line by Jack Brabham too, before being beaten into turn three by another fast starter in the form of Bruce McLaren.[2]

Across the line to complete the opening lap and it was Clark leading from Spence, a couple of car lengths behind, before a small gap back to Brabham in third.[2] McLaren was still in fourth, fending off Surtees and Graham Hill, who both had attempts at passing.[2] Jo Bonnier then came across the line with Lorenzo Bandini, debutante Jackie Stewart, Bob Anderson, Tony Maggs, Jochen Rindt and an annoyed Dan Gurney all in his wake, before Frank Gardner led the rest of the field throughout.[2]

The following laps saw both Clark and Spence pull further and further ahead, just as Surtees elbowed his way past the Antipodeans with identical moves into turn three.[2] Yet, by the time the scarlet Ferrari was clear of the traffic ahead, the back of Spence's second placed Lotus was too far ahead for him to close in short order.[2] As all this was going on, Maggs managed to force his way past Anderson while Gurney came in with an electrical problem, soon followed by the recently passed Anderson.[2]

With Clark and Spence pulling ever further clear of Surtees, who was not, in contrast, able to pull clear of Brabham, McLaren and Hill, Bandini managed to take Bonnier, just moments before the Swede had a tank strap break, putting him into the pits twice.[2] Three laps of lost time put the Swede back in eighteenth, where he proceeded to become the only real source of entertainment as he climbed back up the order.[2] Sam Tingle, meanwhile, had to stop when his oil pressure dropped, only for the problem to be traced to a faulty gague.[2]

For the following 30 laps the race became a rather tame affair in the top ten, Clark and Spence inching away every lap, while Surtees and co. were in a tense stalemate.[2] The action was to be found in the pits, where Rindt was forced in with a broken transistor wire, which was repaired only to fail a few laps later at the back of the circuit.[2] There was also action in the Brabham-Climax garage, where Gurney's car, after three quarters of an hour of tinkering, suddenly burst into life and was sent back out, only to crawl to a halt after a few laps when the mystery issue resurfaced.[2]

Yet, as half distance approached, and Rhodesian racer John Love cruised to a halt at Cocobana Corner and parked alongside Rindt, the race suddenly sprung into life.[2] The debuting Stewart was the source of the reignition, when he forced his way past Bandini moments before the Italian disappeared into the pits with an electrical fault.[2] He was back out after a couple of laps but was now completely out of the running, just as Bonnier retired with a gearbox issue.[2]

McLaren then began to tumble, the New Zealander's pace dropping drastically once Hill managed to squeeze past to fall 20 seconds off the back of the third placed group.[2] Spence, meanwhile was in the middle of a 22 second gap between Clark and Surtees when he lost the backend of his car through Beacon Bend.[2] The spin threw the Englishman right into the sights of Surtees, although a three second margin was still enough to keep the Ferrari at bay for a time.[2]

A few laps later, after Anderson spun in the exact same place as Spence before stopping in the pits, Brabham's engine developed a misfire that needed a stop and a new battery to cure.[2] His dramas, however, were just a brief note in pitlane action, with Maggs stopping to have a brake adjustment, while Tingle stopped again for fuel.[2] Then came South Africa based David Prophet whose rear end was coated in oil, most of which had been dumped at Beacon Bend, but some how managed to escape a seized engine and make it back to the pits.[2]

That oil would ultimately prove decisive, for on lap 60, with two World Champions bearing down on him, Spence spun for a second time having caught the edge of the oil spill on the apex of the corner.[2] Surtees and Hill were jsut behind, although both had time to take avoiding action and so blasted past the spinning Lotus on either side.[2] Other than a service for Gardner, and a flurry of passes by Brabham that concluded with an expert pass on Paul Hawkins, Spence's spin was the last major on-track drama of the race.[2]

There was almost an embarrassing moment for the officials at the end of the race, when Clark, with a thirty second lead, was shown the chequered flag a lap early, before the officials could withdraw it.[2] No one else was shown the flag, and so there were fears that the Scot would be robbed by the fault of the officials.[2] Fortunately, the Scot had continued on at pace, although the size of his lead meant he was unlikely to be caught by simply easing off, meaning he completed an impressive win when the flag fluttered for a second time.[2]

Surtees and Hill flashed across the line thirty seconds later to complete an all British podium, while a disappointed Spence came home a further twenty seconds back.[2] McLaren came home fifth, the first of those to have been lapped by winner Clark, while Stewart had mixed bravery with survival to claim a maiden points finish on his debut.[2] Of the home contingent, Peter de Klerk claimed the honour of being the best placed local, taking tenth, with Maggs in eleventh and Tingle down in thirteenth.[2]

Results

The full results for the 1965 South African Grand Prix are outlined below:

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 5 United Kingdom Jim Clark Lotus-Climax 85 2:06:46.0 1 9
2 1 United Kingdom John Surtees Ferrari 85 +29.0s 2 6
3 3 United Kingdom Graham Hill BRM 85 +31.8s 5 4
4 6 United Kingdom Mike Spence Lotus-Climax 85 +54.4s 4 3
5 9 New Zealand Bruce McLaren Cooper-Climax 84 +1 lap 8 2
6 4 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart BRM 83 +2 laps 11 1
7 12 Switzerland Jo Siffert Brabham-BRM 83 +2 laps 14
8 7 Australia Jack Brabham Brabham-Climax 81 +4 laps 3
9 18 Australia Paul Hawkins Brabham-Ford 81 +4 laps 16
10 20 South Africa Peter de Klerk Alfa Romeo 79 +6 laps 17
11 15 South Africa Tony Maggs Lotus-BRM 77 +8 laps 13
12 16 Australia Frank Gardner Brabham-BRM 75 +10 laps 15
13 25 Rhodesia Sam Tingle LDS-Alfa Romeo 73 +12 laps 20
14 19 United Kingdom David Prophet Brabham-Ford 71 +14 laps 19
15 2 Italy Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 66 Electrics 6
NC 14 United Kingdom Bob Anderson Brabham-Climax 50 +35 laps 12
Ret 11 Sweden Jo Bonnier Brabham-Climax 42 Clutch 7
Ret 10 Austria Jochen Rindt Cooper-Climax 39 Electrics 10
Ret 17 Rhodesia John Love Cooper-Climax 20 Transmission 18
Ret 8 United States Dan Gurney Brabham-Climax 11 Ignition 9
DNQ 28 South Africa Trevor Blokdyk Cooper-Ford
DNQ 23 South Africa Neville Lederle Lotus-Climax
DNQ 21 South Africa Doug Serrurier LDS-Climax
DNQ 27 South Africa Brausch Niemann Lotus-Ford
DNQ 22 South Africa Ernie Pieterse Lotus-Climax
DNPQ 24 Rhodesia Clive Puzey Lotus-Climax
DNPQ 29 South Africa Jackie Pretorius LDS-Alfa Romeo
DNPQ 32 South Africa Dave Charlton Lotus-Ford
WD 26 Rhodesia Ray Reed Realpha-Alfa Romeo
WD 30 South Africa Brian Raubenheimer Lotus-Ford
WD 31 South Africa David Clapham Cooper-Maserati
WD 33 South Africa Alex Blignaut Cooper-Climax
WD 34 United Kingdom Richard Attwood BRM
Source:[5]

Milestones

  • Debut for Scottish racer Jackie Stewart.
  • Fourteenth career win for Jim Clark, putting him a clear second on the all time winners list.
    • Sixth Grand Chelem for the Scot to put him top of that all time list.

Standings

Victory for Jim Clark at the season opening race meant that the Scot led the Championship from the get go, with the scale of his victory already making him favourite for the title. Defending Champion John Surtees was the Scot's closest challenger for Ferrari, while Graham Hill would leave South Africa in third. The rest of the points were split between Mike Spence, Bruce McLaren and the impressive debutante Jackie Stewart.

Unsurprisingly, it was Clark's Lotus-Climax outfit that led the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers, with Spence's fourth place denying points to their rivals. Ferrari were in second after Surtees' second, while BRM left in third with their partnership of experience and youth. Rounding out the scorers at the opening round were Cooper-Climax thanks to McLaren's fifth place.

Drivers' World Championship
Pos. Driver Pts +/-
1 United Kingdom Jim Clark 9
2 United Kingdom John Surtees 6
3 United Kingdom Graham Hill 4
4 United Kingdom Mike Spence 3
5 New Zealand Bruce McLaren 2
6 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 1
Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers
Pos. Team Pts +/-
1 United Kingdom Lotus-Climax 9
2 Italy Ferrari 6
3 United Kingdom BRM 4
4 United Kingdom Cooper-Climax 2

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 'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: SOUTH AFRICAN GP, 1965', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2016), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr132.html, (Accessed 16/07/2016)
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 2.66 2.67 2.68 2.69 2.70 M.S.J., '11th South African Grand Prix: Clark wins first 1965 World Championship race', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/02/1965), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/february-1965/28/11th-south-african , (Accessed 18/07/2016)
  3. 'South Africa 1965: Entrant', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), http://www.statsf1.com/en/1965/afrique-du-sud/engages.aspx, (Accessed 17/07/2016)
  4. 'South Africa 1965: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), http://www.statsf1.com/en/1965/afrique-du-sud/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 17/07/2016)
  5. 'South Africa 1964: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), http://www.statsf1.com/en/1965/afrique-du-sud/classement.aspx, (Accessed 17/07/2016)
V T E South Africa South Africa South African Grand Prix
Circuits Prince George Circuit (1934–1963), Kyalami Circuit (1965-1993)
Rsa 1066372-k5
Championship Races 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986–1991 • 1992 • 1993
Non-championship races 1934 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1960 • 1960 • 1961 • 1966 • 1981
V T E 1965 Formula One Season
Constructors Alfa Special • Brabham • BRM • Cooper • Ferrari • Honda • LDS • Lotus
Engines Alfa Romeo • BRM • Climax • Ferrari • Ford • Honda
Drivers Amon • Anderson • Attwood • Baghetti • Bandini • Bassi • Bianchi • Blokdyk • Bondurant • Bonnier • Brabham • Bucknum • Bussinello • Charlton • Clark • Gardner • "Geki" • Ginther • Gregory • Gubby • Gurney • Hailwood • Hawkins • G. Hill • Hulme • Ireland • de Klerk • Lederle • Love • Maggs • McLaren • Mitter • Niemann • Pieterse • Pretorius • Prophet • Puzey • Raby • Raubenheimer • Rhodes • Rindt • Rodríguez • Rollinson • Scarfiotti • Serrurier • Siffert • Solana • Spence • Stewart • Surtees • Tingle • Vaccarella
Cars Alfa Special • Brabham BT3 • Brabham BT7 • Brabham BT10 • Brabham BT11 • BRM P57 • BRM P261 • Cooper T55 • Cooper T59 • Cooper T60 • Cooper T71/73 • Cooper T73 • Cooper T77 • Ferrari 158 • Ferrari 1512 • Honda RA272 • LDS Mk1 • LDS Mk2 • Lotus 18/21 • Lotus 20 • Lotus 21 • Lotus 22 • Lotus 24 • Lotus 25 • Lotus 33
Tyres Dunlop • Goodyear
Races South Africa • Monaco • Belgium • France • Britain • Netherlands • Germany • Italy • United States • Mexico
Non-championship Races Race of Champions • Syracuse GP • Sunday Mirror • International Trophy • Mediterranean GP • Rand GP
See also 1964 Formula One Season • 1966 Formula One Season • Category
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