1961 British Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:United Kingdom
Grand Prix:British
Official Name:14th RAC British Grand Prix
Date:15 July
Year:1961
Location:Aintree Circuit, Liverpool, England
Course:Permanent road course
Course Mi:3.000
Course Km:4.828
Distance Laps:75
Distance Mi:225.00
Distance Km:362.10
Weather:Torrential rain, drying later
Pole Driver: Phil Hill
Pole Team:Ferrari
Pole Time:1:58.8
Fast Driver: Tony Brooks
Fast Team:BRM-Climax
Fast Time:1:57.8
Fast Lap:72
First Driver: Wolfgang von Trips
First Team:Ferrari
Second Driver: Phil Hill
Second Team:Ferrari
Third Driver: Richie Ginther
Third Team:Ferrari

The 1961 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 15 July 1961 at the Aintree Circuit, near Liverpool. It was race 5 of 8 in both the 1961 World Championship of Drivers and the 1961 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.

Following a wet weekend, with torrential rain affecting both qualifying and the race start, the Grand Prix was ultimately dominated by Scuderia Ferrari, with their drivers taking all three podium positions. The race was won by German Wolfgang von Trips, who had led for much of the race after starting from fourth place on the grid. This was von Trips's second but also his final Grand Prix victory as two races later he was killed in an accident during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix; it was also the last full-length Grand Prix won by a German until Michael Schumacher achieved his first of 91 wins at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix. Pole position winner Phil Hill drove to second place on his way to winning the World Drivers' Championship at the end of the season, and third place was taken by Hill's American compatriot Richie Ginther.

The 1961 British Grand Prix is also notable as being the first occasion on which a four-wheel drive car, and the last at which a front engined car was entered for a World Championship race. These two accomplishments were achieved by the same vehicle: the experimental Ferguson P99-Climax run by the Rob Walker Racing Team. Although the car was disqualified for receiving assistance on the track, in the hands of Stirling Moss – who took over the car from first driver Jack Fairman after his own Lotus's brakes failed – it showed some promise. The 1961 British Grand Prix also marked the last occasion on which Moss contested a Grand Prix race on home soil, as his career was ended by an accident during a non-championship race prior to the 1962 season.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos! rowspan="2"
NoDriverConstructorGap
Q1Q2Q3Q4
12 Phil HillFerrari2:00.81:58.82:15.82:05.8
26 Richie GintherFerrari2:00.81:58.82:08.42:06.4+0.0
38 Jo BonnierPorsche2:00.81:58.82:11.62:12.4+0.0
44 Wolfgang von TripsFerrari2:01.41:58.82:06.02:06.2+0.0
528 Stirling MossLotus-ClimaxNo time1:59.02:01.62:08.0+0.2
622 Tony BrooksBRM-Climax2:02.21:59.02:18.02:09.4+0.2
716 Innes IrelandLotus-Climax2:01.21:59.22:42.22:13.8+0.4
818 Jim ClarkLotus-Climax2:03.81:59.22:11.02:11.6+0.4
912 Jack BrabhamCooper-ClimaxNo time1:59.42:25.02:07.6+0.6
1034 John SurteesCooper-Climax2:01.21:59.62:10.22:07.4+0.8
1120 Graham HillBRM-Climax2:01.42:00.02:12.02:11.2+1.2
1210 Dan GurneyPorsche2:01.62:00.22:18.82:10.0+1.4
1336 Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax2:02.02:00.82:05.62:07.0+2.0
1414 Bruce McLarenCooper-ClimaxNo time2:01.02:15.42:09.2+2.2
1546 Jackie LewisCooper-Climax2:03.82:01.02:29.2No time+2.2
1642 Masten GregoryCooper-Climax2:02.82:01.42:30.22:29.8+2.6
1730 Henry TaylorLotus-Climax2:03.22:01.82:25.62:13.6+3.0
1856 Carel Godin de BeaufortPorsche2:06.22:02.02:27.02:13.0+3.2
1958 Giancarlo BaghettiFerrari2:06.02:02.02:18.62:12.8+3.2
2026 Jack FairmanFerguson-Climax2:05.82:03.42:14.6No time+4.6
2160 Lorenzo BandiniCooper-Maserati2:05.62:03.62:23.02:12.4+4.8
2252 Wolfgang SeidelLotus-Climax2:06.42:04.2No time2:15.2+5.4
2354 Keith GreeneGilby-Climax2:07.42:06.0No timeNo time+7.2
2450 Tony MaggsLotus-Climax2:28.82:06.42:15.82:17.2+7.6
2544 Ian BurgessLotus-ClimaxNo time2:06.62:26.22:19.0+7.8
2640 Gerry AshmoreLotus-ClimaxNo time2:08.22:30.2No time+9.4
2748 Tony MarshLotus-ClimaxNo timeNo time2:19.82:09.6+10.8
2862 Massimo NatiliCooper-Maserati2:51.42:10.2No time2:38.8+11.4
2938 Tim ParnellLotus-Climax2:23.0No time2:59.62:16.8+18.0
3032 Lucien BianchiLotus-ClimaxNo timeNo time2:29.02:18.8+20.0
Source:[1]

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
14 Wolfgang von TripsFerrari752:40:53.649
22 Phil HillFerrari75+46.016
36 Richie GintherFerrari75+46.824
412 Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax75+1:08.693
58 Jo BonnierPorsche75+1:16.232
636 Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax75+1:26.2131
710 Dan GurneyPorsche74+1 Lap12
814 Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax74+1 Lap14
922 Tony BrooksBRM-Climax73+2 Laps6
1016 Innes IrelandLotus-Climax72+3 Laps7
1142 Masten GregoryCooper-Climax71+4 Laps16
1260 Lorenzo BandiniCooper-Maserati71+4 Laps21
1350 Tony MaggsLotus-Climax69+6 Laps24
1444 Ian BurgessLotus-Climax69+6 Laps25
1554 Keith GreeneGilby-Climax69+6 Laps23
1656 Carel Godin de BeaufortPorsche69+6 Laps18
1752 Wolfgang SeidelLotus-Climax58+17 Laps22
Ret18 Jim ClarkLotus-Climax62Oil Leak8
DSQ26 Jack Fairman
Stirling Moss
Ferguson-Climax56Push Start In Pits20
Ret32 Lucien BianchiLotus-Climax45Gearbox30
Ret28 Stirling MossLotus-Climax44Brakes5
Ret20 Graham HillBRM-Climax43Engine11
Ret58 Giancarlo BaghettiFerrari27Accident19
Ret48 Tony MarshLotus-Climax25Ignition27
Ret34 John SurteesCooper-Climax23Differential10
Ret38 Tim ParnellLotus-Climax12Clutch29
Ret46 Jackie LewisCooper-Climax7Handling15
Ret40 Gerry AshmoreLotus-Climax7Ignition26
Ret30 Henry TaylorLotus-Climax5Accident17
Ret62 Massimo NatiliCooper-Maserati0Gearbox28
DNA24 Olivier GendebienEmeryson-MaseratiLeft the team

Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
11 Wolfgang von Trips27
12 Phil Hill25
13 Richie Ginther16
14 Stirling Moss12
5 Giancarlo Baghetti9
Source: [2]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Ferrari38
2 Lotus-Climax16
3 Porsche11
4 Cooper-Climax9
5 BRM-Climax1
Source:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1961 British GP Qualification. chicanef1.com. 2 August 2020.
  2. Web site: Britain 1961 - Championship. statsf1.com. 13 March 2019.