The 1962 Formula One season was the 16th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 13th World Championship of Drivers, the 5th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and numerous non-championship Formula One races. The World Championship was contested over nine races between 20 May and 29 December 1962.
Graham Hill driving for BRM won his first Drivers' Championship when rival Jim Clark retired from the last race.[1] BRM also won the Manufacturers' Championship for the first time, and it would be the only time.[2]
Double World Champion Jack Brabham formed his own team and debuted the Brabham BT3 in the United States Grand Prix, becoming the first ever F1 driver to score championship points in a car bearing his own name.
Ricardo Rodríguez suffered a fatal crash during practice for his home race, the non-championship Mexican Grand Prix. He had been the youngest ever driver for Scuderia Ferrari, but also became the youngest ever F1 driver to die.
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1962 FIA World Championship. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.
| Round | Grand Prix | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort | 20 May |
| 2 |  Monaco Grand Prix | Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo | 3 June |
| 3 |  Belgian Grand Prix | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot | 17 June |
| 4 |  French Grand Prix | Rouen-Les-Essarts, Orival | 8 July |
| 5 |  British Grand Prix | Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, Merseyside | 21 July |
| 6 | German Grand Prix | Nürburgring, Nürburg | 5 August |
| 7 |  Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza | 16 September |
| 8 |  United States Grand Prix | Watkins Glen International, New York | 7 October |
| 9 |  South African Grand Prix | Prince George Circuit, East London | 29 December |
The Dutch Grand Prix hosted the season opener for the first time and was granted the honorary designation of European Grand Prix for this year. Lotus turned up with a revolutionary new chassis, the Lotus 25 being the first car built around an aluminium monocoque instead of a space frame. However, it was John Surtees who took pole position in the privately run Lola, ahead of Graham Hill for BRM. Lotus's Jim Clark qualified third, but this meant he had the inside line to the first corner and he managed to take the lead. Dan Gurney in the Porsche had a wonderful start from eighth to take third behind Hill and ahead of Surtees. The top three were steady in the opening phase, but then, both Clark and Gurney ran into technical troubles. Around the same time, the front wishbone broke on Surtees's Lola and he had a heavy crash but escaped unhurt. Graham Hill led away and scored the victory. Bruce McLaren (Cooper) was running second before he retired with a broken gearbox. Reigning champion Phil Hill (Ferrari) was running third at the time, inheritering second but later getting overtaken by Trevor Taylor (Lotus).[4]
Jim Clark scored his first career pole in the Monaco Grand Prix, ahead of Graham Hill and Bruce McLaren. But due to a confusing start procedure, it was Willy Mairesse in the Ferrari who went by, touching wheels with Clark and Hill in the process and locking up his wheels into the first corner. A chain reaction led to an accident with six drivers, three of whom retired on the spot. Mairesse took the lead but spun his car in the second hairpin, making the order at the end of the first lap: McLaren, Graham Hill, Phil Hill. McLaren was relegated back to second by lap 7, and then third by Clark, who was recovering from a bad start, was setting multiple fastest laps and started challenging Hill for the lead. On lap 55, however, his clutch gave out and he had to retire. But Hill was not yet out of the woods, with his BRM engine starting to smoke and McLaren, back in second, getting ever closer. On lap 93, Hill's engine gave up with a bang, although he still scored a point, as he was classified in sixth. McLaren was challenged by Phil Hill but held on to score his first win in two years. Lorenzo Bandini finished third in his first race for Ferrari.[5]
The Belgian Grand Prix saw Graham Hill qualify on pole, ahead of McLaren, Taylor and home hero Mairesse. In the first phase of the race, those four were fighting over the lead in close combat and their relative positions changed all the while. Clark had started in twelfth, but joined the leading group. On lap 11, Clark set the fastest lap and took the lead, with teammate Taylor holding back their rivals. Clark held on to take the win, but getting up to the final corner of lap 26, Taylor crashed with Mairesse, the Lotus cutting down a telegraph pole and the Ferrari landing upside down on fire. Both drivers were flung out and suffered minor injuries. Graham Hill finished second, Phil Hill third. Ricardo Rodríguez came home in fourth, becoming the youngest F1 driver ever to score points. This record stood until Jenson Button broke it in the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.[6]
In the Drivers' Championship, Graham Hill (BRM) was leading with 16 points, ahead of champion Phil Hill (Ferrari) with 14 and Jim Clark (Lotus) with 9. In the Manufacturers' Championship, BRM went ahead with 16 points, ahead of Lotus (15) and Ferrari (14).
The French Grand Prix saw Jim Clark qualify on pole position in his Lotus, ahead of championship leader Graham Hill for BRM and Bruce McLaren for Cooper. Although Ferrari had withdrawn from the event due to strike actions,[7] the first three rows were occupied by seven different teams and five different constructors. Fifth-starting John Surtees was in second after the first lap and challenged Hill for the lead, but had to pit when his engine had trouble picking up fuel. Jackie Lewis was lapped by Hill but then suddenly lost his brakes and rear-ended the leader. Clark took the lead, but was caught by Hill within three laps, confirming to the Lotus team that their car was not running well, and they decided to retire from the race. Further drama ensued when Hill's BRM engine had jammed with ten laps to go, paving the way for Dan Gurney taking his first and Porsche's only win. South African Tony Maggs was second for Cooper, scoring his first podium, and Richie Ginther third for BRM.[8]
During the British Grand Prix, Clark scored his third pole position of the year, this time ahead of Surtees and Ireland. The latter, however, could not get his Lotus to fire up and was passed at by everyone at the start. McLaren took over third place. The top three remained unchanged throughout the race, with Clark taking an unchallenged win and even getting close to lapping championship leader Hill, who came home in fourth.[9]
The German Grand Prix saw the debut of Brabham's first F1 chassis, designed by Ron Tauranac. Scuderia Ferrari, having recovered from strikes in Italy,[7] brought an upgraded chassis and gave it to Lorenzo Bandini to try it out. During practice, Carel Godin de Beaufort was running his Porsche with a large camera mounted to the rear by the German television crew. The device fell off, however, and championship leader Hill was the unlucky victim, unable to avoid it, breaking his oil lines and quickly spinning off the track. Tony Maggs then slid on Hill's oil and had a similar accident, but both drivers were unhurt. Gurney started on pole, ahead of Hill and Clark, but the race was delayed for over an hour, after a sudden downpour made the track incredibly slippery. When the race got underway, Clark stalled his engine and fell back, but he passed 17 cars on the first lap. The leading pair went side-by-side as they started the third lap and it was Hill who came out on top. Surtees had inherited third place from Clark and this top three got away from the rest. Surtees got second place when Gurney's battery came loose and the American had to secure by hand. At half-distance, Clark had recovered to fourth place, mastering the wet conditions and gaining at least five seconds per lap on the leading trio. After almost losing the car twice at high speed, however, the Scot settled down. Surtees tried to push Hill into making a mistake but the Brit held on, taking the win, with Surtees and Gurney finishing within the next five seconds.[10]
In the Drivers' Championship, Graham Hill (BRM) was still holding onto the lead with 28 points, ahead of Jim Clark (Lotus) with 21 and John Surtees (Lola) with 19. In the Manufacturers' Championship, BRM were leading with 31, ahead of Lotus (27) and Cooper (23).
The Italian Grand Prix was run on the road circuit of Monza, abandoning the fearsome banked oval. Jim Clark, second in the championship, qualified on pole position, ahead of championship leader Graham Hill and his teammate Richie Ginther. Hill took the lead at the start and led a group eight cars. Ferrari had brought five cars to their home race but they were all down in the second group. Clark pitted with transmission problems, while Hill managed to create some space between him and the rest. BRM scored a comfortable 1-2, while close fighting and a light rain shower provided exciting battles, from which Bruce McLaren came up to complete the podium.[11]
F1 moved overseas for the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. In repeat of this year's French GP and last year's US GP, Ferrari withdrew from this race and the next because of ongoing strikes in Italy.[7] Clark qualified on pole, ahead of Ginther and Hill, and the Lotus was fastest at the start. Hill went into second, trying everything to stay with his rival. This paid off on lap 12, when Clark was held up by a backmarker and Hill swooped by. On lap 19, however, Clark snatched the lead back and held on to take the win, ten seconds ahead of Hill. The rest of the field, all at least a lap down, were led by third-placed McLaren.[12]
Coming to the season finale, the South African Grand Prix, Clark had a nine-point deficit to Hill. If Clark would manage to win the race, then Hill could finish second at best, which meant that his result would not count - only the five best results of the season counted towards the championship. This would result in a tie on points, and Clark would win the title on countback - he would have four wins against Hill's three.
Clark started off well, scoring his sixth pole position of the season, with Hill starting alongside him. He held the lead at the start and then pulled away by a second per lap. He had an immense lead of half a minute when, suddenly, blue smoke started pouring from his engine. After stopping in the pits, it was found that a bolt was missing from the crankcase, which had allowed oil to leak out. The smoke was caused by the oil leaking on the exhaust. The Lotus mechanics did not have a fix, which meant Clark had to retire and give up the championship. Hill could cruise to the finish but still won the race almost 50 seconds ahead of McLaren and home hero Tony Maggs.[13]
The Drivers' Championship was settled with Graham Hill (BRM) on 42 points, winning his first title, ahead of Jim Clark (Lotus) on 30 and Bruce McLaren (Cooper) on 27. The Manufacturers' Championship was won by BRM with 42 points, ahead of Lotus (36) and Cooper (29).
Points were awarded to the top six classified finishers. Only the best five results counted towards the championship.
The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers only counted the points of the highest-finishing driver for each race. Additionally, like the Drivers' Championship, only the best five results counted towards the cup.
Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored. Points were awarded in the following system:
| Pos. | Manufacturer | NED | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | RSA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRM | 1 | (6) | 2 | (3) | (4) | 1 | 1 | (2) | 1 | 42 (56) |
| 2 | Lotus-Climax | 2 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | (5) | 36 (38) |
| 3 | Cooper-Climax | (5) | 1 | Ret | 2 | 3 | (5) | 3 | (3) | 2 | 29 (37) |
| 4 | Lola-Climax | Ret | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 19 |
| 5 | Porsche | 6 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 3 | (6) | 5 | 11 | 18 (19) |
| 6 | Ferrari | 3 | 2 | 3 | WD | Ret | 6 | 4 | WD | 18 | |
| 7 | Brabham-Climax | Ret | 4 | 4 | 6 | ||||||
| 8 | Lotus-BRM | DNQ | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 12 | 6 | 1 | ||
| — | Emeryson-Climax | NC | 11 | Ret | WD | 0 | |||||
| — | ENB-Maserati | 16 | 0 | ||||||||
| — | Gilby-BRM | WD | Ret | DNQ | 0 | ||||||
| — | LDS-Alfa Romeo | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
| — | Cooper-Alfa Romeo | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
| — | De Tomaso | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
| — | De Tomaso-OSCA | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
| Pos. | Manufacturer | NED | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | RSA | Pts. |
The following Formula One races which did not count towards the World Championship of Drivers or the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, were also held in 1962.
| Race name | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Constructor | Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V Cape Grand Prix | Killarney | 2 January | Trevor Taylor | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| IV Brussels Grand Prix | Heysel | 1 April | Willy Mairesse | Ferrari | Report | |
| III Lombank Trophy | Snetterton | 14 April | Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| XIV Lavant Cup | Goodwood | 23 April |  Bruce McLaren | Cooper-Climax | Report | |
| X Glover Trophy | Goodwood | 23 April | Graham Hill | BRM | Report | |
| XXII Pau Grand Prix | Pau | 23 April | Maurice Trintignant | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| VII Aintree 200 | Aintree | 28 April | Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| XV BRDC International Trophy | Silverstone | 12 May | Graham Hill | BRM | Report | |
| XX Naples Grand Prix | Posillipo | 20 May | Willy Mairesse | Ferrari | Report | |
| I International 2000 Guineas | Mallory Park | 11 June | John Surtees | Lola-Climax | Report | |
| XIII Crystal Palace Trophy | Crystal Palace | 11 June | Innes Ireland | Lotus-BRM | Report | |
| III Grand Prix de Reims | Reims | 1 July | Bruce McLaren | Cooper-Climax | Report | |
| XII Solitude Grand Prix | Solitudering | 15 July | Dan Gurney | Porsche | Report | |
 VIII Kanonloppet | Karlskoga | 12 August | Masten Gregory | Lotus-BRM | Report | |
| I Mediterranean Grand Prix | Enna-Pergusa | 19 August | Lorenzo Bandini | Ferrari | Report | |
 III Danish Grand Prix | Roskilde Ring | 25–26 August |  Jack Brabham | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| IX Gold Cup | Oulton Park | 1 September | Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
 I Mexican Grand Prix | Magdalena Mixhuca | 4 November | Jim Clark Trevor Taylor | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| V Rand Grand Prix | Kyalami | 15 December | Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax | Report | |
| II Natal Grand Prix | Westmead | 22 December | Trevor Taylor | Lotus-Climax | Report |
Ecurie Nationale Suisse