1966 British Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:United Kingdom
Grand Prix:British
Date:16 July
Year:1966
Official Name:XIX RAC British Grand Prix
Location:Brands Hatch
Kent, England
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:2.65
Course Km:4.26
Distance Laps:80
Distance Mi:212.00
Distance Km:341.18
Weather:Wet, drying later
Pole Driver:Jack Brabham
Pole Team:Brabham-Repco
Pole Time:1:34.5
Pole Country:Australia
Fast Driver:Jack Brabham
Fast Team:Brabham-Repco
Fast Time:1:37.0
Fast Country:Australia
First Driver:Jack Brabham
First Team:Brabham-Repco
First Country:Australia
Second Driver:Denny Hulme
Second Team:Brabham-Repco
Second Country:New Zealand
Third Driver:Graham Hill
Third Team:BRM
Third Country:UK

The 1966 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 16 July 1966. It was race 4 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the 21st British Grand Prix and the second to be held at Brands Hatch. It was held over 80 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 341 kilometres.

The race, the first of the new three-litre engine regulation era where starters reached 20 cars, was won for the third time by Australian driver Jack Brabham in his Brabham BT19, his second win in succession after winning the French Grand Prix two weeks earlier. New Zealand driver Denny Hulme finished second in his Brabham BT20, a first 1–2 win for the Brabham team. The pair finished a lap ahead of third placed British driver Graham Hill in his BRM P261. Ferrari did not participate in this Grand Prix weekend to honour a metalworkers strike in Italy.

Brabham's win ended a streak of 4 consecutive wins by Jim Clark at the British Grand Prix.

Brabham's win put him ten points clear in the championship chase over Austrian Cooper racer Jochen Rindt with Hulme and Ferrari's Lorenzo Bandini a point further back.

Race summary

Brabham and Hill duelled at the start, until rain storms arrived on the circuit. Whilst Brabham maintained his lead, Rindt who had changed to rain tyres was catching him rapidly, whilst John Surtees in the Cooper was in third, well clear of the rest of the field. Hill and Jim Clark then battled for second and third until Clark pitted and then Hulme took over second place. As the rain dried, Rindt fell back. Surtees retired with mechanical problems, leaving Clark in fourth. Brabham duly led home teammate Hulme, Hill, Clark, Rindt and Bruce McLaren.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
15 Jack BrabhamBrabham-Repco1:34.5
26 Denny HulmeBrabham-Repco1:34.8+0.3
316 Dan GurneyEagle-Climax1:35.8+1.3
43 Graham HillBRM1:36.0+1.5
51 Jim ClarkLotus-Climax1:36.1+1.6
612 John SurteesCooper-Maserati1:36.4+1.9
711 Jochen RindtCooper-Maserati1:36.6+2.1
84 Jackie StewartBRM1:36.9+2.4
917 Mike SpenceLotus-BRM1:37.3+2.8
1021 Bob AndersonBrabham-Climax1:37.5+3.0
1120 Jo SiffertCooper-Maserati1:38.0+3.5
127 Chris IrwinBrabham-Climax1:38.1+3.6
1314 Bruce McLarenMcLaren-Serenissima1:38.5+4.0
1425 Bob BondurantBRM1:38.9+4.4
1518 Jo BonnierBrabham-Climax1:39.3+4.8
1622 John TaylorBrabham-BRM1:40.0+5.5
1719 Guy LigierCooper-Maserati1:41.4+6.9
1823 Trevor TaylorShannon-Climax1:41.6+7.1
1924 Chris LawrenceCooper-Ferrari1:43.8+9.3
202 Peter ArundellLotus-BRM1:54.3+19.8
Source:[1]

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
15 Jack BrabhamBrabham-Repco802:13:13.419
26 Denny HulmeBrabham-Repco80+ 9.626
33 Graham HillBRM79+ 1 lap44
41 Jim ClarkLotus-Climax79+ 1 lap53
511 Jochen RindtCooper-Maserati79+ 1 lap72
614 Bruce McLarenMcLaren-Serenissima78+ 2 laps131
77 Chris IrwinBrabham-Climax78+ 2 laps12
822 John TaylorBrabham-BRM76+ 4 laps16
925 Bob BondurantBRM76+ 4 laps14
1019 Guy LigierCooper-Maserati75+ 5 laps17
1124 Chris LawrenceCooper-Ferrari73+ 7 laps19
NC21 Bob AndersonBrabham-Climax70Not Classified10
NC20 Jo SiffertCooper-Maserati70Not Classified11
Ret12 John SurteesCooper-Maserati67Transmission6
Ret18 Jo BonnierBrabham-Climax42Clutch15
Ret2 Peter ArundellLotus-BRM32Gearbox20
Ret4 Jackie StewartBRM17Engine8
Ret17 Mike SpenceLotus-BRM15Oil Leak9
Ret16 Dan GurneyEagle-Climax9Engine3
Ret23 Trevor TaylorShannon-Climax0Engine18

Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Jack Brabham21
32 Jochen Rindt11
53 Denny Hulme10
24 Lorenzo Bandini10
25 John Surtees9
Source:[2]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
11 Brabham-Repco21
12 Ferrari21
3 BRM13
4 Cooper-Maserati11
15 Lotus-Climax3
Source:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1966 British GP Qualification. chicanef1.com. 21 August 2020.
  2. Web site: Britain 1966 – Championship • STATS F1. statsf1.com. 13 March 2019.