1961 Formula One World Championship (partially found footage of Formula One races; 1961)

From The Lost Media Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
1961unitedstatesgrandprix1.jpg

Programme for the 1961 United States Grand Prix.

Status: Partially Found

The 1961 Formula One World Championship was the 12th FIA-sanctioned top-level Grand Prix racing season. It saw a duel between Ferrari drivers Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips, which was ultimately decided in Hill's favour following the 1961 Italian Grand Prix disaster. Aside from the available British Grand Prix broadcasts, the Monaco, Dutch, Belgian, French, Italian, and United States Grand Prix also received television coverage.

1961 Monaco Grand Prix

The 1961 Monaco Grand Prix was the inaugural race of the 1961 Formula One Season. Occurring on 14th May at the Circuit de Monaco, the race was ultimately won by Stirling Moss in a Rob Walker-owned Lotus-Climax, after fending off the Ferraris in the first World Championship event that mandated engines be of 1.5 litres. The event was also the first to be televised by CBS.

It was the eighth running of the event as part of Formula One following its debut on the calendar in 1950.[1] It was also the 19th in Grand Prix history.[2][1] Lasting 100 laps,[3] the Monaco Grand Prix remains an integral event of the Formula One calendar, including being prestigious enough to be classified as part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.[1][4]

The race was to mark the first of the 1.5 litre engine era.[5][6][7][8] Some, including many of the British teams, were unhappy with the reduction from 2.5 to 1.5 litres, deeming the change to have been abrupt and potentially reducing the sport's entertainment value.[5][6][8] Whereas the British teams were combatting the change, Ferrari were embracing it, developing the "shark-nose" 156 with a V6 engine fine-tuned for the new regulations.[5][6][8] With an unchanged line-up consisting of Phil Hill, Wolfgang von Trips, and Richie Ginther, Ferrari appeared the favourites to achieve pole position for the event.[5][8] However, after fine-tuning his less powerful Walker Lotus 18, it was Moss who took pole, with a time of 1:39.1.[8][5][3] Ginther took second, while Lotus-Climax's Jim Clark posted the third fastest time.[8][3] Most factory teams were given two automatic spots for the 16-car race, with Moss and Cooper-Maserati's Maurice Trintignant also granted automatic entry to the event.[8][3] Hence, the third drivers of factory teams and the remaining privateer entries battled it out to decide the final four spaces in the race, in addition to ensuring a good starting position for the race.[8][3] Among them was Ginther, whose second place easily ensured qualification, unlike the five drivers that ultimately failed to make the 20-car grid, including Lotus-Climax's Cliff Allison.[8][3]

Clark's time of 1:39.6 occurred during the first session, significantly faster than any other driver at the time.[8] However, he suffered a major accident after losing control at the Sainte Devote Corner.[8][7] While he escaped injury, the young Scot was forced to wait until the race as his Lotus was rebuilt.[8] His teammate Innes Ireland suffered a more serious crash after a poor gear change caused him to spin in the tunnel.[8][5][7] The resulting impact at over 100 mph destroyed his Lotus, and ejected him from his car.[8][5][7] He suffered a broken leg, forcing him out of the event.[8][5][7][3] Years later, he recalled the accident, stating "Ah, yes, '61 - that was the year when I came out of the fucking tunnel without the fucking car."[5] As a spot was now available for the 16-car event, Allison was allowed to compete, having been the fastest of the original non-qualifiers.[8][3][7]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix commenced on 14th May.[3] Before the race began, Moss removed his Lotus' side panels and doused himself with water to ensure adequate cooling.[5][8] Both Ginther and Clark made strong starts, the pair running 1-2 as the cars exited the hairpin, Moss now down to third.[8][5][7][3] Moss moved ahead of Clark a lap later, as the Scot suffered issues with a trapped wire under his car's fuel tank, forcing a pitstop.[8][7] Moss was already five seconds behind Ginther by lap 3, but would reduce the gap to 1.5 by lap 8, while Porsche's Jo Bonnier was not far behind in third.[8] By lap 14, the Lotus and Porsche had closed up to the Ferrari, with Moss and Bonnier overtaking Ginther.[8][7][5][3] Moss built up a six second lead over Bonnier by lap 20, while Ginther was dropping back, facing challenges from his Ferrari teammates.[8] On lap 24, Hill passed Ginther, but all three Ferraris had caught up to Bonnier, Hill achieving an overtake two laps later while von Trips passed Ginther.[8][7] However, the American would re-pass the German on lap 32.[8] Moss remained ahead of Hill by 10 seconds, but unable to increase the gap.[8]

This gap remained by lap 40, with Ginther suddenly becoming more competitive by overtaking Bonnier on lap 41 thanks to superior acceleration, before closing in on Hill.[8][7] As he chased his teammate, he began to dictate the pace between Hill, himself, and Bonnier, reducing Moss' lead to around seven seconds.[8] On lap 55, Moss saw his lead distance cut by more than half, forcing him to find ways of maintaining his lead.[8][5] On lap 60, Bonnier retired following a seeming injection pump failure, although neither the Swede nor his team discovered until later that the issue was resolvable by simply cooling the system.[8][5][3] Elsewhere, Moss continued to lead by five seconds, primarily by lapping slower cars that forced the Ferraris to waste time and distance to do the same.[8] Hill by contrast was struggling with the intense heat, and his slow pace enabled Moss to increase the gap by 1.4 seconds.[8][5][7] Ginther, frustrated with his teammate's slow speed, roughly overtook his fellow American on lap 75, and by lap 82, had reduced the gap to Moss to four seconds.[8][5][7][3]

Both drivers were setting lap times below 1:37, with their performance praised by the crowd and publications like Motor Sport.[8] On lap 91, after seeing Moss maintain a five-second lead, Ginther attempted one last push.[8][5][7] This was not necessarily to overtake the Brit, but to try and force a mistake or mechanical failure.[8] Despite reducing the gap to 3.6 seconds, Ginther was unable to trouble Moss, who crossed the line to take his third Monaco Grand Prix victory and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[8][5][7][3] Considering how Moss held off a trio of new Ferraris in an older Lotus, it led to ESPN and Grand Prix deeming the race as one of Moss' greatest ever drives.[5][7] Ginther finished second, while Hill took third.[8][7][5][3] Hill would drive von Trips back to the pits after the latter crashed out on the final lap, although the German was still classified in fourth.[8][7][5][3] Porsche's Dan Gurney and Cooper-Climax's Bruce McLaren claimed the final points positions of fifth and sixth respectively.[7][3][8]

1961 Dutch Grand Prix

The 1961 Dutch Grand Prix was the second race of the 1961 Formula One Season. Occurring on 22nd May at the Zandvoort Circuit, the race would ultimately be won by Ferrari's Wolfgang von Trips, marking the first World Championship victory for the German.

It was the seventh running of the event within the Formula One calendar, as well as the ninth in Grand Prix history.[9] Lasting 75 laps,[10][9] the race ran on a frequent basis until being dropped from the Formula One schedule following financial difficulties in 1986.[9] Nevertheless, both the track and event would make a return to Formula One in 2021.[11]

Heading into the race, the Dutch organisers selected the field via invitation, much to the dismay of privateers who were not picked.[12] Among those invited included Ferrari, who were allowed to field three cars to balance out the number of British entries.[12] Likewise, Porsche were able to enter four cars for the race.[12] Initially, Ferrari struggled to get its cars set-up correctly, as while Richie Ginther believed the car was improving overtime, von Trips felt it was horrible.[12] However, as the final qualifying session neared its end, Ferrari began to maximise its cars' potential, achieving a 1-3 lockout.[13][14][12][10] Hill achieved pole position with a time of 1:35.7, with von Trips hovering around that time in second, while Ginther was content with third.[12][14][10] The fastest non-Ferrari was Lotus-Climax's Stirling Moss, who was unable to replicate his initially quick time in qualifying, despite routinely changing his Climax engine and even driving a Rob Walker-owned Cooper-Climax for parts of the sessions.[12][14][10] Only 15 cars were allowed to start, meaning that the reserve Camoradi cars driven by Masten Gregory and Ian Burgess had to withdraw since the 15 automatic entries were able to commence racing.[12][10][14]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix commenced on 22nd May.[10] Hill almost failed to start, after a pivot pin for the clutch pedal fell out, although the issue was resolved before the race began.[12] Von Trips took the lead on the first lap, with him and Hill squeezing out Moss that caused to Brit to lose further positions.[12][13][14][10] Ginther slipped the clutch and almost stalled his Ferrari, causing him to lose multiple places.[12] By lap 3, von Trips was now three seconds ahead of Hill, the latter seeking to prevent BRM's Graham Hill and Lotus-Climax's Jim Clark, who had reached fourth after starting 11th on the first lap, from challenging.[14][12][10] Further down, Moss and Ginther duelled while also attempting to reclaim multiple positions.[12] Clark passed Graham Hill, and was now challenging Phil, eventually overtaking the Ferrari on lap 22 and establishing a lap record in the process.[13][12][14] This put Ferrari's tactics in disarray, as the team had planned for von Trips to build a strong lead ahead of the opposition.[12] Clark was now pushing back, with him and Hill increasing the pace by routinely overtaking one another.[12][14][13] Nevertheless, after Hill took back second after considerable laps of duelling, he was able to hold off Clark, enabling von Trips to build a lead of around eight seconds by lap 42.[12][13][14]

By lap 54, Hill began to pull away from Clark, being within 1.5 seconds of von Trips.[12][13] By then, the distance between the Ferraris and the Lotus was around 11 seconds, forcing Clark to focus on achieving third.[12][13][14] Ginther was now fourth, but was being pressurised by Moss.[12][13][14] With only four laps remaining, Ginther's throttle spring broke, forcing him to lift when braking for slow corners.[12][14] At some point, he made a mistake at the hairpin, enabling Moss to make a move.[12][14][13] Elsewhere, Hill had closed up to von Trips, but the German remained in front to take his first World Championship victory and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[13][12][14][10] Clark finished third, while Moss finished ahead of Ginther despite the latter's slipstream on the final straight that made him just a tenth of a second and less than a car length behind.[12][14][13][10] Defending World Champion and Cooper-Climax driver Jack Brabham finished a distant sixth.[10][14]

The event is also known for two highly unusually Formula One statistics for the 1960s.[13][14][12] With Porsche's Hans Herrmann having finished 15th and last in his Porsche, it meant that the race became the first World Championship event to feature no retirements.[13][14][12][10] Ignoring the 2005 United States Grand Prix where only six cars competed, the next race to achieve this distinction would be the 20-car 2005 Italian Grand Prix.[15] It is also the only full-length race in Formula One history to feature no pitstops.[13][14][12] The only other race with no pitstops was the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, which was red-flagged under the safety car after two laps following heavy rain.[16]

1961 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1961 Belgian Grand Prix was the third race of the 1961 Formula One Season. Occurring on 18th June at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the race was ultimately won by Ferrari's Phil Hill, in a successful outing for the Italian team as it achieved a 1-2-3-4 finish.

It was the tenth running of the event under the Formula One calendar,[17][18] with the race lasting 30 laps.[19] The 21st Belgian Grand Prix overall,[17] the event is typically held at Spa, although Nivelles and Zolder have also occasionally hosted the race.[18] After being left out of the Formula One calendar for the 2003 and 2006 Seasons, the race has been annually held at Spa-Francorchamps since 2007.[17]

Heading into the race, the race organisers invited sixteen entries who qualified automatically, and a further nine to battle for the three remaining starting positions and starting money.[20] Among those who needed to qualify included Ferrari's third driver Richie Ginther.[20] In addition, Ferrari provided an older car for the Equipe National Belge team, with Belgian driver Olivier Gendebien in the seat and having automatically as one of the 16 invites.[21][22][20][19] Qualifying itself started disastrously when Lotus-Climax's Cliff Allison suffered a serious accident as he approached the Blanchimont Corner, rolling the car and inflicting leg injuries that ended his career.[22][21][20][19] The accident spread debris and oil and water across the road, forcing qualifying to be halted for almost 40 minutes so that it could be cleared up.[20] ESPN summarised Allison as a prospect who suffered terrible bad luck throughout his career.[22]

When it resumed, Ferrari were again performing competitively, despite having to reduce the lean-in on the rear wheels to avoid over-heating the rear treads.[20] The move actually improved the cars' performance at Spa, Hill achieving pole position with a time of 3:59.3.[20][21][22][19] Teammate Wolfgang von Trips qualified second, with Gendebien making it a Ferrari 1-3.[20][21][22][19] Cooper-Climax's John Surtees prevented a Ferrari 1-4, with Ginther fifth as he spent time learning the course.[20][21][19] Among the drivers present included Lotus-Climax's Innes Ireland, who returned after sustaining a leg injury at the Monaco Grand Prix, qualifying 18th out of 25 drivers.[21][20][19] Aside from Allison, three other drivers withdrew as they would not receive any starting money.[21][20][19] The race organisers allowed the two non-qualifiers, Porsche's Carel Godin de Beaufort and Lotus-Climax's Lucien Bianchi, to start anyway, resulting in a field consisting of 21 competitors.[20][19][21]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix commenced on 18th June.[19] Before it proceeded, Director of the Race M Rene Baken warned the drivers to keep things clean at the start.[20] Thus, nobody jumped the start, with BRM's Graham Hill briefly taking the lead in the first corner after starting sixth.[20][22] However, he would be quickly passed by Phil and the other Ferraris, with Gendebien moving up to second despite having a less powerful V6 engine.[20][22][21][19] Von Trips was ahead of Genedebien by lap 3, with the four Ferraris clearing the rest of the field, Graham now battling with Cooper-Climax's John Surtees for fifth that involved several passes.[20][21][22] Genedebien managed to pass Hill, and was the race leader for laps 6 and 7.[20][22] However, he ultimately allowed Hill and von Trips through as he accepted their Ferraris had superior performance and keeping at this pace would risk ruining his engine.[20][21][22] Hill and von Trips now controlled proceedings, overtaking one another throughout the race and being 12 seconds ahead of Gendebien.[20][21][22][19] Ginther meanwhile was getting closer to the yellow Ferrari, while Graham continued battling Surtees.[20][21]

Ginther passed the Belgian driver by lap 13, and eventually closed the gap to the leading Ferraris by lap 24.[20][21][22] None were to be troubled by any non-Ferrari, with Graham dropping out of contention for fifth after suffering a split exhaust pipe on lap 19, before retiring on lap 24 following an ignition failure.[20][21][22][19] Elsewhere, Hill crossed the line to claim victory and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[20][21][22][19] Von Trips took second, Ginther was third, while Gendebien remained in fourth to achieve a 1-2-3-4 finish.[20][21][22][19] Surtees took fifth, with Porsche's Dan Gurney settling for sixth despite catching the Cooper late-on.[20][21][19] In the Drivers' Championship standings, Hill led by 19 points, one ahead of von Trips.[22]

1961 French Grand Prix

The 1961 French Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 1961 Formula One Season. Occurring on 2nd July at the Circuit de Reims, the race was ultimately won by Ferrari's Giancarlo Baghetti, in his debut World Championship event, after edging out Porsche's Dan Gurney on the final straight.

It was the 11th running of the event in the Formula One calendar,[23] with the race lasting 52 laps.[24] The 40th French Grand Prix overall,[23] the race has been held at a variety of circuits, with the last one held at Reims occurring in 1966.[25] After the race was dropped from the schedule in 2009, it returned in 2018, where it has consistently been held at Circuit Paul Ricard.[25][23]

Heading into the race, the race organisers allowed all regulars to compete at the event, much unlike the prior Dutch and Belgian Grand Prix.[26][27] Ferrari entered its usual cars for Hill, Wolfgang von Trips and Richie Ginther, but it would also provide a car for the privateer Federazione Italiana Scuderie Automobilische (FISA) team.[26][27] FISA's driver would be Giancarlo Baghetti, who was making his World Championship debut.[28][29][26][27] Prior to this race, he had won non-championship Formula One events driving for Ferrari, including in Syracuse and Naples.[29][28][27] This actually meant he was undefeated at Formula One events heading into the race, making him a suitable replacement for Oliver Gendebien.[27][29][28] Porsche meanwhile were struggling with an underpowered and unreliable engine, in addition to seemingly abandoning their new chassis in favour of fielding the previous year's cars for Gurney, Jo Bonnier, and Carel Godin de Beaufort.[26]

In qualifying, while the Ferraris were initially lapping slowly for set-up purposes, with Baghetti learning the course, the drivers would soon emerge as the fastest throughout the sessions.[26][28][27] Hill achieved pole position with a time of 2:24.9.[26][28][27][24] Directly behind him was von Trips, with Ginther making it a Ferrari 1-3.[26][27][28][24] Lotus-Climax's Stirling Moss qualified fourth with a time of 2:27.6, despite being unhappy with his Lotus' handling in the corners.[26][27][24] The qualifying time was established when he harnessed the slipstream of von Trips for several laps, the German desperately trying to move away from the Brit that he accidentally prematurely exposed the Ferraris' potential, much to the dismay of his team.[26] Because of this, Ferrari were again deemed the pre-race favourites.[26] Meanwhile, Gurney qualified fifth, while Baghetti would start 12th out of 26 competitors.[26][29][24]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1961 French Grand Prix commenced on 2nd July.[24] The Ferraris made a strong start, with only Moss capable of hanging with them in the early stages.[26][28][27][24] On lap 4, Ginther was chasing von Trips, but spun-off, enabling Moss to move into third.[26][27][29] As Ginther spun, Cooper-Climax's John Surtees took evasive action, which resulted in him damaging his rear suspension and forcing his retirement.[26][24] Ginther began pursuing Moss, as Baghetti moved up to eighth.[26][29] Ginther passed Moss for third on lap 6, and as it was revealed based on the fastest lap information that Ferrari were not even maximising their cars' potential yet.[26][27] Thus, they began to move away from Moss overtime as they increased their average speed.[26] Hill, however, began to slow down from lap 8 onwards, not because of a mechanical issue, but due to team orders.[26] Enzo Ferrari had dictated that von Trips was to win before the race began, much to Hill's dismay.[26][27][29] Baghetti was now up to sixth and challenged Lotus-Climax's Innes Ireland for fifth.[26] He moved by after pushing Ireland onto the grass, and began to close-down on Moss due to superior braking.[26] On lap 13, Hill let von Trips pass him for the lead.[26][29][28][27][24]

Baghetti made it a Ferrari 1-4, as Moss dropped down following issues with his Lotus' brakes.[26][29] He now faced challenges from both Lotus-Climax's Jim Clark and Ireland, as von Trips and Hill were ordered to "slow down" by their team, so that Ginther could catch-up.[26][27][29] However, Ferrari's gameplan unravelled as von Trips retired following an engine failure, letting Hill move back into first.[26][29][24] He now led by 10 seconds to Ginther, as Baghetti defended third from the two Lotuses, the trio re-passing one another for the final podium spot.[26] But now, the Porsches were beginning to climb the order, with Gurney moving into third by lap 28, and Bonnier to fifth.[26][28] A four-horse race for third now emerged, with Ireland dropping out of contention as his engine lost power.[26][27] Despite his lack of World Championship experience, Baghetti remained resilient in the battle, re-overtaking the Porsches on lap 35.[26][28]

On lap 38, Hill stalled his engine after spinning on wet tar, before colliding with Moss as he tried to restart it.[26][28][29][27][24] The impact forced Moss to retire following suspension damage, while Hill pushed his car to restart, which should have subjected him to an instant disqualification per the new FIA regulations.[26] Ginther briefly led, but then discovered that his car was losing oil pressure.[26][28][27][29] He made a pit stop thinking that an oil change could occur, but was forced to leave when his team informed him that was now illegal under the new regulations.[26][28] Despite hoping that the situation would resolve itself, Ginther decided to retire on lap 41 to preserve the engine.[26][28][29][27][24] Baghetti therefore assumed the lead, but faced battles with the Porsches, while Hill re-joined the race in a distance ninth.[26][29][28][27][24] Gurney and Bonnier attempted to sandwich the Ferrari on multiple occasions, but Baghetti held strong and still led by lap 50.[26][28]

Bonnier was out of contention following engine issues soon afterwards, leaving Baghetti and Gurney duelling for the win.[26][28][29][27] Gurney overtook Baghetti a lap before the end, but the Italian refused to give up, and as they exited the hairpin onto the final straight, the Ferrari exited from the Porsche's slipstream and attempted an overtake.[26][28][29][27][24] The move proved successful, with Baghetti overtaking the American with just 300 yards to spare to claim victory in his debut race and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[26][28][27][29][24] As he exited his car, he received major acclaim from the crowd and his pit crew for achieving the win and for his performance throughout the event.[28][26] This would be his sole success in the World Championship, as he never even reached the podium again for the rest of his career.[28][29] Clark and Ireland finished third and fourth respectively, Cooper-Climax's Bruce McLaren took fifth, while BRM's Graham Hill finished sixth.[26][27][24]

1961 Italian Grand Prix

Main article: 1961 Italian Grand Prix.

1961 United States Grand Prix

The 1961 United States Grand Prix was the eighth and final race of the 1961 Formula One Season. Occurring on 8th October at Watkins Glen, the race, one of a few World Championship events not to feature Ferrari, was ultimately won by Lotus-Climax's Innes Ireland, his sole World Championship victory and Team Lotus' first. It also marked the final World Championship start for Stirling Moss.

It was the 11th running of the event, lasting for 100 laps.[30][31] The second instance as part of the Formula One World Championship, the United States Grand Prix would be held at Watkins Glen from 1961 to 1980.[32][30] Since then, the race has been held on and off as part of the Formula One calendar, before making an annual return from 2012 onwards.[32][30]

Heading into the event, it was confirmed that Ferrari were to be absent.[33][34][35] Having already secured both the Drivers' and Constructors' titles, the team opted to withdraw from the race following legal issues in Italy concerning the deaths of Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators at the Italian Grand Prix.[33][34][35] World Champion and American driver Phil Hill was not granted a Ferrari car despite numerous sums of money being offered to Enzo Ferrari to change his mind, nor was released from his Ferrari contract, so was forced to attend only as the Grand Marshal for the event.[35][33] However, other American stars such as Porsche's Dan Gurney, as well as one-off competitors like Cooper-Climax's Roger Penske and Lotus-Climax's Jim Hall, were to compete in qualifying.[34][35][33] After most spent the first qualifying session learning the track, the second saw many of the fastest times be posted. Cooper-Climax's Jack Brabham achieved pole position with a time of 1:17.[33][34][35][31] Directly behind him was BRM's Graham Hill, with Moss lining up third in a Rob Walker Lotus-Climax.[33][34][35][31] Ireland would start eighth out of 19 competitors.[31][33]

Also of note is that business tycoon Howard Hughes was present in the pits, where he proceeded to discuss potentially buying Cooper Cars from John Cooper.[35] Ultimately, no deal was made, although Cooper later stated that had an offer been made, he would have accepted it.[35] The encounter is significant because it marked the final known public appearance of Hughes, whose worsening mental and physical health saw him delve further into a reclusive existence for the remaining years of his life.[36][35]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1961 United States Grand Prix commenced on 8th October.[31] While Brabham led the field at the start, it was Moss who then moved up into first after having overtaken the Australian and Graham Hill.[35][33][34][31] On lap 3, Ireland attempted to overtake Hill, but a spin saw it fall down to 11th.[33][35] However, he made a strong recovery, eventually moving up to fourth behind Cooper-Climax's Bruce McLaren on lap 8.[33] Two laps earlier, Brabham re-passed Moss for first, but the pair would engage in swapping the lead throughout the early stages of the event.[33][35][34][31] By lap 34, Moss had overtaken Brabham in a few instances, but the Cooper proved faster on the uphill climb, enabling Brabham to regain the lead.[33][35][31] McLaren meanwhile lost fifth gear and proved easy pickings for Ireland and Hill.[33][35] On lap 39, Moss again passed Brabham, the latter now experiencing engine issues following a loss of coolant.[33][35][31] A pit stop for water did not resolve the situation, and he retired on lap 58.[33][35][34][31]

A lap later, Moss would also retire following an engine failure.[33][35][34][31] This would mark his final appearance in the World Championship; an accident at the non-championship 1962 Glover Trophy saw him suffer serious injuries, and he elected to retire from Formula One when he felt he lacked the concentration he held previously.[37] Having finished runners-up four times and in third place three times, Moss is considered by many to be one of the greatest drivers never to win the Drivers' Championship.[37] Following Moss' retirement, Ireland led ahead of Hill.[35][33][34][31] Despite Hill providing pressure towards Ireland for the next 15 laps, the Lotus driver held strong, while Hill would be forced into the pits on lap 74 to fix a loose magneto cover.[33][35][34] Ireland's next rival was Cooper-Climax's Roy Salvadori, who was closing the gap after Ireland began experiencing fuel pressure issues.[35][33][34] With five laps remaining, Salvadori was five seconds behind Ireland, and seemed set to claim victory.[35][33][34] Ultimately, he retired with three laps remaining following an engine failure.[35][33][34][31]

Thus, Gurney moved up to second, but was unable to challenge Ireland.[33][35][34] Thus, the latter claimed victory, the first for the works Team Lotus, and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[33][35][34][31] This proved to be Ireland's only World Championship victory, with him being dropped by the team less than a week later.[35] Gurney finished second, while BRM's Tony Brooks claimed third in his final race before retiring from Formula One.[35][33][34][31] McLaren was fourth, Hill recovered to finish fifth, while Porsche's Jo Bonnier finished two laps down in sixth.[35][33][31][34]

Availability

The 1961 Monaco Grand Prix was the first Formula One event to receive television coverage from CBS.[38][39] On 15th June 1961, CBS aired a one hour report on the event, hosted by Budd Palmer.[38][39] The CBS coverage is publicly available on YouTube, along with a BP-sponsored colour documentary called "Two Laps of Honour". However, other television broadcasts remain missing.[39] Among these include full live coverage of the event by RAI and ORTF, with the BBC providing partial live coverage.[40][39] According to Issue 1,957 of Radio Times, 35 minutes of BBC coverage was dedicated to the race start, while some live footage of the final laps was also aired following a 1962 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Czechoslovakia and Scotland.[40]

Meanwhile, the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix reportedly received partial live television coverage, including from NTS and the BBC.[39][41] According to Issue 1,958 of Radio Times, footage of the race was included as part of a four-hour Bank Holiday Grandstand, with clips of cricket, horse racing, athletics, and rugby league also a part of the broadcast.[41] The television broadcasts have yet to resurface, although footage from a British Pathé newsreel is publicly available. Similarly, Issue 1,962 of Radio Times states the BBC provided a report on the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix on 21st June 1961 as part of Sportsview, with the 35-minute broadcast also containing a preview of the Second Ashes Test between England and Australia, as well as news on cycling and horse racing.[42] The broadcast has yet to resurface, although newsreel footage and a colour documentary from Smiths Industries are publicly available.[43]

Additionally, the 1961 French Grand Prix was reportedly televised partially live by several outlets, including France's ORTF and the BBC.[39][44] According to Issue 1,964 of Radio Times, the BBC broadcast 35 minutes of the race start, and 35 minutes of the closing stages, for a total of 70 minutes of coverage.[44][39] The television broadcasts have yet to resurface, but footage of the race from sources such as a British documentary is publicly available. Finally, according to Issue 1,978 of Radio Times, the BBC televised highlights of the race as part of Sportsview on 11th October 1961.[45][39] Included in the 30-minute broadcast was a preview of the 1961 Ryder Cup, and a film of water skiing at the Princes Club.[45] The broadcast has yet to resurface, however, and no footage of the race is seemingly publicly available.

Gallery

Videos

CBS coverage of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix.

"Two Laps of Honour" film of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix

Silent amateur footage of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix.

British Pathé newsreel footage of the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix.

Colour footage of the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix.

Colour footage of the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix from the Smiths Industries film.

Silent British Pathé newsreel of the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix.

Amateur footage of the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix.

Colour footage of the 1961 French Grand Prix from a British documentary.

Colour footage of the 1961 French Grand Prix.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 F1 Chronicle detailing the history of the Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  2. Ultimate Car Page providing a list of Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  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 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  4. Topend Sports detailing the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 ESPN summarising the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Parc Ferme detailing the change from 2.5 to 1.5 litre engines, and the resistance against this regulation change. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 Grand Prix summarising the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  8. 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 8.36 8.37 8.38 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1961 Monaco Grand Prix report. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Circuits of the Past detailing the history of Zandvoort and the Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  11. Autoweek reporting on the return of the Dutch Grand Prix to the Formula One calendar in 2021. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  12. 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 12.20 12.21 12.22 12.23 12.24 12.25 12.26 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1961 Dutch Grand Prix report. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  13. 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 ESPN summarising the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  14. 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 14.18 Grand Prix summarising the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  15. Formula 1 detailing some of the other races with no retirements. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  16. BBC Sport reporting on the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, which also featured no pitstops. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Ultimate Car Page listing all Belgian Grand Prix. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  18. 18.0 18.1 Chase Your Sport detailing the history of the Belgian Grand Prix. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  19. 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 19.12 19.13 19.14 19.15 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  20. 20.00 20.01 20.02 20.03 20.04 20.05 20.06 20.07 20.08 20.09 20.10 20.11 20.12 20.13 20.14 20.15 20.16 20.17 20.18 20.19 20.20 20.21 20.22 20.23 20.24 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1961 Belgian Grand Prix report. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  21. 21.00 21.01 21.02 21.03 21.04 21.05 21.06 21.07 21.08 21.09 21.10 21.11 21.12 21.13 21.14 21.15 21.16 21.17 Grand Prix summarising the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  22. 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 22.14 22.15 ESPN summarising the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Ultimate Car Page listing every French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  24. 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 24.12 24.13 24.14 24.15 Racing-Reference detailing qualifying and race results of the 1961 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  25. 25.0 25.1 F1 Destinations detailing the history of the French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  26. 26.00 26.01 26.02 26.03 26.04 26.05 26.06 26.07 26.08 26.09 26.10 26.11 26.12 26.13 26.14 26.15 26.16 26.17 26.18 26.19 26.20 26.21 26.22 26.23 26.24 26.25 26.26 26.27 26.28 26.29 26.30 26.31 26.32 26.33 26.34 26.35 26.36 26.37 26.38 26.39 26.40 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1961 French Grand Prix report. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  27. 27.00 27.01 27.02 27.03 27.04 27.05 27.06 27.07 27.08 27.09 27.10 27.11 27.12 27.13 27.14 27.15 27.16 27.17 27.18 27.19 27.20 27.21 27.22 27.23 Grand Prix summarising the 1961 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  28. 28.00 28.01 28.02 28.03 28.04 28.05 28.06 28.07 28.08 28.09 28.10 28.11 28.12 28.13 28.14 28.15 28.16 28.17 28.18 28.19 28.20 ESPN summarising the 1961 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  29. 29.00 29.01 29.02 29.03 29.04 29.05 29.06 29.07 29.08 29.09 29.10 29.11 29.12 29.13 29.14 29.15 29.16 29.17 29.18 Motor Sport detailing Baghetti's non-championship events he won and the victory at the 1961 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Ultimate Car Page detailing the instances of the United States Grand Prix. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  31. 31.00 31.01 31.02 31.03 31.04 31.05 31.06 31.07 31.08 31.09 31.10 31.11 31.12 31.13 31.14 31.15 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1961 United States Grand prix. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  32. 32.0 32.1 Williams F1 detailing the history of the United States Grand Prix. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  33. 33.00 33.01 33.02 33.03 33.04 33.05 33.06 33.07 33.08 33.09 33.10 33.11 33.12 33.13 33.14 33.15 33.16 33.17 33.18 33.19 33.20 33.21 33.22 33.23 33.24 A Second A Lap providing a 1961 United States Grand Prix report. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  34. 34.00 34.01 34.02 34.03 34.04 34.05 34.06 34.07 34.08 34.09 34.10 34.11 34.12 34.13 34.14 34.15 34.16 34.17 Grand Prix summarising the 1961 United States Grand Prix. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  35. 35.00 35.01 35.02 35.03 35.04 35.05 35.06 35.07 35.08 35.09 35.10 35.11 35.12 35.13 35.14 35.15 35.16 35.17 35.18 35.19 35.20 35.21 35.22 35.23 35.24 35.25 35.26 Autosport providing a 1961 United States Grand Prix report, and detailing Howard Hughes' appearance at the event. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  36. BBC detailing the life of Howard Hughes. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  37. 37.0 37.1 BBC detailing Moss' career. Retrieved 1st Oct '22
  38. 38.0 38.1 TIME listing the CBS broadcast of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 39.5 39.6 39.7 List of Formula One television broadcasts noting the television coverage of 1961 races. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  40. 40.0 40.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC's coverage of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix. Retrieved 21st Sep '22
  41. 41.0 41.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC coverage of the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix as part of Bank Holiday Grandstand. Retrieved 22nd Sep '22
  42. BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC coverage of the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix as part of Sportsview. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  43. Archived Motorfilms detailing the Smiths Industries film of the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix included as part of Motorfilms Quarterly Volume Three. Retrieved 23rd Sep '22
  44. 44.0 44.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC's coverage of the 1961 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 26th Sep '22
  45. 45.0 45.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the Sportsview broadcast of the 1961 United States Grand Prix. Retrieved 1st Oct '22