1962 Formula One World Championship (partially found footage of Formula One races; 1962)

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1962britishgrandprix1.jpg

Programme for the 1962 British Grand Prix.

Status: Partially Found

The 1962 Formula One World Championship was the 13th FIA-sanctioned top-level Grand Prix racing season. It saw BRM's Graham Hill defeat Lotus-Climax's Jim Clark to claim his first of two Drivers' Championships. Seven of the nine races held that year, including the Dutch, Monaco, French, British, German, Italian, and South African Grand Prix, received some kind of television coverage.

1962 Dutch Grand Prix

The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was the opening race of the 1962 Formula One Season. Occurring on 20th May at the Zandvoort Circuit, the race would ultimately be won by BRM's Graham Hill, marking the first World Championship victory for the future two-time champion. The race also featured the debut of the Lotus 25, the first Formula One car with a monocoque chassis.

It was the eighth running of the event within the Formula One calendar, as well as the tenth in Grand Prix history.[1] Lasting 75 laps,[2][1] the race ran on a frequent basis until being dropped from the Formula One schedule following financial difficulties in 1986.[1] Nevertheless, both the track and event would make a return to Formula One from 2021 onwards.[3] The 1962 edition also gained the "Grand Prix of Europe" title.[4]

Heading into the race, defending champions Ferrari kept the same cars that drove them and Phil Hill to glory the previous year, save for modifications to Hill's rear suspension.[4] However, it was the British teams BRM and Lotus that were making the most waves.[5][6][4] BRM entered cars for Graham Hill and Richie Ginther, with Hill's equipped with a 1962 V8 engine.[4][6] Considering Hill's success with the engine during non-championship races at Silverstone and Goodwood, optimism was high among the team.[4] Meanwhile, Lotus entered its Lotus 25, which would transpire to be a revolutionary car for the sport.[4][5][6] The main feature was that the Lotus was the first to have a monocoque chassis, which properly linked the chassis with the car's body.[4][5][6] The main benefits were not only reduced weight that increased performance, but also significantly greater structural integrity based on relying on the external skin to support the weight.[5] Such is the safety of monocoque chassis that modern Formula One regulations demand that all cars have this type of chassis, with a near-indestructible "survival cell" that provides significant protection for drivers during even heavy crashes.[5]

In qualifying, BRM had gained an advantage thanks to conducting tests at Zandvoort two weeks before the Grand Prix weekend.[4] However, despite criticising his new Lola-Climax's handling, it was actually John Surtees who achieved pole position, after setting a time of 1:32.5.[4][6][5][2] Hill meanwhile demonstrated his BRM's potential, qualifying a few tenths off in second.[4][6][5][2] Clark experienced gearbox issues and did need additional time to practice with the new Lotus, but ultimately posted a time quick enough for third on the grid.[4][6][2][5] Ferrari struggled as two of their drivers lacked experience driving at Zandvoort, with defending champion Phil Hill only capable of qualifying ninth out of 20 competitors.[4][6][2]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix commenced on 20th May.[2] Clark had the strongest start, passing Surtees for the lead, with the latter also passed by Graham Hill and Porsche's Dan Gurney.[4][5][6][2] Having been forced to race with a cracked exhaust pipe, Hill was already 2.5 seconds behind Clark by lap 3, with Gurney easily maintaining third as Surtees dropped further back.[4] Suddenly, the Lola suffered a left wishbone failure, causing Surtees to slam into a safety fence.[4][6][2] The Brit ultimately escaped unhurt.[4][6] Meanwhile, Clark began to lose his lead over Hill, as his Lotus was experiencing gear selection issues caused by a faulty clutch.[4][6] Following the completion of lap 11, Hill took the lead, and Clark was forced to pit as the clutch failed.[4][5][6][2] Earlier on, Gurney also pulled into the pits to reattach his gear lever, promoting Cooper-Climax's Bruce McLaren to second.[4][6] Both Gurney and Clark eventually re-joined, but were laps behind Hill, who was now 12 seconds ahead of McLaren, with Phil Hill up to third.[4] However, McLaren retired after 21 laps following a gearbox failure.[4][6][2]

Graham continued to expand the gap between himself and second place Phil to about 34 seconds by lap 40, with Lotus-Climax's Trevor Taylor 12 seconds behind the Ferrari in third.[4][5][6] Aside from briefly losing the lead to Phil during a pit stop, Graham recovered in what Motor Sport deemed was him "driving a faultless race."[4][2] By lap 61, Graham was 27 seconds ahead, as Lotus-Climax's Trevor Taylor began to cut the gap behind Phil, eventually passing the Ferrari for second.[4][6][5][2] Lotus-Climax's Innes Ireland crashed out after his car failed at over 100 mph, causing it to roll into a fence.[4][5][2] He ultimately escaped with a cut nose.[5][4] Meanwhile, Cooper-Climax's Tony Maggs and Ginther were battling for fifth, when Taylor rear-ended the BRM while trying to lap Ginther after the latter suffered a brief engine cut-out.[4][6] Ginther was out, while Taylor was forced to contend with a damaged nose.[4][6][2] Graham Hill meanwhile controlled proceedings to take his first win in the World Championship, and BRM's first since 1959.[7][4][5][6][2] Taylor and Phil Hill finished second and third respectively despite encountering late oil issues, with Baghetti fourth, Maggs fifth, and Porsche's Carel Godin de Beaufort taking sixth.[5][6][4][2]

1962 French Grand Prix

The 1962 French Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 1962 Formula One Season. Occurring on 8th July at the Circuit Rouen les Essarts, the race was ultimately won by Porsche's Dan Gurney, marking his first World Championship victory, and Porsche's only one as a constructor.

It was the 12th running of the event in the Formula One calendar,[8] with the race lasting 54 laps.[9] The 48th French Grand Prix overall,[10] the race has been held at a variety of circuits, with the last one held at Rouen occurring in 1968.[11][12] After the race was dropped from the schedule in 2009, it returned in 2018, where it has consistently been held at Circuit Paul Ricard.[12][8]

Heading into the race, it was confirmed Ferrari would not compete, as a metal workers strike in Italy prevented its mechanics from working on its cars.[13][14][15] Meanwhile, Porsche, following a difficult start to the season, were now satisfied with their cars' performances following modifications at the Nurburgring.[14] Despite clear improvements during qualifying, with Gurney setting a time fast enough for sixth on the grid, the battle for pole position was mainly between BRM, Lotus-Climax, and Cooper-Climax.[14][15][9] Jim Clark, driving a new monocoque Lotus 25, would achieve pole position with a time of 2:14.8.[14][15][13][9] Directly behind him was Graham Hill's BRM, who despite qualifying second, was struggling with engine power and gear change issues throughout the sessions.[14][15][13][9] Meanwhile Cooper-Climax's Bruce McLaren encountered his own reliability concerns in the first session, but recovered in the second to qualify third out of 17 competitors.[14][15][13][9]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1962 French Grand Prix commenced on 8th July.[9] Richie Ginther's BRM stalled prior to the start, forcing drivers behind him to utilise sign language to figure out how to overtake him at the start.[14] The race director was forced to order the Gendarmerie guarding the cars to move off the grid to avoid them being run over by cars dodging the stricken BRM.[14] The confusion from behind meant the top three struggled to get away at the start, but once proceedings normalised, Hill led ahead of Lola-Climax's John Surtees, Clark, and McLaren.[14][15][13][9] Hill set a lap record a lap later, while Clark was forced to resolve handling issues, which took until lap 4.[14] By lap 10, Hill was a second ahead of Surtees, while gearbox problems plus a spin for McLaren hampered his progress.[14][15] His mechanics later found the chassis was damaged, though McLaren was able to continue.[14][15] Engine and fuel feed issues meanwhile forced Surtees into the pits, allowing Clark to take second and Gurney third.[14][15][13] The Lola driver was nevertheless able to continue, eventually moving back into fourth by lap 22.[14] Clark had also set a lap record, though Hill was considerably ahead by lap 27.[14]

On lap 30, Hill lapped Cooper-Climax's Jackie Lewis.[14][15] However, Lewis suffered a brakes failure heading into a corner, and rear-ended Hill's BRM. Hill continued, albeit without his car's right-hand tail pipe.[14][15][9] The resulting spin enabled Clark to take the lead.[14][15][9] Clark was ahead by about six seconds on lap 31, but the BRM set another lap record a lap later, eventually catching the Lotus on lap 33.[14] Clark was forced to pit, believing his Lotus was suffering mechanical issues based on how quickly Hill closed the gap.[14][15][13][9] Hill was about 30 seconds ahead of Gurney, with Surtees a lap down in fourth.[14][15][13] Clark meanwhile retired as a steering ball joint broke from the car's left top wishbone.[14][15][9] It seemed Hill was going to claim victory, but an injection mixture control failure caused him to briefly stop.[14][15][13] Once he limped into the pits on lap 47, the engine cover was missing, and the engine was experiencing misfires.[14][15] He continued, but was far behind Gurney.[14][15][13][9] Surtees also pitted to fix a gearbox issue, and was now reliant on third gear.[14][15][13] This promoted Cooper-Climax's Tony Maggs to second, and Ginther to third.[14][15][13][9]

Gurney experienced no issues for the remaining race duration.[14] Having lapped the field, he claimed his and Porsche's first ever World Championship win, and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[14][13][15][9] This was Porsche's only win as a constructor, though it would achieve more victories as an engine supplier courtesy of its partnership with McLaren in the mid-1980s.[16][13] It was also a German constructor's last World Championship victory until Robert Kubica won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix driving for BMW Sauber.[13] Maggs came home second, while Ginther finished third despite breaking two throttle cables during the event.[14][15][13] McLaren and Surtees took fourth and fifth despite their mechanical issues, and Porsche's Carel Godin de Beaufort took the final points position of sixth.[14][15][9] Post-race, Surtees attempted to pit, but was turned away by the Gendarmes.[14] Lotus-Climax's Maurice Trintignant was caught out by this, and took evasive action.[14][15] He ended up in the path of Lotus-Climax's Trevor Taylor, with him colliding with the Frenchman at 120 mph.[14][15] Despite the massive crash destroying both Lotuses, the drivers walked away unharmed.[14][15]

1962 British Grand Prix

The 1962 British Grand Prix was the fifth race of the 1962 Formula One Season. Occurring on 21st July at the Aintree Circuit, the race was ultimately won by Lotus-Climax driver and polesitter Jim Clark, achieving a Grand Chelem in the process.

It was the 13th running of the event within Formula One, with the race lasting 75 laps.[17][18][19] The 17th British Grand Prix overall, the event has remained an annual race on the Formula One calendar, primarily taking place at Silverstone, although Aintree and Brands Hatch have also hosted the event.[17]

Heading into the race, the Italian metalworks strike was finally resolved, but had taken its toll on Ferrari's operations short-term.[20][21][22] Nevertheless, unlike the 1962 French Grand Prix, Ferrari were able to enter one car for the race, for defending champion Phil Hill.[20][21][22] However, Hill struggled with his Ferrari's cornering ability, eventually qualifying only 12th.[21][20][22][19] Meanwhile, after comparing the Lotus 24 with the new Lotus 25, Clark achieved pole position with a time of 1:53.6.[20][21][22][19] This occurred on the last qualifying session; beforehand Lola-Climax's John Surtees set the pace, but was now forced to accept second place.[20][21][22][19] Innes Ireland took third in a privateer Lotus-Climax, while BRM and title contender Graham Hill struggled after blowing an engine and suffering an oil leak with its replacement.[20][21][22][19] Hill eventually qualified fifth out of 22 competitors.[22][20][19]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1962 British Grand Prix commenced on 21st July.[19] Clark got away strongly, while Ireland immediately suffered a gearbox failure, leaving him stranded at the start.[20][21][22] Clark was considerably ahead of Surtees, while Porsche's Dan Gurney and McLaren battled for third, Hill having passed Lotus-Climax's Jack Brabham to regain fifth on lap 7.[20][22][21][19] Surtees attempted to close the gap for first, setting a fastest lap and being right on Clark's tail by lap 8.[20] However, the Lotus proved consistently quick, forcing the Lola to drop back.[20][22] McLaren overtook Gurney on lap 13, with Hill doing the same by lap 20.[20] From this point, Clark began to expand his lead over Surtees by about a second per lap, while Gurney dropped back following a clutch slip issue.[20][21][22][19]

By the halfway mark, Clark led Surtees by 14 seconds, with McLaren almost 30 seconds behind in third.[20][22] Clark set another fastest lap, while Surtees was consistent in second.[20][22] On lap 67, Clark had lapped Brabham, and with a few laps remaining, was almost about to lap Hill.[20] However, he decided to let Hill complete every lap of the event, with the Scot taking a dominant victory and eight points in the Drivers' Championship.[20][22][21][19] Surtees finished second nearly 50 seconds behind the winner, while McLaren took third despite a radiator failure that burned one of his feet.[20][21][22][19] Hill finished fourth, while Brabham and Cooper-Climax's Tony Maggs were a lap down in fifth and sixth respectively.[20][22][21][19] Clark would earn his first of a record eight Grand Chelems; this is an accolade where a driver qualified in pole position, set the fastest lap, and led every lap of the event.[23] Despite this, Clark claimed he faced a significant challenge from Surtees, stating "I had a great deal of trouble trying to shake off Surtees. It was not until halfway through the race that I began to make any impression on him."[21]

Availability

The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was reportedly televised partially live by Netherland's NTS, as well as Belgium's BRT and the BBC.[24][25] The BRT broadcast lasted around 2 and half hours, the Dutch broadcast was split into two 30 minute airings, while the BBC's broadcast was around 55 minutes long and utilised NTS' coverage.[24][25] None of the three broadcasts have fully resurfaced, though part of the BBC broadcast was aired in a BBC Four documentary. Documentary and amateur footage can also be found online.

Meanwhile, ORTF, RTB, and the BBC are known to have partially televised the 1962 French Grand Prix.[24][26] ORTF provided a combined 1 hour and 45 minutes of live coverage, splitting its broadcast into two sections.[24] RTB meanwhile provided 90 minutes of coverage, splitting it into two 45-minute segments.[24] Finally, Issue 2,017 of Radio Times states that the BBC's broadcast occurred during a 55-minute broadcast that was shared with coverage of the 1962 World Gymnastic Championships.[26][24] None of the television broadcasts have resurfaced, but colour race footage can be accessed courtesy of a film produced by Castrol Motor Oil,[27] in addition to a British Pathé newsreel.

Additionally, the 1962 British Grand prix was reportedly televised partially live by the BBC and Belgium's RTBF.[24][28] According to Issue 2,019 of Radio Times, the BBC broadcast occurred as part of Summer Grandstand, with coverage commencing intermittently alongside the broadcast of various other sports.[28][24] Meanwhile, the RTBF broadcast lasted around 35 minutes.[24] The television broadcasts have yet to resurface, though a three-second video containing footage from the RTBF broadcast was uploaded to YouTube. Other race footage can be found in newsreels.

Gallery

Videos

Part of the BBC's coverage of the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix aired in a BBC Four documentary.

Colour footage of the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix from a documentary.

Amateur footage of the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix.

Colour footage of the 1962 French Grand Prix from the Castrol Motor Oil-produced film.

British Pathé newsreel of the 1962 French Grand Prix.

Footage of the 1962 British Grand Prix from the Eurovision Network broadcast.

British Pathé newsreel of the 1962 British Grand Prix.

British Movietone newsreel of the 1962 British Grand Prix.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Circuits of the Past detailing the history of Zandvoort and the Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  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 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  3. Autoweek reporting on the return of the Dutch Grand Prix to the Formula One calendar. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1962 Dutch Grand Prix report. Retrieved 5th Nov '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 ESPN summarising the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 Grand Prix summarising the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  7. British Racing Motors noting the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was Hill's first World Championship win and the team's first since 1959. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  8. 8.0 8.1 Ultimate Car Page listing every French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 Racing-Reference detailing qualifying and race results of the 1962 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  10. Forix listing all races classified as part of the French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  11. Supercar Nostalgia detailing the history of the Rouen-Les-Essarts. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  12. 12.0 12.1 F1 Destinations detailing the history of the French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '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 13.14 13.15 ESPN summarising the 1962 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '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 14.19 14.20 14.21 14.22 14.23 14.24 14.25 14.26 14.27 14.28 14.29 14.30 14.31 14.32 14.33 14.34 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1962 French Grand Prix report. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  15. 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 15.13 15.14 15.15 15.16 15.17 15.18 15.19 15.20 15.21 15.22 15.23 15.24 15.25 Grand Prix summarising the 1962 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  16. Road and Track's summarising Porsche's successful partnership with McLaren in the 1980s. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 The History Press detailing the history of the British Grand Prix. Retrieved 9th Nov '22
  18. Ultimate Car Page listing all instances of the British Grand Prix. Retrieved 9th Nov '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 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1962 British Grand Prix. Retrieved 9th Nov '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 Motor Sport providing a detailed 1962 British Grand Prix report. Retrieved 9th Nov '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 ESPN summarising the 1962 British Grand Prix. Retrieved 9th Nov '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 Grand Prix summarising the 1962 British Grand Prix Retrieved 9th Nov '22
  23. Sportskeeda listing drivers who have achieved Grand Chelems in World Championship races. Retrieved 9th Nov '22
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 24.8 List of Formula One television broadcasts noting television coverage of 1962 races. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  25. 25.0 25.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC's coverage of the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix. Retrieved 5th Nov '22
  26. 26.0 26.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC's coverage of the 1962 French Grand Prix. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  27. Muscle Car Films summarising the Castrol Motor Oil-produced film. Retrieved 8th Nov '22
  28. 28.0 28.1 BBC Genome archive of Radio Times issues detailing the BBC's coverage of the 1962 British Grand Prix. Retrieved 9th Nov '22