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Facts about the 1960s Formula One decade, a thread:
First major chance of the 60s was that the front-engines, who where the thing of the 50s, finally phased out after the 1960 season. And Enzo Ferrari immediately snatched the World Title in '61 with his new rear-engined cars.
Stirling Moss would win the the last F1 race in a front-engined car with victory in the International Gold Cup (non-championship race) held on the 23 September 1961 in the Ferguson P99.
British Teams where furious after the 2.5 liter engines where chanced to the 1.5 liter ones in 1961. The Brits believed the 1.5 liter Formula 1 would go away if they just refused to accepted it. That protest only lasted a year, B.R.M. was the first 1.5 liter V8 engine in 1962.
Bruce McLaren won the first GP of the decade at Argentina 1960 in a Cooper-Climax, and a McLaren car did win the last GP of the decade in Mexico driven by Denis Hulme.
In 1964 John Surtees made history by becoming the only man to win World Championships on two wheels and four. Many of them on Italian vehicles.
Graham Hill (also called Mr. Monaco) was the master of Monaco in the 60s by winning it incredible five times.
1962 Colin Chapman brought his aero engineering experience to design the first full monocoque chassis in motor sport. Soon other teams followed him and abandoned the simple space frame.
Cooper had the most GP wins as the decade began but soon was replaced by the lightweight rear-engined car with a Coventry-Climax engine built by the design engineer genius Colin Chapman at Lotus. With Jim Clark at the wheel, it was the car to beat.
Jack Brabham remains the only driver winning the Championship in his own car (1966/Brabham-Repco).
When the decade started a Scots by the name Jim Clark came into the sport who would dominate most of his time. He is even today called one of the best F1 driver to ever sat in a racing car, basically the Goat of the Goats! He unfortunately died in '68 at a F2 race in Hockenheim.
This is an interesting article, why Jim Clarks statistics are still quite mind blowing today! https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/jim-clark-genius-legend-Lotus/4778023/
In '65 Jackie Stewart another Scots came into the sport with skills and speed but more importantly a fierce desire to survive. His accident at the Belgian GP in '66, was what prompting him to begin his safety crusade. And he worked on that even after he retired in '73.
The fatality rate in the 60s or particular in the golden age of F1 was high. In accordance with statistics it was one in three chances of living and two in three chances of being killed. There were 8 death in F1 in this decade, keep in mind that they not only driven in F1 races.
Giancarlo Baghetti became the first, and so far only, driver to win his maiden GP. It was the 1961 French Grand Prix, however it remained his only win.
With '68 came high finance for Lotus and out of that the first sponsorship car was born. The historic green with yellow, now became the colorful look of the Gold Leaf cigarette packet. This was the start of the commercial liveries we know today.
Jim Clark is the only driver ever win the World Championship and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year (1965).
