Qualifying
The 1961 British Grand Prix is also notable as being the first occasion on which a four-wheel drive car, and the last at which a front engined car was entered for a World Championship race. These two accomplishments were achieved by the same vehicle: the experimental Ferguson P99 - Climax run by the Rob Walker Racing Team . Although the car was disqualified for receiving assistance on the track, in the hands of Stirling Moss – who took over the car from first driver Jack Fairman after his own Lo...
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Qualifying times / Q1 | Qualifying times / Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Phil Hill | Ferrari | 2:00.8 | 1:58.8 |
| 2 | 6 | Richie Ginther | Ferrari | 2:00.8 | 1:58.8 |
| 3 | 8 | Jo Bonnier | Porsche | 2:00.8 | 1:58.8 |
| 4 | 4 | Wolfgang von Trips | Ferrari | 2:01.4 | 1:58.8 |
| 5 | 28 | Stirling Moss | Lotus-Climax | No time | 1:59.0 |
| 6 | 22 | Tony Brooks | BRM-Climax | 2:02.2 | 1:59.0 |
| 7 | 16 | Innes Ireland | Lotus-Climax | 2:01.2 | 1:59.2 |
| 8 | 18 | Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax | 2:03.8 | 1:59.2 |
| 9 | 12 | Jack Brabham | Cooper-Climax | No time | 1:59.4 |
| 10 | 34 | John Surtees | Cooper-Climax | 2:01.2 | 1:59.6 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Wolfgang von Trips, piloting a Ferrari 246 F1 – a machine breathing 240 horsepower thanks to its four-cylinder Clerc engine – navigated the slick tarmac with a surgeon's precision. Observe the Bridgestone tires; a compound of R11, chosen for its exceptional grip in damp conditions, yet vulnerable to overheating as the German pushed relentlessly. This victory, bittersweet even before its tragic conclusion, secured Ferrari's dominance, a testament to their engineering prowess and von Trips's daring.
Wolfgang von Trips, a young man sculpted from ambition and the Tuscan sun, seized that obfuscation, leading a Ferrari charge that claimed all three podium steps. A curious anomaly, you see – just three German drivers finished within the top three, a stark contrast to the burgeoning dominance anticipated from Porsche's engineering. This was a race where the shadows of tragedy, tragically, would soon lengthen.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain, a relentless, grey beast, clawed at the Aintree asphalt, a frantic drumming against the metal of Wolfgang von Trips's Ferrari. A sickening lurch, a flash of white – the spray blurring the already indistinct lines of the track. The crowd, a huddled mass of umbrellas and anxious faces, held its breath. Victory, so close, tasted of oil and impending disaster. Von Trips, a ghost in the mist, navigated the treacherous curves, the engine's roar a defiant hymn. A tragic ballet, played out beneath a weeping sky, a legend extinguished before his time.
The rain, a bruised purple staining the Lancashire sky, mirrored the tension etched onto Enzo Ferrari's face. He watched Wolfgang von Trips, a young man with eyes the color of the Mediterranean, navigate the treacherous Aintree curves. A silent prayer, perhaps, for the boy's safety amidst this elemental fury. Victory, it seemed, was a fragile thing, easily snatched away by the capricious mood of the heavens. This was more than just a race; it was a gamble, a desperate roll of the dice against the forces of nature. A moment suspended, a life hanging in the balance – a quintessential drama of the sport.