The 1960s

The Era

The 1960s transformed Formula 1 from a sport of gentleman drivers into a professional endeavour, though it remained lethally dangerous throughout. Cooper's rear-engined cars had proved the concept in 1959, and within two years every competitive constructor had followed suit. The era belonged to British teams and drivers: Lotus, BRM, Brabham, and later McLaren and Tyrrell reshaped the grid, while Jim Clark and Graham Hill became the sport's biggest stars. Clark, driving for Colin Chapman's Lotus, was perhaps the most naturally gifted driver ever to sit in a racing car, winning 25 races and two championships before his death at Hockenheim in 1968. Chapman was an engineering genius whose innovations included the monocoque chassis and ground-effect aerodynamics, but his relentless pursuit of lightness sometimes came at the cost of reliability and, tragically, safety. The decade ended with Jackie Stewart beginning his campaign to improve circuit safety, driven by the deaths of too many friends and rivals.

World Champions

Constructor Champions

Race Winners

Seasons