Jim Clark, the artist

Jim Clark was a Scottish racing driver who won two F1 World Championships in 1963 and 1965. His name is always associated to Team Lotus and its founder, Colin Chapman. In 72 Grand Prix starts, he took 25 wins, 32 podiums and 255 points. His speed and his silky style and car control were legendary and his is widely regarded as the most talented driver of his era.

Analysing Jim Clark’s technique, Peter Collins (former team manager at Team Lotus and Williams, and an avid Clark fan), who knows more about what makes great drivers than most, made some key observations:

“He was able to drive an understeering car in a four-wheel drift and judge the exits to perfection. His driving was incredibly fluid, even in dramatic moments. Jimmy was velvety smooth, and watching him was like watching a ballerina dance. He made driving a race car an art form. I never saw anyone better.”

Jim Clark himself described racing as an art form: “The man with natural ability uses finer limits than the man who has none. It is like a born artist being able to place paint on a canvas and make it a picture, whereas the majority of us would only make a mess. For I consider motor racing an art.”

Picture below: Jim Clark, Lotus 33-Climax, beautifully corrects a slide at Casino Square during the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix. He was forced to retire on lap 42, with a broken suspension. Race won by Denny Hulme in a Brabham-Repco.