John Love, the nearly man

The 1967 South African Grand Prix was held for the first time at Kyalami near Johannesburg on 2 January and was race 1 of 11 in the 1967 Formula One World Championship.

Brabham drivers Denny Hulme and Jack Brabham led from the start, but the Australian soon spun, handing second place to Surtees (Honda). Furher down the field, Rhodesian privateer racer John Love (picture-above) reached third place in a four-cylinder Cooper Climax.

On lap 59, Hulme had to pit for more brake fluid, handing the lead to Love. His drive was halted as with just seven laps left, he had to pit to take on more fuel. Rodriguez (Cooper-Maserati) took his first win in Formula One from Love in second place and Surtees in third.

Paul Wittrock, one of our readers, comments: “The story of John Love’s 1967 South African GP is both heartbreaking yet inspiring. He was a 42 year old privateer who would have won that day but for a defective fuel pump. Instead, he finished second. Ahead of Surtees, Gurney, Stewart, Rindt, Hill, Clark, Hulme…” A fantastic performance for a privateer indeed.