Surtees’ year

The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix was race 1 of 10 in the 1964 World Championship. Jim Clark took pole position in his Lotus-Climax, just one tenth faster than Jack Brabham, in his Brabham-Climax. John Surtees, picture here-above, mastering his beautiful Ferrari 158 in the rain, was a fine fourth, just 0.5s behind the poleman.

Graham Hill dominated the race in his BRM, and won the 100-lap race, with a full lap advantage on Richie Ginther’s BRM and 3 laps (!) on the Lotus-Climax of Peter Arundell, who scored his first podium finish in Formula 1, while John Surtees had to retire his Ferrari on lap 15, when his gearbox broke.

Nevertheless, it was to be John Surtees’ year. He drove the Ferrari 158 to win the German and Italian Grand Prix (picture below) and scored three second-place finishes to claim his only F1 Drivers’ Championship, by one point only over Graham Hill, in 1964.