1966 French Grand Prix

Last updated
1966 French Grand Prix
Circuit-Reims-1954.png
Reims-Gueux
Race details
Date3 July 1966
Official name 52e Grand Prix de l'ACF [1]
Location Reims-Gueux, Reims, France
Course Temporary road course
Course length 8.348 km (5.187 miles)
Distance 48 laps, 400.694 km (248.980 miles)
Weather Hot, dry
Pole position
Driver Ferrari
Time 2:07.8
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Italy.svg Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari
Time 2:11.3
Podium
First Brabham-Repco
Second Ferrari
Third Brabham-Repco
Lap leaders
  • 1966 French Grand Prix

The 1966 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on 3 July 1966. It was race 3 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the "60th Anniversary race" of Grand Prix racing, which had started with the GP of France in 1906. It was also the 16th and last time the French Grand Prix was held on variations of French highways near Reims, following a three-year absence from the region. The race was held over 48 laps of the 8.35-kilometre (5.19 mi) circuit for a race distance of 400.694 kilometres (248.980 mi).

Contents

The race was won by the 1959 and 1960 World Champion, Australian driver Jack Brabham, driving his Brabham BT19. It was Brabham's eighth Grand Prix victory and his first since the 1960 Portuguese Grand Prix, six years earlier. It was also his first win since establishing his Brabham team, and the first win for the Australian-developed Repco V8 engine. Brabham became the first driver to win a World Championship Grand Prix in a car bearing his own name. British driver Mike Parkes finished second in a Ferrari 312, 9.5 seconds behind, while Brabham's team-mate, New Zealander Denny Hulme, finished third in his Brabham BT20, albeit two laps down.

Brabham now led the Driver's Championship on 12 points, two ahead of Ferrari driver Lorenzo Bandini and three ahead of BRM's Jackie Stewart and Ferrari's John Surtees. The win was the first of four in succession for Brabham as he began his march towards his third world title.

Race summary

Jim Clark was a non-starter, recovering from an accident after he was hit in the eye by a bird during practice. Qualifying was firmly in the hands of Ferrari and especially Lorenzo Bandini with a pole set at 2:07.8 in his 3-litre 312/66, averaging 146.112 mph (233.780 km/h). After the start, Bandini duly led, with Jack Brabham in what would later be nicknamed his 'Old Nail' BT19 – which had a bit less straightline speed – following in his slipstream for a while. Mike Parkes, who had taken over at Ferrari from John Surtees acquitted himself well, duelling with Graham Hill for third place, becoming second when Hill's camshaft broke. When the Italian had to retire due to a broken throttle linkage, Brabham took first place at the finish – his first win since the 1960 Portuguese Grand Prix and the first driver to win a championship Grand Prix in his own car. It was also the last race ever at Reims-Gueux, the original venue of the Formula One French Grand Prix.

1950 World Champion Nino Farina died in a car accident while on his way to watch this race. [2]

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
120 Flag of Italy.svg Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 2:07.8
210 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Surtees Cooper-Maserati 2:08.4+0.6
322 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Parkes Ferrari 2:09.1+1.3
412 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco 2:10.2+2.4
56 Flag of Austria.svg Jochen Rindt Cooper-Maserati 2:10.9+3.1
638 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jo Siffert Cooper-Maserati 2:12.2+4.4
78 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Cooper-Maserati 2:12.4+4.6
816 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Hill BRM 2:12.8+5.0
914 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme Brabham-Repco 2:13.3+5.5
1032 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Spence Lotus-BRM 2:14.2+6.4
1142 Flag of France.svg Guy Ligier Cooper-Maserati 2:15.4+7.6
1236 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bob Anderson Brabham-Climax 2:15.6+7.8
132 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jim Clark Lotus-Climax 2:15.6+7.8
142 Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg Pedro Rodríguez Lotus-Climax 2:16.5+8.7
1526 Flag of the United States.svg Dan Gurney Eagle-Climax 2:17.9+10.1
1644 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Taylor Brabham-BRM 2:19.2+11.4
174 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Arundell Lotus-BRM 2:19.6+11.8
1830 Flag of Sweden.svg Jo Bonnier Brabham-Climax 2:23.5+15.7
Source: [3] [4]

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
112 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco 481:48:31.349
222 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Parkes Ferrari 48+ 9.536
314 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme Brabham-Repco 46+ 2 Laps94
46 Flag of Austria.svg Jochen Rindt Cooper-Maserati 46+ 2 Laps53
526 Flag of the United States.svg Dan Gurney Eagle-Climax 45+ 3 Laps142
644 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Taylor Brabham-BRM 45+ 3 Laps151
736 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bob Anderson Brabham-Climax 44+ 4 Laps12
88 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Cooper-Maserati 44+ 4 Laps7
NC42 Flag of France.svg Guy Ligier Cooper-Maserati 42+ 6 Laps11
Ret2 Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg Pedro Rodríguez Lotus-Climax 40Oil Leak13
NC20 Flag of Italy.svg Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 37+ 11 Laps1
NC30 Flag of Sweden.svg Jo Bonnier Brabham-Climax 32+ 16 Laps17
Ret16 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Hill BRM 13Engine8
Ret38 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jo Siffert Cooper-Maserati 10Fuel System6
Ret32 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Spence Lotus-BRM 8Clutch10
Ret10 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Surtees Cooper-Maserati 5Fuel System2
Ret4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Arundell Lotus-BRM 3Gearbox16
DNS2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jim Clark Lotus-Climax Accident(18)
Source: [5]

Championship standings after the race

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References

  1. "Motor Racing Programme Covers: 1966". The Programme Covers Project. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  2. "Drivers: Giuseppe Farina". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  3. "1966 ACF GP Qualification". www.chicanef1.com. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  4. "1966 French Grand Prix". Motor Sport Magazine . Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  5. "1966 French Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  6. 1 2 "France 1966 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
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