The 1.5 litre engine formula was once again in effect for the 1963 Grand Prix season. There wasn’t much change at the tope teams, but Dan Gurney switched to Brabham after Porsche withdrew from Formula 1. Ferrari also had a new driver, signing John Surtees to drive for them.
Hill Wins Monaco Grand Prix in BRM
The 1963 Formula 1 World Championship started in Monaco. Jim Clark was on pole in his Lotus and, for many laps, looked on course for a win. Graham Hill followed the Scotsman around but was unable to mount a serious challenge for the lead. In the end he didn’t have to, as Clark’s gearbox broke late in the race. Hill was left to cruise home, with Richie Ginther completing a BRM 1-2. Bruce McLaren was third in his Cooper, ahead of Surtees in the Ferrari, Tony Maggs in another Cooper and Trevor Taylor’s Lotus.
Clark Unbeatable at Spa-Francorchamps
Qualifying did not go well for Clark in Belgium. While Graham Hill was on pole, Clark was stuck down in eighth place after being hampered by gearbox problems. Gurney was second on the grid in his Brabham, with Willy Mairesse third for Ferrari.
The race started in damp conditions and Clark found incredible traction to rocket past the cars in front and take the lead. Graham Hill ran in second, but ultimately dropped out of the Grand Prix with a broken gearbox. Gurney had a strong race, moving up to second place after Hill’s demise. He was eventually passed by McLaren and had to settle for third place at the finish. Ginther was fourth for BRM, ahead of Jo Bonnier and Dutchman Carel Godin de Beaufort.
Clark Wins Again at Zandvoort
Clark started the Dutch Grand Prix from pole position and went on to dominate the race. Jack Brabham and Graham Hill fought a spirited battle for second place before both of them retired. Brabham’s car had a throttle problem and Hill’s was overheating.
At the flag Clark was an entire lap ahead of second placed Gurney. Surtees was third in the Ferrari, ahead of BRP driver Innes Ireland. In fifth place was Ginther’s BRM, while the final World Championship point went to young Ludovico Scarfiotti in another Ferrari.
Despite Graham Hill winning the first race of the season it seemed that Clark and Lotus would be the combination to beat in 1963. The rest of the season looked like developing into a fascinating tussle for the title/
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