The Best F1 Drivers Of The 1960s

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The 60s were a very attractive decade in the world: the hippie movement, rock and roll, fashion, the space race… In Formula 1 it was no less since it was a very interesting decade full of emotion and entertainment.

Canada, South Africa and Mexico are some examples where F1 raced outside of Europe, with a broader and more complete calendar than in the 50s, which attracted a large number of fans from all over the planet.

On the technical side, Formula 1 was still a very dangerous sport where many drivers died, but many safety elements began to be incorporated into both the cars and the circuits. Engineers would also start experimenting with aerodynamics, and cars would get much faster.

With that being said, let\’s find out who were the best F1 drivers of the 1960s.

1. Jim Clark

Active years: 1960-1968

Entries: 73

Wins: 25

Podiums: 32

Pole Positions: 33

World Champion in 1963 and 1965

Jim Clark is the best driver of the 60s, and for many is one of the best of all time, on a par with Schumacher, Fangio or Hamilton. With 34.7% of victories, he is the third driver in history with the highest ratio, only behind Fangio and Ascari. In addition, after so many years, he has remained the ninth driver with the most victories, being the one with the most at the time of his death.

Clark raced in F1 exclusively with Team Lotus, and made his debut in 1960, achieving his first podium finishes during his first two seasons in the category and thus demonstrating his potential. In 1961, Clark was involved in an accident at Monza that claimed the lives of German driver Wolfgang von Trips and fifteen spectators, an event that would mark him.

However, from 1962 is when the Scot began to shine, taking three wins, and could have been champion if not for a mechanical failure in the last race. In 1963 he dominated the grid, winning 7 of 10 races (70% of the races), being the third most dominant season in history, behind Ascari in 1952 and Schumacher in 2004.

It should be noted that in qualifying he is one of the best in history, since, with 33 pole positions, he is the fifth driver in history with the most, with a ratio of 45.83%.

In 1965 he won his second title, with 6 victories, and in both 1964 and 1967, he finished third in the championship. Furthermore, in 1965, instead of competing in the Monaco GP, he raced in the Indianapolis 500, which he won, breaking American dominance.

On April 7, 1968, Clark was participating in an F2 event at the Hockenheimring as part of his contract, and during the race, the Scot lost control of his car due to mechanical failure and crashed into trees and died.

From that day on, F1 was orphaned, and we will never know what it could have achieved if not for that accident.

2. Graham Hill

Active years: 1958-1975

Entries: 179

Wins: 14

Podiums: 36

Pole Positions: 13

World Champion in 1962 and 1968

Graham Hill was one of Jim Clark\’s great rivals, and one of the great protagonists of the 1960s. He began his career as a mechanical engineer, but soon became more interested in driving, and made his F1 debut with Team Lotus in 1958, albeit without a competitive car.

After two uncompetitive seasons with Lotus, Hill signed for BRM in 1960, taking his first podium finish at the Dutch GP, although he still did not have a competitive car. In 1962 everything changed with the new BRM 56, with which he won the title with 4 wins and 2 podiums, ahead of Jim Clark. During the next three seasons, he was runner-up in all of them, accumulating many podiums and victories.

In 1967 he returned to Lotus, becoming Clark\’s teammate, and after the Scotsman\’s death, Hill became the team leader, winning the title in 1968. Hill was racing in F1 until 1975 with various teams, although without competitive cars. Hill died in a plane crash that year, and despite being 45 years old, he was still driving.

In addition to Formula 1, Graham Hill participated in other categories and is the only driver to win the so-called Triple Crown: the F1 Monaco GP, the Indianapolis 500 (1966) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972). Graham also earned the nickname of “Mr. Monaco” for winning 5 times on the streets of the Principality, in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969.

In addition, Graham is the father of Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 world champion, who are, along with Keke and Nico Rosberg, the only two father-son pairs to be both F1 world champions.

3. Jack Brabham

Active years: 1955-1970

Entries: 128

Wins: 14

Podiums: 31

Pole Positions: 13

World Champion in 1959, 1960 and 1966

Sir Jack Brabham was not only one of the greatest drivers of the 1960s, but he would go on to create one of the most successful and long-running teams in F1 history. Brabham was a Royal Australian Air Force flight mechanic and ran a small engineering workshop before he started racing, so he knew a lot about cars.

Brabham made his F1 debut with Cooper, taking part in sporadic races until joining the championship full-time in 1958. Brabham contributed to the design of mid-engined cars, which were in their early days, and the Cooper T51 with which he won his first world title in 1959, which became the first rear-engined car to win the title.

With the turn of the decade, Cooper introduced the T53, with which Brabham won five consecutive times, securing his second title. In 1962, Brabham left Cooper to found his own Formula 1 team: Brabham Racing Organisation.

Brabham himself was one of the drivers for the team, which between 1962 and 1965 was not very successful, due to FIA regulations limiting engine capacity to 1.5 L. In 1966, however, capacity was increased to 3 L, and Brabham was one of the teams that took the most advantage of this regulation change, creating a car that was lighter, faster and more reliable than the rest, and with which Brabham won 4 races in a row, getting his third title.

Thanks to this, Brabham became the first, and so far only driver to win a world championship with his own car. In 1967 he was runner-up, and after three uncompetitive seasons, Brabham retired at the end of 1970.

Brabham became the second driver, after Fangio, to win three world titles and his Brabham team, which competed in F1 until 1992, has been one of the most influential teams in the sport, and where great drivers such as Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda or Damon Hill have driven, winning a total of 4 drivers\’ and 2 constructors\’ titles.

4. Jackie Stewart

Active years: 1965-1973

Entries: 100

Wins: 27

Podiums: 43

Pole Positions: 17

World Champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973

With his three world championships, Jackie Stewart is not only one of the best drivers of the 60s and 70s, but also one of the best in history. Stewart was born in Scotland into a family with a passion for racing. His father was an amateur motorcycle racer and his brother also participated in some racing competitions, however, Jackie was the one who went the furthest.

Stewart grew up with Fangio as a role model, making his F1 debut in 1965 with BRM. In his first season, he already achieved 4 podiums and 1 victory, in the Italian GP, finishing third in the championship.

After two years with an unreliable and uncompetitive car, in 1968 he signed for the Matra team, which had a competitive car. That season he had three wins and finished runner-up to Graham Hill. In 1969, on the other hand, Stewart dominated the season, and with 6 victories he secured the title by a great distance of 26 points ahead of Jacky Ickx.

In the following decade, already with Tyrrell, Stewart continued to add more successes, winning the championship in 1971 and 1973, and being runner-up in 1972.

Stewart was not only one of the best drivers of his time and in history, but he was also one of the great advocates of racing safety, promoting the use of full-face helmets, seat belts and effective assistance equipment.

5. John Surtees

Active years: 1960-1972

Entries: 113

Wins: 6

Podiums: 24

Pole Positions: 8

World Champion in 1964

John Surtees is not only one of the best Formula 1 drivers of the 1960s, but he is one of the great motorsports legends. After winning 7 motorcycling world championships, Surtees switched from two-wheeled to four-wheeled competition and tried his hand at Formula 1, making his debut in 1960 with Team Lotus.

In his second race, he achieved a second place, in the British GP, behind Jack Brabham. After 2 seasons with midfield cars in which he scored two podium finishes, Surtees\’ big break came in 1963 when he signed for Ferrari, taking his maiden win at the German GP.

In 1964, Surtees had 2 wins and 4 podium finishes and won the title, just one point ahead of Graham Hill. With this championship, Surtees became the first, and so far the only person to be world champion on both four and two wheels, something that with today\’s professionalism seems very difficult to match.

Surtees left Ferrari in 1966 due to disagreements with the team and went on to drive for Cooper, finishing second in the championship behind Jack Brabham that season. After that year Surtees never had very competitive cars anymore and he retired in 1972.

6. Denny Hulme

Active years: 1965-1974

Entries: 112

Wins: 8

Podiums: 33

Pole Positions: 1

World Champion in 1967

Denny Hulme is the only New Zealand driver to win a Formula 1 title. Hulme started his racing career in New Zealand and began racing in Europe after meeting and befriending Jack Brabham.

Hulme made his Formula 1 debut with the Brabham team, driving alongside his friend, and scored his first podiums in 1966, the year Jack became world champion, while the kiwi finished fourth.

In 1967, to everyone\’s surprise, Hulme scored 2 wins and 5 podiums, beating Brabham and becoming world champion. The following year he signed for McLaren, driving in Formula 1 until 1974, finishing third in both 1968 and 1972 and scoring some victories and numerous podiums.

As a curious fact, Denny Hulme is the world champion with the fewest pole positions in history, with only one.

7. Phil Hill

Active years: 1958-1964, 1966

Entries: 52

Wins: 3

Podiums: 16

Pole Positions: 6

World Champion in 1961

Phil Hill had a relatively short career but was a key figure in the relationship between the United States and Formula 1. Hill was a \”safe\” driver, who rarely made mistakes, and who admitted that he feared death, which caused him great anxiety before many races.

Hill made his Formula 1 debut in 1958 and spent most of his racing career at Ferrari, which signed him after the death of driver Luigi Musso. In his first race with the Prancing Horse, at the German GP, Hill saw the death of his teammate, Peter Collins. That season, Hill scored two podiums and his other teammate, Mike Hawthorn, won the title, and upon his retirement at the end of the year, Hill became the team leader.

After two seasons with midfield cars by Ferrari, 1961 was Hill\’s great year. With 2 victories and 4 podiums, he became the F1 world champion, only one point ahead of Wolfgang von Trips, who died in the penultimate round, in the Italian GP, in an accident with Jim Clark in which fifteen spectators also died.

With this title, Hill became the first American to win the Formula 1 championship and his success promoted the sport among a previously skeptical American public and other American drivers. Hill raced in Formula 1 until 1966, albeit without very competitive cars.

Hill was also one of the best wet track drivers, despite growing up in California, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times.

8. Bruce McLaren

Active years: 1958-1970

Entries: 104

Wins: 4

Podiums: 27

Pole Positions: 0

Championship runner-up in 1960 and 3rd in 1962 and 1969

Bruce McLaren was not only an excellent driver but also the founder of one of the most legendary teams in the history of Formula 1. His good performances in New Zealand caught the attention of Jack Brabham, who encouraged him to race in Europe, joining the Cooper team in F2.

McLaren made his Formula 1 debut with Cooper in 1958, alongside Brabham, where he remained until 1965. With Cooper he established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid, obtaining 3 victories and 17 podiums. At the United States GP, he became the youngest ever winner of a race, at 22 years and 80 days old. His best seasons were 1960, in which he was second behind Brabham, and 1962, in which he was third.

However, in 1965, after a frustrating season with the team, having seen what Jack Brabham had done with his own team and having participated in endurance racing as a constructor, Bruce decided to do the same in Formula 1.

Also, coincidentally, the engine regulations changed from 1.5L to 3L for 1966, so it seemed an ideal time to enter the category. Bruce assembled a team of New Zealand mechanics and fellow Kiwi Chris Amon as second driver and they soon began building their own chassis and looking for engines.

The first two seasons were difficult for the team, but from 1968 onwards they made a leap in quality. That year, at the Belgian GP, Bruce achieved the team\’s first victory, as well as two podiums. In 1969, the Kiwi scored three more podiums and finished third in the championship.

Bruce was killed in an accident at another competition in 1970. Despite the death of its founder, the team soon reorganized and achieved its first drivers\’ championship in 1974 with Emerson Fittipaldi and its second in 1976 with James Hunt.

With its successes over the next decades, McLaren would become one of the most legendary and successful teams in Formula 1 history.

9. Jacky Ickx

Active years: 1966-1979

Entries: 122

Wins: 8

Podiums: 25

Pole Positions: 13

Championship runner-up in 1969 and 1970

Jacky Ickx is the best Belgian driver of all time and one of the most complete of all. His F1 career has been somewhat overshadowed by his results in other categories, such as his six victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (second-highest of all time) and other prestigious endurance races.

Ickx earned the nickname \”L\’enfant terrible\” when he participated as an F2 driver in the 1966 German GP and qualified third, behind only Clark and Hume, and ahead of all F1 drivers. His driving in wet also earned him the honorary title of \”rainmaster\”, being considered one of the best drivers in the rain of all time.

Ickx had a long F1 career, and his peak years were between 1968 and 1972, with Brabham and Ferrari. In 1968 he achieved his first victory in the French GP, in addition to 4 podiums with the Prancing Horse. In 1969, Ickx drove for Brabham, taking 2 wins and 2 podium finishes, and was runner-up in the championship to Jackie Stewart.

In 1970, the championship leader, Jochen Rindt, died in an accident at the Italian GP, with 4 races remaining, but Ickx, the only driver who had a chance to overcome him, could not. Rindt thus became the only post-mortem F1 world champion driver.

From 1973, Ickx\’s F1 career was in decline due to the very uncompetitive cars he had, while he gradually focused on other categories, especially endurance. Ickx is considered one of the most versatile drivers of all time, as he adapted very well to a wide variety of very different cars.

10. Jochen Rindt

Active years: 1964-1970

Entries: 62

Wins: 6

Podiums: 13

Pole Positions: 10

World Champion in 1970

Jochen Rindt is the only driver in history to win the title posthumously, in 1970, but in the 1960s he established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid.

Despite the fact that in his first season he did not obtain great results, as he did not have a very competitive car, Rindt was considered one of the fastest drivers on the grid due to his successes in other competitions, such as his victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965.

In 1966, with the Cooper team, he obtained his first three podium finishes in the category, thus finishing third in the championship, behind Jack Brabham and John Surtees. It was the first time the Austrian had a competitive car.

The following season, however, Cooper was not competitive at all, so in 1968 Rindt signed for Brabham. He got 2 podium finishes but the car was very unreliable and he retired in all but those two races.

In 1969, Rindt signed for Team Lotus, taking his first Formula 1 victory at the United States GP, as well as a podium finish, for which he finished fourth that season. With a competitive car, Rindt was up there with the best drivers.

In 1970 Rindt won 5 races. At the Italian GP, with four races remaining in the season, Rindt went off at the Curva Parabolica, crashing heavily into the barriers, which cost him his life. No one could catch up with him in the championship, so he became world champion after his death.

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Conclusion

It was not easy to be a Formula 1 driver during the 60s, as it was still a very dangerous stage in the sport, where many drivers died every year. Also, it was a time of many changes, so drivers had to understand and adapt very well to the new cars and improvements to be the fastest.

These are some of the fastest drivers of the 1960s, which consolidated Formula 1 as one of the most popular sports in the world and laid the foundations for the next decades. 

Sources

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