Graham Hill won a close wet-weather German Grand Prix, narrowly beating John Surtees and Dan Gurney. Jim Clark recovered from a delayed start to finish fourth.
Race Guide
Season: 1962 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 August 1962
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Nürburgring
Laps: 15 laps
Circuit length: 22.810 km
1961 winner: Stirling Moss
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Dan Gurney | Porsche |
| Pole time | 8:47.2 | |
| Fastest lap | Graham Hill | BRM |
| Fastest-lap time | 10:12.200 on lap 3 | |
| First | Graham Hill | BRM |
| Second | John Surtees | Lola |
| Third | Dan Gurney | Porsche |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 3 August 1962 | Friday morning timed practice | 11:00–12:30 |
| 3 August 1962 | Friday afternoon timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 4 August 1962 | Saturday final qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 5 August 1962 | Pre-race preparations | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 5 August 1962 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Graham Hill arrived at round 6 leading the 1962 F1 World Championship on 19 points, with Jim Clark on 18. Lotus – Climax headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 24 points.
Race entries
Brabham debuted his own BT3, while Ferrari returned with four cars in differing specifications. Gilby introduced its BRM-powered design, and the Belgian ENB also appeared. Porsche arrived with substantial circuit experience, and a large privateer entry competed for admission.
Friday morning timed practice
Hill set the early pace as teams adjusted suspension and ground clearance for the demanding circuit. Taylor’s engine failed almost immediately. Ferrari arrived late and the new Brabham was still being completed, leaving both projects short of running. Several drivers concentrated on single exploratory laps rather than sustained sequences.
Friday afternoon timed practice
Gurney took a decisive fastest time, with Hill and Clark also below the previous benchmark. Brabham’s new car suffered engine damage. A television camera fell from de Beaufort’s Porsche, causing Hill to crash; oil from the damaged BRM then caught out Maggs. Both drivers escaped serious injury, but their cars were badly damaged.
Saturday final qualifying
Rain prevented meaningful improvements. Maggs used a four-cylinder spare Cooper, whose wet-session time determined his grid position. Brabham circulated with a hastily rebuilt engine, and several entrants struggled to complete the required five laps. Gurney retained pole. Taylor was eventually permitted to start from the back despite insufficient practice.
Qualifying Classification
The fastest eligible lap across three sessions set the grid, subject to the five-lap practice requirement. Car changes and exemptions explain differences between outright practice speed and starting position.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Timed session 1 | Timed session 2 | Timed session 3 | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Dan Gurney | Porsche | 9:08.8 | 8:47.2 | 9:20.5 | 8:47.2 |
| 2 | 11 | Graham Hill | BRM | 9:01.8 | 8:50.2 | 9:15.3 | 8:50.2 |
| 3 | 5 | Jim Clark | Lotus | 9:17.2 | 8:51.2 | 9:51.7 | 8:51.2 |
| 4 | 14 | John Surtees | Lola | 9:08.6 | 8:57.5 | 9:45.0 | 8:57.5 |
| 5 | 9 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper | 9:08.4 | 9:00.7 | 9:28.1 | 9:00.7 |
| 6 | 8 | Jo Bonnier | Porsche | 9:10.8 | 9:04.0 | 9:12.2 | 9:04.0 |
| 7 | 12 | Richie Ginther | BRM | 9:05.9 | 9:06.1 | 9:16.1 | 9:05.9 |
| 8 | 18 | Carel Godin de Beaufort | Porsche | 9:12.9 | 9:17.5 | 9:31.8 | 9:12.9 |
| 9 | 15 | Roy Salvadori | Lola | 9:29.1 | 9:14.1 | 10:36.7 | 9:14.1 |
| 10 | 3 | Ricardo Rodríguez | Ferrari | No time | 9:14.2 | 9:20.3 | 9:14.2 |
| 11 | 17 | Maurice Trintignant | Lotus | 9:27.1 | 9:19.0 | 9:30.7 | 9:19.0 |
| 12 | 1 | Phil Hill | Ferrari | No time | 9:33.0 | 9:24.7 | 9:24.7 |
| 13 | 2 | Giancarlo Baghetti | Ferrari | No time | 9:28.1 | 10:07.3 | 9:28.1 |
| 14 | 32 | Heini Walter | Porsche | No time | 9:30.0 | 10:16.1 | 9:30.0 |
| 15 | 26 | Nino Vaccarella | Porsche | 9:33.8 | 9:35.7 | 10:21.4 | 9:33.8 |
| 16 | 25 | Ian Burgess | Cooper | 10:20.1 | 9:42.6 | 9:39.2 | 9:39.2 |
| 17 | 19 | Jo Siffert | Lotus | 10:04.0 | 9:39.3 | 9:56.7 | 9:39.3 |
| 18 | 4 | Lorenzo Bandini | Ferrari | No time | 9:39.7 | 10:26.4 | 9:39.7 |
| 19 | 27 | Keith Greene | Gilby | 10:08.1 | 10:22.7 | 9:47.1 | 9:47.1 |
| 20 | 28 | Heinz Schiller | Lotus | 11:20.4 | 9:51.5 | 9:55.0 | 9:51.5 |
| 21 | 6 | Trevor Taylor | Lotus | No time | No time | 9:57.0 | 9:57.0 |
| 22 | 20 | Jackie Lewis | Cooper | 9:58.0 | No time | 10:35.4 | 9:58.0 |
| 23 | 31 | Bernard Collomb | Cooper | 10:09.7 | 10:11.9 | 14:09.4 | 10:09.7 |
| 24 | 29 | Tony Shelly | Lotus | No time | No time | 10:18.6 | 10:18.6 |
| 25 | 10 | Tony Maggs | Cooper | (9:12.7) | (9:04.8) | 10:21.2 | 10:21.2 |
| 26 | 16 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | No time | No time | 10:21.6 | 10:21.6 |
| 27 | 34 | Wolfgang Seidel | Lotus | 10:38.2 | No time | 10:44.1 | 10:38.2 |
| 28 | 21 | Lucien Bianchi | ENB | 11:55.5 | 10:42.5 | 10:40.7 | 10:40.7 |
| 29 | 30 | Jay Chamberlain | Lotus | 11:36.2 | No time | 11:12.9 | 11:12.9 |
| – | 34 | Günther Seiffert | Lotus | No time | 11:38.9 | 12:54.1 | 11:38.9 |
Four drivers were not allowed to start, as race organisers deemed they had not completed sufficient laps in practice. Trevor Taylor was eventually allowed, but was demoted to the back of the field.
Pre-race preparations
After the scheduled start was postponed, workers cleared water and debris from the circuit. Drivers received a full reconnaissance lap to inspect the conditions before the race finally began at 15:15.
What happened in the 1962 German Grand Prix?
Heavy rain delayed the start by more than an hour. Clark forgot to switch on his fuel pumps and was left behind, then passed much of the field during a rapid recovery. Gurney, Hill and Surtees fought at the front.
Hill took control but could not escape Surtees and Gurney. Clark closed strongly before easing his pace after several difficult moments. Brabham’s promising debut ended with throttle trouble.
Hill won with only a few seconds covering the leading three. Clark finished fourth, McLaren fifth and Rodriguez sixth, giving six different constructors the top six places. Hill had strengthened his championship position in exceptionally difficult conditions.
After the race, Graham Hill headed the drivers’ standings with 28 points, followed by Jim Clark on 21. BRM led the constructors’ table on 31, with Lotus – Climax on 27.
1962 German Grand Prix race results
The 1962 German Grand Prix was held on 5 August 1962.
1962 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Graham Hill | BRM | 3 | 10:12.200 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1962 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1962 German Grand Prix.
1962 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1962 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRM | 31 |
| 2 | Lotus – Climax | 27 |
| 3 | Cooper – Climax | 23 |
| 4 | Lola – Climax | 19 |
| 5 | Porsche | 16 |
| 6 | Ferrari | 15 |
| — | Emeryson – Climax | 0 |
| — | ENB – Maserati | 0 |
| — | Lotus – BRM | 0 |
| — | Gilby – BRM | 0 |
| — | Brabham – Climax | 0 |
Drivers and constructors counted their best 5 results. Only the highest-placed eligible car for each constructor could score constructor points.
1962 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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