Jim Clark won at Monza to secure his first World Championship, with Richie Ginther second and Dan Gurney third. Lotus also clinched the constructors’ title after Ferrari’s early challenge ended.
Race Guide
Season: 1963 F1 World Championship
Race date: 8 September 1963
Race start time: 15:30 local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 86 laps
Circuit length: 5.750 km
1962 winner: Graham Hill
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | John Surtees | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 1:37.3 | |
| Fastest lap | Jim Clark | Lotus |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:38.900 on lap 60 | |
| First | Jim Clark | Lotus |
| Second | Richie Ginther | BRM |
| Third | Bruce McLaren | Cooper |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 6 September 1963 | Friday banking familiarisation | Start time unconfirmed |
| 6 September 1963 | Friday combined-circuit practice | 15:30; interrupted |
| 6 September 1963 | Friday road-circuit practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 7 September 1963 | Saturday final qualifying | 14:30–18:30 |
| 8 September 1963 | Race | 15:30 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Jim Clark arrived at round 7 leading the 1963 F1 World Championship on 42 points, with John Surtees on 22. Lotus – Climax headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 43 points.
Race entries
Bandini rejoined Ferrari alongside Surtees, while Spence replaced the unfit Taylor at Lotus. ATS returned, and the original entry was enlarged for a planned race on the combined road and banked circuit. The eventual switch to the road layout reduced the permitted field from thirty cars to twenty.
Friday banking familiarisation
Drivers unfamiliar with the banking first had to complete prescribed laps at controlled speeds. This preliminary requirement was intended to establish experience of the high-speed curves before official practice. Spence missed the opportunity and initially could not join the combined-circuit running.
Friday combined-circuit practice
The rough banking quickly exposed mechanical weaknesses. McLaren suffered a hub-bearing problem, suspension arms bent on other cars, and Anderson lost a rear wheel. Following an inspection and concerns over protection around the banking, the organisers abandoned the combined layout. Times from this configuration did not set the road-circuit grid.
Friday road-circuit practice
Practice restarted on the shorter layout with little time remaining. Surtees narrowly headed Clark and Hill, while several teams repaired damage from the banking. Spence still lacked a usable car after gearbox trouble. Rain and darkness ended a disrupted day, leaving much of the serious qualifying work for Saturday.
Saturday final qualifying
The session began early to recover lost running. Surtees used Ferrari’s new chassis to take a clear pole, while Clark struggled with an engine that would not reach the required revs. Hill secured second. Amon crashed at Lesmo and was injured, while Spence impressed in the older Lotus. The reduced grid made qualification more demanding for the independent entrants.
Qualifying Classification
Only road-circuit times counted for the final grid. Amon could not start after his accident. Baghetti was admitted despite being behind several other reserves in the qualifying order; the unusual selection is preserved rather than presented as a straightforward fastest-twenty result.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Timed session 1 | Timed session 2 | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | John Surtees | Ferrari | 1:39.58 | 1:37.3 | 1:37.3 |
| 2 | 12 | Graham Hill | BRM | 1:39.75 | 1:38.5 | 1:38.5 |
| 3 | 8 | Jim Clark | Lotus | 1:39.68 | 1:39.0 | 1:39.0 |
| 4 | 10 | Richie Ginther | BRM | 1:41.2 | 1:39.2 | 1:39.2 |
| 5 | 24 | Dan Gurney | Brabham | 1:44.2 | 1:39.2 | 1:39.2 |
| 6 | 2 | Lorenzo Bandini | Ferrari | 1:40.1 | 1:40.1 | 1:40.1 |
| 7 | 22 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 3:25.4 | 1:40.4 | 1:40.4 |
| 8 | 18 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper | No time | 1:40.5 | 1:40.5 |
| 9 | 6 | Mike Spence | Lotus | No time | 1:40.9 | 1:40.9 |
| 10 | 32 | Innes Ireland | BRP | No time | 1:41.6 | 1:41.6 |
| 11 | 58 | Jo Bonnier | Cooper | No time | 1:41.9 | 1:41.9 |
| 12 | 42 | Masten Gregory | Lotus | No time | 1:42.1 | 1:42.1 |
| 13 | 20 | Tony Maggs | Cooper | No time | 1:42.2 | 1:42.2 |
| 14 | 16 | Phil Hill | ATS | 1:48.5 | 1:42.7 | 1:42.7 |
| 15 | 38 | Chris Amon | Lola | No time | 1:42.9 | 1:42.9 |
| 16 | 54 | Jo Siffert | Lotus | 2:35.9 | 1:43.3 | 1:43.3 |
| 17 | 30 | Jim Hall | Lotus | No time | 1:43.8 | 1:43.8 |
| 18 | 40 | Mike Hailwood | Lola | 1:46.2 | 1:43.9 | 1:43.9 |
| 19 | 48 | Bob Anderson | Lola | No time | 1:44.2 | 1:44.2 |
| 20 | 66 | Maurice Trintignant | BRM | No time | 1:44.4 | 1:44.4 |
| 21 | 64 | Mário de Araújo Cabral | Cooper | 1:55.0 | 1:44.8 | 1:44.8 |
| 22 | 50 | Ian Raby | Gilby | No time | 1:45.1 | 1:45.1 |
| 23 | 34 | Tony Settember | Scirocco | No time | 1:45.9 | 1:45.9 |
| 24 | 28 | Carel Godin de Beaufort | Porsche | No time | 1:46.4 | 1:46.4 |
| 25 | 14 | Giancarlo Baghetti | ATS | 1:54.9 | 1:46.8 | 1:46.8 |
| 26 | 62 | Ernesto Brambilla | Cooper | 2:00.1 | 1:50.3 | 1:50.3 |
| 27 | 46 | André Pilette | Lotus | 1:58.7 | 1:53.7 | 1:53.7 |
| 28 | 44 | Roberto Lippi | De Tomaso | 2:03.9 | 2:03.9 | 2:03.9 |
Only 20 cars were permitted to take the start. Chris Amon‘s practice accident left him hospitalised, leaving him unable to take the start. This would have promoted Mário de Araújo Cabral, who was 21st in qualifying, onto the starting grid. However, on race day, Giancarlo Baghetti, who was 25th quickest in qualifying, lined up on the starting grid. A race report from the time speculated that this was as a result of the race organisers arranging for Baghetti to start so there could be an additional Italian driver in the race.
What happened in the 1963 Italian Grand Prix?
Clark made the most of Surtees’s hesitant start and joined the leading battle immediately. Slipstreaming kept the contest close, with the Ferrari showing the speed that had secured pole.
Surtees’s mechanical retirement removed a major threat. Clark continued at the front while Ginther and Gurney remained in contention for the podium, but neither could prevent the Lotus driver taking victory.
Clark won ahead of Ginther and Gurney, securing the drivers’ title with three races remaining. Lotus also became constructors’ champion. The result confirmed a season in which Clark’s pace had repeatedly set the standard.
After the race, Jim Clark headed the drivers’ standings with 51 points, followed by Richie Ginther on 24. Lotus – Climax led the constructors’ table on 51, with BRM on 28.
1963 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1963 Italian Grand Prix was held on 8 September 1963, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.
1963 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1963 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1963 Italian Grand Prix.
1963 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1963 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Climax | 51 |
| 2 | BRM | 28 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 22 |
| 4 | Cooper – Climax | 21 |
| 5 | Brabham – Climax | 15 |
| 6 | BRP – BRM | 6 |
| 7 | Porsche | 4 |
| 8 | Lotus – BRM | 4 |
| — | Lola – Climax | 0 |
| — | Scirocco – BRM | 0 |
| — | ATS | 0 |
| — | Gilby – BRM | 0 |
| — | Lotus – Borgward | 0 |
| — | Cooper – Maserati | 0 |
| — | De Tomaso – Ferrari | 0 |
Drivers and constructors counted their best 6 results. Only the highest-placed eligible car for each constructor could score constructor points.
1963 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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