Jack Brabham won a fourth consecutive Grand Prix after a demanding wet-weather duel with John Surtees at the Nürburgring. The result was overshadowed by a serious accident involving John Taylor, who later died from his injuries.
Race Guide
Season: 1966 F1 World Championship
Race date: 7 August 1966
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Nürburgring
Laps: 15 laps
Circuit length: 22.810 km
1965 winner: Jim Clark
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jim Clark | Lotus |
| Pole time | 8:16.5 | |
| Fastest lap | John Surtees | Cooper |
| Fastest-lap time | 8:49.000 on lap 4 | |
| First | Jack Brabham | Brabham |
| Second | John Surtees | Cooper |
| Third | Jochen Rindt | Cooper |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 August 1966 | Friday morning timed practice | 12:00–13:30 |
| 5 August 1966 | Friday afternoon timed practice | 16:00–17:30 |
| 6 August 1966 | Saturday final qualifying | 11:30–13:45 |
| 7 August 1966 | Race | 14:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Jack Brabham arrived at round 6 leading the 1966 F1 World Championship on 30 points, with Graham Hill on 14. Brabham – Repco headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 30 points.
Race entries
The organisers added a Formula Two field to the Formula One entry, with both classes sharing the grid according to their practice times. Ferrari brought three cars, including its smaller V6 for Scarfiotti. Siffert was absent after his entrant could not agree terms, and Taylor joined the field when McLaren withdrew.
Friday morning timed practice
Fine weather gave drivers a useful first opportunity to learn the circuit’s changing demands. Stewart led the way, with Clark and Scarfiotti also looking strong. Brabham’s car was still being assembled when running began, while Hulme’s engine failed before he could complete a lap. Gurney and Taylor also lost valuable running through preparation delays.
Friday afternoon timed practice
Rain transformed the track and prevented meaningful improvements. Gurney completed his required laps, and Hulme used the spare four-cylinder Brabham while his Repco-powered car was repaired. Ligier crashed early in his first lap and suffered a broken knee, ending his weekend. Even the less powerful Formula Two cars struggled for traction.
Saturday final qualifying
Dry conditions allowed a much faster final session. Clark lost time while Lotus changed gearbox ratios but emerged with pole, ahead of Surtees and Stewart. Brabham tried Hulme’s car after gearbox trouble, while Hulme ran in his replacement engine. Scarfiotti went off late in the session and Hill suffered a camshaft failure, creating further overnight work. Ickx headed the Formula Two runners.
Qualifying Classification
The quickest lap from the three timed sessions determined the combined grid. Formula Two competitors could race alongside the Formula One field but were not eligible for World Championship points.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jim Clark | Lotus | 8:16.5 |
| 2 | 7 | John Surtees | Cooper | 8:18.0 |
| 3 | 6 | Jackie Stewart | BRM | 8:18.8 |
| 4 | 11 | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Ferrari | 8:20.2 |
| 5 | 3 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 8:20.8 |
| 6 | 9 | Lorenzo Bandini | Ferrari | 8:21.1 |
| 7 | 10 | Mike Parkes | Ferrari | 8:21.7 |
| 8 | 12 | Dan Gurney | Eagle | 8:22.8 |
| 9 | 8 | Jochen Rindt | Cooper | 8:27.7 |
| 10 | 5 | Graham Hill | BRM | 8:28.6 |
| 11 | 14 | Bob Bondurant | BRM | 8:33.0 |
| 12 | 17 | Jo Bonnier | Cooper | 8:35.2 |
| 13 | 15 | Mike Spence | Lotus | 8:38.6 |
| 14 | 19 | Bob Anderson | Brabham | 8:42.5 |
| 15 | 4 | Denny Hulme | Brabham | 8:49.3 |
| 16 | 27 | Jacky Ickx | Matra | 8:52.0 |
| 17 | 2 | Peter Arundell | Lotus | 8:52.7 |
| 18 | 34 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 9:00.4 |
| 19 | 33 | Jo Schlesser | Matra | 9:01.5 |
| 20 | 31 | Pedro Rodríguez | Lotus | 9:03.0 |
| 21 | 25 | Kurt Ahrens | Brabham | 9:04.7 |
| 22 | 28 | Hans Herrmann | Brabham | 9:05.7 |
| 23 | 32 | Piers Courage | Lotus | 9:06.0 |
| 24 | 29 | Alan Rees | Brabham | 9:08.4 |
| 25 | 16 | John Taylor | Brabham | 9:08.9 |
| 26 | 20 | Chris Lawrence | Cooper | 9:10.9 |
| 27 | 26 | Hubert Hahne | Matra | 9:17.0 |
| 28 | 35 | Silvio Moser | Brabham | 9:17.2 |
| 29 | 30 | Gerhard Mitter | Lotus | 9:32.2 |
| DNQ | 18 | Guy Ligier | Cooper | No time |
What happened in the 1966 German Grand Prix?
Rain returned before the start, making tyre decisions crucial. Brabham and Surtees fought for the lead as the field negotiated the slippery Nordschleife. Clark’s afternoon ended when he slid off, removing the pole-sitter from contention.
Taylor and Ickx collided on the opening lap near the Flugplatz section. Taylor suffered severe burns and died weeks later. The accident cast a lasting shadow over a race otherwise defined by the contest at the front.
Surtees kept Brabham under pressure until clutch trouble hampered the Cooper near the finish. Brabham won ahead of Surtees and Rindt, further strengthening his title position. Beltoise was the highest-placed Formula Two finisher, eighth overall.
After the race, Jack Brabham headed the drivers’ standings with 39 points, followed by Graham Hill on 17. Brabham – Repco led the constructors’ table on 39, with Ferrari on 23.
1966 German Grand Prix race results
The 1966 German Grand Prix was held on 7 August 1966, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1966 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | John Surtees | Cooper | 4 | 8:49.000 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1966 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1966 German Grand Prix.
1966 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Brabham | Australian | Brabham | 39 |
| 2 | Graham Hill | British | BRM | 17 |
| 3 | John Surtees | British | Ferrari / Cooper | 15 |
| 4 | Jochen Rindt | Austrian | Cooper | 15 |
| 5 | Jackie Stewart | British | BRM | 14 |
| 6 | Lorenzo Bandini | Italian | Ferrari | 12 |
| 7 | Denny Hulme | New Zealander | Brabham / Brabham | 10 |
| 8 | Jim Clark | British | Lotus | 7 |
| 9 | Mike Parkes | British | Ferrari | 6 |
| 10 | Bob Bondurant | American | BRM | 3 |
| 11 | Dan Gurney | American | Eagle | 2 |
| 12 | Richie Ginther | American | Cooper | 2 |
| 13 | Mike Spence | British | Lotus | 2 |
| 14 | John Taylor | British | Brabham | 1 |
| 15 | Bruce McLaren | New Zealander | McLaren / McLaren | 1 |
| – | Jo Bonnier | Swedish | Cooper / Brabham | 0 |
| – | Bob Anderson | British | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Chris Irwin | British | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Peter Arundell | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Chris Amon | New Zealander | Cooper | 0 |
| – | Guy Ligier | French | Cooper | 0 |
| – | Chris Lawrence | British | Cooper | 0 |
| – | Jo Siffert | Swiss | Brabham / Cooper | 0 |
| – | Pedro Rodríguez | Mexican | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Italian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Vic Wilson | British | BRM | 0 |
| – | Trevor Taylor | British | Shannon | 0 |
1966 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brabham – Repco | 39 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 23 |
| 3 | BRM | 22 |
| 4 | Cooper – Maserati | 17 |
| 5 | Lotus – Climax | 7 |
| 6 | Eagle – Climax | 2 |
| 7 | Lotus – BRM | 2 |
| 8 | Brabham – BRM | 1 |
| 9 | McLaren – Serenissima | 1 |
| — | Brabham – Climax | 0 |
| — | Cooper – Ferrari | 0 |
| — | McLaren – Ford | 0 |
| — | Shannon – Climax | 0 |
Drivers and constructors counted their best 5 results. Only the highest-placed eligible car for each constructor could score constructor points.
1966 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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