What Happened On This Day January 1 In F1 History?

From Jim Clark's win at the 1965 South African Grand Prix for Lotus to his repeat win at Kyalami in 1968, his final victory.

Ben

By Ben Bush
Updated on November 11, 2024

Jim Clark 1968 South African Grand Prix
Jim Clark wins the 1968 South African Grand Prix // Image: Motorsport

What happened on this day, January 1 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1909

Marcel Balsa, born in Saint-Frion, France, began racing post-World War II in a Bugatti Type 51 and became quite competitive in the French national events. He competed in one Championship race, the 1952 German Grand Prix, with a private BMW entry, only to retire after six laps.

1928

American driver Hap Sharp was born on this day in Tulsa. He raced in six Grands Prix from 1961 to 1964, mainly in the United States and Mexico. Sharp tragically took his own life in 1992 after a terminal cancer diagnosis. He was most famous, however, for being a co-owner and driver of the revolutionary Chaparral sports racing cars built by Jim Hall and Sharp in Midland, Texas.

1938

Italian driver Carlo Franchi, known by the pseudonym “Gimax,” was born in Milan. He attempted to qualify for the 1978 Italian Grand Prix in a Surtees TS20 but did not make the starting grid. His son later raced under the same pseudonym.

1945

Belgian driver Jackie Ickx was born. Known primarily for endurance racing with six Le Mans wins, Ickx also had a successful Formula 1 career from 1967 to 1979, winning eight races and finishing as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship in 1969 and 1970. After retiring, he helped nurture young racing talent through the Renault Academy.

1951

Hans Stuck, the German driver who raced in 74 Grands Prix from 1974 to 1979, was born in Grainau. Part of a three-generation racing family, his father, Hans von Stuck, raced in F1 from 1951 to 1953, and both of his sons, Johannes and Ferdinand, also took to the track.

1963

Jean-Marc Gounon, born in Aubenas, France, became known primarily for sports car racing but also competed in nine Formula 1 races for Minardi and Simtek in 1993 and 1994.

1965

The 1965 South African Grand Prix, initially planned as the last race of the 1964 season, was rescheduled a week earlier, becoming the first of ten races in the 1965 Formula One season. Due to this shift, teams competed with their 1964 cars, as there hadn’t been time to develop new 1965 designs.

The 85-lap race saw Jim Clark with Lotus winning from pole position. John Surtees secured second place for Ferrari, while Graham Hill finished third for BRM. The race also marked the World Championship debut of future champion Jackie Stewart with BRM and saw the entry of Goodyear into Formula 1, ending Dunlop’s longstanding dominance in the sport.

1965 South African Grand Prix Race Results
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
15Jim ClarkLotus Climax852:06:46.0009
21John SurteesFerrari85+29.000s6
33Graham HillBRM85+31.800s4
46Mike SpenceLotus Climax85+54.400s3
59Bruce McLarenCooper Climax84+1 lap2
64Jackie StewartBRM83+2 laps1
712Jo SiffertBrabham BRM83+2 laps0
87Jack BrabhamBrabham Climax81+4 laps0
918Paul HawkinsBrabham Ford81+4 laps0
1020Peter de KlerkAlfa Romeo79+6 laps0
1115Tony MaggsLotus BRM77+8 laps0
1216Frank GardnerBrabham BRM75+10 laps0
1325Sam TingleLDS Alfa Romeo73+12 laps0
1419David ProphetBrabham Ford71+14 laps0
152Lorenzo BandiniFerrari66DNF0
NC14Bob AndersonBrabham Climax50+35 laps0
NC11Jo BonnierBrabham Climax42DNF0
NC10Jochen RindtCooper Climax39DNF0
NC17John LoveCooper Climax20DNF0
NC8Dan GurneyBrabham Climax11DNF0

1968

Jim Clark won the season-opening 1968 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, marking his final race victory before his tragic death three months later at the 1968 German Grand Prix. Clark went out in style, setting numerous records, including leading the most Grands Prix (43), most laps led (1,943), most perfect weekends (11), most pole positions (33), and surpassing Juan Manuel Fangio’s long-standing record with his 25th career win. Graham Hill finished second for Lotus, and Jochen Rindt took third in his Brabham.

This race also marked a turning point in Formula One sponsorship: Team Gunston became the first team to paint their cars in sponsor colours rather than national colours, entering a Brabham for John Love and an LDS for Sam Tingle. It was also Mike Spence’s final Grand Prix; he tragically died a few months later while practising for the Indianapolis 500.

1968 South African Grand Prix Race Results
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
14Jim ClarkLotus Ford801:53:56.6009
25Graham HillLotus Ford80+25.300s6
33Jochen RindtBrabham Repco80+30.400s4
48Chris AmonFerrari78+2 laps3
51Denny HulmeMclaren BRM78+2 laps2
621Jean-Pierre BeltoiseMatra Ford77+3 laps1
719Jo SiffertCooper Maserati77+3 laps0
87John SurteesHonda75+5 laps0
917John LoveBrabham Repco75+5 laps0
NC23Jackie PretoriusBrabham Climax70+10 laps0
NC6Dan GurneyEagle Weslake58DNF0
NC9Jacky IckxFerrari51DNF0
NC20Jo BonnierCooper Maserati47DNF0
NC16Jackie StewartMatra Ford43DNF0
NC18Sam TingleLDS Repco35DNF0
NC25Basil van RooyenCooper Climax22DNF0
NC11Pedro RodriguezBRM20DNF0
NC2Jack BrabhamBrabham Repco17DNF0
NC10Andrea de AdamichFerrari13DNF0
NC12Mike Spence8DNF0
NC14Brian  RedmanCooper Maserati4DNF0
NC22Dave CharltonBrabham Repco3DNF0
NC15Ludovico ScarfiottiCooper Maserati2DNF0

1981

Hungary’s first Formula One driver, Zsolt Baumgartner, was born in Budapest. He competed in 20 F1 races for Jordan and Minardi, later moving to the US as a test driver for Minardi’s ChampCar team until its exit from the series in 2008.

1981

American driver Mauri Rose passed away in Royal Oak, Michigan, at age 74. A frequent competitor at Indianapolis, Rose raced in two US Grand Prix in 1950 and 1951, achieving a best finish of third in 1950. He was invited back to Indy in 1967 to drive the Chevrolet Camaro pace car.

F1 Driver Birthdays 1 January

BirthdayF1 Driver
1 January 1909Marcel Balsa
1 January 1928Hap Sharp
1 January 1938Carlo Franchi
1 January 1945Jacky Ickx
1 January 1951Hans-Joachim Stuck
1 January 1963Jean-Marc Gounon
1 January 1981Zsolt Baumgartner

F1 Driver Deaths 1 January

DeathF1 Driver
1 January 1981Mauri Rose

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About The Author

Staff Writer

Ben Bush
Ben

Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.

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