Jim Clark F1 stats & info
Name | Jim Clark |
Country | United Kingdom |
Height | 1.71 meter / 5 feet 7 inch |
Place of Birth | Kilmany, Fife |
Date of Birth | Mar 4th 1936 |
Date of Death | Apr 7th 1968 - 32 years old |
Season Entries | 9 |
Car Number | 4 |
First Race | 1960 Dutch F1 GP |
Last Race | 1968 South African F1 GP |
First Pole | 1962 Monaco F1 GP |
Last Pole | 1968 South African F1 GP |
First Win | 1962 Belgian F1 GP |
Last Win | 1968 South African F1 GP |
First Win from Pole | 1962 British F1 GP |
Last Win from Pole | 1968 South African F1 GP |
First Hat-trick | 1962 British F1 GP |
Last Hat-trick | 1968 South African F1 GP |
F1 Teams History | Team Lotus (1960-1968) |
Jim Clark F1 Stats | |
Drivers' Titles | 2 |
Grand Prix Entries | 72 |
Grand Prix Starts | 72 |
Total Points | 274.00 |
Avg. Points per GP | 3.81 |
Grand Prix Wins | 25 (34,7%) |
Wins from pole | 15 (20,8%) |
Pole Positions | 33 (45,8%) |
Front Row Starts | 41 (56,9%) |
Avg. GP Grid | 3.6 |
GP Podiums | 32 (44,4%) |
GP Fastest Laps | 28 (38,9%) |
GP Points Finish | 40 (55,6%) |
Avg. GP Position | 3.6 |
Hat-tricks | 11 (15,3%) |
GP Retirements | 28 (38,9%) |
GP DNF's | 23 (31,9%) |
Total GP Laps | 3.930 |
Biography
Jim Clark Biography
Jim Clark might be the best driver that ever competed in F1.
He achieved some amazing results and was the first foreign race driver in nearly 50 years that won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. He also led 190 of the 200 laps of the race.
The greatest Formula 1 driver in the history of the planet for many, Jim Clark was born on the 4th of March of 1936. Clark grew up in Scotland with his family and without ever thinking about motor racing until he was 13 years young.
His family did not want to see him drive cars for a purpose different to transport and other activities needed. Once he left the secret rides on the family car and tractors of the farm behind, he bought a Sunbeam Talbot and started competing with it in 1956 in several rallies and other motorsport activities such as hill climb competitions.
His speed was noticeable from the beginning, although for him it was a total surprise. Jim was a little reluctant to compete since his family really did not want him to do so, but his talent was not going to be stopped. His performances were stunning, but the key moment in his early motorsport career occurred on the 26th of December of 1958 when he competed against Lotus founder Colin Chapman.
Clark and Chapman were both driving a Lotus Elite and finished 1-2 in the race, with Chapman as the victor and impressed with the abilities of the Scottish driver. Chapman gave Clark the chance to race in Formula Junior with Lotus and the journey which would see the pair dominate the Formula 1 world began.
In the 1960 Dutch Grand Prix, Clark made his Formula 1 debut driving a Lotus 18. He started the race in 11th place but could not finish due to mechanical issues. In just his second race, Clark had to endure harsh experiences after Chris Bristow and Clark’s teammate Alan Stacey died at the highly fast and dangerous Spa-Francorchamps. Clark finished the race in fifth out of six cars and scored his first World Championship points. In the following round, he repeated his fifth place and was the highest-placed Lotus driver again.
Clark achieved his first podium finish in the 1960 Portuguese Grand Prix at the Circuito da Boavista after starting from eighth. He thought about retirement after the fatal events during the race at Spa in 1960, and he had to face another situation which brought back the retirement thoughts into his head. In the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Ferrari driver Wolfgang von Trips touched Clark’s car and flew into the crowd. The accident tragically took the lives of 14 spectators and von Trips', who was fighting for the championship with his teammate Phil Hill.
However, Clark continued in Formula 1 and 1962 brought the Lotus 25 and his first shot at the World Drivers’ Championship. He achieved the first of his 33 Pole Positions in the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix and the first of his then record-breaking 25 wins at the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix.
Clark finished second in the championship with his successes at Britain and the USA putting his win tally at three. Graham Hill won his first title in the last race, the 1962 South African Grand Prix. Many could argue that the title should have been Clark’s since he suffered mechanical failures in four races in which he was leading or in podium positions. In the final race, Clark needed to win to overtake Hill on the standings and take his maiden championship, but an oil leak put an end to his quest for glory.
Four Pole Positions and four wins in the first five races of 1963 gave Clark a clear look for his first championship. With only the best six results counting towards the championship, Clark’s magnificent start to the season seemed enough for the title. In a soaked wet 1963 Belgian Grand Prix, he achieved one of his greatest victories. He started from eighth and won the race with a gap of four minutes and 54 seconds over Bruce McLaren, who was the only car that was not lapped by the lightning-fast Scottish driver.
Clark secured the championship in the 1963 Italian Grand Prix, lapping the entire field but the car in second place. He became the first driver to clinch the title with three races to spare. Seven wins in 1963 and only the best six results counting towards the championship meant that he matched Alberto Ascari record of achieving 100% of the possible World Championship points. His seven wins remained a record for a single season until 1988 when Ayrton Senna won eight races with the McLaren MP4/4.
In the 1964 season, a promising start for Clark could not deliver his second title in a row. Even though he had five mechanical failures —there was a race were even a borrowed car from his teammate Mike Spence failed—, Clark still was in title contention until the last race. In the finale, the 1964 Mexican Grand Prix, Clark was battling Hill and John Surtees. He needed to win with Surtees finishing third and Hill fourth at least.
Hill crashed with Lorenzo Bandini and ultimately retired. With Surtees running fourth, Clark was leading from Pole Position and close to securing the championship, but another oil-related problem in the penultimate lap dramatically took the title away from him.
In 1965, Clark had a fantastic year and good reliability, which enabled him to put on a dominating performance everywhere he went. He won the first race of the season, the 1965 South African Grand Prix, and missed the Monaco race to dominate the Indy 500 in his third attempt (he led 190 of the 200 laps and finished almost two laps ahead of second-placed Parnelli Jones). His Indy 500 triumph was followed by wins at Belgium, France, Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. With six wins in the first seven races and only the six best results counting for the WDC, Clark again secured the championship —his second— with three races to spare and 100% of the possible points.
In 1966, Clark had a difficult year which saw him score only 16 points and finish sixth in the standings, although he won a race, the 1966 United States Grand Prix. He retired from five races in 1966, four due to mechanical problems with his Lotus. The following year saw improvement as he won four races, but mechanical woes again prevented him from winning another title he probably deserved.
His win in the final race of the 1967 season at Mexico equalled Juan Manuel Fangio’s tally of 24 victories, which was the all-time record at the time. With the all-time Pole Position record in his bag since the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix, Clark started the 1968 season with a historic win in South Africa with the Lotus 49. Tragically, the day he won his 25th race and broke Fangio’s all-time record was the last day he competed in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
After winning on the 1st of January in South Africa, the next race was set for the 12th of May in Spain. Clark and other drivers participated in an F2 race on the 7th of April at Hockenheim, Germany.
Clark had an accident in the fifth lap on the first long straight on the old version of the Hockenheimring. Clark's car, a Lotus 48, went off the track at the right side at high speed and crashed into forest. The impact was so severe that Clark died instantly from a broken neck and other injuries. A deflating rear tyre was probably the cause of the cars, but it could be identified.
It had a huge impact on the sport and his fellow drivers. He was aged 32 at the moment of his untimely death and probably had more Formula 1 victories and championships ahead of him, as well as continuing to make those around him happy and be the great man he was.
His teammate at the time of his death, Graham Hill, won the 1968 WDC for Lotus and dedicated it to the great Scottish champion. Clark’s legacy will forever live in every mind that cares about motor racing and its glorious history. After all, his name should always appear when you discuss the greatest drivers to ever sit behind a Formula 1 wheel.
“He will always be the best. I'm sure in time someone else will come along and everyone'll hail him as the greatest ever. But not me. For me, there will never be another in Jimmy's class”, said Colin Chapman, who was also quoted calling Clark his best friend.
Official Jim Clark Trust: https://jimclarktrust.com/
Seasons
Jim Clark Final Championship Results
1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9th | 8th | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 6th | 3rd | 11th |
Jim Clark F1 Seasons Summary
Year | Team | Engine | GP | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Pod | Pole | Laps | FL | Avg Pts | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Team Lotus | Ford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 80 | 1 | 9.00 | 9 |
1967 |
Team Lotus Team Lotus Team Lotus |
Climax Ford BRM | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 598 | 5 | 3.73 | 41 |
1966 |
Team Lotus Team Lotus |
Climax BRM | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 413 | 0 | 2.00 | 16 |
1965 | Team Lotus | Climax | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 414 | 6 | 6.00 | 54 |
1964 | Team Lotus | Climax | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 560 | 4 | 3.20 | 32 |
1963 | Team Lotus | Climax | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 685 | 6 | 7.30 | 73 |
1962 | Team Lotus | Climax | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 455 | 5 | 3.33 | 30 |
1961 | Team Lotus | Climax | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 414 | 1 | 1.38 | 11 |
1960 | Team Lotus | Climax | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 311 | 0 | 1.33 | 8 |
Cars
Jim Clark F1 Cars
Races
Jim Clark F1 GP Race Classifications
1st | 25 Times |
2nd | 1 Time |
3rd | 6 Times |
4th | 4 Times |
5th | 3 Times |
6th | 1 Time |
7th | 2 Times |
8th | 1 Time |
9th | 1 Time |
10th | 2 Times |
12th | 1 Time |
16th | 2 Times |
DNF | 23 Times |
Jim Clark F1 GP Race Results
Wins
Jim Clark F1 Wins
Podiums
Jim Clark F1 Podium Finishes
Poles
Jim Clark F1 Pole Positions
Comparison
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