1961 German Grand Prix

Lore & Background

The race was won by British driver Stirling Moss, driving a Lotus 18/21 for the Rob Walker Racing Team; it proved to be his 16th and last Grand Prix victory. Moss started from the second row of the grid and led every lap. It was the first German Grand Prix victory for a rear-engined car since Bernd Rosemeyer's Auto Union Type C in 1936. Moss finished just over 20 seconds ahead of Ferrari 156 drivers Wolfgang von Trips and Phil Hill, breaking a four-race consecutive run of Ferrari victories. Jack Brabham's Cooper took full advantage of the new Coventry-Climax V-8 in qualifying, qualifying second, but crashed before the end of the first lap due to a sticking throttle. The race was the last home country appearance for points leader von Trips before his death at the Italian Grand Prix five weeks later. His second-place finish saw Ferrari secure the constructors' championship.

In Their Own Story

The air at the Nürburgring hung heavy with the scent of high-octane fuel and damp earth. Wolfgang von Trips gripped the wheel of his red Sharknose, the engine screaming as he navigated the sweeping curves of the forest track. Beside him, Jim Clark's Lotus was a blur of silver. As they approached a tight corner near the crowd barriers, contact was made. The world spun into chaos—red paint against green grass, silence followed by screams. The roar of the engines faded, replaced by the horrified cries of thousands. In that moment, the thrill of racing vanished, leaving only the stark reality of loss etched into the history of the Scuderia.

Reader's Guide

Of the race's 26 starters, 17 finished the race with 16 of them classified finishers. Bernard Collomb (Cooper T53) did not complete the 75% race distance in order to be classified as a finisher. The remaining championship points scorers were all from British racing teams: Scottish driver Jim Clark (Lotus 21) was fourth for Team Lotus; former motorcycle World Champion John Surtees (Cooper T53) was fifth for Yeoman Credit Racing; and young New Zealander Bruce McLaren was sixth in his factory-run Cooper T58.

Did You Know?

• Stirling Moss's victory was his 16th and last Grand Prix win.
• The race was the 100th since the World Championship was established in 1950.
• Jack Brabham crashed on the first lap due to a sticking throttle.
• Wolfgang von Trips died five weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix, not at this race.