Second round of the 1963 Formula One World Championship
Motor car race
The 1963 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held at Spa-Francorchamps on 9 June 1963. It was race 2 of 10 in both the 1963 World Championship of Drivers and the 1963 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. Jim Clark won the race in extremely wet and rainy conditions. After starting eighth on the grid, Clark passed all the cars in front of him, including early leader Graham Hill. At the end of the race, Clark had not only lapped the entire field except for Bruce McLaren, but the margin to the second-placed Cooper driver was almost five minutes. The Scot's performance was made even more impressive by the fact that gearbox issues meant that he had to hold his gear lever in place, thus driving one-handed, whenever fifth gear was selected on this high-speed circuit. Given the rainy conditions, Clark eventually chose not to engage fifth gear at all, leaving him with only four gears.[1] This would be the first of seven victories for Clark and Team Lotus that year.
Classification
Qualifying
Race
Notes
- This was the Formula One World Championship debut for British constructors Scirocco and BRP and for Italian constructor ATS.
- It was also the first podium finish for the Brabham team.
- This marked the 50th race for a Coventry Climax-powered car.
Championship standings after the race
- Drivers' Championship standings
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- Constructors' Championship standings
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- Notes: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
References