The quiet Scot however left an enduring legacy, his 25 world championship victories from 72 begins remains to be sufficient for tenth on the all-time F1 wins checklist.
Clark was additionally profitable in Indycar racing, sportscars and touring automobiles, so deciding on his best races was all the time going to be powerful, however right here they’re in reverse order…
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10: 1961 South African GP, East London
Jim Clark, Lotus 21-Climax
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Lotus 21 Began: 1st Consequence: 1st
Stirling Moss was the undisputed world’s finest in 1961, pulling off some well-known victories in inferior tools, however Clark’s performances on the finish of the season confirmed that issues have been altering. Clark’s Lotus 21 had overwhelmed the older 18/21 mannequin of Moss within the Natal Grand Prix earlier within the month, however the East London race stepped issues up a notch.
Poleman Clark and team-mate Trevor Taylor led away, however Moss was quickly into second and took the lead when Clark spun avoiding one other automotive. Now Clark charged, regardless of sustaining gearbox injury, lapping quicker than his pole time, and Moss was powerless to cease him coming via to win.
“Moss pulled in behind Clark and tried to remain in his slipstream however couldn’t sustain with Clark’s quick and livid driving and fell slowly, however absolutely, behind,” learn Autosport’s report. “Clark demonstrated that the world championship isn’t any pipe-dream for him.”
Clark was just a little extra circumspect, although beating Moss was clearly a watershed: “I had the satisfaction of beating Stirling twice in two weeks, though, in all equity, my automotive was newer than his,” he wrote in his 1964 guide, Jim Clark – On the wheel.
9. 1968 Australian GP, Sandown Park
Jim Clark, Lotus 49 Cosworth, Gold Leaf livery
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Lotus 49T Began: third Consequence: 1st
Clark demonstrated a capability to resist intense strain from a probably quicker automotive within the hard-fought 1968 Australian GP.
It was a spherical of the Tasman Collection, primarily a winter world championship in Australia and New Zealand. Clark had given the newly branded Gold Leaf Staff Lotus (his Lotus 49T sporting the purple, gold and white livery later seen in F1) a victory on its debut on the Girl Wigram Trophy the month earlier than, however arrived main Ferrari’s Chris Amon by simply three factors within the standings.
Working the identical DFW engine (the two.5-litre model of the Cosworth DFV) he had already utilized in 5 Tasman races, Clark certified third, behind Jack Brabham and Amon. It was a small subject, however simply 0.6 seconds coated the highest 5 across the 1.9-mile circuit.
Crucially, Clark grabbed the lead firstly and instantly needed to begin defending from Amon. Brabham briefly joined them earlier than retiring, however the strain on Clark remained.
“Amon tried many times however, though he repeatedly drew alongside the Lotus, he was unable to get previous,” learn Autosport’s report, which identified that Amon really had his nostril in entrance once they crossed the road on lap 33 of 55. “Clark might brake 20 yards or so after the Dino, and this all the time saved the Lotus in entrance.”
Clark did open some respiratory house, however Amon closed in in the direction of the tip, organising a grandstand end. “They crossed the road with the Ferrari’s entrance wheels degree with the Lotus’s rears,” Autosport continued. “A extra thrilling end has seldom been seen in Australia.”
The official profitable margin was 0.1s. Not solely had Clark withstood huge strain for over an hour, the end result all however secured him his third Tasman crown.
8. 1963 French GP, Reims
Jim Clark, Lotus 25
Picture by: David Phipps
Lotus 25 Began: 1st Consequence: 1st
Clark nonetheless has extra ‘grand slams’ – win, pole, quickest lap and led each lap – than every other driver in world championship historical past. The 1963 French GP was his third, however that degree of domination hid what was a difficult occasion for the Scot.
As was the norm that season, Clark took pole comfortably and pulled away from the sector within the early levels. He led by 3s after lap one, however on lap 14 his Coventry Climax engine started to misfire, reducing his revs by an estimated 1500rpm.
“I out of the blue felt the engine falter at excessive rpm,” Clark wrote in his guide. “I quickly discovered that by drastically decreasing my revs I might nonetheless keep an inexpensive lap time, however behind me Jack Brabham and Dan Gurney have been steadily whittling down my lead.
“As if in reply to a prayer, it out of the blue began to rain. On the damp observe I now discovered that after once more my lead started to extend, however the engine sounded so tough I nonetheless had doubts about ending the race.
“The rain grew to become heavier, and at this level changed into a legal responsibility as a substitute of an asset, as my tyres have been getting fairly bald – this was the fourth GP I had run with the identical set and I used to be getting no tread drainage from them.
“Brabham started to catch up once more however happily for me an ignition lead fell off and delayed him. This gave me the breather I wanted to carry the ailing automotive house in first place.”
Two damaged valve springs have been later discovered to be the trigger, however Clark had nonetheless taken victory by over a minute.
7. 1963 Aintree 200
Jim Clark, Lotus 25
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Lotus 25 Began: 1st Consequence: third (and seventh)
This non-championship occasion was the scene of considered one of Clark’s nice comeback drives, after his polesitting fuel-injected Lotus 25 suffered a battery failure firstly (that’s him along with his hand within the air on the suitable facet of the entrance row).
Clark ultimately acquired going, however the automotive wasn’t proper so he took over team-mate Trevor Taylor’s fifth-placed sister 25 (operating on Weber carburettors, not the gasoline injection Clark used for a lot of 1963), a transfer that was not allowed in points-paying races.
Taylor had certified sixth and took over Clark’s fuel-injected Climax-engined machine to complete seventh, however his crew chief was on a mission.
Autosport reckoned Clark rejoined 1m38s behind chief Graham Hill, however he charged to 3rd, ending 28.6s behind the victorious BRM driver. He additionally left the lap document 3.2s faster than his quickest lap from the earlier July’s British GP, which he had dominated.
“The outstanding driving of Clark was one thing seldom seen since Stirling Moss left the sector,” learn Autosport’s report. “He stole the limelight.”
It was additionally an occasion Clark picked out in his guide: “I had an incredible race catching up the sector and smashing the lap document. I actually loved this race, greater than various the grand prix occasions I used to be to drive in through the season.”
6. 1965 British GP, Silverstone
Race winner Jim Clark, Lotus, receives the winners trophy with crew boss, Colin Chapman on the rostrum
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Lotus 33 Began: 1st Consequence: 1st
Apparently, Autosport described this as a “considerably lucky victory”, though it additionally conceded Clark nursed “his sick motor spherical with nice ability”.
One in all Clark’s strengths was how simple he was on the equipment, which enabled him to coax outcomes from Lotus boss Colin Chapman’s generally fast-but-fragile automobiles, and the 1965 British GP was a superb instance. Though Richie Ginther’s Honda jumped forward firstly, Clark was in entrance by the tip of lap one and headed off into what regarded like one other decisive lead.
He was 36s forward with 18 of the 80 laps to go, regardless of a small misfire, when his oil strain began to drop dangerously low. Hill closed in, although he too was having issue along with his BRM’s brakes.
“Assessing the state of his engine and the general race image completely, Clark drove on the ignition change, coasting via some corners to be able to forestall oil surge operating the bearings, whereas holding Hill at arm’s size,” wrote Graham Gauld in Jim Clark – Portrait of a Nice Driver.
Clark held on to win by 3.2s, regardless of a lap document from Hill on the ultimate tour.
5. 1965 Indianapolis 500
Jim Clark, Lotus-Ford, gained Ford’s first Indy 500 victory, and the primary for a rear-engine automotive within the 500
Picture by: Ford Motor Firm
Lotus 38 Began: 2nd Consequence: 1st
Clark’s gorgeous 1963 Indianapolis 500 debut, the place he was controversially overwhelmed when the oil-leaking roadster of Parnelli Jones was not black-flagged, might have made this checklist. Nevertheless it’s arguably Clark’s greatest win that will get the nod. Even he described it as: “Excellent, simply as we deliberate it.”
Though a lot of the runners have been now rear-engined, the Len Terry/Chapman penned Lotus-Ford 38 was nonetheless innovative. And Clark all the time had a bonus over team-mate Gurney, who battled with Jones (now in Clark’s 1964 Lotus 34, often known as the Agajanian Hurst Particular) earlier than retiring.
Clark led lap one, was overtaken by poleman AJ Foyt in a modified Lotus 34 (Sheraton Thompson Particular) on lap two and retook management on lap three. Thereafter, other than pitstops, Clark dominated the race, pulling away from the remaining. Foyt retired after 115 laps with transmission bother, however was almost a lap behind by then.
Clark solely made two stops (19.8s and 24.7s – among the many quickest of the race), aided by a brand new and extra environment friendly gasoline injection system. Jones was hobbled by an absence of gasoline within the closing levels, solely simply staving off Mario Andretti for second and leaving Clark to win by virtually two minutes. The Scot smashed the race document, turning into the primary to common over 150mph for the five hundred and the primary Indy winner to make use of a rear-engined machine.
“Clark was by far and away the perfect driver current,” stated Autosport’s Michael Kettlewell. “Even the reasonably staid New York Instances in contrast his driving expertise with that of Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio.”
The efficiency additionally earned Clark over $150,000, way over he earned in F1.
4. 1967 Italian GP, Monza
Jim Clark, Lotus Ford
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Lotus 49 Began: 1st Consequence: third
That is usually cited as Clark’s most interesting drive – certainly, some have prompt it’s the best F1 drive of all time.
The fundamental details are thus. Clark took pole and engaged in a basic slipstreaming battle with team-mate Hill and the Brabhams of Denny Hulme and Jack Brabham early on. Then, on lap 13 of 68, he pitted with a puncture and resumed simply over a lap behind the lead struggle.
Clark caught the trio and ultimately made his method via, giving Hill a useful tow alongside the way in which. Each then raced clear and, when Hill retired with 10 laps to go, Clark had victory in his sights.
He overtook chief Brabham and appeared destined to take a outstanding win when the Lotus spluttered with gasoline hunger within the closing miles, dropping Clark again to 3rd. Autosport known as it an “wonderful drive” and Chapman was later to choose it out as considered one of Clark’s finest.
It was clearly an incredible drive, so, why is not it primary right here? A bit extra delving into this race explains its place.
Firstly, the Lotus 49 was a lot quicker than every little thing else as soon as it arrived in 1967. From its debut on the Dutch GP, the Cosworth DFV-engined automotive was on pole for each spherical. At high-speed Spa, Clark certified 3.1s quicker than the following automotive.
supertimes (primarily based on the quickest single lap of every automotive at every race weekend, expressed as a proportion of the quickest lap total and averaged over the season), the hole between the 49 and the second-fastest automotive was 1.217% throughout 1967. To place that into perspective, the margin between Mercedes and Ferrari in 2017 was 0.178%, with third-placed Pink Bull 0.873% behind the Silver Arrows. In ’09, your complete subject was coated by 1.241%.
On uncooked tempo, the 49 was essentially the most dominant automotive of the Nineteen Sixties and the tenth most dominant within the historical past of the world championship. And the 400bhp Cosworth DFV gave the Lotus a helpful energy benefit when it got here to overtaking.
Lotus drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill with Walter Hayes, public relations govt for Ford
Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch
At Monza, solely the Brabham-Repcos might get shut and Graham Hill’s race underlines the 49’s true kind that weekend. Hill was one of many few top-level team-mates Clark had throughout his Lotus profession. Having run within the main group through the early levels, Hill took management after Clark’s pitstop.
He overtook Hulme, starting to point out the indicators of engine bother, for the lead on lap 28 and eventually broke the tow, initially with the just-unlapped Clark’s assist. Now the lead went up remarkably rapidly. From 2.4s on the finish of lap 29, Hill’s lead learn as follows for the following 10 successive laps: 5.2s, 9.7s (boosted by issues for Hulme), 12.2s, 14.8s, 16.7s, 18.1s, 20.8s, 22.2s, 24.3s, 26.1s.
Extra essential is Hill’s hole over Clark as soon as he hit the entrance. On the finish of lap 28, Hill’s benefit over Clark was 1m27.5s. Clark had already taken 10s again whereas Hill battled Hulme and Brabham, however thereafter the tempo of the 2 49s was very comparable.
By the tip of lap 58 – the ultimate one earlier than Hill’s engine failed – Clark was 1m25.3s behind the chief. Admittedly, Clark had wanted to overhaul automobiles for place, however the benefit of the 49 made that comparatively simple and Hill had been working his method via backmarkers too. The truth that Clark towed Hill alongside for a few of the distance additionally reveals he was the pacesetter, however Hill saved up. Over these 30 laps after Hill took the lead, Clark had gained simply 2.2s on his team-mate, a median of lower than 0.1s per lap.
Hulme, the closest challenger to Lotus that day, was already out. So, when Hill retired, Clark crossed the road on the finish of lap 59 simply 3.7s behind new chief Brabham, having overtaken John Surtees (Honda). Clark was on Brabham’s tail the following time via and was 1.5s forward on the finish of lap 61, apparently on his solution to a well-known win earlier than being cruelly denied.
Clark himself didn’t imagine the drive was his finest. In ‘Jim Clark – Portrait of a Nice Driver’ by Graham Gauld, journalist Gerard Crombac, who was a detailed buddy of Clark’s, even prompt that he was irritated the race was held in such excessive regard.
“One factor which upset him was all of the fuss, and the reward he acquired, after his fruitless 1967 Italian GP,” stated Crombac. “He was hailed because the world’s best then, however in his thoughts he had carried out nothing distinctive on this race. He didn’t assume that Monza is a driver’s circuit; if his team-mate hadn’t blown up he couldn’t have caught up with him, and in any case, he knew that he simply had a greater automotive than anyone else.”
The 1967 Italian GP actually stands as testomony to Clark’s willpower, and any time somebody comes from a lap down to guide a GP is outstanding. However this explicit race, at Monza, a circuit on which it is onerous for drivers to make a distinction, says extra about the way in which the Lotus 49 moved the goalposts in F1 than it does about Clark’s distinctive means.
3. 1966 Dutch GP, Zandvoort
Jack Brabham, Brabham BT19 Repco, Denny Hulme, Brabham BT20 Repco, Jim Clark, Lotus 33 Climax
Picture by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch
Lotus 33 Began: third Consequence: third
Due to Chapman, Clark did not usually get the prospect to display his means to carry inferior equipment up the sector, not less than in F1. However the change to three-litre rules left Lotus in a little bit of bother when it got here to engines.
Clark spent 1966 battling with two-litre Climax or unreliable BRM H16 energy. His win in the USA GP with the BRM-engined Lotus 43 is well-known, however did require some misfortune of others. The Dutch GP at Zandvoort was completely different.
At a circuit the place he usually excelled, Clark took the struggle to the more-powerful Brabham-Repco of Jack Brabham. After qualifying third, Clark battled the soon-to-be-triple world champion and the second Brabham of Hulme within the early levels, with Hill’s BRM additionally within the combine.
“The wrestle for the lead was making this the perfect Formulation 1 race of the 12 months,” learn Autosport’s report, however Hulme quickly dropped out with ignition issues and Hill began to fall again.
Nonetheless Brabham could not shake off Clark. “With a observe made slippery by oil and rubber, the two-litre machine and Clark’s impressed driving have been greater than a match for the three litres of Brabham-Repco,” continued our report. “The world champion was driving impeccably and it was tough to understand that he was giving freely a litre of engine capability.”
Then Clark grabbed the lead at Tarzan on lap 27 of 90 and he even began to edge away. At one stage the Lotus was 10s forward, however the Brabham closed in once more going into the ultimate third of the race.
On lap 76 Brabham took the lead as Clark pitted with steam pouring from the radiator. A crankshaft vibration damper had damaged and fouled a water line. Water was added and Clark nonetheless completed third, scoring the primary of his two 1966 world championship podiums, however any hopes of a grandstand end had gone.
2. 1963 Belgian GP, Spa
Jim Clark, Lotus
Picture by: David Phipps
Lotus 25 Began: eighth Consequence: 1st
Clark was one of many all-time rainmasters and this was considered one of F1’s best wet-weather performances. Following a number of fatalities that came about on his early visits to Spa, Clark did not just like the quick 8.8-mile circuit, however he invariably excelled there and finally gained 4 Belgian GPs.
The second got here regardless of qualifying solely eighth because of oversteer and gearbox issues, and extra points within the race.
Initially, issues went effectively. Clark made a sensational getaway to seize the lead earlier than Eau Rouge. “Clark made a kind of image begins: from the third row he was in first spot lengthy earlier than the tip of the pits,” wrote Gregor Grant in Autosport’s report.
Hill’s BRM initially stayed with Clark, however the Lotus quickly began to edge away within the damp circumstances. After 5 laps he was eight seconds forward. When gearbox troubles ended Hill’s race simply after half distance of the 32-lapper, Clark’s lead grew to become a minute and a half.
On lap 24, the occasion grew to become a totally moist race when the heavens opened, full with lightning. Lap instances went from 4 minutes to greater than six minutes and Clark’s lead grew but additional. Circumstances have been so dangerous that Chapman and BRM’s Tony Rudd known as for the race to be stopped. Their request was refused.
At one stage, Clark lapped second-placed Bruce McLaren, however the Cooper acquired again forward in order that the Lotus’s profitable margin was ‘solely’ 4m54s.
“I take pleasure in driving within the moist, however this was Spa and I saved effectively inside my limits,” Clark wrote in his 1964 guide. “It began dropping out of prime [gear] and at Spa this isn’t humorous.”
It made the difficult Masta kink, which the Lotus 25 was taking at round 150mph, much more perilous.
“As I approached the kink I’d be holding the gear lever in place with my proper hand and shifting my left hand right down to the underside of the steering wheel,” added Clark.
“I did this as a result of the automotive tends on this kink to maneuver from one facet of the street to the opposite and I usually wanted correction. By retaining my hand low on the wheel I might twirl the steering spherical with one hand and maintain the slide.”
Cedric Selzer, considered one of Clark’s mechanics, reckoned the hassle was considered one of his finest. “Jimmy had pushed a good bit of the race one-handed, whereas holding the gear lever in prime with the opposite,” he stated in ‘If You Have Come Second You Have Misplaced’. “This was a tremendous effort and doubtless one of many all-time nice grand prix drives.”
To place the circumstances into perspective, Clark’s profitable pace was simply 116mph, the slowest Belgian GP since 1953, when the world championship was run to Formulation 2 rules.
Autosport was not impressed: “To proceed the race in circumstances which weren’t solely appalling however extremely harmful was a vexing downside for the organisers. The sight of the unlucky survivors touring spherical virtually blinded by spray, and vanishing within the murky mists that descended on the Ardennes, was not Autosport’s concept of a sporting contest.”
1.  1962 German GP, Nurburgring
Jim Clark, Lotus 25
Picture by: David Phipps
Lotus 25 Began: third Consequence: 4th
Clark didn’t even end on the rostrum within the race that takes our prime spot, nevertheless it did happen on the world’s best circuit. The 14.2-mile Nurburgring was considered one of Clark’s favourites, and the drive he singled out as his finest started with a mistake.
He certified on the entrance row, behind Gurney’s Porsche and the BRM of Hill, however forgot to modify his gasoline pumps on firstly and was swamped. In tough moist circumstances, he started a fightback by which he pushed his personal limits.
“I felt so irritated sitting there in a silent automotive as the remainder of the sector roared away,” stated Clark in ‘Jim Clark – On the wheel’. “I realised my mistake instantly and, having corrected it, I set off in sizzling pursuit decided to make amends for my unforgivable blunder.
“I used to be effectively behind, however handed about 10 automobiles on the opening lap. I acquired as much as fourth and nearby of the leaders, earlier than a severe slide made me realise I used to be stepping too close to the restrict, and I made a decision that I must be content material with fourth.”
Clark had acquired to inside 14s of chief Hill – himself placing in considered one of his finest drives in a battle with Gurney and Surtees – earlier than backing off and the Lotus began affected by fuel-feed bother in any case.
He ultimately completed 42.1s behind Hill, however in ‘Jim Clark – Portrait of a Nice Driver’, Crombac wrote: “In Jimmy’s thoughts, the perfect race he ever did was the 1962 German GP. This was most likely the one race when he drove at ten-tenths all through, and the truth that he hadn’t been praised for it was a extreme criticism of most journalists.”
Chapman, who masterminded all of Clark’s GP successes, agreed: “He felt, rightly or wrongly, that he had made a mistake and it was as much as him to place it proper. He drove fantastically effectively that day.”
Jim Clark, Lotus 25
Picture by: David Phipps
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