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Home / Seasons / 1961 F1 World Championship Season / 1961 United States Grand Prix

1961 United States Grand Prix

Date
Winner
Pole position
Fastest lap
CircuitWatkins Glen, 100 laps
Round8 of 8
Race numbers

The 1961 United States Grand Prix was the:

  • 102nd World Championship race
  • 3rd World Championship United States Grand Prix
  • 1st World Championship race at Watkins Glen
More 1961 season
More United States Grands Prix
Next race1962 Dutch Grand Prix

Race result

PosDriverConstructorLapsTimePoints
1+7(GBR) Innes IrelandLotus-Climax1002hr 13m 45.800s9
2+5(USA) Dan GurneyPorsche100+4.300s6
3+3(GBR) Tony BrooksBRM-Climax100+49.000s4
4 (NZL) Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax100+58.000s3
5-3(GBR) Graham HillBRM-Climax99+1 lap2
6+4(SWE) Jo BonnierPorsche98+2 laps1
R (GBR) Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax (privateer)96DNF 
7-2(GBR) Jim ClarkLotus-Climax96+4 laps 
8+8(USA) Roger PenskeCooper-Climax (privateer)96+4 laps 
9+4(CAN) Peter RyanLotus-Climax (privateer)96+4 laps 
10+7(USA) Hap SharpCooper-Climax (privateer)93+7 laps 
11+4Lotus-Climax (privateer)92+8 laps 
R (USA) Lloyd RubyLotus-Climax (privateer)76DNF 
R (USA) Jim HallLotus-Climax (privateer)76DNF 
R (GBR) Stirling MossLotus-Climax (privateer)58DNF 
R (AUS) Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax57DNF 
R (USA) Masten GregoryLotus-Climax (privateer)23DNF 
R (USA) Walt HansgenCooper-Climax (privateer)14DNF 
R (GBR) John SurteesCooper-Climax (privateer)0DNF 

Notes

  • Stirling Moss ended lap 58 as the race leader before retiring on the following lap.

Starting grid

Pole time: 1:17.000

PosDriverConstructor
1(AUS) Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax
2(GBR) Graham HillBRM-Climax
3(GBR) Stirling MossLotus-Climax (privateer)
4(NZL) Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax
5(GBR) Jim ClarkLotus-Climax
6(GBR) Tony BrooksBRM-Climax
7(USA) Dan GurneyPorsche
8(GBR) Innes IrelandLotus-Climax
9(GBR) John SurteesCooper-Climax (privateer)
10(SWE) Jo BonnierPorsche
11(USA) Masten GregoryLotus-Climax
12(GBR) Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax (privateer)
13(CAN) Peter RyanLotus-Climax (privateer)
14(USA) Walt HansgenCooper-Climax (privateer)
15(BEL) Olivier GendebienLotus-Climax (privateer)
16(USA) Roger PenskeCooper-Climax (privateer)
17(USA) Hap SharpCooper-Climax (privateer)
18(USA) Jim HallLotus-Climax (privateer)
19(USA) Lloyd RubyLotus-Climax (privateer)

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-race.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1(USA) Phil Hill34
2(DEU) Wolfgang von Trips33
3(GBR) Stirling Moss21
4(USA) Dan Gurney21
5(USA) Richie Ginther16
6(GBR) Innes Ireland12
7(GBR) Jim Clark11
8(NZL) Bruce McLaren11
9(ITA) Giancarlo Baghetti9
10(GBR) Tony Brooks6
11(AUS) Jack Brabham4
12(GBR) John Surtees4
13(BEL) Olivier Gendebien3
=(GBR) Jackie Lewis3
15(SWE) Jo Bonnier3
=(GBR) Graham Hill3
17(GBR) Roy Salvadori2

Constructor

PosConstructorPoints
1Ferrari40
2Lotus-Climax32
3Porsche22
4Cooper-Climax14
5BRM-Climax7

Stats & milestones

Race debut
Walt Hansgen
Roger Penske
Peter Ryan (only start; first Canadian driver to start a race)
Hap Sharp
Last start
Tony Brooks
Olivier Gendebien
Stirling Moss
Lloyd Ruby
Wins
1st and only for Innes Ireland (29th different winner, 5th British driver)
5th for Lotus
Podiums
10th and last for Tony Brooks (10th driver to score ten podiums, 3rd British driver; first podium since 1959; only podium for BRM)
5th for Dan Gurney (first podium since 1959)
4th and last for Innes Ireland
12th for Lotus
6th for BRM
3rd for Porsche
Poles
5th for Jack Brabham (last until 1966; last Australian polesitter until 1966; last for Cooper)
10th for Cooper (3rd constructor to take ten pole positions; last until 1966)
Fastest laps
5th for Jack Brabham (last until 1964; last for Cooper)
11th for Cooper
Front row starts
18th for Jack Brabham (last until 1963; last for Cooper)
4th for Graham Hill
Points finishes
15th and last for Tony Brooks