• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

GP Racing Stats

  • 2022 Season
  • Drivers
  • Constructors
  • Records
  • Seasons
  • Grands Prix
  • Circuits
Home / Seasons / 1961 F1 World Championship Season / 1961 United States Grand Prix

1961 United States Grand Prix

DateSunday, 8 October 1961
Winner
  • United Kingdom flag lazyload Innes Ireland
  • United Kingdom flag lazyload Lotus-Climax
Pole position
  • Australia flag lazyload Jack Brabham
  • United Kingdom flag lazyload Cooper-Climax
Fastest lap
  • Australia flag lazyload Jack Brabham
  • United Kingdom flag lazyload Cooper-Climax
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+7United Kingdom flag lazyload Innes IrelandLotus-Climax1002hr 13m 45.800s9
2+5USA flag lazyload Dan GurneyPorsche100+4.300s6
3+3United Kingdom flag lazyload Tony BrooksBRM-Climax100+49.000s4
4 New Zealand flag lazyload Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax100+58.000s3
5-3United Kingdom flag lazyload Graham HillBRM-Climax99+1 lap2
6+4Sweden flag lazyload Jo BonnierPorsche98+2 laps1
R United Kingdom flag lazyload Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax (privateer)96DNF 
7-2United Kingdom flag lazyload Jim ClarkLotus-Climax96+4 laps 
8+8USA flag lazyload Roger PenskeCooper-Climax (privateer)96+4 laps 
9+4Canada flag lazyload Peter RyanLotus-Climax (privateer)96+4 laps 
10+7USA flag lazyload Hap SharpCooper-Climax (privateer)93+7 laps 
11+4
  • Belgium flag lazyload Olivier Gendebien
  • USA flag lazyload Masten Gregory
Lotus-Climax (privateer)92+8 laps 
R USA flag lazyload Lloyd RubyLotus-Climax (privateer)76DNF 
R USA flag lazyload Jim HallLotus-Climax (privateer)76DNF 
R United Kingdom flag lazyload Stirling MossLotus-Climax (privateer)58DNF 
R Australia flag lazyload Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax57DNF 
R USA flag lazyload Masten GregoryLotus-Climax (privateer)23DNF 
R USA flag lazyload Walt HansgenCooper-Climax (privateer)14DNF 
R United Kingdom flag lazyload 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
1Australia flag lazyload Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax
2United Kingdom flag lazyload Graham HillBRM-Climax
3United Kingdom flag lazyload Stirling MossLotus-Climax (privateer)
4New Zealand flag lazyload Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax
5United Kingdom flag lazyload Jim ClarkLotus-Climax
6United Kingdom flag lazyload Tony BrooksBRM-Climax
7USA flag lazyload Dan GurneyPorsche
8United Kingdom flag lazyload Innes IrelandLotus-Climax
9United Kingdom flag lazyload John SurteesCooper-Climax (privateer)
10Sweden flag lazyload Jo BonnierPorsche
11USA flag lazyload Masten GregoryLotus-Climax
12United Kingdom flag lazyload Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax (privateer)
13Canada flag lazyload Peter RyanLotus-Climax (privateer)
14USA flag lazyload Walt HansgenCooper-Climax (privateer)
15Belgium flag lazyload Olivier GendebienLotus-Climax (privateer)
16USA flag lazyload Roger PenskeCooper-Climax (privateer)
17USA flag lazyload Hap SharpCooper-Climax (privateer)
18USA flag lazyload Jim HallLotus-Climax (privateer)
19USA flag lazyload Lloyd RubyLotus-Climax (privateer)

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-1961 United States Grand Prix.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1USA flag lazyload Phil Hill34
2Germany flag lazyload Wolfgang von Trips33
3United Kingdom flag lazyload Stirling Moss21
4USA flag lazyload Dan Gurney21
5USA flag lazyload Richie Ginther16
6United Kingdom flag lazyload Innes Ireland12
7United Kingdom flag lazyload Jim Clark11
8New Zealand flag lazyload Bruce McLaren11
9Italy flag lazyload Giancarlo Baghetti9
10United Kingdom flag lazyload Tony Brooks6
11Australia flag lazyload Jack Brabham4
12United Kingdom flag lazyload John Surtees4
13Belgium flag lazyload Olivier Gendebien3
=United Kingdom flag lazyload Jackie Lewis3
15Sweden flag lazyload Jo Bonnier3
=United Kingdom flag lazyload Graham Hill3
17United Kingdom flag lazyload Roy Salvadori2

Constructor

PosConstructorPoints
1Italy flag lazyload Ferrari40
2United Kingdom flag lazyload Lotus-Climax32
3Germany flag lazyload Porsche22
4United Kingdom flag lazyload Cooper-Climax14
5United Kingdom flag lazyload BRM-Climax7

Statistics & 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

See also

  • United States Grand Prix
  • Watkins Glen circuit
  • 1961 World Championship season

GP Racing Stats is unofficial and is not associated in any way with the Formula 1 companies. F1, FORMULA ONE, FORMULA 1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks are trade marks of Formula One Licensing B.V.

The information provided in this website is for general information purposes only.

Although every effort has been made to ensure the data is accurate and up to date, GP Racing Stats does not accept any responsibility for and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. The use of data on this website is at your own risk.

GP Racing Stats claims no rights to these data.

  • © 2022 GP Racing Stats
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact