Jim Clark F1 Profile & Career Stats

Jim Clark Biography

Jim Clark

Jim Clark might be the best driver who ever competed in F1.

He achieved some amazing results and was the first foreign race driver in nearly 50 years to win the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. He also led 190 of the 200 laps of the race.

The greatest Formula 1 driver in the history of the planet for many, Jim Clark was born on the 4th of March 1936. Clark grew up in Scotland with his family and without ever thinking about motor racing until he was 13 years old.

His family did not want to see him drive cars for a purpose other than transport and other activities needed. Once he left the secret rides on the family car and tractors of the farm behind, he bought a Sunbeam Talbot and started competing with it in 1956 in several rallies and other motorsport activities such as hill climb competitions.

His speed was noticeable from the beginning, although for him it was a total surprise. Jim was a little reluctant to compete since his family really did not want him to do so, but his talent was not going to be stopped. His performances were stunning, but the key moment in his early motorsport career occurred on the 26th of December 1958, when he competed against Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

Clark and Chapman were both driving a Lotus Elite and finished 1-2 in the race, with Chapman as the victor, and impressed with the abilities of the Scottish driver. Chapman gave Clark the chance to race in Formula Junior with Lotus, and the journey that would see the pair dominate the Formula 1 world began.

1965 Dutch GP Start Richie Ginther Honda RA272, Graham-Hill (10) & Jim Clark (6)

In the 1960 Dutch Grand Prix, Clark made his Formula 1 debut driving a Lotus 18. He started the race in 11th place but could not finish due to mechanical issues. In just his second race, Clark had to endure harsh experiences after Chris Bristow and Clark’s teammate Alan Stacey died at the highly fast and dangerous Spa-Francorchamps. Clark finished the race in fifth out of six cars and scored his first World Championship points. In the following round, he repeated his fifth place and was the highest-placed Lotus driver again.

Clark achieved his first podium finish in the 1960 Portuguese Grand Prix at the Circuito da Boavista after starting from eighth. He thought about retirement after the fatal events during the race at Spa in 1960, and he had to face another situation, which brought back the retirement thoughts into his head. In the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Ferrari driver Wolfgang von Trips touched Clark’s car and flew into the crowd. The accident tragically took the lives of 14 spectators and von Trips, who was fighting for the championship with his teammate Phil Hill.

However, Clark continued in Formula 1, and 1962 brought the Lotus 25 and his first shot at the World Drivers’ Championship. He achieved the first of his 33 Pole Positions in the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix and the first of his then record-breaking 25 wins at the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix.

Jim Clark Lotus 49 Ford at LaSource Hairpin turn,
Belgium Grand Prix, Spa-Francochamps circuit, 1967.

Clark finished second in the championship with his successes in Britain and the USA, putting his win tally at three. Graham Hill won his first title in the last race, the 1962 South African Grand Prix. Many could argue that the title should have been Clark’s since he suffered mechanical failures in four races in which he was leading or in podium positions. In the final race, Clark needed to win to overtake Hill in the standings and take his maiden championship, but an oil leak put an end to his quest for glory.

Four Pole Positions and four wins in the first five races of 1963 gave Clark a clear look for his first championship. With only the best six results counting towards the championship, Clark’s magnificent start to the season seemed enough for the title. In a soaking wet 1963 Belgian Grand Prix, he achieved one of his greatest victories. He started from eighth and won the race with a gap of four minutes and 54 seconds over Bruce McLaren, who was the only car that was not lapped by the lightning-fast Scottish driver.

Clark secured the championship in the 1963 Italian Grand Prix, lapping the entire field but the car in second place. He became the first driver to clinch the title with three races to spare. Seven wins in 1963 and only the best six results counting towards the championship meant that he matched Alberto Ascari's record of achieving 100% of the possible World Championship points. His seven wins remained a record for a single season until 1988, when Ayrton Senna won eight races with the McLaren MP4/4.

Indianapolis 500, 1965: Jim Clark posed with the car.

In the 1964 season, a promising start for Clark could not deliver his second title in a row. Even though he had five mechanical failures,there was a race where even a borrowed car from his teammate, Mike Spence, failed—, Clark still was in title contention until the last race. In the finale, the 1964 Mexican Grand Prix, Clark was battling Hill and John Surtees. He needed to win with Surtees finishing third and Hill fourth at least.

Hill crashed with Lorenzo Bandini and ultimately retired. With Surtees running fourth, Clark was leading from Pole Position and close to securing the championship, but another oil-related problem on the penultimate lap dramatically took the title away from him.

In 1965, Clark had a fantastic year and good reliability, which enabled him to put on a dominating performance everywhere he went. He won the first race of the season, the 1965 South African Grand Prix, and missed the Monaco race to dominate the Indy 500 in his third attempt (he led 190 of the 200 laps and finished almost two laps ahead of second-placed Parnelli Jones). His Indy 500 triumph was followed by wins at Belgium, France, Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. With six wins in the first seven races and only the six best results counting for the WDC, Clark again secured the championship,his second— with three races to spare and 100% of the possible points.

Lotus 43 driven by Jim Clark, Dutch GP (1967)

In 1966, Clark had a difficult year, which saw him score only 16 points and finish sixth in the standings, although he won a race, the 1966 United States Grand Prix. He retired from five races in 1966, four due to mechanical problems with his Lotus. The following year saw improvement as he won four races, but mechanical woes again prevented him from winning another title he probably deserved.

His win in the final race of the 1967 season at Mexico equalled Juan Manuel Fangio’s tally of 24 victories, which was the all-time record at the time. With the all-time Pole Position record in his bag since the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix, Clark started the 1968 season with a historic win in South Africa with the Lotus 49. Tragically, the day he won his 25th race and broke Fangio’s all-time record was the last day he competed in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

After winning on the 1st of January in South Africa, the next race was set for the 12th of May in Spain. Clark and other drivers participated in an F2 race on the 7th of April at Hockenheim, Germany.

Lotus 33 driven by Jim Clark, French GP, Clermont Ferrand, 27 June 1965

Clark had an accident in the fifth lap on the first long straight on the old version of the Hockenheimring.  Clark's car, a Lotus 48, went off the track on the right side at high speed and crashed into the forest. The impact was so severe that Clark died instantly from a broken neck and other injuries. A deflating rear tyre has been mentioned as a probable cause of the crash, but it could not be identified.

It had a huge impact on the sport and his fellow drivers. He was aged 32 at the moment of his untimely death and probably had more Formula 1 victories and championships ahead of him, as well as continuing to make those around him happy and be the great man he was.

His teammate at the time of his death, Graham Hill, won the 1968 WDC for Lotus and dedicated it to the great Scottish champion. Clark’s legacy will forever live in every mind that cares about motor racing and its glorious history. After all, his name should always appear when you discuss the greatest drivers to ever sit behind a Formula 1 wheel.

“He will always be the best. I'm sure in time someone else will come along, and everyone'll hail him as the greatest ever. But not me. For me, there will never be another in Jimmy's class”, said Colin Chapman, who was also quoted as calling Clark his best friend.

Official Jim Clark Trust: https://jimclarktrust.com/

Jim Clark F1 Seasons Overview

Jim Clark Championship Results

2× World Championships1963–1965 · Team Lotus

Two titles in three seasons, and two years between the first and the last.

• 1963Team Lotus54 pts25 clear of Graham Hillsealed at 1963 Italian F1 GP
• 1965Team Lotus54 pts14 clear of Graham Hillsealed at 1965 German F1 GP

Jim Clark F1 Seasons Summary

Year	Team	Engine	GP	1st	2nd	3rd	Pod	Pole	Laps	FL	Avg Pts	Points
1968	Team Lotus	Ford	1	1	0	0	1	1	80	1	9.00	9
1967	Team Lotus Team Lotus Team Lotus	Ford BRM Climax	11	4	0	1	5	6	598	5	3.73	41
1966	Team Lotus Team Lotus	Climax BRM	8	1	0	1	2	2	413	0	2.00	16
1965 🏆	Team Lotus	Climax	9	6	0	0	6	6	414	6	6.00	54
1964	Team Lotus	Climax	10	3	0	0	3	5	560	4	3.20	32
1963 🏆	Team Lotus	Climax	10	7	1	1	9	7	685	6	7.30	73
1962	Team Lotus	Climax	9	3	0	0	3	6	455	5	3.33	30
1961	Team Lotus	Climax	8	0	0	2	2	0	414	1	1.38	11
1960	Team Lotus	Climax	6	0	0	1	1	0	311	0	1.33	8

Jim Clark F1 Cars