THE 60's : JIM CLARK! British payback time

When J.Brabham with his Cooper won their second consecutive title, the first of this decade, it was so easily that nobody could imagine that would be the last fortune for the british constructor. Bruce McLaren's openning victory in Argentina showed that the team had the ideal set-up, and along the year J.Brabham saw the chequered flag before any other five times consecutively. But this year also would be marked by another great fact: Moss, in Monaco, took the team Lotus to first ever higher podium finish. He also recorded another victory in Germany. The british constructors were in the four higher standings positions at the end. Cooper one-two (Brabham and McLaren) followed by Lotus (Moss and Ireland).

First appearance for: J.Clark, J.Surteees, R.Ginther.

In 61, with the new engine rules, 1500cc limit, Ferrari retake the competitiveness with its memorable 156 car. Formed two strong drivers as Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips, the italian team won 5 races, including the one of the newcomer G. Baghetti, who became the first driver to win a race on his debut, at Rheims. Hill and Trips fight race by race and the german driver had a little advantage when he they came to Monza. But Hill would won the championship there. Trips and 14 spectators were killed as a result of a big accident between himself and the new promising driver J.Clark at the end of Parabolica. Ferrari team were very censured by their decision to not retire Hill's car after Trips death. Hill won the race, but the team decided to not attend the last race of the year and Ireland won it. Phil Hill took the first title to North America.

First appearance for: G.Baghetti and L.Bandini.

1962 there was another close battle, this time betwen two british drivers: G.Hill with his BRM P157 and J.Clark with his Lotus 25. Besides them, only McLaren (Cooper) at Monaco and Gurney (Porsche's 1st victory) at Rouen reached first place. But F1 were introducting many new things: lighter monocoque, frontal cars airdynamic reductions, fuel injection instead of carburators and new steering wheels maden in leather with short diameter. With so many new things, one man appeared to be in the center of this decade creations: Colin Chapman (Lotus). His car, with chassis built with aeronautical technology inspiration, in Clark's hands would lose the championship only in the final round at East London (South Africa). After leading 62 of 82 laps, "the flying scottish" had to abandon, what gave Hill his fourth victory of the year and the championship. If Clark had won the race, he and Hill would be in igual valid points standings (only the five best results counted), but Clark would have one victory more and would have been the champion...Otherwise, if all the points were valid, Hill would be the champ with a 22 points margin!

First appearance: J.Siffert where group by Brabham and Lola chassis.

Jim Clark will take his time in the next season, 1963. Demonstrating a strong superiority, Clark won seven times giving no chance to others drivers. Lotus 25 were, in his hands, reliable and quicker than any other opponent, including his team-mate T.Taylor. Hill and Ginther, with BRM, split second position at the end with 29 points each.

First appearance: C.Amon, M.Hailwood, P.Rodriguez, M.Spence and ATS chassis.

By other hands, the following year would be very hard to Clark. He won three races, but Lotus were not so reliable as previous year. So, when the circus arrived at Mexico City the situation was: Hill (BRM) leading the championship with 37 points and two victories, followed by Surtees (Ferrari - 34 points - 2 victories) and Clark (30 points). Clark dominated all the week-end, starting from the pole and pooling away from the group. Then less than three laps to go, Bandini touched wheels with Hill, and the british abandon. That was everything Clark needed to win the championship, but...his engine blew up just before chequered flag! Dan Gurney took the victory with his Brabham, but the biggest week-end winner were John Surtees. He won the title with his second place and became the only man in the history to be champion driving two and four wheels.

First appearance: P.Revson, J.Rindt, R.Bucknum and Honda.

1965 presented interesting facts like BRM four-wheel drive car, that has never raced and Honda's 12-cylinder engine transversely mounted. Also the tires became wider and lower, with nylon instead of cotton fibers and was the last year for 1,5 liter engine rule. But in the races, J.Clark were unstoppable. He won six of seven races. Only Monaco GP scapes just because he was at Indianapolis (winning, of course). Amazing year for him and Lotus again. That year also will be remebered because of the new scotsman driver J.Stewart, driving for BRM alongside Hill. He won Italy GP at Monza and wrote his name in a very special class driver. Honda-Ginther took first victory at Mexico.

First appearance: R.Attwood, D.Hulme, J.Stewart.

The great fact of 66 is yet to be beaten: title clinched for one driver with his own car and team. His name: Jack Brabham. The australian driver built a very simple car using Repco V-8 engine, even less powered than opponents, was very reliable and Brabham could won four races and the title three rounds before the end, reaching his third championship. The others teams have a lot of problems: Lotus engines changes during the year, Ferrari and Surtees disagreement, BRM 16 cylinder engine bad start ...

First appearance: J.P.Beltoise, P.Courage, J.Ickx and chassis Eagle, Matra and McLaren.

Team Brabham again, now with Dennis Hulme. That's the result of 67 championship. No changes in the team, no inovations, just serious and hard work. They took advantage of their experience in 66. Hulme scored points in 8 of 10 rounds. Won two, same of his team-mate Brabham, but half than Clark. But once more Lotus failures impedited him to take another championship, as it was in 62 and 64! Just as exemple at Monza he was leading when in the very last lap he ran out of fuel. The tragic fact was Bandini's death at Monaco.

First appearance: J.Oliver, B.Redman, Ford-Cosworth.

1968: Tragedy and changes. The year will be forever marked for wings and spoilers introduction, full-faced helmet, as sponsors influence and safety primaries changes for tracks and cars. Unfortunatelly many deaths happened in cars races: M.Spence testing Lotus-Turbina at Indianapolis, L.Scarfiotti in a hillclimb race, J.Schlesser first appearence with Honda RA302 air-cooled at Rouen GP and J.Clark in a F.2 race at Hockenhein. In F1, the Cosworth engine dominium was absolut: 11 victories in 12 rounds! Hill with Lotus 49 took his second title, but Stewart, now working with his ex-F.3 chief Ken Tyrrell, shown his class as winning Germany GP in a very bad climate conditions.

First appearance: M.Andretti, A.de Adamich, V.Elford, B.Redman.

Jackie Stewart will take his championship in 69 winning 6 rounds, and 31 points of advantage. The main controversy were the wings failures: Hill and Rindt suffered huge and indentical accidents caused by wings ruptures. Many discussions resulted in a limitation to the wing size, structure and distance from the ground. Time for big reserch for the teams, as Lotus, Matra and McLaren tested many times their four-wheels drivers cars. But none of them could develop the sistem to justify the cost involved. Besides that the system was heavy and complex, so they give-up.

First appearance: F.Cevert, Williams.

Wroten by : Alexandre Vasconcellos, Brasil