James Clark Jr. OBE known as Jim Clark (born the March 4th 1936, in Kilmany, Fife and dead the April 7th 1968 at the time of a race in Germany) was a racing driver Scottish whose short career in the Années 1960 marked the history of the automobile Sport.

Jim Clark, certainly one of the largest pilots of the history of the Formula 1, built in a few years an important prize list. Signing 25 victories and 33 pole positions in only 72 participations in Grand Prix, it gained two titles of world champion in 1963 and 1965. In 1965, in addition to its title Formulates 1 of them, it gained the 500 miles of Indianapolis.

The style of control of Jim Clark, all carefully, become its trademark and signs of a great skill in the wheel, enabled him to naturally connect turns and trajectories with the regularity of a metronome, while going very quickly. This style will contribute to build the legend of the Scottish pilot, who wrote one of the most beautiful pages of the automobile Sport British.

Beginnings

Wire of farm rich person, installed in the village of Duns in the Berwickshire, only boy of an family of five children, Jim Clark seemed predestined to take the continuation of his/her parents in the exploitation of the family farm. Its first automobile exploits in rallys or local races, when it hardly left adolescence, did not meet a disproportionate enthusiasm on behalf of his/her parents… who rather saw the future of their son in the culture and the breeding. But his/her friend Ian Scott-Watson supported it, until his incorporation in the team of Jock McBain: To border Reivers.

During one of these races it made the meeting which was going to launch it: it controlled a Lotus Elite against… Colin Chapman. This last was very impressed by its talent and consequently followed its career of very near. Ironically, in 1959, Border Reivers planned to buy a Lotus of Formula 2 for Clark, but this one having seen Graham Hill losing a wheel of this same car at the time of a race, it preferred outward journey to run by sport scars. It disputed the 24 hours of Mans 1959, for the first time under the direction of Colin Chapman, finishing second in his category. It went back there in 1960 on Aston Martin finishing third to the general and in 1961, although it did not appreciate too the mancelle test, because of the too great difference in level of piloting between the competitors, which returned, according to him, the dangerous driving. It bound with Aston Martin, which planned to engage in Formule 1, and with Colin Chapman Formulates 2 of them. However the Formule 1 of Aston Martin was a complete disaster, when Clark garnered victories over victories Formulates 2 with Lotus of them. Clark thus signed with Lotus in Formule 1.

In Formula 1

First season

Its first race in F1, at the time of GP of the Netherlands in 1960 was made to replace John Surtees (which always disputed races of motor bike). It was fifth before its gear box does not release it. The following race proceeded with Spa-Francorchamps, the most dangerous circuit of the season: two pilots committed suicide this year, of which the fellow-member of Clark, Alan Stacey. This time Jim Clark succeeds in finishing the race, in fifth position. The following season was mitigated: at the time of the Grand Prix of Italy it struck the Ferrari Wolfgang von Trips, and this one was projected in crowd, making several victims, of which the German pilot… He gained this year its first Grand Prix of F1 to Pau, except championship, a circuit where he did not cease illustrating himself thereafter.

The period of successes

The season 1962 begin with two victories (out-championship) from the pilot Lotus over the Lotus 24. At the time of the Grand Prix of opening of the season, in Holland, it renonça still… broken box! The following race, with Monaco saw it giving up on engine failure… Its news Lotus 25 was a formidable racing racing car, but its reliability left something to be desired… the delivery came finally to Spa, launching the legend of Jim Clark. It signed on the whole three victories in 1962 (Belgium, Great Britain and the United States), and six pole positions, and conceded the title with Graham Hill only on one ultimate failure of its vehicle, whereas it carried out the last race…

The year 1963 was that of the dedication, since it gained seven disputed races out of ten, and as many poles, going up on nine podiums and marking 54 points. It also gains BRDC International Trophy, race out-championship disputed in Silverstone as well as the Grand Prix of Pau.

It finished third in 1964 (three victories and five pole positions), whereas John Surtees (Ferrari) made a success of the exploit ever equalized to be titrated at the same time in Formule 1 and Grands Prix motor bike.

The season 1965 would be still a drawn knife fight between Jim Clark, John Surtees and Graham Hill, arbitrated by Jackie Stewart. Clark in its Lotus 33 left victorious this fight and capped its second world crown, with six victories, six pole positions and six podiums, outstanding, as in 1963 54 points. 1966 saw the arrival of new Formula 1 Lotus 43 of Colin Chapman which, under-motorized and extremely capricious, made it possible Clark to gain only one race in 1966 (the United States), to sign only two poles and as many podiums, marking 16 points. Until the arrival of the engine Ford-Cosworth DFV, Lotus was only the shade of itself. In Zandvoort, Clark gained the victory with this engine.

The season 1967 saw the sacring of Dennis Hulme (Brabham) while Clark finished third, with 41 points: four victories, six poles and five podiums. Not having a car allowing him to fight for the title, Jim multiplied the exploits, accumulating the best turns in race. At the time of GP of Italy, it offered to the public the spectacle of an exceptional increase, which saw it finding the head of the race after having counted a turn of delay! The October 22nd 1967, at the time of GP of Mexico, Jim Clark, with 24 victories, equalized the record of the number of victories in Grand Prix, bench ten years earlier by the quintuple Argentinian world champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

The season 1968 will be the last of this racing driver. It will finish only one race, in South Africa, which it gained after being slim pole position. It was its 25e and last victory, which enabled him to beat the record of Fangio, that it would certainly have carried much higher, without the tragedy of Hockenheim.

The April 7th 1968, in a race of Formula 2 on the circuit of Hockenheim, in Germany, its Lotus left the road following the rolling off the rim of one of its tires tubeless at the time of the setting in support in a large curve, fact allotted to a probable slow puncture. It will be killed in the accident. This accident, and its causes when they were determined, imposed the adoption at the time by all the racing stables of the fixing of the heel of the tire on the rim by small screws.

He is regarded by the specialists and pilots Fangio and Senna as one of the largest pilots of all times, who would certainly have obtained a prize list even more important, if, following the example Brazilian Ayrton Senna, death had not come to stop its trajectory.

Statistics Formulates 1 of them

Jim Clark took part, during a career brutally stopped at the 32 years age, only with 72 races. He gained 25 victories, is assembled on the podium with 32 recoveries, and finished 40 times in the points. He obtained 33 pole positions, 28 better turns in race and 13 hat-tricks (pole position, better turn and victory in the same race). He marked 274 points with the championship of the world of Formula 1, and obtained the championship of the world twice in 1963 and 1965. He was the first pilot to obtain more victories than the legendary Argentinian pilot Juan Manuel Fangio (25 against 24).

  • Many seasons in F1: 9

  • Grands Prix disputés' : 72
  • Victories : 25 ( is 34,72% )
  • marked Points : 274
    • Average of pts by GP: 3,81 pts'
    • Average of pts per season: 30,44 pts'
  • Pole Positions : 33 ( is 45,83% )
  • Départs 1st line : 42 ( is 58,33% )
  • Second places in Grand Prix : 1 ( is 1,39% )
  • Third places in Grand Prix : 6 ( is 8,33% )
  • Podiums : 32 ( is 44,44% )
  • In the Points : 40 ( is 55,56% )
  • Meilleurs Turns : 29 ( is 40,28% )
  • no. races while having carried out : 43 ( is 59,72% )
  • Tours at the head : 1.940 ( is 49,55% of the traversed turns )
  • km at the head : 10.110 ( is 49,55% of the traversed km )
  • traversed Tours : 3.915
  • traversed km : 20.404
  • Hat tricks ( Victoire/Pole position/Better turn ): 11 ( is 15,28% )
  • Abandons : 28 ( is 38,89% )
  • Débuts in F1 : 1960 - Grand Prix of the Netherlands, on the Circuit of Zandvoort, the June 6th 1960 ( Result: Abandonment with the 42e turn/transmission )
  • First victory : 1962 - Grand Prix of Belgium, on the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, the June 17th 1962, for its 17th Grand Prix .
  • First pole position : 1962 - Grand Prix of Monaco, on the circuit downtown of Monaco, the June 3rd 1962, for its 16th Grand Prix .

  • Last race : 1968 - Grand Prix of South Africa, on the Circuit of Kyalami, the 1 {{er}} January 1968, for its 72e Grand Prix . ( Result: 1st/pole position/better turn )

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