1961 US GP

## Track Facts

* Name – Watkins Glen
* Location – USA
* Corners – 8
* Laps – 100
* Base (Worst) Lap Time – 1:45.000
* Lap Record (Real Life) – 1:17.000 (Jack Brabham)
* Lap Record (F1R) – N/A (1st ever appearance)
* Pit Lane Length – 30 seconds
* Fuel Consumption – Medium
* Tyre Wear – Low

## Qualifying & Grid

A reduced grid here, with BRM not making the trip at all given their financial difficulties. De Tomaso only send Vaccarella, who only manages a couple of laps and starts in 19th and last, with accidents for Ireland's Porsche and Surtees' Cooper meaning they likewise fail to manage even half of their available laps and will start in 17th and 18th respectively.

Emeryson are near the back, with a tricky setup challenge meaning Baghetti, the returning Brabham (who looks a whole new man!) and Brooks run out of time to set a representative laptime...such is their struggles that even though he only manages 3 laps, Greene's Ferrari starts ahead of that trio!

Cooper are ahead of Emeryson with both Lippi in a decent 11th place, though his session is curtailed after he is brought into the pits following a failure on McLaren's car that costs him several of his laps and leaves him starting in 12th overall.

Into the Top 10, and it's a huge surprise with Ferrari lining up 8th for Naylor, Fairman 9th and von Trips 10th - while ahead of them it's a return to form for Porsche, with Salvadori 6th and Mairesse 7th as they try to score their 1st points since the British GP. JBW look pretty strong here meanwhile, with Bonnier leading the line as usual in 3rd, from Scarlatti 4th and Rodríguez 5th.

However, it's Lotus on top here as, despite Moss not being on the grid to support their effort it's a 1-2 with Gurney leading Allison into the race itself...

## Race Link

https://race.f1revisited.co.uk/results/watkins-glen/1961/9cba79db-5904-41b0-bd35-9f0937f2dd45

## Race Results

Running out of fuel is exactly what happens to one of the Top 6 on the final lap of the season! Rodríguez isn't impacted though, as he claims the race victory on an impressive 4-stop strategy that was risky but effective!

Fairman comes home 2nd in his final race, managing to beat the 1961 Champion von Trips in equal machinery here! Von Trips will return to defend his title though (after setting Fastest Lap here all the way back on Lap 24), where no doubt he will face stiff competition from Bonnier, who comes home 4th for JBW.

Mairesse does take 5th, but Salvadori fails to reach the line without running out of fuel - and that sees Scarlatti promoted to 6th place and Surtees up to 7th, with Salvadori...exhausted...pushing his car over the line in 8th position.

Ireland finishes up in 9th, with Naylor in 10th place for Ferrari. Gurney finishes 11th after a tough day for Lotus, who really went the wrong way on strategy, while McLaren ends up 12th, Allison finishes 13th overall despite running out of fuel, Brooks comes home 14th, Baghetti 15th, Lippi 16th and Brabham 17th - while Vaccarella is 18th overall after a race to forget for De Tomaso.

The season finishes, with 1962 looking like an exciting prospect...!

## Milestones

* Bonnier moves into the Top 10 for Most Race Entries ever, at the expense of Ron Flockhart
* 40th race entry for Scarlatti
* 30th race entry for McLaren
* Clark is into the Top 10 for Most Races without Points, at the expense of Tony Marsh
* Rodríguez wins to replace Salvadori in the Top 10 for Most Wins
* Previous winners in the USA are Brabham in 1959 and Bonnier in 1960
* 6 points for Fairman without winning moves him up to 4th for Most Points without a Win, at the expense of Karl Kling, Rudi Fischer, Umberto Maglioli and Luigi Musso
* Points finish for Fairman makes it his 4th consecutive points finish
* Points finish for Bonnier makes it his 2nd consecutive points finish
* Fastest Laps at the US GP previously were taken by Graham Hill (1959) and Horace Gould (1960), while von Trips claims it this time around
* Pole at the US GP in 1959 was taken by Gregory, while last season it was Bonnier on Pole – and this time it is Gurney at his home race, which means 2/3 of all US GP Poles have been claimed by Americans