John Surtees

John Surtees is an old driver motorcylcist and British car born the February 11th 1934 with Tatsfield (Surrey, England). It took in particular part in 111 GP of Formule 1, registers 180 points, gained 6 victories and taken down the world title in 1964. John Surtees remains to date only controls world champion motor bike and of Formule 1.

Biography

It is into 1951 that John Surtees carries out his beginnings with motor bike. In 1956, at only 22 years, it gains its first world title in the category 500 cm ³ with the handlebar of a MV Agusta. Then, of 1958 to 1960, it gains six other championships of the world, in 350 cm ³ and 500 cm ³.

Not having more anything to prove on two wheels, John Surtees lets himself try by the automobile sport. In 1960, parallel to its last season in the motor bike, and after a very short training in Formula 2, it carries out thus its beginnings in Formule 1, as an official pilot Lotus. As of its second race, on Lotus 18 with the GP Great Britain, it takes down the second place behind Jack Brabham. Then Surtees does not pass far from the exploit at the time of its third GP, in Portugal, since it takes down the pole-position and dominates the race before leaving to the fault. Even if its service in Portugal does of him one of the most promising pilots of its generation, Surtees prefers nevertheless to dispute the following season safe from any pressure at the wheel of Cooper T53 of the private stable Yeoman Credit Racing TEAM. It is classified with 2 resumptions 5th in Championship of the world (Belgium and Germany) but gains its first victory (out-championship) at the time of Glover Trophy. Then, in 1962, always with Yeoman Credit, it launches out in the new one and ambitious Lola-Climax project which engages the news mk4. If the new stable implose at the end of one only season, Surtees knew to be highlighted at more than one recovery (by in particular taking down the pole-position in the Netherlands at the time of the first travel of the single-seater then by finishing 5 times consecutively in the points, of which twice on the podium), which opens to him the doors of the Scuderia Ferrari for the season 1963.

At Ferrari, at the wheel of the 156, Surtees can initially nothing make to counter invincible the Lotus 25 of Jim Clark. But it makes profitable the first failure future world champion to impose itself with class at the time of the GP of Germany disputed on the very selective layout of the Nürburgring. Surtees misses to two recovery repeating (at the time of the GP of Italy and the USA) but its engine returns the heart whereas it is at the head. In 1964, with Ferrari 158 finally with the height of the Lotuses and BRM, John Surtees takes down two pole-positions, 2 victories and six podiums and gains the championship of the world. He becomes thus the first pilot, and only to date, world champion at the same time on two and four wheels.

The following year, at the wheel of Ferrari 158 then of the 1512, Surtees is impotent to counter the new domination of Clark and Lotus. It finishes with four recoveries only in the points in spite of very beautiful qualifications. In 1966 again, the change of regulation makes him to it favorite for the world title. Far from being the year of a second sacring, 1966 will be on the contrary that of the rupture between Surtees and Ferrari. Exasperated by the practices of Eugenio Dragoni (sport director of Scuderia) which does not hide its preference for its Italian fellow-member Lorenzo Bandini, Surtees snap the door of Scuderia in high season, in spite of a pole-position/victory in Belgium over the 312. It finishes the year at Cooper where it takes down two podiums before gaining its second race of the season at the time of the GP of Mexico over T81- Maserati. Surtees finishes vice-champion of the world behind impressive Brabham which gained 5 races consecutively!

In 1967, Surtees is let try by the Honda project. The RA273 is rather heavy and Surtees must give up three times at its wheel, while registering points with three other recoveries. The new RA300 makes its beginning in Italy where Surtees gains the victory (for only 0" 2, at the end of a final sprint remained famous vis-a-vis Brabham). Within a stable in which it is much more than one simple pilot and also has heavy technical responsibilities, it finishes fourth of the championship of the world, but never again it will know success on Honda, which leaves Formula 1 end 1968. At the time of this season 1968, the RA301 makes it possible however Surtees to take down two podiums and a pole-position.

After a passage without glory at BRM, on P138 then P139 (third with the GP of the USA for better result) in 1969, it decides to assemble its own stable of F1. For Surtees, which was very implied in the project Lola and Honda, it is about a logical prolongation to its career of pilot (whom he will continue on his own cars until 1972). In 1970, after four anonymous races out of Mc Laren MC7, the Surtees TS7 conceived by Surtees and Peter Connew makes his beginnings in race. John Surtees will mark points only on two only occasions during the season. The results of the stable Surtees (TS7, TS9, TS14 and TS14A) will never take off and the team leaves Formula 1 at the conclusion of the season 1978.

Prize list

Speed Motor bike

World champion 500 cm ³ in 1956,1958,1959 and 1960
World champion 350 cm ³ in 1958,1959 and 1960

Formula 1

World champion in 1964
6 victories in Grand Prix

Victorious CanAm

of the championship CanAm in 1966

Course in F1

1960: Lotus
1961: Private Cooper
1962: Lola
1963: Ferrari (1 victory)
1964: Ferrari (2 victories and world champion)
1965: Ferrari
1966: Ferrari and Cooper (2 victories)
1967: Honda (1 victory)
1968: Honda
1969: BRM
1970: McLaren and Surtees
1971: Surtees
1972: Surtees

See too

Pilot of Formula 1: classification per year
Pilot of Formula 1: classification by better Pilot turns
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot podiums
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot poles position
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot victories
of Formula 1: classification by hat tricks

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