1964 Formula 1 season: British dominance halted... by an Englishman in a Ferrari

1964 Formula 1 season: British dominance halted... by an Englishman in a Ferrari

The world of Formula 1 changed completely in the 1960s. The dominance of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati is now only a memory. In '62 and '63 two different British teams won the title with two different British drivers. First Graham Hill did it with BRM, and just a year later Jim Clark and Lotus were faster than everyone else.

This is probably part of the reason why Ferrari looks to the past to improve the future. The "Black Horses" trust the Englishman John Surtees for a second consecutive season in the hope that he will repeat the title of his compatriot Mike Hawthorne from 58, who also triumphed with the Scuderia.

The ambitions of the Italians were realized and Surtees was in contention for the title in the 1964 season. He entered it against his compatriots Graham Hill and Jim Clark. Clark has won 3 of the first 5 races and after Silverstone it looks like there is no stopping him. 3 discards follow, with Surtees taking two successes. So the paddock heads to Mexico for the final race of the year with three potential world champions.

BRM's Graham Hill starts the race as the championship leader. And this is where Ferrari comes in, but not Surtees'. Lorenzo Bandini collides with Hill, and the Briton is eliminated. Later, Lotus's Jim Clark retired from the race due to damage. Despite everything, Surtees runs third, which would not be enough for him for the title. Fortunately for him, his teammate Bandini was second. The Italian passes the Englishman in front of him and so Ferrari have their 5th different world champion in 12 years. English dominance has been halted, albeit by an English pilot.

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