1962 Solitude Grand Prix

  1962 Solitude Grand Prix

Race details
Non-Championship race in the 1962 Formula One season
Date	15 July 1962
Official name	XII Großer Preis der Solitude
Location	Solitudering, near Stuttgart
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	11.4086 km (7.089 mi)
Distance	25 laps, 285.216 km (177.225 mi)
Attendance	320,000
Pole position
Driver	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax
Time	3:53.9
Fastest lap
Driver	Dan Gurney	Porsche
Time	3:55.6
Podium
First	Dan Gurney	Porsche
Second	Jo Bonnier	Porsche
Third	Trevor Taylor	Lotus-Climax

The 12th Solitude Grand Prix was a non-Championship motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 15 July 1962 at the Solitudering, near Stuttgart. The race was run over 25 laps of the circuit, and was won by Dan Gurney in a Porsche 804.^[1]

Race Report

The 1961 Solitude Grand Prix had been very exciting, and 320,000 people showed up in 1962 for a new record attendance. However, the race proved less than exciting, with only Lotus and Porsche sending their cars in addition to numerous privateers. Ferrari and Scuderia SSS Venezia stayed away due to the ongoing Italian metal workers' strike, while UDT/Laystall and Yeoman Credit Racing both stayed home to repair cars damaged in the 1962 French Grand Prix.^[2]

Jo Bonnier was hindered at the start by a photographer on the track, and the race began with Gurney leading Clark, then Bonnier, and then Trevor Taylor. These positions remained unchanged until just past the middle of the race, when there was a rainsquall and all of the oil and rubber deposits on the track made for very slippery conditions. Clark slipped backwards into a fence and had to retire with a damaged exhaust and rear end. Taylor also slipped off the track a few times, and the tempo dropped steadily. As an indication thereof, Gurney's average speed for the first fifteen laps was 173 km/h (107 mph) while it was only 145.75 km/h (91 mph) for the last ten.^[2] Ian Burgess' Cooper-special was best privateer in fourth. Jo Siffert had an electric short which led to a small fire. Luckily for the spectators, Solitude also hosted the German Motorcycle Grand Prix and there was a GT-race, won by Kalman von Czazy in a Ferrari 250GTO which he had crashed during practice.^[2]

Results

Pos	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Time/Retired	Grid
1	Dan Gurney	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche	1.45:37.2	2
2	Jo Bonnier	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche	+ 1:47.1 s	3
3	Trevor Taylor	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	+ 3:55.1 s	4
4	Ian Burgess	Anglo-American Equipe	Cooper-Climax	24 laps	7
5	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Ecurie Maarsbergen	Porsche	23 laps	8
6	Gerhard Mitter	Ecurie Filipinetti	Lotus-Climax	23 laps	14
7	Heinz Schiller	Ecurie Filipinetti	Porsche	23 laps	11
8	Bernard Collomb	Bernard Collomb	Cooper-Climax	19 laps	12
Ret	Jim Clark	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	Accident	1
NC	Günther Seiffert	Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel	Lotus-Climax	18 laps	13
Ret	Tony Settember	Emeryson Cars	Emeryson-Climax	Oil leak	9
Ret	Tony Marsh	Tony Marsh	BRM-Climax	Clutch	6
Ret	Kurt Kuhnke	Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel	Lotus-Climax	Engine	10
Ret	Jo Siffert	Ecurie Filipinetti	Lotus-BRM	Electrics	5
DNS	John Campbell-Jones	Emeryson Cars	Emeryson-Climax	Practice accident	-
WD	Peter Arundell	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	No car	-
WD	Nino Vaccarella	Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia	Porsche		-
WD	Carlo Abate	Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia	Porsche		-
WD	Innes Ireland	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Lotus-Climax		-
WD	Masten Gregory	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Lotus-BRM		-
WD	John Surtees	Bowmaker Racing Team	Lola-Climax		-
WD	Wolfgang Seidel	Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel	Lotus-BRM	No car	-

• Porsche System Engineering entered a third car but no driver was assigned and the entry was not used.^[1]

References