Formula 1

About the season

Jim Clark ran an almost perfect season, winning seven of ten races - at the time a record win rate, only surpassed by Ayrton Senna in 1988. At 27 years and 174 days, Clark became the youngest world champion up to that point, clinching the title with three races still to go - the earliest a championship had ever been decided. Lotus also secured its first Constructors' Championship this year, cementing its place at the front of the field. At the rain-lashed Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Clark started eighth but lapped the entire field bar Bruce McLaren, all while having to hold his damaged gear lever in place with one hand - he won by almost five minutes over second place. Jim Clark won the 1963 Drivers' Championship with 54 points (Lotus-Climax), 25 points ahead of the runner-up. Lotus-Climax won the Constructors' Championship with 54 points, 18 points ahead of the runner-up. Across 10 completed races this season, there were 142 retirements. 3 different drivers won a race this season. Jim Clark took the most race wins, 7 in total. Hill won the season-opening race, the Monaco Grand Prix. The closest finish of the season came at the Monaco Grand Prix, with a gap of just 4.600 seconds. The season's biggest upset win came from Clark at the Belgian Grand Prix, starting from grid position 8. The most dominant win of the season came at the Belgian Grand Prix, with a margin of 294.0 seconds. The Belgian Grand Prix saw the most retirements of the season, with 18 drivers failing to finish. Broeker made the biggest gain of the season at the United States Grand Prix, from grid position 21 to finishing 7 (up 14 places). Clark won the South African Grand Prix, the final race of the season.