1961 French Grand Prix

Previous race

At Spa, Phil Hill won as Ferrari placed all four of their cars in the top four positions — a sweep no constructor has achieved in Formula One since. The 8.7-mile Spa-Francorchamps circuit suited the powerful Ferrari 156 perfectly, and the four red and yellow cars were never seriously challenged once the race settled down.

Entrants

Ferrari runs a fourth car, entered in the colours of the Federazione Italiana Scuderie Automobilische, for Giancarlo Baghetti. Baghetti arrives at Reims undefeated in Formula One, having won at Syracuse in April and at Naples on the same day as the Monaco Grand Prix. A new De Tomaso-OSCA, run by Scuderia Serenissima for Giorgio Scarlatti, makes its debut but is not expected to be competitive.

Weather

Race day is held in extreme heat: the ambient temperature reaches 39 °C (102 °F) and the track surface begins to break up at both hairpins.

Practice

Ferrari fills the entire front row: Phil Hill on pole from von Trips and Ginther. Stirling Moss in his Rob Walker Lotus 18 and Jim Clark in the factory Lotus 21 share the second row.