1966 Season

Driver changes

Bruce McLaren has left Cooper to form his own team, McLaren Motor Racing, entering the McLaren M2B designed by Robin Herd. Dan Gurney has also departed — from Brabham — to set up All American Racers with Carroll Shelby, building the Eagle Mk1 F1 chassis and driving it himself. The new Weslake 3-litre V12 for the Eagle will not be ready until mid-season; Gurney starts the year with a 2.75-litre Climax FPF four-cylinder.

Peter Arundell returns to Lotus, having recovered from a serious crash during the 1964 season. Mike Spence, who deputised for Arundell in 1965, moves to Reg Parnell Racing.

Team changes

Two constructor debuts mark the start of the new era. McLaren enters with the M2B, initially fitted with a Ford 406 3-litre V8 contracted from third parties; the team also plans to trial a Serenissima V8. Gurney’s All American Racers, running under the Eagle name, will compete with Carroll Shelby’s backing.

Coventry Climax, taken over by Jaguar Cars in 1963, has been forced to exit racing at the end of 1965. Their planned H16 engine for Lotus was abandoned before completion. Lotus begins the season with a hastily prepared 2-litre version of the Climax FWMV V8, running below the new formula’s maximum displacement. Brabham has partnered with Australian engineering company Repco, whose 3-litre V8 is ready in time for the season opener. Cooper turns to Maserati for an updated version of their 1957 3-litre V12.

Calendar

The championship covers nine rounds. The South African Grand Prix at the Prince George Circuit is relegated to non-championship status: 1.5-litre engines remain permitted there, which is no longer allowed under the new regulations. The French Grand Prix moves from the Charade Circuit to Reims-Gueux. The British Grand Prix moves from Silverstone to Brands Hatch, in accordance with the alternating-venue arrangement between the two circuits.

Regulation changes

The FIA has doubled the maximum engine displacement, heralding the change as “the return of power.” Naturally-aspirated engines may now displace up to 3 litres, up from the 1.5-litre limit that has applied since 1961. Turbocharged and supercharged engines are permitted for the first time since 1960, with a maximum of 1.5 litres. The minimum car weight is raised from 450 kg to 500 kg, and the maximum race distance is reduced from 500 km to 400 km.

A new classification rule requires drivers to complete at least 90% of the race distance to be classified as finishers and receive championship points, even if they cross the line in the top six.