The F1 record that has been broken on New Year’s Day Grands Prix in January and February are common in F1.
One event resulted in an all-time record breaking event in the grand final race. In the new Formula 1, the Christmas and New Year period is one of the busiest times of the year as teams prepare their machines to deliver the goods to the next track.
But in the 1960s, there was no need to think about it because cars were the same from era to era. This meant that the race was available and took place from the beginning of January to the end of December.
The South African Grand Prix began as a world championship in December 1962, with Graham Hill winning his first title in London’s East End on 29 December.
The 1965 and 1968 races were held on New Year’s Day, January 1, and both races were won by Jim Clark in a Lotus. The second of these victories was heartbreaking and historic.
