One-Time F1 Race Winners: The 1960s | Forgotten Victories

We continue our journey by bringing you the stories of F1 drivers who won just once. We started with the one-time winners of the 1970s, then moved on to the drivers from the 1980s onward. Now, our next chapter looks at the One-Time F1 Race Winners of the 1960s.

There were not a lot of drivers who won once and never again in the 1960s. If we look back at the 1950s, there were plenty of drivers who won a race once but never managed to repeat it. In the 1960s, however, F1 started to improve and the dominance of certain teams and drivers began to change things. Still, there are plenty of drivers from the decade worth remembering, especially those who won once and never again.

One-time F1 race winners: 1960s F1 drivers

These are the one-time F1 race winners of the 1960s, drivers who managed to win a World Championship Grand Prix but never repeated that achievement.

Jim Rathmann, 1960 Indianapolis 500

Jim Rathmann’s only F1 win came in one of the most extraordinary races ever held at Indianapolis.

The 1960 Indianapolis 500 counted toward the F1 World Championship at the time, although it was very different form the European GP races that made up most of the championship, Rathmann found himself involved in a remarkable battle with Rodger Ward, with the two American repeatedly swapping the lead around the famous Indianapolis oval.

The contest became a test of both speed and survival, Rathmann and Ward exchanged the lead an incredible 29 times, setting a record in F1 that demonstrated just how closely matched they were throughout the race.

You cannot see something like this in F1 anymore, but with few laps to go, Ward’s front-right tire began to cause problems, forcing him to reduce his pace, Rathmann was able to take advantage and finally establish a decisive advantage, he crossed the finish line to claim victory in one of the most memorable Indianapolis 500 battles of its era.

For Rathmann, it was a one-time F1 race win, although his career was mainly associated with American open-wheel racing rather than F1. His 1960 Indianapolis 500 triumph, however, ensured that his name would forever appear among F1’s race winners.

Giancarlo Baghetti, 1961 French Grand Prix

Few drivers in F1 history have experienced a debut quite like Giancarlo Baghetti, the Italian driver arrived at the French GP in 1961 at Reims-Gueux for his first F1 race, he was driving a Ferrari 156 entered by the Italian FISA / Scuderia Sant’Ambroeus team name rather than one of Ferrari’s main factory cars.

Despite being a newcomer, Baghetti found himself in an extraordinary battle at the front, the long straights of Reims-Gueux created perfect conditions for slipstream, and Baghetti became involved in a high-speed fight with Dan Gurney, the race eventually developed into a breathtaking contest between the young Italian and the experienced American.

Baghetti timed his final attack perfectly, he crossed the finish line just 0.1s ahead of Gurney to take an astonishing victory, the achievement was extraordinary because Baghetti had won his very first race in F1, to this day, he remains the only driver to win a race on his debut.

However, he never won again and never stood on a podium during his career in F1.

Innes Ireland, 1961 United States Grand Prix

The 1961 United States GP at Watkins Glen gave Innes Ireland the defining victory of his F1 career, Ireland was a tough and determined character, and his victory came after a race that initially appeared to be slipping away from him, he suffered a spin after encountering oil and dropped deep down the order, falling as low as 11th.

Instead of giving up, Ireland began a remarkable recovery, he fought his way back through the field and eventually became involved in the battle for victory.

The race became increasingly difficult for the leading cars, with mechanical failures removing several of Ireland’s strongest rivals, Ireland remained in contention and eventually found himself at the front. His victory was particularly significant for Team Lotus, as it represented the team’s first F1 win, Ireland had delivered a landmark result for Colin Chapman’s young organization and appeared to have established himself as one of the team’s most important drivers.

Lorenzo Bandini, 1964 Austrian Grand Prix

Lorenzo Bandini’s only F1 victory came at one of the most punishing circuits of the 1960s, the Austrian GP in 1964 was held at the Zeltweg Airfield, a circuit notorious for its rough surface.

The bumps placed enormous stress on the cars, particularly their suspension and steering components, as the race developed, the circuit began to claim one car after another.

In such conditions, simply keeping the car running became a major part of the challenge, Bandini approached the race with patience and mechanical sympathy, rather than pushing the Ferrari beyond its limits, he managed the car through the increasingly difficult conditions and established himself at the front.

A late challenge from Richie Ginther added pressure, but Bandini held on to take the victory, for Bandini, it was the only F1 win of his career.

Related Content: Lorenzo Bandini – The champion that never was

Richie Ginther, 1965 Mexican Grand Prix

Richie Ginther finally reached the top step of the podium at the Mexican GP in 1965, and in doing so created several pieces of F1 history at once, Ginther was already highly respected by the time he arrived in Mexico City.

Driving the Honda RA272, Ginther produced an outstanding performance at the high-altitude Mexico circuit, the Honda’s compact 1.5-liter V12 engine was one of the most distinctive powerplants of the era, and Ginther used it to devastating effect, he led from the start and remained at the front throughout the entire race.

Rather than simply surviving, Ginther controlled the race and resisted pressure from Dan Gurney, when he crossed the finish line, Ginther had achieved the only F1 victory of his career.

But the significance of the result went far beyond Ginther himself, it was Honda’s first F1 victory, making the achievement a major milestone for the Japanese manufacturer, and it was also the first victory for Goodyear as a tire supplier.

Ludovico Scarfiotti, 1966 Italian Grand Prix

Ludovico Scarfiotti is the last driver from the 1960s on our list of One-Time F1 Race Winners, winning his home Grand Prix at Monza in 1966.

At Monza, he was given the opportunity to drive for the Ferrari 312, and he took full advantage of it, the race developed into a demanding contest in which Scarfiotti showed both speed and consistency.

Early in the race, Scarfiotti took control and began leading in front of the passionate Italian crowd. Driving the Ferrari at Monza, he brought it home to an unforgettable victory.

Scarfiotti remains the last Italian driver to win the Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari, making his solitary Monza triump an especially significant chapter in the history of Scuderia!

Six Drivers, Six Very Different Stories – F1 drivers who won once

Jim Rathmann survived one of Indianapolis’ greatest battles, Giancarlo Baghetti produced perhaps the most remarkable debut victory in F1 history. Innes Ireland gave Team Lotus its first World Championship victory before losing his place in the team, Bandini mastered a brutal Austrian race of attrition, while Richie Ginther delivered Honda its historic first race win.

Ludovico Scarfiotti, meanwhile, achieved the dream of winning his home Italian GP for Ferrari, none of them would win another F1 race, that’s what makes these victories so fascinating.

A single race became the defining achievement of each driver’s F1 career, some had careers that promised more, some were affected by circumstances beyond their control, and others simply found themselves in the right place at the right time!

OTHER PARTS:
First PART: They won once and never again – Drivers of 1970s
Second PART: Winning once and never again since 1980s

FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS: Photo: Eric Koch / Anefo, via Wikimedia Commons via National Archieef, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL.