Formula One

The Season of Firsts The 1967 Formula One season was, in many ways, a season of firsts. Jim Clark won the Dutch Grand Prix racing the Lotus 49—a car he was driving for the first time—in its very first outing. Dan Gurney became the first (and only) American driver to win a Grand Prix in a car of American construction with his victory at the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa Franchorchamp circuit. Honda became a first-time winner at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with John Surtees aboard. And Pedro Rodriguez won the first race of the season in South Africa at the Kylami track in, perhaps, the only Grand Prix season when every full-time constructor except Ferrari and BRM won a championship race. Coincidentally, it was also the last season before the introduction of aero elements to the sport.

Despite all of the engineering innovations on display that season, the Formula One championship went to Jack Brabham in his BT24, a car notable for its lack of sophistication (compared to other constructor’s cars), demonstrating that durability matters, especially in racing. My 1967 Formula One illustrations feature a background that includes a graphic adapted from the event poster for the race the car won, as well as each track.