1961 Modena Grand Prix

  1961 Modena Grand Prix

Race details
Non-Championship race in the 1961 Formula One season
Date	3 September 1961
Official name	XV Gran Premio di Modena
Location	Modena Autodrome, Modena
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	2.366 km (1.4702 mi)
Distance	100 laps, 236.61 km (147.02 mi)
Pole position
Driver	Stirling Moss	Lotus-Climax
Time	0:58.6
Fastest lap
Driver	Stirling Moss	Lotus-Climax
Time	0:59.2
Podium
First	Stirling Moss	Lotus-Climax
Second	Jo Bonnier	Porsche
Third	Dan Gurney	Porsche

The 15th Modena Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 3 September 1961 at Modena Autodrome, Italy. The race was run over 100 laps of the circuit, and was dominated by British driver Stirling Moss in a Lotus 18/21.

The qualifying system for this event was very unusual in that despite over 30 entrants, the starting grid was restricted to only 14 cars. Furthermore, the fastest three Italian drivers in practice would be guaranteed to start the race, regardless of how many other drivers were faster. This resulted in Innes Ireland failing to qualify despite being 13th fastest, and faster than Giorgio Scarlatti who did qualify.^[1]

Moss took pole position, fastest lap and the win, finishing a few seconds ahead of the Porsche pairing of Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney. Gurney led at the start, but Moss passed him on lap 11 and stayed in front.

Qualifying

Pos	No.	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	26	Stirling Moss	Lotus-Climax	0:58.6	-
2	10	Jo Bonnier	Porsche	0:59.0	+ 0.4
3	12	Dan Gurney	Porsche	0:59.0	+ 0.4
4	62	Graham Hill	BRM-Climax	0:59.3	+ 0.7
5	46	Roy Salvadori	Cooper-Climax	0:59.4	+ 0.8
6	14	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax	0:59.6	+ 1.0
7	32	Masten Gregory	Lotus-Climax	0:59.7	+ 1.1
8	4	Lorenzo Bandini	Cooper-Maserati	0:59.8	+ 1.2
9	44	John Surtees	Cooper-Climax	0:59.8	+ 1.2
10	36	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	0:59.8	+ 1.2
11	64	Tony Brooks	BRM-Climax	1:00.0	+ 1.4
12	30	Henry Taylor	Lotus-Climax	1:00.1	+ 1.5
13	16	Innes Ireland	Lotus-Climax	1:00.2	+ 1.6
14	42	Roberto Bussinello	De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo	1:00.4	+ 1.8
15	24	Wolfgang Seidel	Lotus-Climax	1:00.4	+ 1.8
16	50	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Maserati	1:00.6	+ 2.0
17	66	Mauro Bianchi	Emeryson-Maserati	1:01.2	+ 2.6
18	34	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Porsche	1:01.2	+ 2.6
19	18	Giorgio Scarlatti	Lotus-Maserati	1:01.6	+ 3.0
20	48	Tim Parnell	Lotus-Climax	1:01.7	+ 3.1
21	52	Nino Vaccarella	De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo	1:02.0	+ 3.4
22	28	Menato Boffa	Cooper-Climax	1:02.1	+ 3.5
23	56	Roberto Lippi	De Tomaso-O.S.C.A	1:02.9	+ 4.3
24	18	Gaetano Starrabba	Lotus-Maserati	1:03.0	+ 4.4
25	20	Renato Pirocchi	Cooper-Maserati	1:03.3	+ 4.7
26	22	Gastone Zanarotti	De Tomaso-O.S.C.A	1:03.3	+ 4.7
27	8	Jackie Lewis	Cooper-Climax	1:05.8	+ 7.2
28	60	"Wal Ever"	Cooper-O.S.C.A.	1:06.4	+ 7.8

Results

Pos	No.	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid
1	26	Stirling Moss	Rob Walker Racing Team	Lotus-Climax	100	1.40:08.1	1
2	10	Jo Bonnier	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche	100	+ 7.0 s	2
3	12	Dan Gurney	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche	100	+ 7.3 s	3
4	14	Jim Clark	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	99		6
5	36	Jack Brabham	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	99		10
6	64	Tony Brooks	Owen Racing Organisation	BRM-Climax	99		11
7	62	Graham Hill	Owen Racing Organisation	BRM-Climax	99		4
Ret	4	Lorenzo Bandini	Scuderia Centro Sud	Cooper-Maserati	92	Con-rod	8
Ret	42	Roberto Bussinello	Isobele de Tomaso	De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo	75	Oil pressure	13
Ret	46	Roy Salvadori	Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Cooper-Climax	74	Engine	5
NC	32	Masten Gregory	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Lotus-Climax	71		7
Ret	30	Henry Taylor	UDT Laystall Racing Team	Lotus-Climax	42	Cylinder head gasket	12
Ret	44	John Surtees	Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Cooper-Climax	25	Engine	9
Ret	18	Giorgio Scarlatti	Gaetano Starrabba	Lotus-Maserati	4	Engine	14
DNQ	16	Innes Ireland	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax			-
DNQ	24	Wolfgang Seidel	Scuderia Colonia	Lotus-Climax			-
DNQ	50	Maurice Trintignant	Scuderia Serenissima	Cooper-Maserati			-
DNQ	66	Mauro Bianchi	Equipe Nationale Belge	Emeryson-Maserati			-
DNQ	34	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Ecurie Maarsbergen	Porsche			-
DNQ	48	Tim Parnell	Tim Parnell	Lotus-Climax			-
DNQ	52	Nino Vaccarella	Scuderia Serenissima	De Tomaso-Alfa Romeo			-
DNQ	28	Menato Boffa	Menato Boffa	Cooper-Climax			-
DNQ	56	Roberto Lippi	Scuderia Settecolli	De Tomaso-O.S.C.A			-
DNQ	18	Gaetano Starrabba	Gaetano Starrabba	Lotus-Maserati			-
DNQ	20	Renato Pirocchi	Pescara Racing Club	Cooper-Maserati			-
DNQ	22	Gastone Zanarotti	Isobele de Tomaso	De Tomaso-O.S.C.A			-
DNQ	8	Jackie Lewis	H & L Motors	Cooper-Climax			-
DNQ	60	"Wal Ever"	"Wal Ever"	Cooper-O.S.C.A.			-
WD	2	André Pilette	Equipe Nationale Belge	Emeryson-Maserati			-
WD	38	John Campbell-Jones	John Campbell-Jones	Cooper-Climax		Driver injured	-
WD	40	Ian Burgess	Camoradi International	Lotus-Climax		Car not ready	-
WD	54	Brian Naylor	JBW Cars	JBW-Climax			-
WD	58	Ernesto Prinoth	Scuderia Dolomiti	Lotus-Climax		Car not ready	-

• Scarlatti and Starrabba used the same car.
• Scuderia Centro Sud entered a Cooper-Maserati, given #6, but withdrew the entry.

References

• "The Grand Prix Who's Who", Steve Small, 1995.
• "The Formula One Record Book", John Thompson, 1974.
• Race results at www.silhouet.com