John Surtees won the 1964 German Grand Prix from pole position, a result that contributed to his Formula One World Championship title that season.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- John Surtees (Ferrari)
- Circuit
- Nürburgring
- Race length
- 15 laps
- Championship round
- Race 6 of 10
- Fatality during practice
- Carel Godin de Beaufort (Dutch)
- Podium
- Surtees, Hill (BRM), Bandini (Ferrari)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1964 Formula One season was a tightly contested championship, with Nürburgring hosting round six. Ferrari entered John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini, while BRM fielded Graham Hill. Modifications to the Karussell corner had replaced the embankment with a grass run-off and a narrow tarmac strip along the concrete banking.
On 2 August 1964, John Surtees started from pole position and led throughout to win the 15-lap race. Graham Hill finished second for BRM and Bandini third, giving Ferrari a one-two result. The event was overshadowed by the death of Dutch privateer Carel Godin de Beaufort, who suffered fatal injuries during practice.
Surtees's victory strengthened his position in the Drivers' Championship, which he ultimately won at the final round, becoming the only man to win world titles on both two wheels and four. Ferrari also advanced their standing in the Constructors' Cup. De Beaufort's death prompted reflection on circuit safety standards at Nürburgring.