Jim Clark won this 85-lap race from pole position, marking Jackie Stewart's World Championship debut in Formula One.
Key Facts
- Race length
- 85 laps
- Winner
- Jim Clark (Lotus)
- Second place
- John Surtees (Ferrari)
- Third place
- Graham Hill (BRM)
- Season position
- Race 1 of 10 in 1965 season
- Jackie Stewart debut
- First World Championship race
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Originally scheduled as the final race of the 1964 Formula One season, the South African Grand Prix was postponed by one week. This shift placed it at the start of the 1965 season calendar, meaning teams had no time to develop new cars and competed with their 1964 machinery.
The 85-lap 1965 South African Grand Prix was held at East London on 1 January 1965. Jim Clark started from pole position and drove his Lotus to victory. John Surtees finished second for Ferrari and Graham Hill third for BRM, constituting the top three finishers of the opening round of the 1965 championship.
Clark's victory added to his dominant record in the period, while the race is historically notable as the World Championship debut of Jackie Stewart, who would go on to become a three-time world champion. The scheduling anomaly also meant the 1965 season opened with essentially 1964-specification cars.