Jim Clark's victory with a 16-cylinder Lotus 43 remains the only win by a 16-cylinder engine in Formula One World Championship history.
Key Facts
- Date
- October 2, 1966
- Circuit length
- 3.78 km km
- Race distance
- 408 km over 108 laps
- Clark's championship wins
- 20th World Championship victory
- Winning margin
- Over one lap ahead of field
- Championship race in season
- Race 8 of 9
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1966 Formula One season introduced new 3-litre engine regulations, prompting teams to experiment with various engine configurations. Team Lotus developed the BRM H16 engine for the Lotus 43, while Ferrari and Brabham brought competitive machinery to Watkins Glen as championship positions remained at stake heading into the final races.
Jim Clark drove the Lotus 43 to victory at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, lapping the entire field in 108 laps of the 3.78-kilometre circuit. Cooper team-mates Jochen Rindt and John Surtees completed the podium. The win was unique as it was achieved using a 16-cylinder engine, unprecedented in World Championship Formula One racing.
Lorenzo Bandini's Ferrari retirement meant Brabham's Constructors' championship lead became insurmountable before the final Mexican Grand Prix, securing Jack Brabham a historic double: World Drivers' and Constructors' championships with a car of his own construction. Clark's win also stands as the sole Formula One World Championship victory ever recorded for a 16-cylinder engine.