95

XIXe Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco

14 May 1961Monte Carlo314.500 km (3145 m x 100 Laps)

 Pole Position: Stirling Moss, Lotus 18-Climax, 1:39.1 (114.2 km/h) Fastest Lap: Stirling Moss, Lotus 18-Climax, 1:36.3 (117.6 km/h lap 85) Richie Ginther, Ferrari 156, 1:36.3 (117.6 km/h lap 84) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 20 Stirling Moss Lotus 18-Climax 2:45:50.1 113.8 km/h 2 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 2:45:53.7 113.7 km/h 3 38 Phil Hill Ferrari 156 2:46:31.4 113.3 km/h 4 40 Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 156 98 Engine/Accident 5 4 Dan Gurney Porsche 718/2 -2 Laps 6 26 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax -5 Laps 7 42 Maurice Trintignant Cooper T51-Maserati -5 Laps 8 32 Cliff Allison Lotus 18-Climax -7 Laps 9 6 Hans Herrmann Porsche 718/2 -9 Laps 10 28 Jim Clark Lotus 21-Climax -11 Laps 11 22 John Surtees Cooper T53-Climax 68 Engine 12 2 Jo Bonnier Porsche 787 59 Fuel injection pump drive 13 16 Tony Brooks BRM P48/57-Climax 54 Engine Did Not Finish: 8 Michael May Lotus 18-Climax 42 Oil pipe 24 Jack Brabham Cooper T55-Climax 38 Ignition 18 Graham Hill BRM P48/57-Climax 11 Fuel pump Did Not Start: 30 Innes Ireland Lotus 21-Climax Accident/Injury Did Not Qualify: 34 Henry Taylor Lotus 18-Climax 14 Masten Gregory Cooper T53-Climax 10 Lucien Bianchi Emeryson 61-Maserati 12 Olivier Gendebien Emeryson 61-Maserati Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 1-13 13 20 Stirling Moss Lotus 18-Climax 14-100 87 Fastest Laps: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Lap 1 20 Stirling Moss Lotus 18-Climax 1:36.3 117.6 85 1 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 1:36.3 117.6 84 3 22 John Surtees Cooper T53-Climax 1:37.1 116.6 41 4 38 Phil Hill Ferrari 156 1:37.8 115.7 81 5 26 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax 1:38.3 115.2 41 6 2 Jo Bonnier Porsche 787 1:38.6 114.8 48 7 40 Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 156 1:38.9 114.5 59 8 28 Jim Clark Lotus 21-Climax 1:39.4 113.9 72 9 4 Dan Gurney Porsche 718/2 1:40.0 113.2 70 10 16 Tony Brooks BRM P48/57-Climax 1:40.5 112.7 52 11 6 Hans Herrmann Porsche 718/2 1:41.3 111.8 47 12 24 Jack Brabham Cooper T55-Climax 1:41.6 111.4 38 13 18 Graham Hill BRM P48/57-Climax 1:42.1 110.9 10 14 42 Maurice Trintignant Cooper T51-Maserati 1:43.0 109.9 79 15 32 Cliff Allison Lotus 18-Climax 1:43.2 109.7 68 16 8 Michael May Lotus 18-Climax 1:45.1 107.7 22 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 20 Stirling Moss Lotus 18-Climax 1:39.1 114.2 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team 2 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 1:39.3 114.0 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 3 28 Jim Clark Lotus 21-Climax 1:39.6 113.7 Team Lotus 4 18 Graham Hill BRM P48/57-Climax 1:39.6 113.7 Owen Racing Organisation 5 38 Phil Hill Ferrari 156 1:39.8 113.4 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 6 40 Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 156 1:39.8 113.4 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 7 26 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax 1:39.8 113.4 Cooper Car Co 8 16 Tony Brooks BRM P48/57-Climax 1:40.1 113.1 Owen Racing Organisation 9 2 Jo Bonnier Porsche 787 1:40.3 112.9 Porsche System Engineering 10 30 Innes Ireland Lotus 21-Climax 1:40.5 112.7 Team Lotus 11 4 Dan Gurney Porsche 718/2 1:40.6 112.5 Porsche System Engineering 12 22 John Surtees Cooper T53-Climax 1:41.1 112.0 Yeoman Credit Racing Team 13 6 Hans Herrmann Porsche 718/2 1:41.1 112.0 Porsche System Engineering 14 8 Michael May Lotus 18-Climax 1:42.0 111.0 Scuderia Colonia 15 42 Maurice Trintignant Cooper T51-Maserati 1:42.4 110.6 Scuderia Serenissima 16 24 Jack Brabham Cooper T55-Climax 1:44.0 108.9 Cooper Car Co Did Not Qualify: 17 32 Cliff Allison Lotus 18-Climax 1:42.3 110.7 UDT Laystall Racing Team 18 34 Henry Taylor Lotus 18-Climax 1:42.6 110.4 UDT Laystall Racing Team 19 14 Masten Gregory Cooper T53-Climax 1:42.7 110.2 Camoradi International 20 10 Lucien Bianchi Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:42.9 110.0 Equipe Nationale Belge 21 12 Olivier Gendebien Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:43.7 109.2 Equipe Nationale Belge Thursday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 28 Jim Clark Lotus 21-Climax 1:39.6 113.7 2 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 1:41.0 112.1 3 38 Phil Hill Ferrari 156 1:41.0 112.1 4 20 Stirling Moss Lotus 18-Climax 1:41.1 112.0 5 30 Innes Ireland Lotus 21-Climax 1:41.5 111.5 6 40 Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 156 1:41.7 111.3 7 18 Graham Hill BRM P48/57-Climax 1:42.8 110.1 8 24 Jack Brabham Cooper T55-Climax 1:44.0 108.9 9 10 Lucien Bianchi Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:44.0 108.9 10 22 John Surtees Cooper T53-Climax 1:44.3 108.6 11 16 Tony Brooks BRM P48/57-Climax 1:44.6 108.2 12 26 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax 1:44.7 108.1 13 8 Michael May Lotus 18-Climax 1:45.4 107.4 14 12 Olivier Gendebien Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:45.4 107.4 15 34 Henry Taylor Lotus 18-Climax 1:45.5 107.3 16 14 Masten Gregory Cooper T53-Climax 1:45.7 107.1 17 42 Maurice Trintignant Cooper T51-Maserati 1:47.6 105.2 18 32 Cliff Allison Lotus 18-Climax 1:56.7 97.0 Friday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 1:39.3 114.0 2 38 Phil Hill Ferrari 156 1:39.8 113.4 3 18 Graham Hill BRM P48/57-Climax 1:40.0 113.2 4 40 Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 156 1:40.3 112.9 5 30 Innes Ireland Lotus 21-Climax 1:40.5 112.7 6 22 John Surtees Cooper T53-Climax 1:41.1 112.0 7 26 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax 1:41.3 111.8 8 20T Stirling Moss Cooper T53-Climax 1:41.4 111.7 9 2 Jo Bonnier Porsche 787 1:41.9 111.1 10 8 Michael May Lotus 18-Climax 1:42.0 111.0 11 16 Tony Brooks BRM P48/57-Climax 1:42.1 110.9 12 32 Cliff Allison Lotus 18-Climax 1:42.3 110.7 13 6 Hans Herrmann Porsche 718/2 1:42.4 110.6 14 4 Dan Gurney Porsche 718/2 1:42.7 110.2 15 14 Masten Gregory Cooper T53-Climax 1:42.7 110.2 16 10 Lucien Bianchi Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:42.9 110.0 17 42 Maurice Trintignant Cooper T51-Maserati 1:43.2 109.7 18 12 Olivier Gendebien Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:43.7 109.2 19 34 Henry Taylor Lotus 18-Climax 1:43.7 109.2 Saturday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 20 Stirling Moss Lotus 18-Climax 1:39.1 114.2 2 18 Graham Hill BRM P48/57-Climax 1:39.6 113.7 3 40 Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 156 1:39.8 113.4 4 26 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax 1:39.8 113.4 5 16 Tony Brooks BRM P48/57-Climax 1:40.1 113.1 6 38 Phil Hill Ferrari 156 1:40.2 113.0 7 2 Jo Bonnier Porsche 787 1:40.3 112.9 8 4 Dan Gurney Porsche 718/2 1:40.6 112.5 9 30 Innes Ireland Lotus 21-Climax 1:40.7 112.4 10 6 Hans Herrmann Porsche 718/2 1:41.1 112.0 11 36 Richie Ginther Ferrari 156 1:41.7 111.3 12 42 Maurice Trintignant Cooper T51-Maserati 1:42.4 110.6 13 34 Henry Taylor Lotus 18-Climax 1:42.6 110.4 14 14 Masten Gregory Cooper T53-Climax 1:42.7 110.2 15 32 Cliff Allison Lotus 18-Climax 1:43.2 109.7 16 8 Michael May Lotus 18-Climax 1:43.8 109.1 17 10 Lucien Bianchi Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:44.5 108.3 18 12 Olivier Gendebien Emeryson 61-Maserati 1:45.0 107.8 19 24 Bruce McLaren Cooper T55-Climax 1:45.7 107.1 20 22 John Surtees Cooper T53-Climax 2:09.1 87.7
Starting Grid:
20 Stirling Moss
Lotus 18-Climax
1:39.1
36 Richie Ginther
Ferrari 156
1:39.3
28 Jim Clark
Lotus 21-Climax
1:39.6
18 Graham Hill
BRM P48/57-Climax
1:39.6
38 Phil Hill
Ferrari 156
1:39.8
40 Wolfgang von Trips
Ferrari 156
1:39.8
26 Bruce McLaren
Cooper T55-Climax
1:39.8
16 Tony Brooks
BRM P48/57-Climax
1:40.1
2 Jo Bonnier
Porsche 787
1:40.3
30 Innes Ireland
Lotus 21-Climax
1:40.5
4 Dan Gurney
Porsche 718/2
1:40.6
22 John Surtees
Cooper T53-Climax
1:41.1
6 Hans Herrmann
Porsche 718/2
1:41.1
8 Michael May
Lotus 18-Climax
1:42.0
42 Maurice Trintignant
Cooper T51-Maserati
1:42.4
24 Jack Brabham
Cooper T55-Climax
1:44.0
32 Cliff Allison
Lotus 18-Climax
1:42.3
Notes:
  • 2 entries each from 5 works teams (Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Cooper and BRM) plus Trintignant and Moss invited to participate leaving 4 places open for qualification.
  • Ireland was unable to take the start, so Allison was allowed to start the race.
  • Weather: Overcast, Dry.
    •
    Race Review:

    The 1961 World Championship - with its new 1.5-liter formula - did not start until mid May. Cooper retained the 1960 driver lineup of Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren while Ferrari stayed with Richie Ginther, Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips. Jo Bonnier and Dan Gurney had transferred from BRM to the Porsche F1 team with Hans Herrmann, while BRP had lost Tony Brooks to BRM and Olivier Gendebien to the new Equipe Nationale Belge which had a pair of Emeryson-Maseratis. John Surtees had transferred from Team Lotus to drive a Reg Parnell Racing Cooper.

    Practice saw Jim Clark crash his Lotus heavily at Ste Devote and Lotus's woes continued when Innes Ireland crashed in the tunnel during the final session, destroying his car and breaking his leg. Moss took pole in his Rob Walker Lotus with Ginther:s Ferrari and Clark's Lotus sharing the front row. Graham and Phil Hill shared the second row.

    At the start Ginther took the lead from Clark and Moss but Jimmy soon had to pit with fuel pump problems and so Bonnier and Gurney took third and fourth in their Porsches.

    On lap 14 both Moss and Bonnier were able to pass Ginther and 10 laps later Phil Hill passed both his team mate and Bonnier to move into second but there was no way he was going to catch Moss, who was driving one of the greatest races of his illustrious career. Towards mid-distance Ginther fought back, passing Hill for second and chasing after Moss, closing the gap to just three seconds. Moss responded and won a magnificent victory despite an enormous power disadvantage. Hill finished third and von Trips was classified fourth despite crashing on the last lap.