144

Grand Prix d'Europe
52e Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.

03 Jul 1966Reims398.496 km (8302 m x 48 Laps)

 Pole Position: Lorenzo Bandini, Ferrari 312/66, 2:07.8 (233.9 km/h) Fastest Lap: Lorenzo Bandini, Ferrari 312/66, 2:11.3 (227.6 km/h lap 30) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 1:48:31.3 220.3 km/h 2 22 Mike Parkes Ferrari 312/66 1:48:40.8 220.0 km/h 3 14 Denny Hulme Brabham BT20-Repco -2 Laps 4 6 Jochen Rindt Cooper T81-Maserati -2 Laps 5 26 Dan Gurney Eagle T1F-Climax -3 Laps 6 44 John Taylor Brabham BT11-BRM -3 Laps 7 36 Bob Anderson Brabham BT11-Climax 44 Engine 8 8 Chris Amon Cooper T81-Maserati -4 Laps Did Not Finish: 42 Guy Ligier Cooper T81-Maserati 42 Not classified 2 Pedro Rodríguez Lotus 33-Climax 40 Throttle 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 37 Not classified 30 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT11/22-Climax 32 Not classified 16 Graham Hill BRM P261 13 Engine 38 Jo Siffert Cooper T81-Maserati 10 Overheating 32 Mike Spence Lotus 33-BRM 8 Clutch 10 John Surtees Cooper T81-Maserati 5 Overheating 4 Peter Arundell Lotus 43-BRM 3 Gear selection Did Not Start: 2 Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax Accident/Injury Did Not Appear: 28 Bruce McLaren McLaren M2B-Serenissima 30 Jo Bonnier Cooper-ATS Raced in another car 34 Paul Hawkins Lotus 25-Climax 40 Bob Bondurant BRM P261 Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 1-31 31 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 12-48 17 Fastest Laps: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Lap 1 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 2:11.3 227.6 30 22 Mike Parkes Ferrari 312/66 2:12.8 225.1 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 2:12.8 225.1 16 Graham Hill BRM P261 2:14.1 222.9 8 Chris Amon Cooper T81-Maserati 2:14.4 222.4 6 Jochen Rindt Cooper T81-Maserati 2:15.0 221.4 2 Pedro Rodríguez Lotus 33-Climax 2:15.8 220.1 14 Denny Hulme Brabham BT20-Repco 2:15.8 220.1 32 Mike Spence Lotus 33-BRM 2:16.8 218.5 42 Guy Ligier Cooper T81-Maserati 2:18.8 215.3 38 Jo Siffert Cooper T81-Maserati 2:18.9 215.2 36 Bob Anderson Brabham BT11-Climax 2:19.2 214.7 26 Dan Gurney Eagle T1F-Climax 2:20.5 212.7 30 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT11/22-Climax 2:21.4 211.4 44 John Taylor Brabham BT11-BRM 2:23.5 208.3 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 2:07.8 233.9 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 2 10 John Surtees Cooper T81-Maserati 2:08.4 232.8 Cooper Car Co 3 22 Mike Parkes Ferrari 312/66 2:09.1 231.5 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 4 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 2:10.2 229.5 Brabham Racing Organisation 5 6 Jochen Rindt Cooper T81-Maserati 2:10.9 228.3 Cooper Car Co 6 38 Jo Siffert Cooper T81-Maserati 2:12.2 226.1 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team 7 8 Chris Amon Cooper T81-Maserati 2:12.4 225.7 Cooper Car Co 8 16 Graham Hill BRM P261 2:12.8 225.1 Owen Racing Organisation 9 14 Denny Hulme Brabham BT20-Repco 2:13.3 224.2 Brabham Racing Organisation 10 32 Mike Spence Lotus 33-BRM 2:14.2 222.7 Reg Parnell Racing 11 42 Guy Ligier Cooper T81-Maserati 2:15.4 220.7 Guy Ligier 12 36 Bob Anderson Brabham BT11-Climax 2:15.6 220.4 DW Racing Enterprises 13 2 Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax 2:15.6 220.4 Team Lotus 14 2 Pedro Rodríguez Lotus 33-Climax 2:16.5 219.0 Team Lotus 15 26 Dan Gurney Eagle T1F-Climax 2:17.9 216.7 Anglo American Racers 16 44 John Taylor Brabham BT11-BRM 2:19.2 214.7 David Bridges 17 4 Peter Arundell Lotus 43-BRM 2:19.6 214.1 Team Lotus 18 30 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT11/22-Climax 2:23.5 208.3 Joakim Bonnier Racing Team 19 30 Jo Bonnier Cooper-ATS 2:27.3 202.9 Joakim Bonnier Racing Team Not Present: 28 Bruce McLaren McLaren M2B-Serenissima - - Bruce McLaren Motor Racing 34 Paul Hawkins Lotus 25-Climax - - Reg Parnell Racing 40 Bob Bondurant BRM P261 - - Team Chamaco Collect Wednesday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 10 John Surtees Cooper T81-Maserati 2:10.7 228.7 2 6 Jochen Rindt Cooper T81-Maserati 2:11.6 227.1 3 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 2:11.9 226.6 4 38 Jo Siffert Cooper T81-Maserati 2:12.3 225.9 5 T2 Graham Hill BRM P261 2:14.0 223.0 6 T1 Graham Hill BRM P83 2:15.2 221.1 7 2 Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax 2:15.6 220.4 8 32 Mike Spence Lotus 33-BRM 2:18.7 215.5 9 36 Bob Anderson Brabham BT11-Climax 2:19.7 213.9 10 42 Guy Ligier Cooper T81-Maserati 2:20.5 212.7 11 12 Denny Hulme Brabham BT19-Repco 2:22.6 209.6 12 26 Dan Gurney Eagle T1F-Climax 2:23.6 208.1 13 8 Chris Amon Cooper T81-Maserati 2:38.5 188.6 14 44 John Taylor Brabham BT11-BRM 8:43.4 57.1 Thursday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 10 John Surtees Cooper T81-Maserati 2:08.4 232.8 2 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 2:09.2 231.3 3 22 Mike Parkes Ferrari 312/66 2:10.2 229.5 4 6 Jochen Rindt Cooper T81-Maserati 2:10.9 228.3 5 38 Jo Siffert Cooper T81-Maserati 2:12.2 226.1 6 8 Chris Amon Cooper T81-Maserati 2:12.4 225.7 7 T2 Graham Hill BRM P261 2:13.0 224.7 8 32 Mike Spence Lotus 33-BRM 2:14.2 222.7 9 42 Guy Ligier Cooper T81-Maserati 2:15.4 220.7 10 2 Jim Clark Lotus 33-Climax 2:15.6 220.4 11 16 Graham Hill BRM P83 2:16.0 219.8 12 26 Dan Gurney Eagle T1F-Climax 2:17.9 216.7 13 36 Bob Anderson Brabham BT11-Climax 2:18.3 216.1 14 14 Denny Hulme Brabham BT20-Repco 2:23.0 209.0 15 44 John Taylor Brabham BT11-BRM 2:23.5 208.3 16 30 Jo Bonnier Cooper-ATS 2:27.3 202.9 17 4 Peter Arundell Lotus 43-BRM 2:30.9 198.1 18 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 2:33.2 195.1 Friday Practice: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 2:07.8 233.9 2 22 Mike Parkes Ferrari 312/66 2:09.1 231.5 3 16 Graham Hill BRM P83 2:09.2 231.3 4 12 Jack Brabham Brabham BT19-Repco 2:10.2 229.5 5 10 John Surtees Cooper T81-Maserati 2:10.6 228.8 6 T2 Graham Hill BRM P261 2:12.8 225.1 7 6 Jochen Rindt Cooper T81-Maserati 2:13.3 224.2 8 14 Denny Hulme Brabham BT20-Repco 2:13.3 224.2 9 32 Mike Spence Lotus 33-BRM 2:14.5 222.2 10 8 Chris Amon Cooper T81-Maserati 2:14.6 222.0 11 36 Bob Anderson Brabham BT11-Climax 2:15.6 220.4 12 42 Guy Ligier Cooper T81-Maserati 2:15.8 220.1 13 2 Pedro Rodríguez Lotus 33-Climax 2:16.5 219.0 14 38 Jo Siffert Cooper T81-Maserati 2:17.1 218.0 15 44 John Taylor Brabham BT11-BRM 2:19.2 214.7 16 4 Peter Arundell Lotus 43-BRM 2:19.6 214.1 17 30 Jo Bonnier Brabham BT11/22-Climax 2:23.5 208.3 18 26 Dan Gurney Eagle T1F-Climax 2:26.7 203.7
Starting Grid: 22 Mike Parkes 10 John Surtees 20 Lorenzo Bandini Ferrari 312/66 Cooper T81-Maserati Ferrari 312/66 2:09.1 2:08.4 2:07.8 6 Jochen Rindt 12 Jack Brabham Cooper T81-Maserati Brabham BT19-Repco 2:10.9 2:10.2 16 Graham Hill 8 Chris Amon 38 Jo Siffert BRM P261 Cooper T81-Maserati Cooper T81-Maserati 2:12.8 2:12.4 2:12.2 32 Mike Spence 14 Denny Hulme Lotus 33-BRM Brabham BT20-Repco 2:14.2 2:13.3 2 Pedro Rodríguez 36 Bob Anderson 42 Guy Ligier Lotus 33-Climax Brabham BT11-Climax Cooper T81-Maserati 2:16.5 2:15.6 2:15.4 44 John Taylor 26 Dan Gurney Brabham BT11-BRM Eagle T1F-Climax 2:19.2 2:17.9 30 Jo Bonnier 4 Peter Arundell Brabham BT11/22-Climax Lotus 43-BRM 2:23.5 2:19.6
Notes: 1) Weather: Very hot.
Race Review:

After visits to Rouen in 1964 and Clermont-Ferrand in 1965, the French GP returned to Reims in 1966. A fortnight earlier at Le Mans John Surtees had finally lost his temper with the politics at Ferrari and had walked out. He appeared at Reims at the wheel of a Cooper-Maserati alongside Jochen Rindt and McLaren's Chris Amon (who had moved to Cooper for the weekend after Richie Ginther left the team and Bruce McLaren was trying to sort out the problems with his Ford engines). Ferrari promoted British engineer-driver Mike Parkes to the F1 team.

In qualifying Jim Clark hit a bird and suffered sufficient injury to his eye to pull out of the meeting, Lotus putting Pedro Rodríguez in as his replacement. Peter Arundell continued with the frustrating Lotus-BRM 43.

As a result Lorenzo Bandini was fastest in his Ferrari with Surtees in the middle of the front row and his Ferrari replacement Parkes on his outside. Jack Brabham and Rindt shared the second row while the third row featured Jo Siffert (Rob Walker Cooper), Amon and Graham Hill in the BRM (he practiced with the H16 but raced on old V8). With Jackie Stewart out of action as a result of his crash at Spa BRM decided to run only one car.

At the start Surtees got off the line quickly but his fuel pump failed and so Bandini took the lead with Brabham and Parkes giving chase. They were followed by the Cooper-Maseratis of Amon, Rindt and Siffert. As Bandini built up his lead over Brabham and Parkes, Denny Hulme made good progress through the field (having a Repco-engined car for the first time) and moved up to fourth. On lap 32 Bandini's Ferrari suffered a throttle cable failure. Brabham took the lead and went on to win his first victory with the Repco engine. Parkes came home second on his F1 debut, one of the best debut results in Grand Prix history, and Hulme finished third.