16/07/2026
On 15 July 1961, heavy rain greeted Formula 1 at Aintree. Wolfgang von Trips led Ferrari to a 1-2-3 finish, a decisive result on the Scuderia’s path to its first International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, the competition now known as the Constructors’ Championship.
New regulations reduced the maximum capacity of naturally aspirated engines to 1.5 litres for 1961. Ferrari responded with the rear-engined 156 F1. Its three works cars at Aintree used the 120-degree version of Ferrari’s V6. Ferrari cars had won the previous three World Championship rounds. Phil Hill took pole position, Richie Ginther started second and von Trips lined up fourth.
The three works Ferraris took control at the start, with Hill leading von Trips and Ginther. Von Trips moved ahead on lap seven, while Stirling Moss pressed him closely in the wet before brake trouble ended the challenge from his Lotus. Once Moss’s Lotus retired, Ferrari controlled the race. Von Trips completed the 75 laps 46 seconds ahead of Hill, with Ginther only 0.8 seconds further back.
Under the 1961 scoring system, only a manufacturer’s best five results counted. Ferrari left Aintree with 38 points, 22 clear of Lotus-Climax. Although the title was not yet mathematically secure, the result placed the Scuderia firmly on course for its first manufacturers’ crown. Ferrari ended the season with 40 counted points.
The victory moved von Trips to the top of the Drivers’ Championship, two points ahead of Hill. It was his second and final World Championship win. Less than two months later, he lost his life at Monza while still leading the standings.
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