1963 Belgian Grand Prix

1963 Belgian Grand Prix
Race details
Date	9 June 1963
Official name	XXIII Grote Prijs van Belgie
Location	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Spa, Belgium
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	14.100 km (8.761 miles)
Distance	32 laps, 451.200 km (280.363 miles)
Weather	Wet and overcast
Pole position
Driver	Graham Hill	BRM
Time	3:54.1
Fastest lap
Driver	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax
Time	3:58.1 on lap 16
Podium
First	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax
Second	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax
Third	Dan Gurney	Brabham-Climax
Lap leaders

The 1963 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held at Spa-Francorchamps on 9 June 1963. It was race 2 of 10 in both the 1963 World Championship of Drivers and the 1963 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. Jim Clark won the race in extremely wet and rainy conditions. After starting eighth on the grid, Clark passed all the cars in front of him, including early leader Graham Hill. At the end of the race, Clark had not only lapped the entire field except for Bruce McLaren, but the margin to the second-placed Cooper driver was almost five minutes. The Scot's performance was made even more impressive by the fact that gearbox issues meant that he had to hold his gear lever in place, thus driving one-handed, whenever fifth gear was selected on this high-speed circuit. Given the rainy conditions, Clark eventually chose not to engage fifth gear at all, leaving him with only four gears.^[1] This would be the first of seven victories for Clark and Team Lotus that year.