Historic Formula 1 techniques: Ferrari 158-1512 (1964-65) – Fourth Part

The sporting results During the ’64 season, Jim Clark and his Lotus (25 and 33) had demonstrated something more having achieved 5 poles and 3 victories, against 2 poles and 2 victories for Surtees and 1 pole and 2 victories for Graham Hill… but the ranking was mixed up by the points placings which were awarded up to sixth place (9-6-4-3-2-1); then there was the rule that the final ranking was compiled by counting only the 6 best results. In the end, the three listed remained to compete for the Championship, with Hill the favorite but with a narrower margin than it appeared due to the discards: 2 points had already been deducted from him and another 3 would have been deducted if he had done better than a fourth place. At the start of the Mexican GP, ​​the last race, Jim Clark starts on pole and remains firmly in command, but it is Graham Hill with the BRM who, defending his third place from an attacking Bandini, remains in the lead of the World Championship, Surtees in fifth seems largely out of contention. The first twist came on lap 31, when contact between Hill and Bandini caused Hill to spin, bending an exhaust and ending up in the rear. At this point it is Clark who virtually takes the lead in the World Ranking, and when the game seems to be over, on the penultimate lap, comes the second twist, an oil pipe breaks in his Lotus… Dan Gurney wins on Brabham, according to Surtees, after Bandini gave up the position to him, thus allowing him to become World Drivers’ Champion, with the margin of one point over Hill, the only victim of the discard mechanism. A finale dripping with emotions, from the anger of Hill who suspected he had been rammed intentionally, to the prostration of Clark which was counterbalanced by the uncontainable joy of Surtees… Given how the race had developed, the final result had the flavor of a surprise for Ferrari, but the titles were fully deserved: in fact, the Drivers’ Cup was added to the Constructors’ Cup, thanks to the contribution of Bandini who also used the 156 and the 1512. The latter, used in the last 2 races, was growing, in Mexico it was fighting for the podium, even if on this occasion the 12-cylinder performed particularly well due to the altitude of the track. Expectations for ’65 were therefore high, but they crumbled in the face of competition that had evolved further: no victories came, Surtees did not go beyond a second place and a third again with the 158 and another third with the 1512, Bandini stopped at a second place with the 1512. The 1512 itself, considered the weapon for the ’65 season, did not make the desired step forward compared to the 158; at Monza, a circuit that should have highlighted his superior power, a sort of surrender took place: Surtees tried in qualifying but Clark took pole, beating him by 2 tenths, then the redemption in the race vanished immediately with the clutch failure at the start. There was little that could be done, that was the season marked by the domination of Jim Clark and the Lotus 33: six successes and six pole positions in ten races, demonstrating a superiority that had never been questioned. And, as if to underline their strength, they even gave up the Monaco GP to go and win the Indianapolis 500. With such a phenomenon on the field, Ferrari’s attempt to “counteract” it with the 12 project is understandable… but it ended up absorbing too much energy, which failed to take care of every detail with that obsessive attention that was beginning to impose itself in F1… on the other hand it was instead fortunate for all the enthusiasts, who still after many years, can admire a true jewel of fine mechanics, unrepeatable. Technique of historic Formula 1 cars: Ferrari 158-1512 (1964-65) – First Part Technical of historic Formula 1 cars: Ferrari 158-1512 (1964-65) – Second Part Technical of historic Formula 1 cars: Ferrari 158-1512 (1964-65) – Third Part