1963 Australian Grand Prix
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox Grand Prix race report
|Type = CUST
|Description = Race 1 of 6 in 1963 Australian Drivers' Championship
|Grand Prix = Australian
|Country = Australia
|Image = Warwick Farm Raceway.png
|Location = Warwick Farm Raceway, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|Date = 10 February
|Year = 1963
|Course = Permanent racing facility
|Course_mi = 2.25
|Course_km = 3.621
|Distance_laps = 45
|Distance_mi = 101.25
|Distance_km = 162.945
|Pole_Driver = Bruce McLaren
|Pole_Country = NZL
|Pole_Time = 1'38.8
|Fast_Driver = John Surtees
Jack Brabham
|Fast_Team = Lola-Climax
Repco Brabham-Climax
|Fast_Time = 1'40.2
|Fast_Country = GBR
|First_Driver = Jack Brabham
|First_Country = AUS
|First_Team = Repco Brabham-Climax
|Second_Driver = John Surtees
|Second_Country = GBR
|Third_Driver = Bruce McLaren
|Third_Country = NZL
}}
File:Brabham BT4.jpg won the race driving a Repco Brabham BT4, similar to the example pictured above]]
The 1963 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Warwick Farm Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 10 February 1963. Open to Formula Libre cars,Motor Sport, March 1963, page 150The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix states that a 3-litre engine limit applied, however this is not supported by the AGP entry list in the Official Programme which includes a BRM Buick with a capacity of 3900cc it was the opening heat of the 1963 Australian Drivers' Championship. The race, which was the twenty eighth Australian Grand Prix, had 16 starters.
The race featured a strong representation of international competitors, with entries from Ecurie Vitesse for Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren for himself, R.R.C. Walker Racing Team for Graham Hill and from the Bowmaker Racing Team for John Surtees, Tony Maggs and Jim Palmer. Jack Brabham won the race, his second Australian Grand Prix victory, after a battle with John Surtees. It was the first AGP victory by a driver in a self-developed car since Doug Whiteford won in his "Black Bess" Ford V8 Special in 1950.
Stirling Moss, who was recovering from a near-fatal crash at the Goodwood Circuit, was the special guest at the Grand Prix. Moss, who had driven a Maserati 250F to victory in the 1956 Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, also provided guest commentary for Australian television station the ABC alongside Doug Woodward, Bill Reynolds and pit reporter Norman May.
Classification
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| Pos
! No.Official Programme, Warwick Farm, Australian International Grand Prix, Sunday, February 10, 1963 ! Driver ! Car ! Time / Reason |
|---|
| 1
| align="center"| 4 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Jack Brabham | Repco Brabham BT4 / Climax FPF 2.7LEach "Brabham" was entered as a "Repco Brabham" in the Official Programme | align="center"| 45 | 1h 16m 34.1s |
| 2
| align="center"| 2 | {{flagicon|GBR}} John Surtees | Lola Mk.4 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 45 | 1h 16m 42.1s |
| 3
| align="center"| 10 | {{flagicon|NZL}} Bruce McLaren | Cooper T62 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 45 | 1h 17m 284.1s |
| 4
| align="center"| 5 | {{flagicon|AUS}} David McKay | Repco Brabham BT4 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 45 | 1h 18m 01.1s |
| 5
| align="center"| 6 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Bib Stillwell | B.S. Stillwell | Repco Brabham BT4 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 44 | |
| 6
| align="center"| 1 | {{flagicon|GBR}} Graham Hill | Ferguson P99 / Climax FPF 2.5L | align="center"| 44 | |
| 7
| align="center"| 16 | {{flagicon|NZL}} Tony Shelly | Independent Motors | Lotus 18/21 / Climax FPF 2.5L | align="center"| 44 | |
| 8
| align="center"| 18 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Frank Matich | Total Team | Elfin Catalina / Ford 1.5L | align="center"| 43 | |
| 9
| align="center"| 17 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Leo Geoghegan | Total Team | align="center"| 42 | |
| 10
| align="center"| 19 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Bob Holden | Killara Motor Garage | Lynx / Peugeot 1.5L | align="center"| 42 | |
| 11
| align="center"| 8 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Lex Davison | Ecurie Australie | Cooper T53 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 36 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 3 | {{flagicon|South Africa|1928}} Tony Maggs | Lola Mk.4 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 31 | Exhaustion |
| Ret
| align="center"| 15 | {{flagicon|AUS}} John Youl | J. Youl | Cooper T55 / Climax FPF 2.5L | align="center"| 25 | Black Flagged |
| Ret
| align="center"| 14 | {{flagicon|NZL}} Chris Amon | Cooper T53 / Climax FPF 2.5L | align="center"| 24 | Fuel Pump |
| Ret
| align="center"| 12 | {{flagicon|NZL}} Jim Palmer | Cooper T55 / Climax FPF 2.7L | align="center"| 9 | Broken steering armJack wins in the old home town, Australian Motor Sports, March 1963, pages 26 to 28 & 38 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 11 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Frank Gardner | Cooper T51 / Maserati 2.9L[http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=AU63 Australian Grand Prix, Warwick Farm, 10 Feb 1963, www.oldracingcars.com] Retrieved 21 January 2018 | align="center"| 0 | Broken Axle |
Notes
- Pole position: Bruce McLaren - 1'38.8
- Fastest lap: John Surtees and Jack Brabham - 1'40.2 (80.84 m.p.h.) (130.074 k.p.h.)
- Winner's average speed: 79.57 m.p.h. (128.05 k.p.h)
References
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Category:Australian Grand Prix