17 June 2022
The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race officially known as the XXIV Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco, held at the Circuit de Monaco on 22 May 1966. It was race 1 of 9 in the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the first World Championship event of a new era for Formula Engine regulations were altered from 1.5 litres of maximum engine displacement to 3.0 litres.
The race was the 24th Monaco Grand Prix.
The new engine regulations caused chaos during the off-season, despite being announced in 1964.
Few teams were ready for the new regulations, with several teams starting the race with 1965 engines still in place or had adapted heavier sports car racing engines to suit. Team Lotus arrived with two different engines, Clark using a customised Climax 2.0-litre V8 engine, while Peter Arundell had an experimental BRM 3.0 litre H16 powered car.
Monaco holds the all-time record in the modern F1 era for the least number of cars to finish a race – only four cars saw the chequered flag at Monaco in 1966 and 1996.
The F1 Grand Prix with the highest percentage of retirements: Monaco 1996, 85.7% of the cars retired; that’s 18 of the 21 starters, and the F1 Grand Prix with the highest number of retirements in Monaco 1996, again.
The 1966 results:
1 Jackie Stewart: Owen RacinOrganisation
2 Lorenzo Bandini: Scuderia Ferrari SpA
3 Graham Hill: Owen Racing Organisation
British Racing Motors (commonly known as BRM) was a British motor racing team which competed in Formula One between 1951 and 1977. BRM also competed under the name Owen Racing Organisation between 1954 and 1970. Under this name, BRM won the Drivers’ World Championship (driven by Graham Hill) and Constructors’ World Championship in 1962.
How times have changed, the 2022 F1 season runs 22 races, 1966 only nine.