1966 Formula One season
It featured the 17th World Championship of Drivers, the 9th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and four non-championship races open to Formula One cars.
Under normal circumstances, the Ferrari would soon leave the BRM behind, but Surtees' rear axle failed and he retired on lap 16.
Stewart was out on his own, followed by Jochen Rindt in the Cooper-Maserati and Hill, before Lorenzo Bandini rose up to second place in the Ferrari.
Clark dove through into the first corner to take third place - Rindt had retired with engine failure - but the Lotus's left-rear suspension failed later in the lap and the reigning champion was out of the race.
[15] At first, Stewart was setting the pace during practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, but on the high-speed circuit, Surtees qualified on pole in his Ferrari, more than three seconds ahead of Rindt in the Cooper-Maserati.
Stewart and Hill crashed in the Masta Kink, already known as the most dangerous corner, and the Scot got trapped under his car in a pool of leaking fuel for 25 minutes.
Two other drivers were still running but were not classified, making it two races in a row that championship points were held back under the new rule.
Following his crash, Stewart became a strong advocate of improving driver safety in not only Grand Prix but motor racing in general.
The Italian took a piece of string from a straw bale lining the track and tied it to his throttle, operating it by hand and actually nursing his car back to the pits, but finished out of the points.
As the rain dried, however, Rindt fell back and Surtees retired, leaving Brabham and Hulme to finish first and second.
[18] Brabham and Hulme again qualified first and second for the Dutch Grand Prix, ahead of Clark, still driving a 2 litre Climax-powered Lotus.
At half-distance, Graham Hill was the only driver not lapped by Clark and Brabham, but then, a shock absorber on the Lotus's crankshaft broke and punched a hole in the water pump, leading to his engine coolant to leak away.
The lighter 2 litre cars topped the timings in qualifying, with Clark, Surtees and Stewart occupying the front row.
But at the start, the more powerful 3 litre cars got away better: Surtees held the lead, but Brabham and Lorenzo Bandini were his nearest rivals.
Championship leader Jack Brabham started in sixth but felt not much pressure, as Surtees had to win all three remaining races to stop the Australian from claiming the title.
Successively, Surtees, Bandini and Clark retired as well, giving the lead back to Scarfiotti, ahead of Parkes and Denny Hulme (Brabham).
Jochen Rindt's front tyre deflated coming out of the last corner, the Austrian crossing the finish line while spinning and eventually ending up in the grass.
[22] The last round of the season, the Mexican Grand Prix, saw Surtees back on pole, for the first time in a Cooper, ahead of Clark and Ginther.
[23] Jack Brabham had won the Drivers' Championship with 42 points, ahead of John Surtees (28) and Jochen Rindt (22).
Jack It was Brabham's third Drivers' Championship (following wins in 1959 and 1960), moving him into the second place in the record standings, behind five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio.
