Phil Hill won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on 18 June 1961, leading a Ferrari result that was almost indecently complete. The 156 sharknose cars finished first, second, third and fourth, turning one of Formula 1’s fastest circuits into a red demonstration run.
The 156 makes the rules look simple
The 1961 season opened the 1.5-litre era, and Ferrari arrived better prepared than most of its British rivals. The 156 combined a strong engine, good reliability and enough aerodynamic neatness to make the rest of the field look under-equipped. At Spa, that advantage became obvious.
Hill started from pole and won by seven tenths of a second from Wolfgang von Trips. Richie Ginther finished third and Olivier Gendebien fourth, completing Ferrari’s sweep. John Surtees was best of the non-Ferraris in fifth for Cooper-Climax, more than a minute behind Hill. Dan Gurney scored the final point for Porsche.
A title fight inside the same garage
The result also sharpened the championship fight between Hill and von Trips. Ferrari’s 1961 season was not simply a team domination story; it was a contest between two drivers inside the strongest car. That tension would run through the year until Monza, where von Trips was killed and Hill became world champion in the most sombre possible circumstances.
Seen from 18 June, the Belgian Grand Prix was Ferrari at full force. It showed the 156 at its best and turned Spa into one of the clearest examples of early-1960s technical superiority. It was a race win, yes, but the more useful FlatSpot angle is the scale of the Ferrari lockout and the championship pressure it created.
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