F1's New Year's Day Races: A Look Back at the 1960s
In the 1960s, F1 occasionally held its season-opening South African Grand Prix on New Year's Day, a scheduling quirk that ended with the shift to the modern March-December calendar.
Long before the current winter break, Formula 1's calendar once included races during the holiday season, with the South African Grand Prix twice taking place on New Year's Day in the 1960s. This scheduling quirk, a stark contrast to today's structured March-to-November season, highlights a bygone era of the sport where logistics and commercial demands were vastly different.
Why it matters:
The shift away from holiday racing underscores the massive commercial and logistical evolution of Formula 1. The modern calendar is a finely tuned global spectacle designed to maximize broadcaster reach, accommodate team travel, and avoid clashing with major holidays. This change reflects F1's growth from a niche European series into a worldwide phenomenon with a multi-billion dollar business model.
The details:
- The South African Grand Prix was the venue for all five of F1's holiday-season races between 1962 and 1968, with two held on January 1st (1965, 1968).
- Jim Clark's Dominance: The legendary Scottish driver was the king of the New Year's races, winning on January 1, 1965, and again on January 1, 1968. The 1967 race, held on January 2, was won by Pedro Rodríguez.
- Scheduling Oddity: The 1965 New Year's Day race was originally scheduled as the final round of the 1964 season but was moved forward by a week, becoming the opening round of the 1965 championship instead.
- The very first race around the turn of the year was the 1962 South African GP on December 29, won by Graham Hill. The last F1 race in December for over 50 years was the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Looking Ahead:
The practice of holiday racing ended in the 1970s as F1 adopted the March-to-December structure that remains in place today. This change was driven by a collective desire from teams, promoters, and broadcasters to avoid the holiday window. While a New Year's Day Grand Prix is now a relic of the past, it serves as a fascinating reminder of how much the sport's landscape and priorities have evolved over the decades.