And Colossally That's History S3 E4: The quickest driver in F1 history? Jim Clark remembered
Added 2025-04-25 18:02:10 +0000 UTCOn the latest episode of Colossally, join Matt Bishop and Richard Williams as they reappraise the life and career of a driver regarded by many as the quickest to ever sit in a Formula 1 car: Jim Clark.
A double world champion in the 1960s and STILL to this day the driver with the most 'grand slam' grand prix weekends (pole, victory, fastest lap, every racing lap led), Clark was widely considered among his fellow racers (and by Ayrton Senna, no less) to be a cut above - and on this podcast we'll try to explain why.
In doing so, Richard shares some incredible stories of watching Clark race first-hand, including his memories of seeing a young Clark win four races in one meeting, when the Scot was climbing the ladder to F1.
There's chat about Clark's most famous days behind the wheel, his relationship with iconic Lotus boss Colin Chapman, and about the harrowing moments that made him question whether he should race on. Matt and Richard also discuss Clark's idiosyncrasies out of the car, and the unique skillset that made Clark so quick - and possibly the quickest ever - when he jumped into the driver's seat.
Matt also shares an incredibly poignant story about visiting Clark's memorial at the Hockenheim circuit, where, completely by chance, he bumped into someone with vivid memories of the Scotsman's final moments.
Comments
I got very excited when it looked like George Russell would win the 2021 Shakir Grand Prix because it would have been the first time three drivers had won a world championship formula one race for the same team in the same year since Siffert, Hill and Clark for Lotus in 1968. Does that qualify as an anorak fact?
Chris Parrott
2025-05-02 16:33:36 +0000 UTCGreat, moving episode. Sadly, all my prejudice against the ”Rotkäppchen“, i.e., Schumacher fans, were confirmed by Matt‘s anecdote about the two beer-drinking, smoking guys hanging out on Jim Clark‘s cross at the track. Football supporters becoming F1 fans always irritated me – still does. Too bad that Jim‘s memorial site is not exactly at the track anymore (I think they’ve moved the cross) due to the massive changes of the track‘s layout. Last year in Imola, it was moving and amazing to see how many people gathered around Senna‘s statue before the race. People were singing and chanting as if he was still part of the grid.
Hell on Wheels
2025-05-01 06:08:01 +0000 UTC
