South African Formula One Championship
The South African Formula 1 championship was an automobile racing series which was fought from 1960 to 1975 on the race track in South Africa, Southern Rhodesia or Rhodesia and Mozambique. The regulations largely corresponded to the formula 1 races were national events in which competed South African and Rhodesian driver in the first place. Only the Grand Prix of South Africa, who also was part of this series in 1962, was one of the Formula 1 World Championship; the other races were so-called Non- Championship Races.
History
Rules
The South African Formula 1 Championship was in the 1960s from several runs that were held by different rules:
- For the edge of the Grand Prix, the Cape Grand Prix, the Natal Grand Prix and (from 1962), the Grand Prix of South Africa was in each case the regulations of the Formula 1 World Championship, although this race with the exception of the Grand Prix of South Africa were no world championship races and there the retracted points did not count for the World Cup. At these races, which are also referred to as " South African Medium " even teams in the Formula 1 World Championship could participate; they were set automatically and had to be, unlike the South African Competitors who do not qualify for the race participants. At the beginning of the 1960s played the most British top teams this race, although here no world championship points were achieved. For them, the races were in a time when there was no regular driving test, an opportunity to try out new designs in practice.
- In addition to these Temporada race each other events in South Africa, Rhodesia and Mozambique were held, were considered for the rules slightly modified and which were perceived almost exclusively of local racers.
In later years, the South African Formula 1 Championship was also open to cars of Formula 5000.
Rolling stock
While the driver of European factory teams contested the South African race as a rule with the current cars of its teams, the South African driver stepped mostly with older European race cars that they had taken second-hand from the respective manufacturers. Preferred chassis manufacturers were Brabham, Cooper and Lotus. Unlike in the Formula 1 World Championship, drove this chassis rarely with Climax or BRM engines. During the so-called 1.5 - liter formula, which was until 1965, the South African driver equipped their car mostly for reasons of cost with four-cylinder engines from Alfa Romeo, which had been taken from the Giulietta and revised to varying degrees. The transition to the so-called three-liter formula that was in the World Cup since 1966, was followed in South Africa with some time interval. In many cases, the riders made do first with Repco or drilled Climax engines. Since the late 1960s, but the Cosworth DFV engine had become the standard engine in South Africa.
Some racers competed until the late 1960s into with self-constructed vehicles ( so-called specials ). Among them were Lewis Douglas " Doug " Serrurier, who constructed a total of five different types of vehicles under the brand LDS. More South African 'specials' constructed Peter de Klerk, Tony Kotze ( Assegai ) Brausch Niemann and diamonds Hartmann. Also, they used mostly Alfa Romeo engines.
Driver
Among the races of the South African Formula 1 Championship competed numerous racers locally sourced. As a rule, it was to them to white South Africans or (South ) Rhodesians; in some cases, British racing driver among them.
The championship was a few riders reserved. In the 15 years that the championship was held, won only five different drivers for the title. John Love and Dave Charlton were repeated six times in a row champion.
Succession series
The South African Formula 1 championship has been discontinued as of the 1975 season for financial reasons. Successor series was the new South African Formula Atlantic Championship, which was announced by the rules of Formula Atlantic. It consisted 1976-1986; Ian Scheckter won a total of six times the champion title.