I took this photograph in the paddock at Aintree on the Friday practice day for the British Grand Prix in July 1962.
It's Dan Gurney getting ready to go out on a practice session in the 1962
Porsche 804 in which he qualified in sixth position on the grid and finished
the race in ninth position. Porsche had first built a single seat racing car in
1959, the 718, using the 1½ litre flat-four boxer engine from their sports car
to create a Formula 2 car. In 1961 the engine capacity for Formula 1 cars was
reduced to 1½ litres and the Porsche 718 was able to compete in Formula 1 races
that season. The Porsche 804 was built for the following season using a new Flat-eight engine of 1,494cc, and with this car Dan
Gurney won the French Grand Prix and finished in third place in the German
Grand Prix to end the season in fifth place in the World Drivers' Championship.
His team mate Jo Bonnier's best finish was fifth place in the Monaco Grand Prix
and he finished in fifteenth place in the Championship. Porsche finished in
fifth place in the World Constructors' Championship. That first place in the
1962 French Grand Prix is Porsche's only Grand Prix victory.
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