These days we've come to accept that the Formula 1 world championship has run its course by December. By now, teams, drivers and their cars are all snuggly wrapped up nice and warm over the off-season.
It wasn't always that way, however. Back in the early 1960s, the final race of the year was twice held right at the end of the year, in the heat of South Africa.
The last time that happened was in 1963. Jim Clark was victorious at the 23.4km Prince George Circuit in East London on December 28. His Lotus beat Brabham's Dan Gurney to the line by over a minute. Graham Hill and Bruce McLaren were over a lap down on the lead pair.
It capped a particularly shining year for Clark. The Scot won seven of that season's ten races, including the British Grand Prix at Silverstone (pictured hereunder) He won the first of his two championships that year, with almost twice Hill's total tally of points.
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