STORY OF THE DAY: A final-lap shortage costs Surtees a Monaco podium

John Surtees finished fourth in the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix with the Ferrari 158 F1 numbered 18. Graham Hill won the World Championship race after recovering from an early spin, while Lorenzo Bandini finished second in the other Ferrari. Surtees had occupied a podium position until his fuel supply ran short on the final lap, allowing Jackie Stewart to take third.

Ferrari briefly held first and second after Jack Brabham’s retirement, but Hill was closing rapidly and passed both red cars by lap 65. Surtees remained ahead of Stewart through the closing stages before slowing within sight of the finish. He was still classified fourth, a frustrating conclusion to an afternoon on which Ferrari had threatened to control the race.

The Ferrari 158 F1 employed a 1.5-litre V8 engine and a compact semi-monocoque chassis developed under Mauro Forghieri. Surtees selected the V8 car at Monaco while Bandini drove Ferrari’s flat-twelve alternative. The 158 had carried Surtees to the 1964 World Championship, but by 1965 rival development had reduced its advantage.

John Surtees entered motor racing after an extraordinary motorcycle career in which he won seven world championships. The English driver joined Ferrari in 1963 and became Formula One world champion for the team the following season. His fourth place at Monaco showed his competitiveness on a circuit demanding precision, even though fuel consumption denied him the result his race had promised.