STORY OF THE DAY: Parkes’s Nürburgring challenge ends in an accident

Mike Parkes retired from the 1966 German Grand Prix after an accident on lap nine of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The World Championship field shared the circuit with Formula Two entrants, although the categories were classified separately. Jack Brabham won the Grand Prix, while Parkes’s Ferrari number 10 was unable to repeat the podium form of his Formula One debut.

The 22.8-kilometre circuit demanded sustained concentration across its jumps, compressions and rapidly changing corners. Parkes had already demonstrated his ability in the Eifel through major sports-car appearances, but his race ended before the closing stages. The event was the final Grand Prix on this configuration before the Hohenrain chicane was installed near the pits.

The Ferrari 312 F1 was created for the three-litre regulations introduced in 1966 and used a naturally aspirated V12 engine. Its designation referred to three litres and twelve cylinders, continuing a long Ferrari naming convention. Powerful but relatively heavy, the early 312 faced particularly agile opposition from the Repco-engined Brabhams.

Mike Parkes was an English engineer and racing driver whose technical understanding complemented his considerable speed. He achieved important endurance results for Ferrari before being promoted to its Grand Prix team after John Surtees’s departure in 1966. Exceptionally tall for a Formula One driver, Parkes required a lengthened cockpit and immediately justified his selection by finishing second on his championship debut for Ferrari at Reims.