1964 Syracuse Grand Prix

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**1964 Syracuse Grand Prix**
Race details
Non-Championship Race in the 1964 Formula One season
Date	12 April 1964
Official name	XIII Gran Premio di Siracusa
Location	Syracuse Circuit, Syracuse, Sicily
Course	Permanent racing facility 3.487 mi / 5.612 km
Distance	56 (reduced to 40) laps, 139.48 mi / 224.47 km
Weather	Wet
Pole position
Driver	Lorenzo Bandini	Ferrari
Time	1:50.5
Fastest lap
Driver	Lorenzo Bandini	Ferrari
Time	1:53.9
Podium
First	John Surtees	Ferrari
Second	Lorenzo Bandini	Ferrari
Third	Mike Spence Peter Arundell	Lotus-Climax

The 13th Syracuse Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 12 April 1964 at Syracuse Circuit, Sicily. The race was run over 40 laps of the circuit, reduced from the original race distance of 56 laps due to bad weather, after lobbying from Jo Bonnier on behalf of the GPDA. The race was won easily by British driver John Surtees in a Ferrari 158.

Jo Siffert was injured in a crash during the practice sessions, in which he rolled his Lotus 24.

During the race, Peter Arundell's Lotus developed gearbox trouble, and he swapped cars with Mike Spence. Arundell took the healthy Lotus to third place after a close fight with Lorenzo Bandini, while Spence retired the other one soon after the swap.

[edit] Results

Pos	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Time/Retired	Grid
1	John Surtees	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari	1.19:51.8	2
2	Lorenzo Bandini	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari	+ 37.3 s	1
3	Mike Spence / Peter Arundell	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	+ 37.4 s	13
4	Jo Bonnier	Rob Walker Racing Team	Cooper-Climax	+ 1:09.2 s	6
5	Chris Amon	Reg Parnell (Racing)	Lotus-BRM	+ 1:19.4 s	4
6	Masten Gregory	Scuderia Centro Sud	BRM	39 laps	12
7	Mike Hailwood	Reg Parnell (Racing)	Lotus-BRM	39 laps	3
8	Ian Raby	Ian Raby (Racing)	Brabham-BRM	36 laps	7
9	Jackie Epstein	Epstein-Eyre Racing Team	BRM	33 laps	14
Ret	Jean-Claude Rudaz	Fabre Urbain	Cooper-Climax	Suspension	10
Ret	Giancarlo Baghetti	Scuderia Centro Sud	BRM	Electrics	15
Ret	Peter Arundell / Mike Spence	Team Lotus	Lotus-Climax	Gearbox	11
Ret	André Pilette	Equipe Scirocco Belge	Scirocco-Climax	Gear linkage	8
Ret	Peter Revson	Revson Racing (America)	Lotus-BRM	Accident	9
DNS	Jo Siffert	Siffert Racing Team	Lotus-BRM	Practice accident	(5)
DNQ	André Wicky	André Wicky	Lotus-BRM		-
WD	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Ecurie Maarsbergen	Porsche		-
WD	Bob Anderson	DW Racing Enterprises	Brabham-Climax	Car not delivered	-

The first session practice times for Arundell and Spence were disallowed as punishment for missing scrutineering. The first session was dry, and the second was wet, so their times in the wet resulted in their low grid positions.