Setting the scene for SHANK World Sport coverage of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship and NTT INDYCAR SERIES
2025 is set to be a historic and exciting year in motorsport, particularly in Formula 1 as Max Verstappen bids for a fifth successive World Championship, with Lando Norris set to be his closest rival. Lewis Hamilton races in Ferrari red, and a number of young, talented drivers look to make their mark on the grand, global stage of the ultimate World Championship - F1. 60 years ago there was no doubt who the greatest driver in the world was.
Jim Clark had already won his first world title in 1963, winning 7 of the 10 races staged and marching to glory by a distance from rival Graham Hill. Born in Kilmany, Fife (5 miles from Cupar, 7 miles from Dundee), Clark's family moved to the Scottish Borders when Jim was aged 6, the son of a farmer would go on to become the greatest grand prix driver in the world within 25 years. Clark's first title, in 1963, made him the youngest ever world champion at the time, and his 7 wins in a single season is a record which stood until 1988, when Ayrton Senna won 8 times on the way to his first world title.
In 1965 Clark would claim his second, and final World Championship in Formula 1, and would win the Indianapolis 500, making him the ONLY driver in the entire history of motorsport to win the Indy500 and the F1 World title in the same year.
Jim Clark's 1965 season
60 years ago, Scotland, Britain and the world was very different. We were just 20 years removed from the end of the second World War and global travel was nowhere near as easy as it is in 2025, and motorsport was far more raw, and dangerous than it is today. In the first 15 years of Formula 1 there were 15 deaths during Grand Prix weeks, which is the same number as there have been in the last 56 years, this sport was arguably the most dangerous in the world when Jim Clark was battling for the World Championship.
During the 1965 season Clark raced 34 times including 9 F1 Grand Prix, with the remaining 25 races coming in 6 different series across the world. Clark won 21 of the 34 races, finishing on the podium 26 times.
The 1965 F1 season began at Prince George Circuit, in East London, with the South African Grand Prix on January 1. Clark dominated, claiming the pole position and fastest lap during a race which he led every lap and won by a staggering 29 seconds from runner-up John Surtees. Clark missed the second race of the Formula 1 season to compete in the Indianapolis 500, which he absolutely dominated to win in remarkable fashion. During the 200-lap Indianapolis 500 Clark led 190 laps, the fourth most of all time, and nobody since has beaten his tally of laps led in a single Indy500 race.
Clark returned to F1 two weeks later in Spa, Belgium and begun a streak of 5 successive Grand Prix victories. Following on from his two stunning wins in South Africa and Indianapolis, Clark shredded the field in Belgium, winning by a quite unbelievable 45 seconds from Jackie Stewart. It was one of the Scot's most dominant wins. In the rain, he pulled away and with a third of the race to go, the Lotus driver was leading his fellow Scotsman by 1 minute and 20 seconds. However, for the last six laps Clark eased off dramatically and when the chequered flag was waved his lead was down to just under 45 seconds.
Two weeks later Clark won the French Grand Prix in equally dominant fashion, again he led every lap, set the fastest lap and won by 26 seconds from Stewart, extending his championship lead to 10 points over Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart. A fortnight later Clark claimed a dramatic victory at the British Grand Prix, edging his great friend and rival, Graham Hill by just 3.2 seconds in a race which finished with an all-British podium, this is the last time that has happened in F1.
In the following week Clark beat Jackie Stewart by 8 seconds at Zandvoort to win the Dutch Grand Prix, extending his world championship lead to 19 points with just 36 remaining available in the season.
Clark clinched the World Championship at the Nürburgring in Germany on 1 August, winning by 16 seconds from Hill, and yet again leading every lap of the race. Clark was the greatest driver in the world, indisputably.
He would go on to win 6 more F1 Grand Prix before his tragic death at Hockenheim during a F2 race. The Scot was only 32 years old, and having won the first race of the 1968 season, seemed set to contend once more for the world championship. Clark drove his entire F1 career for Lotus, and helped them to win 2 Constructor's Championships, they would go on to win the title again in the year of Clark's death.
Clark's legacy was immense, and was known as one of the greatest drivers of all-time, with records lasting decades. A statue to honour the life of Jim Clark was erected in Kilmany in 1997, the sculptor was David Annand, who was also responsible for the recent Old Tom Morris statue in St Andrews.
In 1965 the F1 World Championship visited South Africa, Monaco, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, USA and Mexico, 60 years later the sporting world's ultimate world championship will race in Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Japan, China, Singapore, Italy, Azerbaijan, Austria, Hungary, Monaco, Spain, Great Britain, USA, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. The calendar has increased from 9 Grand Prix to 24, and the sport is one of the most viewed on television worldwide, with an average of 70 million viewers per race.
2025 NTT IndyCar Series
Pre-race coverage including reports from Practice and Qualifying for every race (syndicated from IndyCar)
Reports from every race (syndicated from IndyCar)
Other important communications from IMS and IndyCar (syndicated from IndyCar)
Original Features
2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship
Pre-race coverage including reports on Qualifying and race previews (original)
Race reports (original)
Other important communications from F1 (syndicated from F1)
Original features
All on www.shankmedia.co.uk and shared on the following social media channels
Facebook - SHANK World Sport
BlueSky
SHANK World Sport will also have occasional coverage of MotoGP, BTCC, British F4 and IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship among other events
and.....
Coming soon
Sunday 25 May is set to be one of the greatest days in the history of Motorsport, with some of the most legendary races on some of the most iconic tracks in the motorsport world taking place. We begin with the British Touring Car Championship and British Formula 4 Championship at Snetterton in Norfolk, before heading to Northamptonshire, and the MotoGP British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Then it is time for arguably the two most prestigious races on earth - the Monaco Grand Prix followed by the Indianapolis 500. The day concludes with the Coca-Cola 600, one of the more important NASCAR Cup Series races.
FIA British Formula 4 - Snetterton Time to be confirmed ITV
British Touring Car Championship - Snetterton Time to be confirmed ITV
MotoGP - British Grand Prix, Silverstone 1pm BST TNT Sports
Formula 1 - Monaco Grand Prix, Monaco 2pm BST Sky Sports
IndyCar - Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor speedway 5.45pm BST Sky Sports
NASCAR - Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor speedway 11pm BST Premier Sports
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