South African Grand Prix
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Prince George Circuit (1934-1965) Kyalami (1967-1993) |
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| Race information | |
|---|---|
| Number of times held | 33 |
| First held | 1934 |
| Last held | 1993 |
| Most wins (drivers) |  Jim Clark (4) |
| Most wins (constructors) | Lotus (6) |
| Last race (1993) | |
| Pole position | |
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| Podium | |
| Fastest lap | |
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 SOUTH AFRICAN GRAND PRIX, 1979. AP Archive - British Movietone News footage. |
The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Eastern Cape Province. It drew top drivers from Europe including Bernd Rosemeyer, Richard "Dick" Seaman, Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth and the 1939 winner Luigi Villoresi.
World War II brought an end to the race, but it was revived in 1960 as part of the Formula One circuit, entering the World Championship calendar two years later. It was a popular F1 event, but racing was put on hiatus there right after the controversial 1985 race due to the policy of apartheid.
Following the end of apartheid in 1991, two further races were held in 1992 and 1993. The South African Grand Prix has not been held since.
The first South African Grands Prix were held on a circuit of 23.4 km that ran through different populated areas of the coastal city of East London. This was shortened to 17.7 km in 1936. After World War II, when racing was halted, a permanent circuit was built in 1959. The first South African F1 race was held on 29 December 1962. In that race, Graham Hill took advantage of Jim Clark's mechanical problems with his Lotus and took race victory and the championship. The race was held at Prince George again in 1963 and 1965. In 1967, the race was moved to the Kyalami circuit near the high-altitude inland city of Johannesburg in the Transvaal, where it would remain as long as the South African Grand Prix was on the official Formula One calendar.
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