The practice sessions for the event were marked by two serious accidents that resulted in significant injuries. Mike Taylor suffered a crash at Stavelot that caused injuries severe enough to end his racing career. Stirling Moss also crashed during practice at Burnenville. Moss sustained two broken legs, an injury that sidelined him from competition for several months and forced him to miss the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The race distance for the 1960 event had been increased to 36 laps, up from the previous 24 laps. At the start, Lotus drivers Innes Ireland and Jim Clark performed well, though Ireland's race ended on lap 14 when he spun out due to clutch trouble.
The race was dominated by the Cooper-Climax team. Jack Brabham maintained the lead to finish first, crossing the line one minute and three seconds ahead of his teammate, Bruce McLaren.
On lap 20, Chris Bristow was involved in a battle for sixth place with the Ferrari of Willy Mairesse. While navigating Malmedy, Bristow went off the racing line and lost control of his year-old British Racing Partnership Cooper. The car struck a four-foot high embankment, and Bristow was thrown from the vehicle into a barbed wire fence, which decapitated him.
Five laps later, Alan Stacey was killed in an accident at Masta. Stacey was struck in the face by a bird, causing him to lose control of his car. The vehicle somersaulted off the track and landed in a field where it caught fire. Stacey remained trapped inside the wreckage and was burned to death.
The final results of the race were influenced by contemporary rules regarding non-finishers, which required a driver to push their car over the finish line after the winner had finished to be classified. Graham Hill completed 35 laps—more than the lapped Olivier Gendebien—but retired in the pits. Because Hill did not cross the line after Brabham, he was not classified. This application of the rules was noted as inconsistent with other events of the era, such as the 1959 German Grand Prix, where Harry Schell was classified seventh despite failing to complete the full race distance.
The 1960 Belgian Grand Prix remains one of only two Formula One race meetings to see two driver fatalities, the other being the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. It holds the unique distinction of being the only meeting where both deaths occurred during the race itself.
The event also marked the Formula One World Championship debut of Belgian driver Willy Mairesse. Additionally, excluding the Indianapolis 500 races held between 1950 and 1960, this was the first World Championship race in which no French driver participated, breaking a streak of 77 consecutive races.
Gallery · 2 related images
