The 1961 United States Grand Prix was Round 8 of the 1961 Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held at Watkins Glen, United States on Sunday, 8 October 1961. Jack Brabham started on pole position in the Cooper Climax and Innes Ireland was the race winner in the Lotus Climax.
1961 United States Grand Prix Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Nationality | Team | Tyre | Laps | Time/Retired | Time | Gap | Interval | Best Lap | Lap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Innes Ireland | Great Britain | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 100 | 2:13:45.800 | 2:13:45.800 | - | - | 1:18.500 | 72 | 9 |
| 2 | 12 | Dan Gurney | United States | Porsche | Dunlop | 100 | +4.300 | 2:13:50.100 | +4.300 | +4.300 | 1:18.500 | 92 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | Tony Brooks | Great Britain | BRM Climax | Dunlop | 100 | +49.000 | 2:14:34.800 | +49.000 | +44.700 | 1:18.700 | 96 | 4 |
| 4 | 2 | Bruce McLaren | New Zealand | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | 100 | +58.000 | 2:14:43.800 | +58.000 | +9.000 | 1:19.500 | 58 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Graham Hill | Great Britain | BRM Climax | Dunlop | 99 | +1 lap | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:18.500 | 86 | 2 | |
| 6 | 11 | Jo Bonnier | Sweden | Porsche | Dunlop | 98 | +2 laps | 2 laps | 1 lap | 1:19.100 | 90 | 1 | |
| 7 | 14 | Jim Clark | Great Britain | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 96 | +4 laps | 4 laps | 2 laps | 1:18.600 | 85 | ||
| 8 | 6 | Roger Penske | United States | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | 96 | +4 laps | 4 laps | 1:21.500 | 67 | |||
| 9 | 16 | Peter Ryan | Canada | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 96 | +4 laps | 4 laps | 1:21.200 | 77 | |||
| 10 | 3 | Hap Sharp | United States | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | 93 | +7 laps | 7 laps | 3 laps | 1:21.700 | 90 | ||
| 11 | 21 | Olivier Gendebien | Belgium | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 92 | DNF | 8 laps | 1 lap | 1:24.000 | 6 | ||
| DNF | 19 | Roy Salvadori | Great Britain | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | 96 | DNF | 1:18.700 | 96 | ||||
| DNF | 17 | Jim Hall | United States | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 76 | DNF | 1:23.700 | 50 | ||||
| DNF | 26 | Lloyd Ruby | United States | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 76 | DNF | 1:21.400 | 69 | ||||
| DNF | 7 | Stirling Moss | Great Britain | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 58 | DNF | 1:18.600 | 33 | ||||
| DNF | 1 | Jack Brabham | Australia | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | 57 | DNF | 1:18.200 | 28 | ||||
| DNF | 22 | Masten Gregory | United States | Lotus Climax | Dunlop | 23 | DNF | ||||||
| DNF | 60 | Walt Hansgen | United States | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | 14 | DNF | 1:24.900 | 9 | ||||
| DNF | 18 | John Surtees | Great Britain | Cooper Climax | Dunlop | DNF |