View source for 1961 Elite Racing League season

{{Non-canon}}

{{Motorsport season
|series         = Elite Racing League
|year           = 1961
|previous       = none
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Drivers Champion
!Manufacturers Champion
|-
|{{AUS}} Jack Brabham
|{{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|}

The 1961 Elite Racing League season was the 2nd season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing support series (the series would remain a support series until 1997.) The Drivers Championship was retained by Jack Brabham from Australia whilst his team, Cooper-Climax, won the Constructors Championship for the second time also successfully retaining it from the previous year. Brabham won his second Drivers Championship at the final race in the United States whilst Cooper won the Constructors Championship with three races to go.

==Season Review==
The European Grand Prix was moved from the undeveloped (at the time) Imola circuit near San Marino to the Aintree Motor Racing Circuit to further solidify the championship's British roots and fanbase.

Many Formula 1 drivers on the grid for this season also participated in the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race so the FIA placed a support race at Sebring and calling it the United States Grand Prix, this would prove to be a good move as fans liked the Grand Prix.

The Portuguese Grand Prix made its debut at the Boavista street track however this would only be a short term event as races at the track were scrapped following the 1962 season out of safety reasons.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%"
|-
! Rnd
! Race
! Circuit
! Pole position
! Fastest lap
! Winning driver
! Constructor
|-
! 1
| {{GBR}} British Grand Prix
| Silverstone
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|-
! 2
| {{EUR}} European Grand Prix
| Aintree
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|-
! 3
| {{FRA}} French Grand Prix
| Reims-Geuex
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|-
! 4
| {{MCO}} Monaco Grand Prix
| Monaco
| {{USA}} Phil Hill
| {{SWE}} Jo Bonnier
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|-
! 5
| {{ITA}} Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| {{GBR}} Lotus-Climax
|-
! 6
| {{NED}} Dutch Grand Prix
| Zandvoort
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|-
! 7
| {{POR}} Portuguese Grand Prix
| Boavista
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{SWE}} Jo Bonnier
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| {{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
|-
! 8
| {{USA}} United States Grand Prix
| Sebring
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| {{GBR}} Lotus-Climax
|}

==Teams and Drivers==
Vanwall withdrew from the championship after only one season due to financial issues. Maserati entered the series this year, also the field was expanded from 9 drivers to 12.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
! Team
! Constructor
! Engine
! Tyres
! #
! Driver
! Rounds
|-
|rowspan=3| {{GBR}} Cooper Car Company
!rowspan=3| Cooper-Climax
|rowspan=3| Climax FPF 2.5 L4
|rowspan=3| {{Dunlop}} 
| 1
| {{AUS}} Jack Brabham
| All
|-
| 2
| {{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
| All
|-
| 3
| {{USA}} Roger Penske
| All
|-
|rowspan=2| {{ITA}} Scuderia Ferrari
!rowspan=2| Ferrari
|rowspan=2| Ferrari 155 2.4 V6
|rowspan=2| {{Dunlop}} 
| 4
| {{USA}} Phil Hill
| All
|-
| 5
| {{USA}} Richie Ginther
| All
|-
|rowspan=3| {{GBR}} Team Lotus
!rowspan=3| Lotus-Climax
|rowspan=3| Climax FPF 2.5 L4
|rowspan=3| {{Dunlop}} 
| 6
| {{GBR}} Jim Clark
| All
|-
| 7
| {{GBR}} John Surtees
| All
|-
| 8
| {{BEL}} Lucien Bianchi
| All
|-
|rowspan=2| {{ITA}} Maserati Factory Team
!rowspan=2| Maserati
|rowspan=2| Maserati Tipo 6 1.5 L4
|rowspan=2| {{Dunlop}} 
| 9
| {{ITA}} Lorenzo Bandini
| All
|-
| 10
| {{ITA}} Roberto Lippi
| All
|-
|rowspan=2| {{GER}} Porsche Racing 
!rowspan=2| Porsche
|rowspan=2| Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4
|rowspan=2| {{Dunlop}} 
| 11
| {{SWE}} Jo Bonnier
| All
|-
| 12
| {{USA}} Dan Gurney
| All
|}

==Drivers Championship==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
! Pos.
! Driver
! Points
|-
!1
|{{AUS}} Jack Brabham
!45
|-
!2
|{{NZL}} Bruce McLaren
!42
|-
!3
|{{GBR}} Jim Clark
!38
|-
!4
|{{USA}} Phil Hill
!21
|-
!5
|{{SWE}} Jo Bonnier
!18
|-
!6
|{{GBR}} John Surtees
!15
|-
!7
|{{ITA}} Roberto Lippi
!7
|-
!8
|{{USA}} Dan Gurney
!5
|-
!9
|{{BEL}} Lucien Bianchi
!4
|-
!10
|{{USA}} Roger Penske
!3
|-
!11
|{{USA}} Richie Ginther
!2
|-
!12
|{{ITA}} Lorenzo Bandini
!0
|}

==Constructors Championship==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;"
! Pos.
! Constructor
! Points
|-
!1
|{{GBR}} Cooper-Climax
!90
|-
!2
|{{GBR}} Lotus-Climax
!55
|-
!3
|{{ITA}} Ferrari
!23
|-
!4
|{{GER}} Porsche
!23
|-
!5
|{{ITA}} Maserati
!7
|}