| abstract | - The Brabham-Climax racer had claimed pole over the two days of practice/qualifying, although he did have some work to do after the start as Peter Arundell snatched the lead. A strong start from the second Team Lotus driver had seen him leap into the lead from fourth on the grid through Eau Rouge to lead a Grand Prix for the first time. Yet, the Englishman's joy was to be short lived, with John Surtees sweeping into the lead before the end of the opening tour. As Arundell slipped down the order after his moment in the sun, Surtees began to push his Ferrari in an attempt to build a lead. But, he too was to lose out as the scarlet car ground to a halt on lap four with engine failure, allowing Gurney to slither into the lead. He was able to build up a lead, as Jim Clark and Graham Hill, the leaders in the World Championship, cost themselves time by duelling for second as the New Yorker danced on ahead. A rare triumph for Hill over his rival saw the Englishman pull clear, leaving the Scot to fall into the clutches of Bruce McLaren, while Gurney continued to dance around in the lead. Yet, as the race entered its closing stages, Gurney's Climax coughed and died on the run into La Source, the car running out of fuel, although he was able to slip into the pits a few seconds later. He was sent straight back out as the team had no spare fuel, meaning he would be out of the race with just half a lap to go, handing victory to Hill. Yet, as the Englishman cruised through Blanchimont to start on the final lap, the BRM spluttered too, the fuel pump draining the last of the fuel in the tank. McLaren then inherited the lead having battled his way past Clark earlier on, but his Cooper-Climax was in a sorry state, suffering an intermittent engine issue. On the run to La Source on the final lap, the Cooper's engine finally cut out and refused to start, with the New Zealander left to roll out of the tight right hander and fall to the line. As he did so, Clark came charging through the final corner to snatch the lead from the powerless Cooper, a shock victory for the Scot whom had been off the pace all weekend.
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