On Two Wheels and Four
Driving an Aston DBR1 and Vanwall around Goodwood - a circuit he had never seen before - he impressed both Aston Martin team manager Reg Parnell and Vanwall boss Tony Vandervell with an impressive display of commitment and speed.
But, despite strenuous efforts by both to sign him, he continued his career on two wheels. Not until 1960 - the year in which he clinched his third 350cc and fourth 500cc motorcycle World Championships - did he begin the changeover from two to four wheels.
For the remainder of that year he was in great demand, campaigning 350 and 500cc bikes for MV Agusta in World Championship events and squeezing in drives for Ken Tyrrell in Formula Junior races and in F1 for Colin Chapman's Lotus team.
That year he reeled in nine wins for the Agusta stable - seven in World Championship events - and finished second in his first Formula Junior race, second in his first F2 event and second in his second F1 Grand Prix.
In the next GP in Portugal he put Chapman's Lotus 18 on pole position and set a record lap of 112.31mph while leading the race.
On the back of his early performances, Chapman offered him the number one driver's position at Lotus for the 1961 season but John - concerned about the hostile reaction of an existing team member - declined.
Instead, he elected to drive ffor Reg Parnell in a Cooper T53-Climax 4. He stayed with Parnell for the following season, racing the Bowmaker-backed Lola Mk 4-Climax 4 and V8, and finished fourth in the drivers' table.
Picture: Surtees in the Lotus 18 at Oporto...Pole and fastest lap - but a fuel leak and subsequent split radiator deprived him of his first GP win
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