The 1960 season had been a frustrating one for Ferrari's Formula 1 program as they campaigned their obsolete Dino 246, a front engined car as the rear engined design established supremacy. The championship had already been decided for Jack Brabham and Ferrari had gone without a victory. Seeing an opportunity, the Italian organizers decided to maximize Ferrari's one advantage -- straightline speed -- by using the combined Monza road and banked oval circuit, making the fast Monza even faster. Citing the fragility of their cars and the dangers of the banking, the major British factory teams of the day -- Lotus, B.R.M., and Cooper -- all boycotted the event, leading to a cobbled together field of private entrants and Formula 2 cars. The race was a processional affair, with Ginther leading at the start and eventually being overtaken by Hill. It was the first victory by an American driver in a Grand Prix since Jimmy Murphy in 1921, and the first by an American in the modern era, post codification of the Formula One championship in 1950. It would also be the last Formula One victory by a front-engined car.