The Moroccan Grand Prix, originally supposed to be run on 29 October as the last race of the year, was cancelled for the third year in a row for monetary reasons. Before the 1961 Formula One season was to start in Monaco in mid-May, there were a host of non-championship races held throughout Europe. The first was the Lombank Trophy at the fast 2.7 mile Snetterton circuit in eastern England. Most of the top drivers of the day such as Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips were in the United States competing in the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring sportscar race, but 2 top drivers who were in attendance were John Surtees and defending champion Jack Brabham. Brabham won the race in a Cooper while Surtees finished 3rd. A week later, the Glover Trophy at the fast Goodwood circuit in southern England was held, with Surtees winning in a privately entered Cooper, ahead of Graham Hill in a works BRM, Surtees's teammate Roy Salvadori in a Cooper and Moss in a Rob Walker-entered Lotus. On the same day, the Pau Grand Prix in southwest France was won by Clark driving a works Lotus. 6 days later the Brussels Grand Prix at Heysel Park was won by Brabham in a works Coopet. 7 days after that Moss won the Aspern Grand Prix in Austria, held at an aerodrome in Vienna. 6 days later on a Friday the Aintree 200 in Liverpool was won by Brabham in wet conditions, and 3 days later the prestigious Syracuse Grand Prix in Sicily was won by Giancarlo Baghetti in a Ferrari- his first ever Formula One race. 2 weeks later, the BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone was won by Moss in a Lotus. The 1961 Formula One season did not officially start until May, 8 days after the BRDC race in England. Practice saw Clark crash his Lotus heavily at turn one and Lotus's woes continued when Innes Ireland crashed in the tunnel Riduring the final session, destroying his car and breaking his leg. Moss took pole in his Rob Walker Lotus with Richie Ginther's Ferrari and Clark's Lotus sharing the front row. Graham and Phil Hill shared the second row. This particular Monaco Grand Prix turned out to be a classic, with one of the greatest driving performances in the history of Formula One by Stirling Moss in a privately entered Lotus against 3 Ferraris that had a lot more power but worse handling than the Lotus.