Richie Ginther like his fellow Californian, Phil Hill, was a Formula 1 driver of significance in the 1960s. Both were from Granada Hills, California. Hill won the 1961 World Championship of Formula 1 Driving in 1961 while Ginther's one and only F1 victory came at the Mexican Grand Prix, driving a Honda in 1965. Ginther drove for Ferrari and BRM as well as for the Japanese automaker. He entered motorsports as the Ferrari #3 driver, behind Hill and German Wolfgang von Trips. Ginther befriended Hill in the 1950s as a friend of Phil Hill's brother. He soon joined Hill as a mechanic for the Ferrari sports cars he drove in California races.