1968 Mexican Grand Prix

  1968 Mexican Grand Prix

Race details
Race 12 of 12 in the 1968 Formula One season
Date	November 3, 1968
Official name	VII Gran Premio de Mexico
Location	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	5.000 km (3.107 mi)
Distance	65 laps, 325.000 km (201.946 mi)
Weather	Sunny, Mild, Dry
Pole position
Driver	Jo Siffert	Lotus-Ford
Time	1:45.22
Fastest lap
Driver	Jo Siffert	Lotus-Ford
Time	1:44.23 on lap 52
Podium
First	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford
Second	Bruce McLaren	McLaren-Ford
Third	Jackie Oliver	Lotus-Ford

The 1968 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hermanos Rodriguez Autodrome on November 3, 1968. It was the twelfth and final round of the 1968 Formula One season.

This race was to determine the 1968 Formula One Drivers' Championship, contested between former BRM teammates, Britons Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart; and New Zealander Denny Hulme, who was the defending champion. The race was moved back a week so as not to clash with the Mexico City 1968 Summer Olympics, which ended on October 26. Hill won this race and his second Drivers' Championship, Hulme retired with suspension problems and Stewart fell back to 7th after a number of problems with his Matra-Ford.

Classification

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	10	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford	65	1:56:43.95	3	9
2	2	Bruce McLaren	McLaren-Ford	65	+ 1:19.32	9	6
3	11	Jackie Oliver	Lotus-Ford	65	+ 1:40.65	14	4
4	8	Pedro Rodríguez	BRM	65	+ 1:41.09	12	3
5	17	Jo Bonnier	Honda	64	+ 1 Lap	18	2
6	16	Jo Siffert	Lotus-Ford	64	+ 1 Lap	1	1
7	15	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	64	+ 1 Lap	7
8	18	Vic Elford	Cooper-BRM	63	+ 2 Laps	17
9	9	Henri Pescarolo	Matra	62	+ 3 Laps	20
10	3	Jack Brabham	Brabham-Repco	59	Oil Pressure	8
Ret	23	Johnny Servoz-Gavin	Matra-Ford	57	Ignition	16
Ret	14	Dan Gurney	McLaren-Ford	28	Suspension	5
Ret	22	Piers Courage	BRM	25	Engine	19
Ret	19	Lucien Bianchi	Cooper-BRM	21	Engine	21
Ret	5	John Surtees	Honda	17	Overheating	6
Ret	6	Chris Amon	Ferrari	16	Transmission	2
Ret	12	Moisés Solana	Lotus-Ford	14	Broken wing	11
Ret	1	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford	10	Suspension	4
Ret	21	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra	10	Suspension	13
Ret	7	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	3	Ignition	15
Ret	4	Jochen Rindt	Brabham-Repco	2	Ignition	10
Source:

Notes

• Pole position: Jo Siffert - 1:45.22
• Fastest lap: Jo Siffert - 1:44.23 on lap 52
• Coming into this race, 3 drivers had a chance to win the title, making Hill the only driver to be involved in two 3-way battles.
  • Graham Hill (39pts) needed either
    • A podium place, with Stewart 2nd or lower
    • 4th or 5th, with Hulme 2nd or lower and Stewart 3rd or lower
    • 6th, with Hulme 2nd or lower and Stewart 4th or lower
    • Hulme 2nd or lower and Stewart 5th or lower
  • Jackie Stewart (36pts) needed either
    • 1st
    • 2nd, with Hulme 3rd or lower and Hill 4th or lower
    • 3rd, with Hulme 2nd or lower and Hill 6th or lower
    • 4th, with Hulme 3rd or lower and Hill 7th or lower
  • Denny Hulme (33pts) needed
    • 1st with Hill 4th or lower

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

	Pos	Driver	Points
	1	Graham Hill	48
	2	Jackie Stewart	36
	3	Denny Hulme	33
	4	Jacky Ickx	27
	5	Bruce McLaren	22

Constructors' Championship standings

	Pos	Constructor	Points
	1	Lotus-Ford	62
1	2	McLaren-Ford	49
1	3	Matra-Ford	45
	4	Ferrari	32
	5	BRM	28

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

Further reading

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