1968 Spanish Grand Prix

Spain  1968 Spanish Grand Prix
Race details
Race 2 of 12 in the 1968 Formula One season

The Jarama Circuit (1967–1990)
Date May 12, 1968
Official name XIV Gran Premio de España
Location Circuito Permanente del Jarama, Madrid, Spain
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 3.404 km (2.115 mi)
Distance 90 laps, 306.360 km (190.363 mi)
Weather Hot, Dry
Pole position
Driver Ferrari
Time 1:27.9
Fastest lap
Driver France Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra-Ford
Time 1:28.3 on lap 47
Podium
First Lotus-Ford
Second McLaren-Ford
Third Cooper-BRM

The 1968 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama Circuit on May 12, 1968. It was the second round of the 1968 Formula One season. It was the first race after the death of former double World Champion Jim Clark, who had died in a non-championship Formula Two event in Hockenheim, Germany. Clark had led the drivers' championship before this race, on 9 points, after he won in the first race in South Africa.

Background

After Jim Clark's death two months earlier in Germany and the death of his replacement Mike Spence during practice for the Indianapolis 500 just five days before the race, team principal Colin Chapman opted not to come to Spain, still being devastated by the losses.[1] Graham Hill was the single entrance for the works Lotus team, after the car for Jackie Oliver could not be set up in time.[2] Jackie Stewart was absent due to a wrist injury he sustained while driving in a Formula Two race.[1] So it was up to Jean-Pierre Beltoise to first race the new Matra MS10.

Report

During qualifying, Ferrari's Chris Amon took his first ever pole position with Graham Hill for the mourning Team Lotus down in sixth place.

Lotus fate turned however during the race on Sunday, contested in searing heat.[1] Pedro Rodríguez for BRM took the lead at the start, followed by Beltoise, Amon and Hulme. The Frenchman took first position on lap 12, only to drop back four laps later with engine troubles. Amon was now back in the lead, followed closely by Rodriguez until the Mexican spun and crashed on lap 28. While he waited for his mechanics to pick up the car, spectators "descended on the car like vultures and stripped off the mirrors, seat, windscreen and nose cowling".[1] These retirements elevated Hill to second place behind Amon, who suffered a fuel pump failure on lap 58, handing Hill, who had been a mile behind,[1] first place and victory. Hulme was close behind Hill, but when his McLaren lost second gear, he needed to back off and the Englishman cruised home.[1][2] Beltoise recovered from his mechanical troubles and recorded the fastest lap of the race.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Constructor Time Gap
1 19 New Zealand Chris Amon Ferrari 1:27.9
2 9 Mexico Pedro Rodríguez BRM 1:28.1 +0.2
3 1 New Zealand Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 1:28.3 +0.4
4 2 New Zealand Bruce McLaren McLaren-Ford 1:28.3 +0.4
5 6 France Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra-Ford 1:28.3 +0.4
6 10 United Kingdom Graham Hill Lotus-Ford 1:28.4 +0.5
7 7 United Kingdom John Surtees Honda 1:28.8 +0.9
8 21 Belgium Jacky Ickx Ferrari 1:29.6 +1.7
9 4 Austria Jochen Rindt Brabham-Repco 1:29.7 +1.8
10 16 Switzerland Jo Siffert Lotus-Ford 1:29.7 +1.8
11 5 United Kingdom Piers Courage BRM 1:29.9 +2.0
12 15 Italy Ludovico Scarfiotti Cooper-BRM 1:30.8 +2.9
13 14 United Kingdom Brian Redman Cooper-BRM 1:31.0 +3.1
DNS 3 Australia Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco 1:44.2 +16.3
Hill (pictured at the Dutch Grand Prix) won his first race in two-and-a-half years

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 10 United Kingdom Graham Hill Lotus-Ford 90 2:15:02.1 6 9
2 1 New Zealand Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 90 + 15.9 3 6
3 14 United Kingdom Brian Redman Cooper-BRM 89 + 1 Lap 13 4
4 15 Italy Ludovico Scarfiotti Cooper-BRM 89 + 1 Lap 12 3
5 6 France Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra-Ford 81 + 9 Laps 5 2
Ret 2 New Zealand Bruce McLaren McLaren-Ford 77 Oil Leak 4  
Ret 7 United Kingdom John Surtees Honda 74 Gearbox 7  
Ret 16 Switzerland Jo Siffert Lotus-Ford 62 Transmission 10  
Ret 19 New Zealand Chris Amon Ferrari 57 Fuel Pump 1  
Ret 5 United Kingdom Piers Courage BRM 52 Fuel Pump 11  
Ret 9 Mexico Pedro Rodríguez BRM 27 Accident 2  
Ret 21 Belgium Jacky Ickx Ferrari 13 Ignition 8  
Ret 4 Austria Jochen Rindt Brabham-Repco 10 Oil Pressure 9  
Source:[3]

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 1 United Kingdom Graham Hill 15
1 2 United Kingdom Jim Clark 9
2 3 New Zealand Denny Hulme 8
1 4 Austria Jochen Rindt 4
6 5 United Kingdom Brian Redman 4

Constructors' Championship standings
Pos Constructor Points
1 United Kingdom Lotus-Ford 18
12 2 United Kingdom McLaren-Ford 6
1 3 United Kingdom Brabham-Repco 4
5 4 United Kingdom Cooper-BRM 4
2 5 Italy Ferrari 3

Notes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hill victorious for mourning Lotus". ESPNf1.com. ESPN. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Grand Prix Results: Spanish GP, 1968". grandprix.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. "1968 Spanish Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. "1968 Spanish Grand Prix". ChicaneF1. Retrieved 26 September 2015.

Further reading

Previous race:
1968 South African Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1968 season
Next race:
1968 Monaco Grand Prix
Previous race:
1967 Spanish Grand Prix
Spanish Grand Prix Next race:
1969 Spanish Grand Prix
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