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1968 Spanish Grand Prix

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1968 Spanish Grand Prix
The Jarama Circuit (1967–1990)
The Jarama Circuit (1967–1990)
Race details
Date 12 May 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 miles)
Distance 90 laps, 306.360 km (190.363 miles)
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
Lap leaders

The 1968 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama Circuit on 12 May 1968. It was race 2 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. 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 the previous month. Clark had led the drivers' championship before this race, on 9 points, after he won in the first race in South Africa.

Background

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Following Jim Clark's death 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 for the first championship Spanish Grand Prix since 1954, still being devastated by the losses.[1] Graham Hill was the only works Lotus driver; a second car was entered for Jackie Oliver but could not be set up in time.[2] The race saw the first appearance of Team Lotus in the red, gold and white colors of Imperial Tobacco's Gold Leaf brand as their title sponsor instead of the traditional British racing green, making them the first works team (second only to Team Gunston entering a private Brabham car at the 1968 South African Grand Prix) to paint their cars in the livery of their sponsors. 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 debut the new Matra MS10.

Report

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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 took the lead at the start in his BRM, followed by Beltoise, Amon and Hulme. The Frenchman moved into the lead 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

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Qualifying

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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
14 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

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Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 10 United Kingdom Graham Hill Lotus-Ford 90 2:15:20.1 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  
DNS 3 Australia Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco Engine  
Source:[3]

Notes

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  • This was the first of many podiums for the McLaren team.

Championship standings after the race

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Hill victorious for mourning Lotus". ESPNf1.com. ESPN. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Grand Prix Results: Spanish GP, 1968". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. ^ "1968 Spanish Grand Prix - Race Result". formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Spain 1968 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019.

Further reading

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  • Lang, Mike (1982). Grand Prix! Vol 2. Haynes Publishing Group. pp. 62–63. ISBN 0-85429-321-3.


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1968 South African Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1968 season
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1968 Monaco Grand Prix
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