1968 Mexican Grand Prix

The 1968 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca on November 3, 1968. It was race 12 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.

This race was to determine the World Drivers' Championship, contested between Britons Graham Hill in the Lotus 49B-Ford and Jackie Stewart in the Matra MS10-Ford, and defending champion, New Zealander Denny Hulme in the McLaren M7A-Ford. The race was moved back a week so as not to clash with the Mexico City Summer Olympics, which ended on October 26.

Hulme started with a mathematical chance of becoming world champion, but his McLaren broke a rear suspension member early, crashed, and caught fire.^[1] Jo Siffert took the lead, but had to pit with a broken throttle cable. Stewart fell back when his engine started to misfire, his car's handling began going off, and had a fuel-feed problem. Hill won this race and his second Drivers' Championship, after Stewart fell back to seventh after an engine problem with his Matra.^[2]

The Mexican government's effort to curb civil unrest led to a switch from military police to unarmed policemen and track marshals for crowd control; by race end, spectators were encroaching on the track itself.^[2] This was one reason for the ultimate cancellation of future Mexican Grands Prix.^[2]

Coming into this race, Graham Hill led the Drivers' Championship by 39 points ahead of his title rivals Stewart and Hulme, with both trailing their respective frontrunners in the championship by three points each. It was the first time in four years that at least three drivers were still in contention of winning the drivers' title heading into the season finale. If Hill won the title, he would have won his second championship title after clinching his first one six years prior, whilst Stewart had the chance to claim his maiden drivers' title. If Hulme won, he would have become the first driver since Jack Brabham in 1960 to successfully defend his championship title.

The championship would have been won by either of the top three drivers in the following manner:

• This was the first pole position for Jo Siffert and for a Swiss driver.
• This was the eleventh Grand Prix win of the season for a Ford-powered car. It set the record of the most Grand Prix wins in a season (11) and the highest percentage of Grand Prix wins in a season (92%)

• Bold text indicates the World Champions.

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

• Lang, Mike (1982). Grand Prix! Vol 2. Haynes Publishing Group. pp. 82–83. ISBN 0-85429-321-3.