Graham Hill clinched his second Formula One World Drivers' Championship at the 1968 Mexican Grand Prix, the final race of the season.
Key Facts
- Race date
- November 3, 1968
- Circuit
- Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca
- Race number in season
- 12 of 12
- Championship winner
- Graham Hill (Lotus 49B-Ford)
- Defending champion
- Denny Hulme (McLaren M7A-Ford)
- Race delayed due to
- 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1968 Formula One season came down to the final race, with Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, and Denny Hulme mathematically capable of claiming the Drivers' Championship. The race was postponed by one week to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Mexico City Summer Olympics, which concluded on October 26.
On November 3, 1968, championship contenders experienced mechanical failures: Hulme's McLaren broke a rear suspension member and caught fire, and Stewart's Matra suffered engine misfires and fuel-feed problems. With both rivals eliminated from contention, Hill drove his Lotus 49B-Ford to victory, securing the race win and the World Drivers' Championship.
Hill's victory gave him his second Formula One World Drivers' Championship. The race was also notable for serious crowd-control failures, as spectators encroached onto the track by the end of the event. This incident, stemming from a switch to unarmed crowd-control personnel, contributed to the eventual cancellation of future Mexican Grands Prix.