1968 Spanish Grand Prix

  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	Chris Amon	Ferrari
Time	1:27.9
Fastest lap
Driver	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra-Ford
Time	1:28.3 on lap 47
Podium
First	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford
Second	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford
Third	Brian Redman	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	Chris Amon	Ferrari	1:27.9	—
2	9	Pedro Rodríguez	BRM	1:28.1	+0.2
3	1	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford	1:28.3	+0.4
4	2	Bruce McLaren	McLaren-Ford	1:28.3	+0.4
5	6	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra-Ford	1:28.3	+0.4
6	10	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford	1:28.4	+0.5
7	7	John Surtees	Honda	1:28.8	+0.9
8	21	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	1:29.6	+1.7
9	4	Jochen Rindt	Brabham-Repco	1:29.7	+1.8
10	16	Jo Siffert	Lotus-Ford	1:29.7	+1.8
11	5	Piers Courage	BRM	1:29.9	+2.0
12	15	Ludovico Scarfiotti	Cooper-BRM	1:30.8	+2.9
13	14	Brian Redman	Cooper-BRM	1:31.0	+3.1
DNS	3	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	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford	90	2:15:02.1	6	9
2	1	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford	90	+ 15.9	3	6
3	14	Brian Redman	Cooper-BRM	89	+ 1 Lap	13	4
4	15	Ludovico Scarfiotti	Cooper-BRM	89	+ 1 Lap	12	3
5	6	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra-Ford	81	+ 9 Laps	5	2
Ret	2	Bruce McLaren	McLaren-Ford	77	Oil Leak	4
Ret	7	John Surtees	Honda	74	Gearbox	7
Ret	16	Jo Siffert	Lotus-Ford	62	Transmission	10
Ret	19	Chris Amon	Ferrari	57	Fuel Pump	1
Ret	5	Piers Courage	BRM	52	Fuel Pump	11
Ret	9	Pedro Rodríguez	BRM	27	Accident	2
Ret	21	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	13	Ignition	8
Ret	4	Jochen Rindt	Brabham-Repco	10	Oil Pressure	9
Source:[3]

Championship standings after the race

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

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

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

Notes

• Milestones:^[4]
  • 50th Race Entry – Ford (Engine Manufacturer)
  • 50th Race Entry – Repco (Engine Manufacturer)
  • 1st Fastest Lap – Jean-Pierre Beltoise (Driver)
  • 1st Fastest Lap – Matra International (Entrant)
  • 1st Fastest Lap – Matra (Car Manufacturer)
  • 1st Fastest Lap – Elf (Lubricant Manufacturer)
  • 1st Pole Position – Chris Amon (Driver)

References

1. "Hill victorious for mourning Lotus". ESPNf1.com. ESPN. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
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

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