1966 Mexican Grand Prix

1966 Mexican Grand Prix
Race details
Date October 23, 1966
Official name V Gran Premio de Mexico
Location Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City, Mexico
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.000 km (3.107 miles)
Distance 65 laps, 325.000 km (201.946 miles)
Weather Warm, clear
Pole position
Driver Cooper-Maserati
Time 1:53.18
Fastest lap
Driver United States Richie Ginther Honda
Time 1:53.75
Podium
First Cooper-Maserati
Second Brabham-Repco
Third Brabham-Repco
Lap leaders

The 1966 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca on 23 October 1966. It was race 9 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the fifth Mexican Grand Prix[1] and the first to be run under the new three-litre Formula.[2] It was held over 65 laps of the 5 km (3.1 mi) circuit for a race distance of 325 km (202 mi).

The race was won by British driver John Surtees driving a Cooper T81-Maserati, his first victory since leaving Scuderia Ferrari to join Cooper. Surtees led home reigning world champion Australian owner-driver Jack Brabham, driving a Brabham BT20-Repco,[3] by eight seconds. A lap down in third place, also driving a Brabham BT20, was Brabham's teammate New Zealander Denny Hulme.

Surtees's victory promoted him to second place in the championship, vaulting past Austrian driver Jochen Rindt of the Cooper works team.

  1. ^ Peter Higham, The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing, 1995, page 424
  2. ^ Kettlewell, Mike. "Grand Prix Racing South of the Border", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974) Volume 12, p.1332.
  3. ^ Kettlewell, p.1332.