| 1968 Mexican Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | November 3, 1968 | ||
| Official name | VII 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 | Sunny, Mild, Dry | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Lotus-Ford | ||
| Time | 1:45.22 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Jo Siffert | Lotus-Ford | |
| Time | 1:44.23 on lap 52 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lotus-Ford | ||
| Second | McLaren-Ford | ||
| Third | Lotus-Ford | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
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.[citation needed] Stewart fell back when his engine started to misfire, his car's handling began going off, and had a fuel-feed problem.[citation needed] 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]