Championship of the world of Formula 1 1968

The championship of the world of Formula 1 1968 was gained by the British Graham Hill over a Lotus - Ford. Lotus gains the championship of the world of the manufacturers.

Sporting payment

the attribution of the points is carried out according to scale 9,6,4,3,2,1.
Seuls the 5 best results of each mid-season are retained.

Technical payment

Driving atmospheric: 3.000 cm ³
Engine supercharged: 1.500 cm ³

Principal volunteers

Impressive during one season 1967 when they will have missed only reliability to take down the title, the Lotus 49 driven by the engine Ford-Cosworth leave large favorite the season 1968. As in 1967, Jim Clark and Graham Hill will be the pilots. But the flexible franchise agreement Ford with Lotus relating only to only one season, from new teams will be able to benefit in their turn from V8 Cosworth. It is the case of Matra and of McLaren (which will align a New Zealand duet since the world champion titrates Denny Hulme of it joined his compatriot Bruce McLaren)
the arrival of Matra Formulates 1 of them is the great attraction of the year. For its first season in the discipline (after some specific participations in 1967 with Formulas 2 ballasted in 500 kg), the French firm decided to play on two tables: on a side the team of factory, which will align for Jean-Pierre Beltoise a car with V12 " fact maison" and other side the team of Ken Tyrrell renamed " Matra International " who will make run a Matra-Ford for Jackie Stewart with the financial aid of Elf and Dunlop.
At Brabham (where one remains invariably faithful to the tubular frame and the engine Repco in spite of the presence of more modern technical solutions), the departure of Denny Hulme was compensated by the arrival of the turbulent Austrian Jochen Rindt, with the undeniable burst of speed.
At BRM, one decided finally to give up H16 (with the profit of traditional V12), but to retain Jackie Stewart too late, left to Matra. To shoulder Mike Spence, it was called upon the Mexican Pedro Rodriguez.
the Scuderia Ferrari, tested hard the former season trusts a team of young promising pilots since at the sides of the young New Zealander Chris Amon was recruited the champion of Formula 2 Jacky Ickx.

Summary of the championship of the world 1968

As envisaged, the season 1968 begins in Kyalami as it had finished: with an imperial victory of Jim Clark over his Lotus in front of its fellow-member Graham Hill. By taking down its 25e victory in championship of the world, the double champion of the Scottish world empart at the same time of the record of victory in GP, held since 1957 by Manual Juan Fangio. No one does not know it yet, but this victory of Clark will be its last since that which one regards as the best pilot of the world since the forced retirement of Stirling Moss in 1962 will find death on April 7th following in an alleviating race of Formula 2 in Hockenheim. A few weeks later, it is the pilot BRM Mike Spence who commits suicide at the wheel out of his Lotus during the tests of the 500 Miles Indianapolis.

It is thus in a heavy environment that the championship takes again on May 12th in Spain, where one indicates another absence (less dramatic) since wounded with the wrist, Jackie Stewart has to yield the wheel of Matra-Ford to Jean-Pierre Beltoise. Benefitting from the successive troubles of Beltoise then of Amon, Graham Hill is essential and takes the head of the championship. Then, always in the absence of Stewart (replaced this time by Servoz-Gavin) Hill digs the hole 15 days later in Monaco by gaining its fourth victory in the streets of the Principality.

In Belgium, two years after Brabham and a year after Gurney, Bruce McLaren returns in the very closed circle of the victorious pilot-manufacturers by being essential on the wheel " sa" McLaren-Ford at the end of a race by elimination.

Big first also with Zandvoort with very first success in championship of the world of a French car, in fact Matra-Ford controlled by Jackie Stewart. It even one is doubled for Matra since Stewart is essential in front of the Matra V12 of Jean-Pierre Beltoise. Regularly at the point of the combat since the beginning of the season (especially Matra-Ford), the French cars made profitable the superiority of their tires Dunlop rain to take a lead in a softened track.

In Rouen, always under the rain, it the young funambulist Jacky Ickx is this time who gains its first success, and allows Scuderia Ferrari to join again with success after two years of food shortage. But the victory of the Belgian pilot is endeuillée by the fatal accident of French pilot OJ Schlesser, killed at the wheel of very new Honda V8.

1968 are definitely the season of the first since in Brands-Hatch, after the abandonments of the official pilots Lotus Graham Hill and Jackie Oliver, the victory returns to Switzerland OJ Siffert at the wheel of a Lotus private engaged by Rob Walker. With the championship, dumb man since his victory Monegasque, Graham Hill remains at the head but from now on is pursued by Jacky Ickx, again on the podium in England.

In Germany, on terrifying Nurburgring covered with fog, Jackie Stewart takes down its second victory of the season with an advance of more than 4 minutes over its more " proche" prosecutor Graham Hill. Dominated by the Scottish pilot, Graham Hill does not carry out of it less one good operation with its second place which enables him to preserve the head of the championship, but with only 4 points in advance on Stewart.

In Monza, Hill and Stewart her quickly constrained with the abandonment. The world champion Denny Hulme benefits from it to gain his first victory of the season while Ickx, third, carry out the beautiful operation of the day while totaling three points of Hill to the championship.

The fight for the title intensifies in Canada since Denny Hulme signs a second consecutive victory which enables him to return to height of Hill. But misfortune for Ickx, which victim of a fracture of the leg sees its end of compromised season and must give up its hopes of world title.

In Watkins Glen (where the beginner Mario Andretti creates the feeling by carrying out the pole-position), Stewart is essential in front of Hill while Hulme is constrained with the abandonment. At the time to approach the ultimate handle of the championship, Hill takes again only the head of general classification with 3 points in advance on Stewart and 6 on Hulme. In Mexico, the brawl with three is transformed quickly into duel since Hulme is quickly constrained with the abandonment. Controlling perfectly the race of its Stewart adversary, Graham Hill is essential and takes down consequently occasion its second world title.

Grand Prix of the season 1968

Classification of the pilots

Classification of the manufacturers

Random links: