From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
1968 South African Grand Prix
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | F1 |
| Country | South Africa |
| Flag_suffix | 1928 |
| Grand Prix | South African |
| Date | 1 January |
| Year | 1968 |
| Image | Kyalami 1961 - 1988 Layout.png |
| Official name | 2nd AA Grand Prix of South Africa |
| Location | Kyalami, Midrand, Transvaal Province, South Africa |
| Course | Permanent racing facility |
| Course_mi | 2.550 |
| Course_km | 4.104 |
| Distance_laps | 80 |
| Distance_mi | 204.009 |
| Distance_km | 328.320 |
| Weather | Very hot, dry |
| Pole_Driver | Jim Clark |
| Pole_Team | Lotus-Ford |
| Pole_Time | 1:21.6 |
| Pole_Country | United Kingdom |
| Fast_Driver | Jim Clark |
| Fast_Team | Lotus-Ford |
| Fast_Time | 1:23.7 |
| Fast_Lap | 73 |
| Fast_Country | United Kingdom |
| First_Driver | Jim Clark |
| First_Team | Lotus-Ford |
| First_Country | United Kingdom |
| Second_Driver | Graham Hill |
| Second_Team | Lotus-Ford |
| Second_Country | United Kingdom |
| Third_Driver | Jochen Rindt |
| Third_Team | Brabham-Repco |
| Third_Country | Austria |
| Lapchart |
The 1968 South African Grand Prix, formally the 2nd AA Grand Prix of South Africa (Afrikaans: Tweede AA Suid-Afrikaanse Grand Prix), was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami Circuit on Monday 1 January 1968. It was race 1 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 80-lap race was won by two time World Drivers' Champion and 1965 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Clark for Lotus-Ford after starting from pole position. The race is significant as not only the last Formula One race to be won by Clark, but also the last in which he ever competed, due to his fatal crash at the Hockenheimring in Germany three months later. At this race Team Gunston became the first Formula One team to paint their cars in the livery of their sponsors instead of national colours when they entered a private Brabham for John Love and an LDS for Sam Tingle.
This was also Mike Spence's final race, as he too was killed a few months later, while practising for the 1968 Indianapolis 500.
The first six slots on the grid were filled by either previous or future world champions. However the reigning champion, Denny Hulme, only started in ninth.
Clark broke many records during the weekend, such as leading the most Grands Prix (43), having the most laps led (1,943), having the most perfect weekends (11), achieving the most pole positions (33) and finally achieving 25 race wins, beating Juan Manuel Fangio's 11-year-old record.
Classification
Qualifying
The qualifying session was held on 31 December 1967.
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | UK Jim Clark | Lotus-Ford | 1:21.6 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | UK Graham Hill | Lotus-Ford | 1:22.6 | +1.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | United Kingdom Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford | 1:22.7 | +1.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Austria Jochen Rindt | Brabham-Repco | 1:23.0 | +1.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Australia Jack Brabham | Brabham-Repco | 1:23.2 | +1.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | UK John Surtees | Honda | 1:23.5 | +1.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Italy Andrea de Adamich | Ferrari | 1:23.6 | +2.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | New Zealand Chris Amon | Ferrari | 1:23.8 | +2.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New Zealand Denny Hulme | McLaren-BRM | 1:24.0 | +2.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Mexico Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 1:24.9 | +3.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Belgium Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 1:24.9 | +3.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | United States Dan Gurney | Eagle-Weslake | 1:25.6 | +4.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | United Kingdom Mike Spence | BRM | 1:25.9 | +4.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | South Africa Dave Charlton | Brabham-Repco | 1:26.2 | +4.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Italy Ludovico Scarfiotti | Cooper-Maserati | 1:26.3 | +4.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Switzerland Jo Siffert | Cooper-Maserati | 1:26.4 | +4.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Rhodesia John Love | Brabham-Repco | 1:27.0 | +5.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | France Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra-Ford | 1:27.2 | +5.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Sweden Jo Bonnier | Cooper-Maserati | 1:27.3 | +5.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | South Africa Basil van Rooyen | Cooper-Climax | 1:27.8 | +6.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | United Kingdom Brian Redman | Cooper-Maserati | 1:28.0 | +6.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Rhodesia Sam Tingle | LDS-Repco | 1:28.6 | +7.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | South Africa Jackie Pretorius | Brabham-Climax | 1:29.0 | +7.4 |
Race
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | NC | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | UK **Jim Clark** | **Lotus-Ford** | 80 | 1:53:56.6 | 1 | **9** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | UK **Graham Hill** | **Lotus-Ford** | 80 | + 25.3 | 2 | **6** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | AUT **Jochen Rindt** | **Brabham-Repco** | 80 | + 30.4 | 4 | **4** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | NZL **Chris Amon** | **Ferrari** | 78 | + 2 Laps | 8 | **3** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | NZL **Denny Hulme** | **McLaren-BRM** | 78 | + 2 Laps | 9 | **2** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | FRA **Jean-Pierre Beltoise** | **Matra-Ford** | 77 | + 3 Laps | 18 | **1** | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | SUI Jo Siffert | Cooper-Maserati | 77 | + 3 Laps | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | UK John Surtees | Honda | 75 | + 5 Laps | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Rhodesia John Love | Brabham-Repco | 75 | + 5 Laps | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | South Africa Jackie Pretorius | Brabham-Climax | 71 | + 9 Laps | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | USA Dan Gurney | Eagle-Weslake | 58 | Oil Leak | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | BEL Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 51 | Oil Leak | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | SWE Jo Bonnier | Cooper-Maserati | 46 | Overheating | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | UK Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford | 43 | Engine | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Rhodesia Sam Tingle | LDS-Repco | 35 | Overheating | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | South Africa Basil van Rooyen | Cooper-Climax | 22 | Engine | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | MEX Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 20 | Fuel System | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | AUS Jack Brabham | Brabham-Repco | 16 | Engine | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | ITA Andrea de Adamich | Ferrari | 13 | Accident | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | UK Mike Spence | BRM | 7 | Fuel System | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | UK Brian Redman | Cooper-Maserati | 4 | Oil Leak | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | South Africa Dave Charlton | Brabham-Repco | 3 | Differential | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | ITA Ludovico Scarfiotti | Cooper-Maserati | 2 | Water Pipe | 15 |
Notes
- This was the Formula One World Championship debut for South African driver Basil van Rooyen and Italian driver Andrea de Adamich.
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
| Pos | Driver | Points | Source: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom Jim Clark | 9 | |
| 2 | United Kingdom Graham Hill | 6 | |
| 3 | Austria Jochen Rindt | 4 | |
| 4 | New Zealand Chris Amon | 3 | |
| 5 | New Zealand Denny Hulme | 2 |
;Constructors' Championship standings
| Pos | Constructor | Points | Source: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UK Lotus-Ford | 9 | |
| 2 | UK Brabham-Repco | 4 | |
| 3 | Italy Ferrari | 3 | |
| 4 | UK McLaren-BRM | 2 | |
| 5 | France Matra-Ford | 1 |
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
References
References
- "'SA was ahead of the curve' – 50 years of sponsorship in F1".
- "1968 South African Grand Prix". Formula One.
- "South Africa 1968 - Championship • STATS F1".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 1968 South African Grand Prix — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report