1969 Mexican Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:Mexico
Grand Prix:Mexican
Date:October 19
Year:1969
Official Name:Mexican Grand Prix
Location:Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City, Mexico
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:3.107
Course Km:5.000
Distance Laps:65
Distance Mi:201.946
Distance Km:325.000
Weather:Warm and dry
Pole Driver:Jack Brabham
Pole Team:Brabham-Ford
Pole Time:1:42.90[1]
Pole Country:Australia
Fast Driver:Jacky Ickx
Fast Team:Brabham-Ford
Fast Time:1:43.05[2]
Fast Lap:64
Fast Country:Belgium
First Driver:Denny Hulme
First Team:McLaren-Ford
First Country:New Zealand
Second Driver:Jacky Ickx
Second Team:Brabham-Ford
Second Country:Belgium
Third Driver:Jack Brabham
Third Team:Brabham-Ford
Third Country:Australia

The 1969 Gran Premio de Mexico (Mexican Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at the Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City on October 19, 1969, two weeks after the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. It was race 11 of 11 in both the 1969 World Championship of Drivers and the 1969 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 65-lap race was won by McLaren driver Denny Hulme after he started from fourth position. Jacky Ickx finished second for the Brabham team and his teammate Jack Brabham came in third.

Report

Entry

A total of 17 F1 cars were entered for this event, the last of the season. Team Lotus had had mixed fortunes at Watkins Glen, although Jochen Rindt had won the race, his teammate Graham Hill had broken both legs in an accident. At this event, Lotus decided not to replace him. However they did run a second car, a Lotus 63 developmental car with four wheel drive for John Miles, as Mario Andretti was busy winning the Dan Gurney 200 at Pacific Raceways, USA.[3]

The rest of the field was unchanged, with only one Ferrari 312 entered by NART for local hero, Pedro Rodríguez.[3]

Qualifying

The Motor Racing Developments Ltd team proved to be very fast in Mexico, as they dominated qualifying in their Brabham-Cosworth BT26A. Jack Brabham secured pole position, for the team, averaging a speed of 96.087 mph. Next fastest was his teammate, Jacky Ickx. The 1969 World Champion, Jackie Stewart was third fastest in his Matra-Cosworth MS80, who shared the second row with the McLaren-Cosworth M7A of Denny Hulme. A pair of Lotus 49s were on row three, with Jo Siffert ahead of Jochen Rindt.[3]

Race

The race was held over 65 laps, however, for the second consecutive race, Bruce McLaren failed to make the start. Of the 16 remaining cars, Jackie Stewart made the best start, with the Brabhams of Jacky Ickx and Jack Brabham in pursuit, Jochen Rindt fourth, and Denny Hulme close behind. By the end of the second lap, led, while Ickx was putting pressure on Stewart. By lap six, Ickx was through, into the lead, and Hulme past Brabham to take third. Hulme overtook Stewart on the next lap, and set about chasing down Ickx. On lap 10, Hulme's McLaren was ahead. Meanwhile, Stewart’s Matra had dropped behind Brabham, and this is how the top four remained throughout the remainder of the race. Rindt ran fifth early on in the race, but bent his suspension on a curb, leading to his retirement, so fifth went to Jean-Pierre Beltoise, with Jackie Oliver finishing sixth in the BRM P139, two laps adrift.[3] [4] [5]

Hulme won in a time of 1hr 54min 5.3sec, an average speed of 99.618mph. Hulme finished just 2.56 seconds ahead of Ickx.[4] [5]

Qualifying

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
18 Jack BrabhamBrabham-Ford1:42.90
27 Jacky IckxBrabham-Ford1:43.60+0.70
33 Jackie StewartMatra-Ford1:43.67+0.77
45 Denny HulmeMcLaren-Ford1:43.70+0.80
510 Jo SiffertLotus-Ford1:43.81+0.91
62 Jochen RindtLotus-Ford1:43.94+1.04
76 Bruce McLarenMcLaren-Ford1:44.75+1.85
84 Jean-Pierre BeltoiseMatra-Ford1:45.58+2.68
918 Piers CourageBrabham-Ford1:47.23+4.33
1014 John SurteesBRM1:47.29+4.39
119 John MilesLotus-Ford1:47.76+4.86
1215 Jackie OliverBRM1:48.01+5.11
1319 Silvio MoserBrabham-Ford1:48.25+5.35
1416 Johnny Servoz-GavinMatra-Ford1:48.74+5.84
1512 Pedro RodríguezFerrari1:49.46+6.56
1621 Pete LovelyLotus-Ford1:50.34+7.44
1722 George EatonBRM1:52.30+9.40

Race

Classification

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
15 Denny HulmeMcLaren-Ford651:54:08.8049
27 Jacky IckxBrabham-Ford65+ 2.5626
38 Jack BrabhamBrabham-Ford65+ 38.4814
43 Jackie StewartMatra-Ford65+ 47.0433
54 Jean-Pierre BeltoiseMatra-Ford65+ 1:38.5282
615 Jackie OliverBRM63+ 2 Laps121
712 Pedro RodríguezFerrari63+ 2 Laps15 
816 Johnny Servoz-GavinMatra-Ford63+ 2 Laps14 
921 Pete LovelyLotus-Ford62+ 3 Laps16 
1018 Piers CourageBrabham-Ford61+ 4 Laps9 
1119 Silvio MoserBrabham-Ford60Fuel Leak13 
Ret14 John SurteesBRM53Gearbox10 
Ret2 Jochen RindtLotus-Ford21Suspension6 
Ret22 George EatonBRM6Gearbox17 
Ret10 Jo SiffertLotus-Ford4Accident5 
Ret9 John MilesLotus-Ford3Fuel Pump11 
DNS6 Bruce McLarenMcLaren-Ford0Fuel Injection7 

Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Jackie Stewart63
2 Jacky Ickx37
3 Bruce McLaren26
4 Jochen Rindt22
15 Jean-Pierre Beltoise21
Source: [6]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Matra-Ford66
2 Brabham-Ford49 (51)
3 Lotus-Ford47
4 McLaren-Ford38 (40)
15 BRM7
Source:

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lang, Mike . Grand Prix! Vol 2 . Haynes Publishing Group . 1982 . 0-85429-321-3 . 108.
  2. Book: Lang, Mike . Grand Prix! Vol 2 . Haynes Publishing Group . 1982 . 0-85429-321-3 . 109.
  3. Web site: Mexican GP, 1969 Race Report - GP Encyclopedia - F1 History on Grandprix.com . Grandprix.com . 2014-03-13.
  4. Web site: Race results - 1969 Mexican Formula 1 Grand Prix . GPUpdate.net . 2014-03-13.
  5. Web site: Results 1969 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Mexico . 19 October 1969 . F1 Fansite . 2014-03-13.
  6. Web site: Mexico 1969 - Championship • STATS F1. www.statsf1.com. 19 March 2019.