| rdfs:comment | - It had been advantage Hill when the field assembled in Mexico ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, but on the track no one could deny Clark pole. An incredible lap saw the Scot beat second placed Dan Gurney by nearly a second, with Surtees on the second row in fourth, and Hill even further back in sixth. Hill needed to finish third or better to win the title if Surtees won, while Surtees had to finish on the podium regardless. As for Clark, the Scot could only worry about himself, needing to win to stand any chance of defending his crown.
|
| abstract | - It had been advantage Hill when the field assembled in Mexico ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, but on the track no one could deny Clark pole. An incredible lap saw the Scot beat second placed Dan Gurney by nearly a second, with Surtees on the second row in fourth, and Hill even further back in sixth. Hill needed to finish third or better to win the title if Surtees won, while Surtees had to finish on the podium regardless. As for Clark, the Scot could only worry about himself, needing to win to stand any chance of defending his crown. Off the line the Championship swung in Clark's favour as he launched away from pole perfectly, just as Hill fell down to tenth after his goggles slipped as he pulled off the grid. By the end of the opening lap, Clark was clear of Gurney and Lorenzo Bandini behind, while Hill was battling away at the back of the top ten. Surtees' chances had also taken a nose dive when his Ferrari began to misfire halfway round the first tour, meaning he was in thirteenth by the end of the opening bout. The opening two thirds of the race then saw a dramatic recovery through the field, despite Clark blasting away at the front of the field. Surtees' engine miraculously sorted itself out after a couple of laps allowing him to pick his way through the order, while Hill had a surge during the opening phases to climb into third. That, however, was to change on lap 31, when Bandini, Surtees' team mate, misjudged his braking and put both into a spin. Hill rejoined behind Surtees and Bandini, and with a crumpled exhaust he could do little but coast around and hope his rivals faltered. Bandini was faster than Surtees and so allowed by to try and hunt down Gurney in second for third place would not be enough for Surtees if Clark won. Yet, as Clark opened the final lap of the season, the Lotus' Climax engine seized to end his title hopes, handing victory to Gurney while news spread down through the pit lane. The news reached the Ferrari pits just in time, who just managed to signal Bandini to slow down and allow Surtees pass before the both blasted past the pits. Fortunately for Surtees, he and his team mate were friends as well as rivals, and the Italian duly moved aside to hand Surtees second, the six points enough for the Englishman to earn a maiden title. Hill was beaten by just a single point, finishing down in eleventh, although most people's sympathies were with Clark, who had been cruelly denied by mechanical failure for a second time in three seasons.
|
