| 1962 Mexican Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-championship race in the1962 Formula One season | |||
 | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 4 November 1962 | ||
| Official name | IGran Premio de Mexico | ||
| Location | Magdalena Mixhuca,Mexico City | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 5.000 km (3.107 miles) | ||
| Distance | 60 laps, 300.000 km (186.411 miles) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Lotus-Climax | ||
| Time | 2:00.1 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |  Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax | |
| Time | 1:57.6 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lotus-Climax | ||
| Second | Brabham-Climax | ||
| Third | Lotus-Climax | ||
TheI Gran Premio de Mexico (or1st Mexican Grand Prix) was held on 4 November 1962 at theMagdalena Mixhuca circuit,Mexico City. The race was a non-championship event run toFormula One rules and attracted a large entry, including many top teams and drivers. The race was run over 60 laps of the main circuit, and was eventually won byJim Clark andTrevor Taylor, sharing a drive in aLotus 25. The race meeting was marred by the death during practice of local driving prodigyRicardo Rodríguez. The circuit would later be renamed theAutódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to honour him and his brotherPedro.
Pole-sitter Clark suffered a flat battery, so hisLotus 25-Climax got a replacement, but still failed to start; mechanics gave it a push start to get the engine going.[1] However, due to a lack of communication between the starting officials, the start flag was waved while marshals were still on the track.[citation needed] ForJohn Surtees, the delay caused a cylinder to burn out and his race was over before it even started. The race stewards decided the push start had been illegal (despite it being done by race officials)[citation needed] andblack-flagged Clark's car (leaking oil in addition, so unlikely to survive full distance in any case)[2] on lap 10.
Clark took over the second works Lotus ofLotus team-mate,Trevor Taylor, during a pit stop, dropping him to third, behindJack Brabham's Brabham andBruce McLaren in theCooper.[3] The Scot put in a superb drive to claw back the 57 second deficit on the leaders, passing both with over one third of the race distance still remaining. McLaren's engine blew after half-distance,[4] and as the Brabham was also having trouble,[5] Clark completed the remainder of the race with very little opposition, scoring an easy win. This would prove to be the final time that aGrand Prix victory would be shared by two drivers.[citation needed]
Also notable was the participation of German driverWolfgang Seidel, who competed despite having had hisFIA licence suspended over two months previously. ThePorsche works team did not attend, Porsche having withdrawn from motor sport at the end of the 1962 World Championship season.
Despite the starting confusion, the race earned theMexican Grand Prix full World Championship status from 1963, which it would retain until 1970.
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