| 1968 South African Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 1 January 1968 | ||
| Official name | 2nd AAGrand Prix of South Africa | ||
| Location | Kyalami,Midrand,Transvaal Province,South Africa | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.104 km (2.550 miles) | ||
| Distance | 80 laps, 328.320 km (204.009 miles) | ||
| Weather | Very hot, dry | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Lotus-Ford | ||
| Time | 1:21.6 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |  Jim Clark | Lotus-Ford | |
| Time | 1:23.7 on lap 73 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lotus-Ford | ||
| Second | Lotus-Ford | ||
| Third | Brabham-Repco | ||
Lap leaders | |||
The1968 South African Grand Prix, formally the2nd AA Grand Prix of South Africa (Afrikaans:Tweede AA Suid-Afrikaanse Grand Prix), was aFormula Onemotor race held atKyalami Circuit on Monday 1 January 1968. It was race 1 of 12 in both the1968 World Championship of Drivers and the1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 80-lap race was won by two timeWorld Drivers' Champion and1965 Indianapolis 500 winnerJim Clark forLotus-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 hisfatal crash at theHockenheimring in Germany three months later. At this raceTeam Gunston became the first Formula One team to paint their cars in thelivery of their sponsors instead ofnational colours when they entered aprivateBrabham forJohn Love[1] and anLDS forSam Tingle.
This was alsoMike Spence's final race, as he too was killed a few months later, while practising for the1968 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 mostperfect weekends (11), achieving the most pole positions (33) and finally achieving 25 race wins, beatingJuan Manuel Fangio's 11-year-old record.
The qualifying session was held on 31 December 1967.
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Jim Clark | Lotus-Ford | 1:21.6 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Graham Hill | Lotus-Ford | 1:22.6 | +1.0 |
| 3 | 16 | Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford | 1:22.7 | +1.1 |
| 4 | 3 |  Jochen Rindt | Brabham-Repco | 1:23.0 | +1.4 |
| 5 | 2 |  Jack Brabham | Brabham-Repco | 1:23.2 | +1.6 |
| 6 | 7 | John Surtees | Honda | 1:23.5 | +1.9 |
| 7 | 10 |  Andrea de Adamich | Ferrari | 1:23.6 | +2.0 |
| 8 | 8 |  Chris Amon | Ferrari | 1:23.8 | +2.2 |
| 9 | 1 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-BRM | 1:24.0 | +2.4 |
| 10 | 11 |  Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 1:24.9 | +3.3 |
| 11 | 9 |  Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 1:24.9 | +3.3 |
| 12 | 6 |  Dan Gurney | Eagle-Weslake | 1:25.6 | +4.0 |
| 13 | 12 | Mike Spence | BRM | 1:25.9 | +4.3 |
| 14 | 22 |  Dave Charlton | Brabham-Repco | 1:26.2 | +4.6 |
| 15 | 15 | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Cooper-Maserati | 1:26.3 | +4.7 |
| 16 | 19 |  Jo Siffert | Cooper-Maserati | 1:26.4 | +4.8 |
| 17 | 17 |  John Love | Brabham-Repco | 1:27.0 | +5.4 |
| 18 | 21 |  Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra-Ford | 1:27.2 | +5.6 |
| 19 | 20 |  Jo Bonnier | Cooper-Maserati | 1:27.3 | +5.7 |
| 20 | 25 | Basil van Rooyen | Cooper-Climax | 1:27.8 | +6.2 |
| 21 | 14 | Brian Redman | Cooper-Maserati | 1:28.0 | +6.4 |
| 22 | 18 | Sam Tingle | LDS-Repco | 1:28.6 | +7.0 |
| 23 | 23 | Jackie Pretorius | Brabham-Climax | 1:29.0 | +7.4 |
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Jim Clark | Lotus-Ford | 80 | 1:53:56.6 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | 5 | Graham Hill | Lotus-Ford | 80 | + 25.3 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 3 | Jochen Rindt | Brabham-Repco | 80 | + 30.4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 78 | + 2 Laps | 8 | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-BRM | 78 | + 2 Laps | 9 | 2 |
| 6 | 21 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra-Ford | 77 | + 3 Laps | 18 | 1 |
| 7 | 19 | Jo Siffert | Cooper-Maserati | 77 | + 3 Laps | 16 | |
| 8 | 7 | John Surtees | Honda | 75 | + 5 Laps | 6 | |
| 9 | 17 | John Love | Brabham-Repco | 75 | + 5 Laps | 17 | |
| NC | 23 | Jackie Pretorius | Brabham-Climax | 71 | + 9 Laps | 23 | |
| Ret | 6 | Dan Gurney | Eagle-Weslake | 58 | Oil Leak | 12 | |
| Ret | 9 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 51 | Oil Leak | 11 | |
| Ret | 20 | Jo Bonnier | Cooper-Maserati | 46 | Overheating | 19 | |
| Ret | 16 | Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford | 43 | Engine | 3 | |
| Ret | 18 | Sam Tingle | LDS-Repco | 35 | Overheating | 22 | |
| Ret | 25 | Basil van Rooyen | Cooper-Climax | 22 | Engine | 20 | |
| Ret | 11 | Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 20 | Fuel System | 10 | |
| Ret | 2 | Jack Brabham | Brabham-Repco | 16 | Engine | 5 | |
| Ret | 10 | Andrea de Adamich | Ferrari | 13 | Accident | 7 | |
| Ret | 12 | Mike Spence | BRM | 7 | Fuel System | 14 | |
| Ret | 14 | Brian Redman | Cooper-Maserati | 4 | Oil Leak | 21 | |
| Ret | 22 | Dave Charlton | Brabham-Repco | 3 | Differential | 14 | |
| Ret | 15 | Ludovico Scarfiotti | Cooper-Maserati | 2 | Water Pipe | 15 | |
Source:[2] | |||||||
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| Previous race: 1967 Mexican Grand Prix | FIA Formula One World Championship 1968 season | Next race: 1968 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 1967 South African Grand Prix | South African Grand Prix | Next race: 1969 South African Grand Prix |
