Jackie Stewart delivered one of his greatest drives in the Nürburgring’s rain and fog, winning by more than four minutes. Graham Hill recovered from a spin to finish second, with Jochen Rindt third.
Race Guide
Season: 1968 F1 World Championship
Race date: 4 August 1968
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Nürburgring
Laps: 14 laps
Circuit length: 22.835 km
1967 winner: Denny Hulme
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 9:04.0 | |
| Fastest lap | Jackie Stewart | Matra |
| Fastest-lap time | 9:36.000 on lap 8 | |
| First | Jackie Stewart | Matra |
| Second | Graham Hill | Lotus |
| Third | Jochen Rindt | Brabham |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2 August 1968 | Friday morning timed practice | 12:00–13:15 |
| 2 August 1968 | Friday afternoon practice — cancelled | 15:15–16:45 scheduled |
| 3 August 1968 | Saturday delayed timed practice | 15:40–shortly after 17:00 |
| 4 August 1968 | Sunday additional final qualifying | 10:00–11:45 scheduled; running began 10:25 |
| 4 August 1968 | Race | 14:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Graham Hill arrived at round 8 leading the 1968 F1 World Championship on 24 points, with Jacky Ickx on 20. Lotus – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 38 points.
Race entries
Kurt Ahrens drove a Brabham, and Hubert Hahne entered a two-litre BMW-powered Lola. Stewart still had his wrist supported, with Servoz-Gavin available as a reserve. Oliver’s Lotus arrived late after being rebuilt to the latest specification, while Brabham prepared an additional new chassis.
Friday morning timed practice
Fog initially confined running to the short loop around the pits before full laps were permitted. Hill, Surtees and Beltoise were among those venturing onto the circuit, but visibility severely restricted useful work. Ickx nevertheless recorded the time that ultimately secured pole. Several drivers failed to complete a full timed lap, and Oliver was still waiting for his car.
Friday afternoon practice — cancelled
Conditions deteriorated further as the afternoon session approached. Thick fog and persistent rain made running impossible, and officials cancelled the session before any laps were completed. The teams returned to the paddock while spectators waited in the worsening weather.
Saturday delayed timed practice
A brief improvement allowed a delayed start, but fog soon returned and water flowed across parts of the circuit. Stewart was quickest in the poor conditions, although Friday’s leading times remained out of reach. Moser’s engine failed before he could leave the paddock. Brabham used the delays to finish another car and give it a short shakedown.
Sunday additional final qualifying
The extra session remained wet and foggy. Ferrari stayed in the paddock with the front row secure, while Stewart again demonstrated exceptional pace and tested his rear wing. Oliver slid off and damaged his suspension, forcing urgent repairs before the race. Brabham also needed last-minute work on his engine’s valve gear.
Qualifying Classification
Friday morning’s times put Ickx and Amon first and second. The additional Sunday session offered more preparation after the disrupted official programme. The starting grid was narrowed from its usual four-three arrangement to three-two because of the conditions.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 9:04.0 |
| 2 | 8 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 9:14.9 |
| 3 | 5 | Jochen Rindt | Brabham | 9:31.9 |
| 4 | 3 | Graham Hill | Lotus | 9:46.0 |
| 5 | 20 | Vic Elford | Cooper | 9:53.0 |
| 6 | 6 | Jackie Stewart | Matra | 9:54.2 |
| 7 | 7 | John Surtees | Honda | 9:57.8 |
| 8 | 22 | Piers Courage | BRM | 10:00.1 |
| 9 | 16 | Jo Siffert | Lotus | 10:03.4 |
| 10 | 14 | Dan Gurney | Eagle | 10:13.9 |
| 11 | 1 | Denny Hulme | McLaren | 10:16.0 |
| 12 | 12 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 10:17.3 |
| 13 | 21 | Jackie Oliver | Lotus | 10:18.7 |
| 14 | 10 | Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 10:19.7 |
| 15 | 4 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 10:23.1 |
| 16 | 2 | Bruce McLaren | McLaren | 10:33.0 |
| 17 | 17 | Kurt Ahrens | Brabham | 10:37.3 |
| 18 | 18 | Hubert Hahne | Lola | 10:42.9 |
| 19 | 19 | Lucien Bianchi | Cooper | 10:46.6 |
| 20 | 11 | Richard Attwood | BRM | 10:48.2 |
| 21 | 23 | Silvio Moser | Brabham | No time |
What happened in the 1968 German Grand Prix?
After a delayed start, Hill initially led, but Stewart moved ahead during the opening lap and immediately began building a substantial advantage. Rain, fog and spray made visibility desperately poor, yet the Matra driver continued to pull away.
Hill and Amon fought over second until both spun late in the race. Amon retired, while Hill got his Lotus moving again and resumed ahead of Rindt. Stewart was by then far beyond their reach.
Stewart won by more than four minutes, with Hill second and Rindt third. Ickx finished fourth, ahead of Brabham and Rodriguez. The performance brought Stewart firmly into the title contest and remains a defining achievement of his career.
After the race, Graham Hill headed the drivers’ standings with 30 points, followed by Jackie Stewart on 26. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 44, with Matra – Ford on 29.
1968 German Grand Prix race results
The 1968 German Grand Prix was held on 4 August 1968, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Jackie Stewart | Matra | 14 | 2:19:03.2 | 9 |
| 2 | 3 | Graham Hill | Lotus | 14 | + 4:03.2 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | Jochen Rindt | Brabham | 14 | + 4:09.4 | 4 |
| 4 | 9 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 14 | + 5:55.2 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 14 | + 6:21.1 | 2 |
| 6 | 10 | Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 14 | + 6:25.0 | 1 |
| 7 | 1 | Denny Hulme | McLaren | 14 | + 6:31.0 | 0 |
| 8 | 22 | Piers Courage | BRM | 14 | + 7:56.4 | 0 |
| 9 | 14 | Dan Gurney | Eagle | 14 | + 8:13.7 | 0 |
| 10 | 18 | Hubert Hahne | Lola | 14 | + 10:11.4 | 0 |
| 11 | 21 | Jackie Oliver | Lotus | 13 | + 1 Lap | 0 |
| 12 | 17 | Kurt Ahrens | Brabham | 13 | + 1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 2 | Bruce McLaren | McLaren | 13 | + 1 Lap | 0 |
| 14 | 11 | Richard Attwood | BRM | 13 | + 1 Lap | 0 |
| Ret | 8 | Chris Amon | Ferrari | 11 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 8 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | Jo Siffert | Lotus | 6 | Ignition | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Lucien Bianchi | Cooper | 6 | Fuel Leak | 0 |
| Ret | 7 | John Surtees | Honda | 3 | Ignition | 0 |
| Ret | 20 | Vic Elford | Cooper | 0 | Accident | 0 |
| DNS | 23 | Silvio Moser | Brabham | Oil Pump | 0 | |
| WD | 15 | Jo Bonnier | McLaren | 0 |
1968 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Jackie Stewart | Matra | 8 | 9:36.000 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1968 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1968 German Grand Prix.
1968 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1968 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Ford | 44 |
| 2 | Matra – Ford | 29 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 28 |
| 4 | McLaren – Ford | 22 |
| 5 | BRM | 18 |
| 6 | Cooper – BRM | 12 |
| 7 | Brabham – Repco | 10 |
| 8 | Honda | 8 |
| 9 | Matra | 6 |
| 10 | McLaren – BRM | 2 |
| — | Cooper – Maserati | 0 |
| — | Eagle – Weslake | 0 |
| — | Lola – BMW | 0 |
| — | Brabham – Climax | 0 |
| — | LDS – Repco | 0 |
| — | Cooper – Climax | 0 |
Drivers and constructors counted their best 5 results from rounds 1–6 and their best 5 from rounds 7–12. Only the highest-placed eligible car for each constructor could score constructor points.
1968 Formula 1 Race Calendar
Seen in:
