1968 F1 World Championship

The 1968 FIA Formula One World Championship began on 1 January and concluded on 3 November, over 12 Grand Prix.

Season

The World Drivers’ Championship was won by Graham Hill, driving for Lotus, who secured the second title of his career, six years after his first championship victory. Hill’s performances helped Lotus claim the Manufacturers’ Championship for the third time, confirming the team’s continued success during this era.

Hill faced strong competition throughout the season from Jackie Stewart, driving for Tyrrell Matra, and Denny Hulme, the defending World Champion, who competed for McLaren. Meanwhile, Brabham attempted to challenge with an updated version of the Repco V8 engine, designed to compete with the increasingly dominant Ford Cosworth DFV. Although the new engine offered improved power, it proved unreliable, as exemplified by Jochen Rindt, who secured two pole positions but finished only two races during the season.

The 1968 season marked a major turning point in Formula One safety, though in tragic circumstances. The year was overshadowed by the deaths of four drivers: Jim Clark, the two-time World Champion, Mike Spence, Jo Schlesser, and Ludovico Scarfiotti. These losses highlighted the extreme dangers of the sport at the time and contributed to growing calls for improved safety measures. Indeed, 1968 would be remembered as the last season in which all races were held on circuits with minimal safety modifications, before more substantial changes began to be implemented in the years that followed.

Technologically, the season proved to be highly influential, particularly with the introduction and rapid development of aerodynamic wings. Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus, pioneered the concept by fitting front wings and a rear spoiler to the Lotus 49B at the Monaco Grand Prix. Rival teams quickly developed their own interpretations. At the Belgian Grand Prix, Brabham and Ferrari introduced full-width wings mounted high on struts above the car, seeking greater aerodynamic advantage.

Lotus responded by mounting a full-width rear wing directly to the suspension, which required significant redesign of key components such as the wishbones and transmission shafts. Matra further experimented with a high-mounted front wing connected to the front suspension, though this configuration proved demanding for drivers and was mainly used in practice sessions.

By the end of the season, aerodynamic wings had become a standard feature across the grid, marking the beginning of a new era in Formula One car design in which aerodynamics would play an increasingly central role in performance.

1968 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1968 South African Grand Prix	Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand	1 January
2	1968 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, Madrid	12 May
3	1968 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	26 May
4	1968 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	9 June
5	1968 Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort	23 June
6	1968 French Grand Prix	Rouen-Les-Essarts, Orival	7 July
7	1968 British Grand Prix	Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown	20 July
8	1968 German Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	4 August
9	1968 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	8 September
10	1968 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant	22 September
11	1968 United States Grand Prix	Watkins Glen International, New York	6 October
12	1968 Mexican Grand Prix	Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City	3 November

1968 Formula 1 Race Results

Grands Prix

Round	Grand Prix	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning constructor	Tyre	Report
1	1968 South African Grand Prix	Jim Clark	Jim Clark	Jim Clark	Lotus-Ford	F	Report
2	1968 Spanish Grand Prix	Chris Amon	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford	F	Report
3	1968 Monaco Grand Prix	Graham Hill	Richard Attwood	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford	F	Report
4	1968 Belgian Grand Prix	Chris Amon	John Surtees	Bruce McLaren	McLaren-Ford	G	Report
5	1968 Dutch Grand Prix	Chris Amon	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	D	Report
6	1968 French Grand Prix	Jochen Rindt	Pedro Rodríguez	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	F	Report
7	1968 British Grand Prix	Graham Hill	Jo Siffert	Jo Siffert	Lotus-Ford	F	Report
8	1968 German Grand Prix	Jacky Ickx	Jackie Stewart	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	D	Report
9	1968 Italian Grand Prix	John Surtees	Jackie Oliver	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford	G	Report
10	1968 Canadian Grand Prix	Jochen Rindt	Jo Siffert	Denny Hulme	McLaren-Ford	G	Report
11	1968 United States Grand Prix	Mario Andretti	Jackie Stewart	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	D	Report
12	1968 Mexican Grand Prix	Jo Siffert	Jo Siffert	Graham Hill	Lotus-Ford	F	Report

1968 Formula 1 Standings

Driver standings

Team standings