1968 French Grand Prix

Last updated
1968 French Grand Prix
Rouen track layout 1955-1971.gif
The Rouen Les Essarts circuit in 1968
Race details
Date7 July 1968
Official name LIV Grand Prix de France
Location Rouen-Les-Essarts, Grand-Couronne, France
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 6.542 km (4.065 miles)
Distance 60 laps, 392.520 km (243.901 miles)
Weather Wet
Pole position
Driver Brabham-Repco
Time 1:56.1
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg Pedro Rodríguez BRM
Time 2:11.5 on lap 19
Podium
First Ferrari
Second Honda
Third Matra-Ford
Lap leaders
  • 1968 French Grand Prix

The 1968 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Rouen-Les-Essarts Circuit on 7 July 1968. It was race 6 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 60-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx after he started from third position. John Surtees finished second for the Honda team and Matra driver Jackie Stewart came in third.

Contents

The French driver Jo Schlesser had a fatal accident on the third lap of the race, [1] [2] when he lost control in the then-new Honda RA302 chassis which overturned and caught fire partially due to its magnesium content.[ citation needed ] He was chosen as driver when regular Honda F1 driver John Surtees refused to drive the new car, opting for the older RA301 chassis, on the grounds that the new car was unsafe. This race was a turning point in Formula One as the death of Schlesser prompted many safety precautions in later races.

This was also the last F1 race to take place at Rouen-Les Essarts.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
12 Flag of Austria.svg Jochen Rindt Brabham-Repco 1:56.1
228 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jackie Stewart Matra-Ford 1:57.3+1.2
326 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ferrari 1:57.7+1.6
48 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 1:57.7+1.6
524 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Ferrari 1:57.8+1.7
610 Flag of New Zealand.svg Bruce McLaren McLaren-Ford 1:58.0+1.9
716 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Surtees Honda 1:58.2+2.1
86 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra 1:58.9+2.8
912 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Hill Lotus-Ford 1:59.1+3.0
1020 Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg Pedro Rodríguez BRM 1:59.3+3.2
1114 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jackie Oliver Lotus-Ford 2:00.2+4.1
1234 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jo Siffert Lotus-Ford 2:00.3+4.2
1322 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Attwood BRM 2:00.8+4.7
144 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco 2:00.8+4.7
1536 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Piers Courage BRM 2:01.1+5.0
1632 Flag of France.svg Johnny Servoz-Gavin Cooper-BRM 2:01.2+5.1
1718 Flag of France.svg Jo Schlesser Honda 2:04.5+8.4
1830 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Vic Elford Cooper-BRM 2:05.5+9.4

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
126 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ferrari 602:25:40.939
216 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Surtees Honda 60+ 1:58.676
328 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jackie Stewart Matra-Ford 59+ 1 Lap24
430 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Vic Elford Cooper-BRM 58+ 2 Laps173
58 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 58+ 2 Laps42
636 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Piers Courage BRM 57+ 3 Laps141
722 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Attwood BRM 57+ 3 Laps12 
810 Flag of New Zealand.svg Bruce McLaren McLaren-Ford 56+ 4 Laps6 
96 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra 56+ 4 Laps8 
1024 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Ferrari 55+ 5 Laps5 
1134 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jo Siffert Lotus-Ford 54+ 6 Laps11 
NC20 Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg Pedro Rodríguez BRM 53Not Classified10 
Ret2 Flag of Austria.svg Jochen Rindt Brabham-Repco 45Fuel Leak1 
Ret4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco 15Fuel Pump13 
Ret12 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Hill Lotus-Ford 14Halfshaft9 
Ret32 Flag of France.svg Johnny Servoz-Gavin Cooper-BRM 14Accident15 
Ret18 Flag of France.svg Jo Schlesser Honda 2Fatal Accident16 
DNS14 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jackie Oliver Lotus-Ford Accident in practice
Sources: [3] [4]
Jo Schlesser's Honda RA302 crashes at Virage des Six Freres, igniting the magnesium body and killing Schlesser. Schlesser.jpg
Jo Schlesser's Honda RA302 crashes at Virage des Six Frères, igniting the magnesium body and killing Schlesser.

Notes

Championship standings after the race

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Surtees</span> British motorcycle racer and racing driver (1934–2017)

John Norman Surtees, was an English Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver. On his way to become a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, he won his first title in 1956, and followed with three consecutive doubles between 1958 and 1960, winning six World Championships in both the 500 and 350cc classes. Surtees then made the move to the pinnacle of motorsport, the Formula One World Championship, and in 1964 made motor racing history by becoming the Formula One World Champion. To this day Surtees remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels. He founded the Surtees Racing Organisation team that competed as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2 and Formula 5000 from 1970 to 1978. He was also the ambassador of the Racing Steps Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1952 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 6 July 1952 at Rouen-Les-Essarts. It was race 4 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. Unusually this race was run over a duration of 3 hours, rather than a fixed distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1957 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1957 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 7 July 1957 at Rouen-Les-Essarts. It was race 4 of 8 in the 1957 World Championship of Drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1962 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Rouen-Les-Essarts on 8 July 1962. It was race 4 of 9 in both the 1962 World Championship of Drivers and the 1962 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was won by Dan Gurney, his first Formula One victory, driving a Porsche, that company's only win as a constructor in a Formula One championship race coming after three years of racing. It was the third time that the French Grand Prix was held at Rouen, the previous time being 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967 German Grand Prix</span> Seventh round of the 1967 Formula One World Championship

The 1967 German Grand Prix was a motor race for both Formula One (F1) and Formula Two (F2) cars held at the Nürburgring on 6 August 1967. It was race 7 of 11 in both the 1967 World Championship of Drivers and the 1967 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers as well a non-Championship race of the 1967 European Formula Two Championship. The 15-lap race was won by Brabham driver Denny Hulme after he started from second position. His teammate Jack Brabham finished second and Ferrari driver Chris Amon came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Italian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1968 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Monza Autodrome on 8 September 1968. It was race 9 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 68-lap race was won by McLaren driver Denny Hulme after he started from seventh position. Johnny Servoz-Gavin finished second for the Matra team and Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Canadian Grand Prix</span> 1968 Canadian Formula One race held in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

The 1968 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant in St. Jovite, Quebec, Canada on September 22, 1968. It was race 10 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 90-lap race was won by McLaren driver Denny Hulme after starting from sixth position. Hulme's teammate Bruce McLaren finished second and BRM driver Pedro Rodríguez came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Formula One season</span> 23rd season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

The 1969 Formula One season was the 23rd season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 20th World Championship of Drivers, the 12th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers and four non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over eleven races between 1 March and 19 October 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 Formula One season</span> 22nd season of the FIAs Formula One motor racing

The 1968 Formula One season was the 22nd season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 19th World Championship of Drivers, the 11th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and three non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over twelve races between 1 January and 3 November 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967 Formula One season</span> 21st season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1967 Formula One season was the 21st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 18th World Championship of Drivers, the 10th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and six non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over eleven races between 2 January and 22 October 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Formula One season</span> 20th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1966 Formula One season was the 20th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 17th World Championship of Drivers, the 9th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and four non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over nine races between 22 May and 23 October 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1965 Formula One season</span> 19th season of FIA Formula One racing

The 1965 Formula One season was the 19th season of FIA Formula One racing. It featured the 16th World Championship of Drivers, the 8th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and seven non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over ten races between 1 January and 24 October 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Formula One season</span> 18th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1964 Formula One season was the 18th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 15th World Championship of Drivers, the 7th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and eight non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over ten races between 10 May and 25 October 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 Formula One season</span> 16th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1962 Formula One season was the 16th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 13th World Championship of Drivers, the 5th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and numerous non-championship Formula One races. The World Championship was contested over nine races between 20 May and 29 December 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Schlesser</span> French racing driver (1928–1968)

Joseph Théodule Marie Schlesser was a French Formula One and sports car racing driver. He participated in three World Championship Grands Prix, including the 1968 French Grand Prix in which he was killed. He scored no championship points. He was the uncle of Jean-Louis Schlesser who himself became a Formula One driver in the 1980s.

The Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda has participated in Formula One, as an engine manufacturer and team owner, for various periods since 1964. They are currently active participants in the form of engine manufacturer's since 2015, producing the RA Series Hybrid power units currently powering the Red Bull Racing Formula One team and the Visa Cash App RB Formula One team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda RA300</span> Formula One racing car

The Honda RA300 was a Formula One racing car produced by Honda Racing, and introduced towards the end of the 1967 Formula One season. It retained the same V12 engine as the preceding RA273 car, but the chassis was designed by Lola's Eric Broadley thanks to Honda driver John Surtees' experiences driving a Lola T70 in the Can-Am championship. The new chassis was based on a previous Lola Indianapolis 500 car, the T90. Internally, Lola designated the RA300 the T130. This collaboration resulted in the machine quickly being dubbed the "Hondola" by the motorsports press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda RA302</span> Formula One racing car made by Honda

The Honda RA302 was a Formula One racing car produced by Honda Racing, and introduced by Honda Racing France during the 1968 Formula One season. The car was built based on an order by Soichiro Honda to develop an air-cooled Formula One engine. The magnesium-skinned car was entered in the Formula One race alongside the water-cooled, aluminium-bodied RA301 which had been developed by the existing Honda team and British Lola Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda RA301</span> Formula One racing automobile

The Honda RA301 was a Formula One racing car produced by Honda Racing for the 1968 Formula One season. It was introduced during the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix, the second round of the season. Like its predecessor (RA300), the car was co-developed by Lola Cars, and called "Lola T180" by Lola Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts</span>

The 14th Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts, was the third round of the 1966 Trophées de France. It was held on the Circuit de Rouen-les-Essarts, in Grand-Couronne, near Rouen, on the 10 July. This Formula Two race was only a week after the previous round at Reims, and the cars were brought over from there and assembled in time for opening qualifying on the Thursday. Qualifying was scheduled for Thursday and Friday. This allowed those drivers competing in the Martini Trophy race at Slverstone to practise and then fly to England for the sportscar race and return to Northern France in time for the race on Sunday.

References

  1. "France 1968 • lap by lap" . Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  2. "French GP, 1968" . Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  3. "1968 French Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. "Grand Prix Results: French GP, 1968". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  5. 1 2 "France 1968 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.

Further reading

Previous race:
1968 Dutch Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1968 season
Next race:
1968 British Grand Prix
Previous race:
1967 French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix Next race:
1969 French Grand Prix