Date October 25, 1970 Location Mexico City, Mexico | Official name Mexican Grand Prix Course length 4.421 km (2.763 mi) | |
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Course Permanent racing facility Distance 65 laps, 305.049 km (190.656 mi) | ||
The 1970 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mexico City on October 25, 1970. It was the 13th and final race in the 1970 Formula One season. The 65-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Jacky Ickx after he started from third position. His teammate Clay Regazzoni finished second and McLaren driver Denny Hulme came in third.
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Ickx wasn't able to close the gap to the late Jochen Rindt in the remaining races of the season, and as result the latter was awarded the championship posthumously, becoming the only driver to ever win the championship after death.
Race report
The immense crowd of 200,000 proved almost uncontrollable and almost forced the cancellation of the race. They were crammed in front of the guard-rails, sat at the trackside and ran across the track itself. Despite impassioned appeals from Jackie Stewart and local hero Pedro RodrÃguez they still remained troublesome.
From the start, Jacky Ickx led from Stewart and Clay Regazzoni, but dropped back with steering column trouble. Later, a collision with a dog which had escaped onto the track damaged Stewart's suspension and forced his retirement, leaving the Ferraris dominant in first and second. Jack Brabham retired from third place in his final Grand Prix when the engine blew on lap 53. The Ferraris romped home with Ickx leading Regazzoni and Denny Hulme claiming the third podium spot. The Italian cars had proved they were now good enough to compete with the Ford-engined cars, but the crowd's antics meant that for safety reasons the Mexican Grand Prix would be dropped from the 1971 calendar.