The 1970 Mexican Grand Prix was the 13th and final race of the 1970 Formula One season. With Emerson Fittipaldi's victory at Watkins Glen three weeks earlier, Jochen Rindt had been confirmed as the first posthumous World Champion, and Lotus-Ford had clinched the Constructor's title.
Background[]
Autódromo Magdalena Mixhuca is in a public park, near the heart of Ciudad de Mexico. The city is in a valley at an elevation of 7,500 feet/2,285 m, and also has one of the world's worst problems with air pollution, both of which causes problems for cars and drivers alike. The organizers were working with a much smaller budget than the US and Canadian races had at their disposal, and included in that was covering the cost of transportation to and from New York. As a result, only 18 entries were accepted for the race, using a system similar to that used at Monaco. Seven teams were allowed two starters each, and four at-large spots were for former champions or other drivers likely to attract spectators. The 18 selected all had the same car numbers and settings as at Watkins Glen, except for modifications to compensate for the altitude.
Entry list[]
The full entry list for the 1970 Mexican Grand Prix is outlined below:
Practice Overview[]
Qualifying[]
Qualifying Results[]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Constructor | Lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 |  Clay Regazzoni
|
Ferrari | 1:41.86 | — |
| 2 | 1 |  Jackie Stewart
|
Tyrrell-Ford | 1:41.88 | +0.02 |
| 3 | 3 |  Jacky Ickx
|
Ferrari | 1:42.41 | +0.55 |
| 4 | 15 |  Jack Brabham
|
Brabham-Ford | 1:43.57 | +1.71 |
| 5 | 12 |  Chris Amon
|
March-Ford | 1:43.71 | +1.85 |
| 6 | 6 |  Jean-Pierre Beltoise
|
Matra | 1:43.82 | +1.96 |
| 7 | 19 |  Pedro Rodríguez
|
BRM | 1:44.01 | +2.15 |
| 8 | 14 | Graham Hill
|
Lotus-Ford | 1:44.13 | +2.27 |
| 9 | 2 | François Cevert
|
March-Ford | 1:44.21 | +2.35 |
| 10 | 9 | Peter Gethin
|
McLaren-Ford | 1:15.11 | +2.65 |
| 11 | 7 | Henri Pescarolo
|
Matra | 1:44.55 | +2.69 |
| 12 | 23 |  Reine Wisell
|
Lotus-Ford | 1:44.59 | +2.73 |
| 13 | 20 | Jackie Oliver
|
BRM | 1:44.70 | +2.84 |
| 14 | 8 | Denny Hulme
|
McLaren-Ford | 1:44.95 | +3.09 |
| 15 | 17 | John Surtees
|
Surtees-Ford | 1:45.03 | +3.17 |
| 16 | 11 | Jo Siffert
|
March-Ford | 1:46.15 | +4.29 |
| 17 | 16 |  Rolf Stommelen
|
Brabham-Ford | 1:46.30 | +4.44 |
| 18 | 24 |  Emerson Fittipaldi
|
Lotus-Ford | 1:48.13 | +6.27 |
Grid[]
Race[]
Results[]
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jacky Ickx
|
 Ferrari
|
65 | 1:53:28.36 | 3 | 9 |
| 2 | 4 | Clay Regazzoni
|
Ferrari
|
65 | + 30.46 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | 8 | Denny Hulme
|
McLaren-Ford
|
65 | + 45.97 | 14 | 4 |
| 4 | 12 | Chris Amon
|
March-Ford
|
65 | + 47.05 | 5 | 3 |
| 5 | 6 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise
|
Matra
|
65 | + 50.11 | 6 | 2 |
| 6 | 19 | Pedro Rodríguez
|
BRM
|
65 | + 1:24.76 | 7 | 1 |
| 7 | 20 | Jackie Oliver
|
BRM
|
64 | + 1 Lap | 13 | |
| 8 | 17 | John Surtees
|
Surtees-Ford
|
64 | + 1 Lap | 15 | |
| 9 | 7 | Henri Pescarolo
|
Matra
|
61 | + 4 Laps | 11 | |
| NC | 23 | Reine Wisell
|
Lotus-Ford
|
56 | + 9 Laps | 12 | |
| Ret | 14 | Jack Brabham
|
Brabham-Ford
|
53 | Engine | 4 | |
| Ret | 1 | Jackie Stewart
|
Tyrrell-Ford
|
34 | Accident damage | 2 | |
| Ret | 9 | Peter Gethin
|
McLaren-Ford
|
28 | Engine | 10 | |
| Ret | 23 | Rolf Stommelen
|
Brabham-Ford
|
16 | Fuel system | 15 | |
| Ret | 2 | François Cevert
|
March-Ford
|
8 | Engine | 9 | |
| Ret | 14 | Graham Hill
|
Lotus-Ford
|
5 | Overheating | 8 | |
| Ret | 11 | Jo Siffert
|
March-Ford
|
3 | Engine | 16 | |
| Ret | 24 | Emerson Fittipaldi
|
Lotus-Ford
|
1 | Engine | 18 |
Milestones[]
- Final race for Jack Brabham.
- Final race for Dunlop Tyres.
- Last Mexican Grand Prix for 16 years, due to total lack of crowd control, and inability of race organizers to comprehend the problem.
Standings after race[]
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| V T E | Mexican Grand Prix / Mexico City Grand Prix
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|---|---|---|
| Circuits | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (1963-1970, 1986-1992, 2015-present) |  |
| Races (Mexican GP) | 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971–1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993–2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 | |
| Races (Mexico City GP) | ||
| Non-Championship Races | 1962 |
| v·d·e | Nominate this page for Featured Article |