1968 Formula One World Championship — The Year of Courage and Color
The world changed in 1968.
Beyond the racetrack, revolutions filled the streets — Paris, Prague, Chicago. In racing, too, revolution was in the air. For the first time, national colors gave way to corporate branding: Lotus, once proudly British Racing Green, appeared in red, gold, and white — the colors of Gold Leaf tobacco. Formula One had entered the age of sponsorship.
But the year’s greatest shift came in April. Jim Clark, the quiet genius who had defined a generation, was gone — killed in a Formula Two race at Hockenheim. The paddock fell silent. The man who had made the impossible seem effortless had left a void too vast to fill.
In his absence, the sport searched for strength. And in the end, it found it in Graham Hill — his friend, teammate, and rival — who carried the Lotus banner through grief and glory to win one of the most emotional championships in Formula One history.
Round 1: South African Grand Prix — Kyalami (1 January 1968)
The year began as the last one ended — with Jim Clark in total command. Driving the Lotus 49, he won from pole, set the fastest lap, and led every circuit of the 80-lap race. It was his 25th and final Grand Prix victory — surpassing Fangio’s record.
Few knew that this would be the final, perfect chapter of a master’s career.
Round 2: Spanish Grand Prix — Jarama (12 May 1968)
By May, the world — and the Lotus team — had changed. Clark’s death a month earlier at Hockenheim had shaken the sport to its core. Colin Chapman considered withdrawing Lotus entirely.
But Graham Hill, ever the stoic, chose to drive on. In Spain, he took an emotional victory, dedicated to his fallen teammate. His calm demeanor masked the storm of grief behind his eyes.
As he stood on the podium, tears mixed with champagne.
Round 3: Monaco Grand Prix — Monte Carlo (26 May 1968)
If Spain was redemption, Monaco was destiny. Hill, the “King of Monaco,” reclaimed his throne with a drive of pure finesse.
He led from start to finish, taming the narrow streets while others faltered.
This was his fifth Monaco victory — an achievement unmatched at the time.
Lotus, draped now in red and gold, had turned sorrow into strength.
Round 4: Belgian Grand Prix — Spa-Francorchamps (9 June 1968)
Rain lashed Spa once again, but this time it was Bruce McLaren who conquered the chaos. Driving his own car — the McLaren M7A powered by a Cosworth DFV — he claimed his team’s first-ever Formula One victory.
The paddock buzzed: another driver-engineer, following in Brabham’s footsteps, had achieved the impossible.
Behind him, Jackie Stewart, now leading the charge for Ken Tyrrell’s Matra-Ford, showcased his wet-weather mastery — setting the stage for what would soon be his era.
Round 5: Dutch Grand Prix — Zandvoort (23 June 1968)
Stewart’s brilliance erupted fully on the Dutch dunes. The Matra MS10, paired with the Cosworth DFV, was perfectly balanced in the rain.
He dominated from start to finish, lapping the field — a humiliation for his rivals and a warning for the future.
It was Stewart’s first win of the season and his announcement as the sport’s new standard-bearer.
Round 6: French Grand Prix — Rouen-les-Essarts (7 July 1968)
France brought more rain — and more tragedy. A fatal crash involving Jo Schlesser in a new air-cooled Honda RA302 cast a pall over the weekend.
Stewart again drove with brilliance and restraint, winning decisively amid the downpour. His victory was overshadowed by mourning, but his consistency was shaping a title campaign.
Round 7: British Grand Prix — Brands Hatch (20 July 1968)
The British crowd watched a thrilling duel between Hill, Stewart, and Jochen Rindt. The DFV engines sang in harmony as the three men traded leads.
In the end, Jo Siffert delivered a shock win for Rob Walker Racing, driving a Lotus 49B privately entered under the Swiss flag. It was the first victory for a true independent in years — a triumph for ingenuity.
Hill’s fourth-place finish kept his championship hopes alive.
Round 8: German Grand Prix — Nürburgring (4 August 1968)
The “Green Hell” lived up to its name. Torrential rain turned the Nordschleife into a swamp.
In those conditions, Jackie Stewart produced one of the greatest drives in Formula One history. Starting from sixth, his visor fogged and rain blinding, he built a lead of over four minutes by the finish.
It was a performance of sheer will — a drive so superhuman that it redefined his reputation. Hill finished fourth, clinging to his title lead.
Round 9: Italian Grand Prix — Monza (8 September 1968)
Monza’s long straights became a slipstreaming spectacle. The new aerodynamic wings, sprouting like insect limbs from the cars, made their first dramatic appearance — the dawn of downforce.
Denny Hulme triumphed for McLaren after a fierce battle with Hill and Stewart. Ferrari, under pressure, showed flashes of pace but no consistency.
The championship was tightening.
Round 10: Canadian Grand Prix — Mont-Tremblant (22 September 1968)
In Canada, the high-altitude circuit played havoc with engines. Hulme won again for McLaren, but Hill’s steady podium kept him within reach.
Stewart’s Matra began to falter under mechanical strain — his early season advantage eroding.
Round 11: United States Grand Prix — Watkins Glen (6 October 1968)
Watkins Glen hosted a new kind of race — one defined by aerodynamic evolution. Lotus’s towering wings provided immense grip, though they looked precarious.
Hill drove flawlessly, retaking the championship lead with a commanding victory. Stewart, struggling for power, fell back. The emotional weight of the season began to lift.
Round 12: Mexican Grand Prix — Mexico City (3 November 1968)
The championship decider unfolded in the thin air of Mexico City. Hill entered the race ahead of Stewart by three points.
Clark’s spirit hung over the grid as Hill lined up in his red-and-gold Lotus. He drove as if guided by memory — smooth, precise, resolute.
When the checkered flag fell, Graham Hill was World Champion once again.
His victory was poetic justice — the triumph of perseverance, professionalism, and quiet dignity.
Epilogue: The End of Innocence
1968 was the year Formula One grew up.
It lost its greatest driver, gained its greatest innovation, and began to resemble the global business it would become.
The death of Jim Clark marked the end of racing’s romantic age; the birth of commercial liveries and wings marked the start of modernity.
Through it all, Graham Hill stood as the bridge — the last gentleman of the old world, and the first hero of the new.
World Drivers’ Champion: Graham Hill 🇬🇧 (Lotus 49B, Ford-Cosworth DFV)
Constructors’ Champion: Lotus-Ford 🇬🇧 (Lotus 49B — 5 Wins out of 12 Rounds)
📚 Sources & References — 1968 Formula One World Championship
Primary Historical Records
Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) — Official Results Archive: 1968 Formula One World Championship.
Race classifications, lap charts, and official standings.
https://www.fia.comFormula One Management (FOM) — 1968 Season Archive.
Constructors’ and drivers’ results, full technical summaries.
https://www.formula1.com/en/results/1968Team Lotus Archives (Hethel, UK).
Design documents for the Lotus 49B, early aerodynamic testing notes, and correspondence with Gold Leaf.Matra Sports Engineering Archives (Velizy, France).
Technical notes on the MS10 chassis and Ford DFV integration.Ford Motor Company / Cosworth Engineering Archives (Northampton, UK).
DFV evolution data, torque maps, and engine testing sheets from 1968.StatsF1 / Forix / ChicaneF1 Databases.
Lap-by-lap data, weather reports, and entrant lists.
https://www.statsf1.com
Contemporary & Period Publications
Motor Sport Magazine (1968 Issues, January–November).
Denis Jenkinson reports:“Clark’s Final Victory.”
“Hill’s Tears in Spain.”
“The Rain Master: Stewart at the Ring.”
“Wings of Change.”
The Autocar & The Motor (UK).
“The Color of Speed.”
“Hill, the Gentleman Champion.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy).
“L’Anno del Cambiamento.” November 1968.
“Hill e la Vittoria del Cuore.”L’Équipe (France).
“Stewart — La Classe Sous la Pluie.” August 1968.
“Hill et Lotus au Sommet.” November 1968.El Gráfico (Argentina).
“El Año en que Cambió la Fórmula Uno.” December 1968.Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland).
“Hill Gewinnt im Schatten von Clark.” November 1968.
Historical Analyses & Books
Henry, Alan. Formula One: The Complete History. Motorbooks International, 2012.
Chapter: “1968 — The Year of Courage and Color.”Hilton, Christopher. Graham Hill: The Gentleman Champion. Haynes Publishing, 2009.
Jenkins, Richard. Jim Clark: Racing Legend. Evro Publishing, 2018.
Setright, L.J.K. Drive On! A Social History of the Motor Car. Granta Books, 2003.
Nye, Doug. The Grand Prix Car 1966–1971. Motor Racing Publications, 1986.
Argetsinger, Peter. Lotus and the DFV Years. Veloce Publishing, 2014.
Jenkinson, Denis. The Racing Driver. Bentley Publishers, 1958.
Donaldson, Gerald. Grand Prix People. Virgin Books, 1999.
Documentary & Audio-Visual Material
British Pathé Newsreel. “Hill Wins the Title for Clark.” 1968.
BBC Archives. “The Year That Changed Formula One.” (Documentary, 1998).
Ford Motor Company Heritage Film. “The Power Behind the Lotus.” 1968 promotional short.
FIA Heritage Series. “1968: Courage, Color, and Clark.”
Digital & Museum Archives
Jim Clark Motorsport Museum (Duns, Scotland).
Exhibit: “1968 — The Legacy of a Legend.”Lotus Heritage Collection (Hethel, UK).
Display: Gold Leaf Lotus 49B — Hill’s championship-winning car.National Motor Museum, Beaulieu (UK).
Graham Hill tribute exhibition and DFV display.Museo Ferrari, Maranello (Italy).
Exhibit: “1968 — The Year the Wings Took Flight.”GrandPrixHistory.org.
“1968: The Year of Courage and Color.”OldRacingCars.com.
Verified chassis records for Lotus 49B, Matra MS10, and McLaren M7A.
