The final round of the F1 World Championship Grand Prix season for 1968 took place at the Mexico City circuit in the outskirts of this huge city. The cars had been sent down by road from the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen which took place four weeks earlier. The delay between the United States and Mexican Grands Prix was more than usual this year, due to the Olympic Games finishing on the date traditionally reserved for the final championship round.
Team Lotus had three cars for Hill, Oliver and Solana. The car Oliver crashed at Watkins Glen had been repaired and on Hill’s car the wing had been hinged so that it could be feathered down the straight. The operation of the wing was simple, rubber bungees held the wing in a working position, while a slim pedal beside the clutch pedal operated the wing when the driver rested his clutch foot. The full travel of the wing pedal brought it to just the start of the clutch pedal travel.
In the Lotus pit there were some rear wheels with two-inch spacers giving a rim width of 17”. These were not used and the spacers were removed when it was heard that the tyres designed for them came off the rims at 140mph.
