48. 1964 Mexican GP: Surtees wins F1 title on last lap

October 25, Mexico City

Clark needed to win with Hill no higher than third, while second would suffice for Hill, irrespective of other results. Second might be enough for Surtees, so long as Clark was behind him and Hill – who had to drop one score, with only a driver’s best six results counting – finished no higher than third.

Got all that?

As was the custom throughout the early Sixties, Clark led away from pole with Dan Gurney (Brabham) running second ahead of Hill and Surtees’ team-mate Lorenzo Bandini. Surtees was back in fifth – and seemingly out of title contention.

Hill’s chances were then partially torpedoed by Bandini, who ran into the BRM, spinning it around and damaging its exhaust pipe at the expense of the car leaking a few bhp. Clark looked ever more likely a champion… although with a few laps to go his Climax V8 began to leak oil.

“Surtees became the first – and so far only – competitor to secure world championships on both two wheels and four”

On the penultimate lap the leader was forced to park with a seized engine and the advantage passed to Hill, but only until Ferrari gave Bandini a signal to slow and let Surtees through. While Gurney swept to victory, Bandini complied during the final lap and, for the sake of one point, Surtees became the first – and so far only – competitor to secure world championships on both two wheels and four. In the space of a lap and a half, the title had changed hands three times. SA

Results

1st Dan Gurney (Brabham-Climax), 2hr 09min 50.320sec, 93.32mph
2nd John Surtees (Ferrari)
3rd Lorenzo Bandini (Ferrari)
Pole position Jim Clark (Lotus 33-Climax), 1min 57.240sec, 95.40mph