1966 Mexican Grand Prix
The 1966 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca on 23 October 1966. It was race 9 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the fifth Mexican Grand Prix and the first to be run under the new three-litre Formula. It was held over 65 laps of the 5 km (3.1 mi) circuit for a race distance of 325 km (202 mi).
| 1966 Mexican Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race details | |||
| Date | October 23, 1966 | ||
| Official name | V Gran Premio de Mexico | ||
| Location | Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 5.000 km (3.107 miles) | ||
| Distance | 65 laps, 325.000 km (201.946 miles) | ||
| Weather | Warm, clear | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Cooper-Maserati | ||
| Time | 1:53.18 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Richie Ginther | Honda | |
| Time | 1:53.75 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Cooper-Maserati | ||
| Second | Brabham-Repco | ||
| Third | Brabham-Repco | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
The race was won by British driver John Surtees driving a Cooper T81-Maserati, his first victory since leaving Scuderia Ferrari to join Cooper. Surtees led home reigning world champion Australian owner-driver Jack Brabham, driving a Brabham BT20-Repco, by eight seconds. A lap down in third place, also driving a Brabham BT20, was Brabham's teammate New Zealander Denny Hulme.
Surtees's victory promoted him to second place in the championship, vaulting past Austrian driver Jochen Rindt of the Cooper works team.