1968 Italian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Hill leads the championship after a season of tragedy and attrition. Stewart’s dominant Nürburgring victory has made him a closer rival than the early-season picture suggested.

Previous race

Stewart won the German Grand Prix by more than four minutes in appalling wet and foggy conditions at the Nürburgring — racing with a broken wrist. He described it as a “teeth gritting effort” and later called it his greatest Grand Prix victory. Hill finished second after spinning on lap 11 but pushing his car back into position before Rindt could reach him. Amon had been battling Hill before spinning out on the same lap.

Between-race developments

There is a five-week gap between Germany and Italy. Jackie Stewart won the non-championship Oulton Park Gold Cup in the intervening period, extending his dominant run of form.

Entrants

Monza draws the biggest field of the season: 24 cars. Mario Andretti is entered in a third Lotus, while USAC rival Bobby Unser replaces Richard Attwood at BRM. Ferrari runs a third car for rising British star Derek Bell, making his championship debut. Honda adds a second RA301 for David Hobbs. Ken Tyrrell’s Matra International expands to a two-car operation, with Johnny Servoz-Gavin joining Stewart. Cooper planned three cars but Robin Widdows is out after an accident, leaving only Vic Elford and Lucien Bianchi.

Andretti and Unser both set competitive early times in qualifying as they planned to fly to Indianapolis for the Hoosier Hundred dirt race the following day and then return for the Grand Prix. The event organisers invoked an ACI regulation banning drivers from competing in another event within 24 hours of the Grand Prix start. Both drivers flew to Indiana regardless; neither was permitted to race at Monza.

Milestones

John Surtees put the Honda RA301 on pole position — the first pole position for Honda and for any Japanese or Asian constructor or engine supplier.

Practice

Qualifying saw Surtees on pole alongside Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon on the front row. The second row featured Ickx’s Ferrari and Hill’s Lotus; Stewart, Hulme, and Bell shared the third row.