1969 Canadian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Stewart clinched both the Drivers’ Championship and the Manufacturers’ Cup for Matra at Monza, with three races remaining. He stands at 60 points. McLaren is second on 24 and Ickx third on 22 in the Drivers’ standings. Matra leads the Manufacturers’ Cup on 60 points, ahead of Lotus on 34 and Brabham on 30.

Previous race

Stewart won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in one of the closest finishes in Formula One history — the top four classified within 0.19 seconds. Beltoise made a decisive last-corner move to claim second but ran wide, inadvertently blocking Rindt, who finished third; McLaren was fourth. Ickx retired three laps from the end when he ran out of fuel. Hill had charged from ninth to challenge for the lead before a drive shaft failure with four laps to go. The win clinched the championship for Stewart and the Manufacturers’ Cup for Matra.

Between-race developments

Jack Brabham returns to the grid after being injured in a testing accident in June. He has announced he will retire at the end of this season and sell his shares in the Brabham team to co-founder Ron Tauranac.

Entrants

Servoz-Gavin is entered in the four-wheel-drive Matra MS84. Canadian John Cordts makes his World Championship debut in a Brabham-Climax. Al Pease enters an Eagle-Climax — the only Climax-powered car in the field.

Practice

The Mosport Park surface is new and sandy, and at least three drivers spin or run off during practice on the slippery circuit.