Currently reading: From the motorsport archive: on this day in 1962
A masterclass by Jim Clark at the Mexican Grand Prix

The Mexican Grand Prix is seldom short of drama and the 1962 staging certainly provided its share. Our 16 November issue carried the full story of an exciting race but also the sad news of the death of home driver Ricardo Rodriguez on the first day of practice. 

Rodriguez, “pleased with the handling of Rob Walker’s Lotus-Climax”, attempted to take a banked corner flat out in pursuit of a faster lap time. Unfortunately, the promising 20-year-old Mexican “hit a small bump and lost control”. He collided with the steel crash barrier “at over 100mph and was thrown out”, perishing when he landed on an iron pole. 

As for the race itself, it didn’t get under way smoothly. The start was delayed because Jim Clark’s Lotus failed to fire and, while it was being attended to, “many cars boiled and both [John] Surtees’ and [Walt] Hansgen’s Lotuses caught fire”. Clark was eventually push-started, “for which he received a black flag on lap 11”. 

Clark subsequently took over the car of third-placed team-mate Trevor Taylor and “progressively broke the lap record” to take the lead and win. “Clark’s victory was a beautiful demonstration of competent and consistent driving that really showed [his] calibre,” our report concluded.

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