Talk:1962 Mexican Grand Prix

Clark disqualified but won

Is this the only time a driver has ever been disqualified but still be allowed to win the race? Mobile mundo (talk) 20:24, 24 October 2017 (UTC)

It's an interesting question that I'm afraid I don't have an easy answer to. However, you need to to understand that Jim Clark wasn't personally disqualified and then "allowed" to win the race, it was his car that was disqualified. Things have changed in the last 30 years, but during the first few decades of organized motorsport its organization was modeled closely on horse racing. Hence, an 'entrant' (usually the car's owner, but sometimes a mechanic or crew chief, see Toulo de Graffenried's relationship with Enrico Platé for example) entered a car for a race and nominated a driver, in the same way that horse racing stables (from which teams borrowed terms such as scuderia and ecurie) entered a horse then nominated a jockey. The entry was based on the car, the driver treated somewhat as a component part. If a driver's car failed or was disqualified it was perfectly legal for that driver to be switched to another entry and continue. However, the laps completed and their race position were based on the car they were in, not themselves personally. This happened lots including, famously, the first all-British win in a British Grand Prix. Pyrope 20:11, 25 October 2017 (UTC)

Another quick story, also involving the British GP and Stirling Moss: when he and Jack Fairman were disqualified from the 1961 British Grand Prix it was because Fairman had received a push at the start, even though it was Moss that was in the car when the black flag was eventually shown. Pyrope 20:20, 25 October 2017 (UTC)

Thanks. (Mobile mundo (talk) 19:53, 13 November 2017 (UTC))