Four memorable moments from the historic Mexican Grand Prix

The Mexican Grand Prix returns this weekend, just after the United States Grand Prix, providing an opportunity to look back on the many historic moments that have taken place at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez since its debut in 1962.

The first Mexican Grand Prix won by… two drivers

The first F1 race in Mexico produced a truly unique result: a shared victory. Although the event was not part of the world championship that year, Scotland's Jim Clark had secured pole position in his Lotus 25-Climax, but suffered a battery problem before the start. The car would not start on its own, so the mechanics had to push it to get the engine running. Adding to the chaos, the starting flag was dropped while the marshals were still on the track. Race officials then ruled the push start illegal and showed Clark a black flag, while the car also began to leak oil and looked unlikely to finish the race.

During a pit stop by his teammate Trevor Taylor, Clark slipped into the second Lotus and rejoined the race. This maneuver dropped him back to third place behind Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren, but Clark began an impressive comeback, erasing a 57-second deficit. With more than a third of the race remaining, he overtook both leaders; McLaren then retired with engine failure and Brabham's car suffered technical problems. Clark then drove smoothly to the finish, securing victory. As he was driving his teammate's car, the victory is recorded as being shared between Jim Clark and Trevor Taylor—the only time in F1 history that a Grand Prix victory has been shared between two drivers.

1970: Fans invade the Mexican Grand Prix

Crowd control became a real headache for the organizers of the 1970 Mexican Grand Prix. Nearly 200,000 spectators had gathered, and the event was nearly canceled before the lights even went out. In a memorable moment, Jackie Stewart and local hero Pedro Rodríguez took to the track before the start to urge the crowd to stay behind the safety barriers.

During the race, Stewart had an unfortunate encounter with a stray dog, lost control of his car, and narrowly avoided the area where the fans were standing. Jacky Ickx ultimately won the race, but the chaotic atmosphere contributed to the race being removed from the calendar the following year. It would not return until 1986.

The Mexican Grand Prix absent for… 22 years

From 1993 to 2015, the Mexican Grand Prix disappeared from the F1 calendar. Deteriorating track conditions, worsening air pollution, and rapid and unstable population growth in Mexico City forced the sport to withdraw.

Rumors of a return began to circulate as early as 2003, centered on a $70 million circuit project called “Mantarraya” near Cancún. In 2005, the governor of Quintana Roo announced a return in 2006, but land disputes blocked the project. After the 2006 United States Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone announced a return in 2009, which ultimately did not materialize. Finally, in July 2014, Ecclestone confirmed a five-year agreement to bring the race back to the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit starting in the 2015 season. Germany's Nico Rosberg won the first Mexican Grand Prix in 22 years, driving a Mercedes to victory.

The 2016 Mexican Grand Prix, a day to forget for Vettel

The 2016 Mexican Grand Prix turned into a radio drama for Sebastian Vettel. In the final laps, he was engaged in a close battle with Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, both Red Bull drivers. As Vettel closed in on Verstappen for third place, the Dutchman cut the first corner, prompting Vettel to launch into a colorful tirade over the team radio. Verstappen ignored the protest and continued.

Ricciardo then attempted to overtake Vettel, but the German turned his Ferrari into a moving wall, leaving the Australian with no chance. After the race, Vettel, ever the vocal one, sent a particularly vivid message to the race director. Verstappen received a time penalty, propelling Vettel onto the podium, but Vettel then received his own penalty, which gave third place to Ricciardo. It was an afternoon Vettel would rather forget.