It had been advantage Hill when the field assembled in Mexico ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, but on the track no one could deny Clark pole. An incredible lap saw the Scot beat second placed Dan Gurney by nearly a second, with Surtees on the second row in fourth, and Hill even further back in sixth. Hill needed to finish third or better to win the title if Surtees won, while Surtees had to finish on the podium regardless. As for Clark, the Scot could only worry about himself, needing to win to stand any chance of defending his crown.