STORY OF THE DAY: Pole-sitter Ickx survives the Nürburgring deluge

Jackie Ickx finished fourth in the 1968 German Grand Prix with Ferrari number 9 after starting from pole position. Heavy rain, fog and standing water transformed the Nürburgring into an extreme test of judgment. Jackie Stewart won by more than four minutes, with Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt completing the podium ahead of Ickx.

Ickx’s qualifying performance had been remarkable: he placed the Ferrari on pole by roughly ten seconds over team-mate Chris Amon. Race conditions and tyre performance, however, prevented him from converting that advantage into victory. While Amon crashed out after challenging Hill, Ickx maintained sufficient control through the mist to bring his car home fourth.

The Ferrari 312 F1-68 was powered by a three-litre V12 and represented a lighter, more developed version of the 312 introduced in 1966. Revised cylinder heads and continued chassis refinement improved its performance, helping Ferrari become a frequent qualifying threat. At the Nürburgring, however, usable grip in the rain mattered more than dry-weather speed.

Jackie Ickx was a Belgian driver whose early mastery of wet and difficult circuits established him as one of his generation’s outstanding talents. He joined Ferrari’s Formula One team in 1968 and won that year’s French Grand Prix. His pole position and disciplined fourth place in Germany displayed the qualities that later brought him major Grand Prix victories and six triumphs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.