Moisés Solana

Moisés Solana Arciniega (26 December 1935 - 27 July 1969): Mexican racing driver from Mexico City who competed in nine Formula One World Championship Grands Prix between 1963 and 1968, achieving a best finish of eighth place at the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, and who was tragically killed in a hillclimb accident at the peak of his career. Born and raised in Mexico City, Solana began racing in the late 1950s in Mexican national championships before graduating to international competition. He made his Formula One debut at the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix at the magnificent Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City on 27 October 1963, driving a Lotus 24-BRM entered by Reg Parnell Racing. In front of his passionate home crowd, Solana qualified a respectable 15th and finished eighth, completing 64 of 65 laps, an impressive performance on his F1 debut that marked him as Mexico's most promising racing talent.

Following this encouraging debut, Solana continued to compete sporadically in Formula One over the next five years, primarily at his home Mexican Grand Prix. In 1964 he drove a BRM P57 and finished 14th, while in 1965 he returned with a Lotus 33-BRM, retiring with mechanical problems. The 1966 Mexican Grand Prix saw him drive a Lotus 33-Climax to 11th place, and in 1967 he competed in a Lotus 43-BRM but retired. His 1968 season saw him make two appearances—at the 1968 Mexican Grand Prix on 3 November in a Lotus 49B-Ford where he qualified a strong 11th but retired after 37 laps with suspension failure, and earlier that year at the 1968 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen on 6 October, also in a Lotus 49B where he qualified 19th but retired after just 4 laps with fuel system problems.

Beyond Formula One, Solana was extremely active in Mexican national motorsport, winning numerous championships and establishing himself as one of Mexico's leading racing drivers alongside Ricardo Rodríguez and Pedro Rodríguez. He competed successfully in sports car racing, touring cars, and particularly in hillclimb events where he was considered one of Mexico's finest competitors. Tragically, on 27 July 1969, Solana was killed during a hillclimb event near Mexico City when his car left the road and crashed. He was only 33 years old and at the height of his racing powers, having been in discussions about expanded Formula One opportunities for the 1970 season.

His death was a devastating blow to Mexican motorsport, coming just seven years after Ricardo Rodríguez was killed at the Mexican Grand Prix in 1962, and following the death of Lorenzo Bandini in 1967 for whom Solana had been a close friend and frequent competitor. Solana's nine Grand Prix starts represent a significant contribution during an era when Mexican drivers were making their mark in Formula One, and he remains remembered as one of Mexico's pioneering Formula One competitors. A monument was erected in his memory at the site of his fatal accident, and he is honored in Mexican motorsport history as a talented, dedicated racer who helped establish Mexico's Formula One tradition. Known for his smooth driving style, technical knowledge, and dedication to promoting motorsport in Mexico, Solana's legacy endures as a reminder of both the promise and the dangers of racing during the 1960s.