1972 Formula One season

26th season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing July 2021 1972 Drivers' Champion: Emerson FittipaldiConstructors' Champion: Lotus-Ford 3 450 Reutemann y Fittipaldi - El Gráfico 2781 3.jpg Emerson Fittipaldi (pictured in 1973) won the first of his two Drivers' Championships driving for Lotus-Ford. Jackie Stewart en 1970.jpg Then two-time and defending Champion Jackie Stewart (pictured in 1970) finished in second place driving for Tyrrell-Ford. Denis Hulme (1970).jpg 1967 Champion Denny Hulme (pictured in 1970) finished the season in third driving for McLaren-Ford. The 1972 Formula One season was the 26th season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 23rd World Championship of Drivers, the 15th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, and numerous non-championship Formula One races. The World Championship commenced on 23 January and ended on 8 October after twelve races. Emerson Fittipaldi, driving for Lotus, won his first World Championship, becoming the youngest World Champion to date at 25 years.https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1972/drivers.html 1972 Driver Standings Formula1.com 28 March 2024 This record stood for 33 years until Fernando Alonso won his first title in 2005 at the age of 24. Fittipaldi won five races (more than any other driver during the season) and clinched the title by virtue of winning the Italian Grand Prix with two races to spare. Reigning champion Jackie Stewart came second in the championship, while Denny Hulme placed third. The Lotus team, still reeling from the death of their 1970 champion Jochen Rindt, had fallen to a disappointing fifth in the standings at the end of 1971, but kept developing their innovative Lotus 72 "wedge" design to take a surprise championship victory.https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1972/team.html 1972 Constructor Standings Formula1.com 28 March 2024 The car sported a striking black and gold livery for their sponsor Imperial Tobacco had introduced a new brand of John Player Special cigarettes. The British Racing Motors (BRM) team took its last victory when Jean-Pierre Beltoise won the rain-affected 1972 Monaco Grand Prix in a BRM P160. Six-times 350cc/500cc champions and 1964 World Championship John Surtees retired after the end of season. Drivers and constructors The following teams and drivers contested the 1972 World Championship. Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre Driver Rounds GBR Motor Racing Developments Brabham-Ford BT33BT34BT37 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Goodyear GBR Graham Hill All ARG Carlos Reutemann 1–2, 5–12 BRA 1968 Wilson Fittipaldi 3–12 GBR Marlboro BRMGBR España Marlboro BRMGBR Austria Marlboro BRM BRM P160BP153P180P160C BRM P142 3.0 V12 Firestone NZL Howden Ganley 1–6, 8–12 SWE Reine Wisell 1, 3–4, 6, 8, 10 GBR Peter Gethin 1–7, 9–12 ESP 1945 Alex Soler-Roig 1, 3 AUT Helmut Marko 1–2, 4–6 FRA Jean-Pierre Beltoise 2–12 AUS Vern Schuppan 5 GBR Jackie Oliver 7 CAN Bill Brack 11 GBR Brian Redman 12 ITA Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 312B2 Ferrari 001/1 3.0 F12 Firestone BEL Jacky Ickx All CHE Clay Regazzoni 1–5, 8–12 USA Mario Andretti 1–3, 10, 12 ITA Nanni Galli 6 ITA Arturo Merzario 7–8 GBR John Player Team LotusGBR World Wide Racing Lotus-Ford 72D Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi All AUS David Walker 1–9, 12 SWE Reine Wisell 11–12 GBR STP March Racing Team March-Ford 721721X721G Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Goodyear SWE Ronnie Peterson All AUT Niki Lauda All FRA Équipe Matra Sports Matra MS120CMS120D Matra MS72 3.0 V12 Goodyear NZL Chris Amon All GBR Yardley Team McLaren McLaren-Ford M19AM19C Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Goodyear NZL Denny Hulme All USA Peter Revson 1–3, 5, 7, 9–12 GBR Brian Redman 4, 6, 8 ZAF 1928 Jody Scheckter 12 GBR Brooke Bond Oxo - Rob Walker Team SurteesGBR Ceramica Pagnossin Team SurteesGBR Flame Out Team SurteesGBR Team Surtees Surtees-Ford TS9BTS14 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone AUS Tim Schenken All ITA Andrea de Adamich All GBR Mike Hailwood 2–10, 12 GBR John Surtees 10, 12 GBR Elf Team Tyrrell Elf Tyrrell-Ford 003002004005006 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Goodyear GBR Jackie Stewart 1–4, 6–12 FRA François Cevert All FRA Patrick Depailler 6, 12 GBR Team Williams Motul March-FordPolitoys-Ford 711721FX3 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Goodyear FRA Henri Pescarolo All BRA 1968 Carlos Pace 2–12 FRG Team Eifelland Caravans Eifelland-Ford 21 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Goodyear FRG Rolf Stommelen 2–9 ZAF 1928 Lucky Strike Racing Lotus-Ford 72D Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone ZAF 1928 Dave Charlton 2, 6–8 ZAF 1928 Team Gunston Surtees-Ford TS9 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone RHO John Love 2 Brabham-Ford BT33 ZAF 1928 William Ferguson 2 GBR Clarke-Mordaunt-Guthrie Racing March-Ford 721G Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone GBR Mike Beuttler 3–12 ITA Martini Racing Tecno PA123/3 Tecno Series-P 3.0 F12 Firestone ITA Nanni Galli 5, 7, 9–10 GBR Derek Bell 6, 8, 10–12 GBR Darnval Connew Racing Team Connew-Ford PC1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone FRA François Migault 7, 9 USA Gene Mason Racing March-Ford 711 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone USA Skip Barber 11–12 USA Champcarr Inc. Surtees-Ford TS9B Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 Firestone USA Sam Posey 12 Team and driver changes thumb|225px|Jean-Pierre Beltoise, driving for BRM in the 1972 French Grand Prix thumb|225px|David Walker in the Lotus 72 BRM hired Reine Wisell from Lotus and Jean-Pierre Beltoise from Matra. The team had lost Jo Siffert when he died during the 1971 World Championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch. Still, they were a popular outfit and managed to field no less than five cars in the opening race of the championship. After a collaboration with McLaren in 1970, Alfa Romeo had worked with March in 1971. Both campaigns were unsuccessful and the Italian firm pulled out of the sport. (They would return with Brabham in 1976.) March promoted their Formula Two driver Niki Lauda to the F1 team, while the Austrian kept racing in F2 as well. At Lotus, Emerson Fittipaldi was joined by David Walker, while McLaren signed 1971 Can-Am champion Peter Revson. They had previously worked together for the 1971 Indianapolis 500. Matra reduced their operations to just one car, after Beltoise moved to BRM. The Surtees team signed Tim Schenken from Brabham and Andrea de Adamich from March. Mike Hailwood was promoted to a full-time drive while still driving in Formula Two. He would actually win the F2 title this year. Owner John Surtees would shift focus to his management role and retired from racing at the end of the season. Brabham, in the hands of new managing director Bernie Ecclestone, promoted their F2 driver Carlos Reutemann to race besides veteran Graham Hill. Wilson Fittipaldi Júnior paid his way to a third Brabham seat. Starting his third year as a team owner in F1, Frank Williams gained sponsorship from French oil company Motul, with which he was able to buy a new March 721 for his driver Henri Pescarolo. He also promoted his F2 driver Carlos Pace to the team, giving him previous year's March 711. The Williams team tried out with a Politoys FX3, but the car's steering failed on the first run, during the British Grand Prix, and the chassis was heavily damaged. Mid-season changes thumb|225px|Rolf Stommelen in the Eifelland in France thumb|225px|Nanni Galli in the Tecno during the Italian GP Günther Hennerici, owner of the caravan manufacturing company Eifelland, married Formula Two driver Hannelore Werner. Together, they set up a racing team that competed in the 1971 German Formula Three Championship, before expanding to F1 in 1972. From the second race of the season on, they entered a redesigned March 721 under the Eifelland name and signed Rolf Stommelen from Surtees. Before the season was over, however, they withdrew from the championship and refocussed their efforts on Formula Three. Tecno was a successful Italian karting and racing team. With sponsorship from Martini, they built their own F1 chassis and entered the 1972 championship from the Belgian Grand Prix on. They signed Nanni Galli, coming from the March team. The Connew Racing Team had the intent to enter and compete in the whole 1972 season, but only managed to start the Austrian Grand Prix, with French driver Francois Migault at the wheel. They converted their self-made chassis to meet Formula 5000 regulations for 1973, but at the end of that year, the car was crashed beyond repair and the team folded. Calendar Round Grand Prix Circuit Date 1 Argentine Grand Prix ARG 1868 Autódromo de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 23 January 2 South African Grand Prix RSA 1928 Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand 4 March 3 Spanish Grand Prix ESP 1945 Circuito Permanente del Jarama, Madrid 1 May 4 Monaco Grand Prix MCO Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 14 May 5 Belgian Grand Prix BEL Nivelles-Baulers, Nivelles 4 June 6 French Grand Prix FRA 1830 Circuit de Charade, Clermont-Ferrand 2 July 7 British Grand Prix GBR Brands Hatch, Kent 15 July 8 German Grand Prix FRG Nürburgring, Nürburg 30 July 9 Austrian Grand Prix AUT Österreichring, Spielberg 13 August 10 Italian Grand Prix ITA 1946 Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza 10 September 11 Canadian Grand Prix CAN Mosport Park, Bowmanville 24 SeptemberThe Canadian Grand Prix was supposed to be held at Circuit Mont-Tremblant was due to host the race in rotation with Mosport Park but the Mont-Tremblant circuit had safety concerns regarding the bitter winters seriously affecting the track surface and a dispute with the local racing authorities there in 1972. Mosport would host the race in 1972 on its intended date. 12 United States Grand Prix USA Watkins Glen International, New York 8 October Calendar changes The Argentine Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 1972, for the first time since 1960. The Autódromo de Buenos Aires would be used again. The Belgian Grand Prix returned as well, after the 1971 race was cancelled because of the failure to bring Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps up to mandatory safety standards. The 1972 race was held at the Nivelles-Baulers circuit. The Spanish Grand Prix was moved from Montjuïc to Jarama, in keeping with the event-sharing arrangement between the two circuits. Likewise, the French Grand Prix was moved from Circuit Paul Ricard to the Circuit de Charade and the British Grand Prix was moved from Silverstone to Brands Hatch. Cancelled rounds F1 intended to organise a second Grand Prix in the United States, dubbed the United States Grand Prix West, at the Ontario Motor Speedway near Los Angeles. It would be the third race on the calendar on 9 April. The FIA demanded the circuit's owners to hold a test event first, but they did not comply and the event was cancelled. The Dutch Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 18 June, between the Belgian and French Grand Prix, but was cancelled because of safety upgrades that were not completed at the Circuit Park Zandvoort in time for the race, due to lack of funds.David Hayhoe, Formula 1: The Knowledge records and trivia since 1950 – 2nd Edition, 2021, page 35. The Mexican Grand Prix was scheduled on 22 October at Autódromo Magdalena Mixhuca, to be the last race of the championship, but it was cancelled after local interest dissipated after the death of Pedro Rodríguez in a sportscar crash in 1971.April 2026 Regulation changes Technical regulations The minimum weight was raised from 530 kg on to 550 kg on. Like it was from 1966 to 1969, cars running a compressed engine, for example with a turbocharger, could now have a displacement of 1500 cc on. (For the two years in between, it was reduced to 500 cc on.) The maximum displacement for naturally aspirated engines remained at 3000 cc on. Safety measures Safety was becoming a serious talking point in F1. Since 1969, circuits had started installing some safety features. 1972 was the first season in which all the visited tracks were up to the mandatory safety standards. The official Circuit Safety Criteria were published, including, for example, specifications on debris fences.https://www.f1technical.net/articles/25 F1 rules and stats 1970-1979 F1Technical.net Steven de Grootte 1 January 2009 7 February 2024https://www.atlasf1.com/news/safety.html Safety Improvements in F1 since 1963 AtlasF1 7 February 2024 On the cars, some safety measures were made mandatory as well: the fuel tanks had to be lined with "safety foam", no magnesium sheet could be less than 3 mm thick, the driver had to have a headrest, minimum dimensions were set for the cockpit, the driver had to be secured by a 6-point harness, a single switch was designed to cut off the electronical components on the car and to set off the fire extinguisher, a 15W red light needed to be installed at the rear of the car. Sporting regulations The first Drivers' Code of Conduct was published. Championship report Rounds 1 to 4 thumb|225px|Carlos Reutemann (left) started on pole position in his debut race. When Formula One returned to Argentina for the first time since 1960, it was local driver Carlos Reutemann who made his debut and immediately scored pole position for Brabham. Reigning champion Jackie Stewart started second in his Tyrrell and Peter Revson lined up in third for his first race with McLaren. At the start, Stewart took the lead off of Reutemann, but the Argentine driver kept on his tail. Behind them, Emerson Fittipaldi overtook Denny Hulme for third place, while Revson had fallen back. Reutemann started struggling on his super-soft Goodyear tyres and, by lap 11, he was down to fourth place. Half-way through the race, he made a pit stop and rejoined a lap down. Stewart dominated the pace and went on to win the race, almost half a minute ahead of Hulme and a full minute ahead of the Ferraris of Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni. Fittipaldi had retired with suspension damage.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/march-1972/56/the-argentine-grand-prix-2/ 1972 Argentine Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Andrew Marriott February 1972 17 February 2024 Stewart secured pole position for the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, ahead of Regazzoni and Fittipaldi. Hulme got off the line remarkably well: from his fifth position on the grid, he moved up to shortly take the lead, before Stewart relegated him back to second. Regazzoni fell back into the midfield. Veteran Mike Hailwood, driving for Surtees, started fourth but passed Fittipaldi and, later, the overheating McLaren of Hulme, before actually challenging Stewart for the lead. However, on lap 28, his rear suspension collapsed and he had to retire. Stewart then looked set to win, until he suffered a gearbox failure on lap 45 and Fittipaldi inherited the lead. The Brazilian, however, ran into handling problems and saw Hulme go past. Finally, the New Zealander took the chequered flag, ahead of Fittipaldi and Peter Revson. In Spain, Emerson Fittipaldi was joined on the grid by his brother Wilson, marking the first time two brothers raced simultaneously. Wilson had replaced Carlos Reutemann after the Argentine driver injured his ankle in a Formula 2 race a week earlier. On the Jarama circuit, the Belgian Jacky Ickx took a dominant pole position, seven tenths ahead of Denny Hulme and Emerson Fittipaldi. Stewart started in fourth. On race day, Hulme had another mighty get-away and took the lead, before, like in South Africa, Stewart passed him. Hulme and Ickx were then both passed by Fittipaldi in a miscommunication with a backmarker. By lap 30, it had started raining slightly and Stewart fell back: Fittipaldi and Ickx both passed him. The Brazilian held on to take the victory, while Stewart spun off the track and retired. Since Ickx had set a new lap record and actually lapped his teammate in third place, Fittipaldi's win showed that the Lotus 72 was now truly ahead in the development race.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1972/25/the-spanish-grand-prix-4/ 1972 Spanish Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson June 1972 17 February 2024 This showed again during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, where Fittipaldi took pole position ahead of the Ferraris of Ickx and Regazzoni. Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Peter Gethin started a surprising fourth and fifth for BRM. Before the race, it had started raining and the cars took off in a cloud of spray. Fittipaldi got away slowly, so Ickx jumped ahead, but Beltoise surprised everyone, pulling off a dive to the inside of the first corner and coming out on top. The Marlboro-sponsored BRM was now the only one with a clear view ahead. Just after half-distance, Gethin crashed in the new chicane before Tabac corner and Stewart spun off as well. The Scot, however, regained his podium position when Regazzoni crashed off on a patch of oil. Beltoise held on to what would be his only victory and BRM's last. Ickx finished second ahead of Fittipaldi, who overtook Stewart in the end.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1972/30/the-30th-monaco-gp/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220203130817/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1972/30/the-30th-monaco-gp/ 1972 Monaco Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson June 1972 3 February 2022 17 February 2024 In the drivers' championship, Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus) led with 19 points, ahead of Jacky Ickx (Ferrari and Denny Hulme (McLaren). Reigning champion Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell) was in fourth. In the manufacturers' championship, Lotus, McLaren and Ferrari all shared the top spot with 19 points. Rounds 5 to 7 Jackie Stewart was a notable absence in the Belgian Grand Prix. His gruelling schedule of racing in F1, Can-Am and touring cars, as well as promotional events for sponsors Elf and Ford, and a side job as sports commentator on United States television on top of that, resulted in a case of gastritis. Under doctor's orders, he rested for three weeks and severely restricted his activities after that. Championship leader Emerson Fittipaldi qualified on pole position in the Lotus, ahead of Clay Regazzoni in the Ferrari and Denny Hulme in the McLaren. Regazzoni's teammate Jacky Ickx, second in the championship, lined up in fourth, with Francois Cevert, the primary Tyrrell driver for this race, in fifth. At the start, Regazzoni took the lead, but saw Fittipaldi come back past on lap 9. Both Ferraris retired: Ickx with a problem to his accelerator linkage and Regazzoni when he hit backmarker Nanni Galli in the Tecno. The order at the finish of a relatively unexciting race was Fittipaldi, Cevert, Hulme.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1972/34/the-belgian-formula-one-race/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220706011923/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1972/34/the-belgian-formula-one-race/ 1972 Belgian Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson July 1972 6 July 2022 17 February 2024 thumb|225px|Chris Amon (bottom) started on pole position for the French Grand Prix. The F1 circus moved down to France, where the French Grand Prix was held at the Circuit de Charade, a twisty and undulating 5.1 mi on stretch of public roads. While Stewart was back in his car, but his teammate Cevert was comfortably fastest in practice. He drove a new-spec Tyrrell chassis, until he crashed into the guard rail, injured his hand, and was left with the old-spec spare car. He would not be the last driver to spin or crash out, trying to get to grips with the challenging circuit. Matra had also brought an upgraded chassis and gave Chris Amon everything he needed to snatch pole position. Hulme and Stewart started behind him. As the race got underway, not much changed in terms of position, but Helmut Marko was hit in the eye by a stone flicked up by Jacky Ickx's Ferrari. He stopped by the side of the track and was rushed off to hospital. This would mean the end of his racing career. The rough dirt on the track resulted in more trouble: Amon got a flat left-front tyre and a 50-second pit stop left him in ninth position. But he put up a valiant fight and came home in third, behind winner Jackie Stewart and second-placed Emerson Fittipaldi.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1972/50/5th-grand-prix-of-france/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220522211557/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1972/50/5th-grand-prix-of-france/ 1972 French Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson 2 July 1972 22 May 2022 28 February 2024 Coming to Brands Hatch for the British Grand Prix, Denny Hulme, third in the championship, was recovering from a high-speed crash in the Can-Am race of the week before. He did drive but qualified down in eleventh. Stewart and Amon, heroes of the last race, both crashed in practice and qualified in their spare cars, fourth and seventeenth, respectively. Jacky Ickx got pole position ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi and Peter Revson. At the start, Jean-Pierre Beltoise jumped up to third but quickly started to hold up the pack, which meant that the front two created a big lead over the first few laps. But with Beltoise's retirement on lap 22 and the leaders having trouble getting past a backmarker, Jackie Stewart gradually closed up and, on lap 25, managed to overtake Fittipaldi. After the Brazilian got back past, the leading pack stayed in their respective order until Ickx's Ferrari started leaking oil and he had to retire on lap 49. Fittipaldi took the win ahead of Stewart and Revson, only the top three finishing on the lead lap. Ronnie Peterson was fourth until his engine and gearbox gave up, he crashed off the road and hit two cars that had retired at the same spot earlier in the race. Chris Amon finished in a surprising fourth position ahead of Denny Hulme.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1972/23/the-rac-british-grand-prix/ https://web.archive.org/web/20230606163700/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-1972/23/the-rac-british-grand-prix/ 1972 British Grand Prix race report - Uninspiring MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson 15 July 1972 6 June 2023 28 February 2024 In the drivers' championship, Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus) led with 43 points, ahead of Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell) with 27 and Denny Hulme (McLaren) with 21. The manufacturers' championship saw Lotus in the lead with 43 points, ahead of Tyrrell with 33 and McLaren with 27. Rounds 8 to 10 The German Grand Prix was held at the most demanding circuit on the calendar: the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife. In practice, Francois Cevert got air at Pflanzgarten corner and was one of four drivers to crash off the track. All escaped unhurt, but left their respective teams with a lot of repair work. The unofficial lap record was beaten by a full ten seconds on Friday and Ferrari's Jacky Ickx went another three seconds faster on Saturday to claim pole position, ahead of championship leaders Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi. Ronnie Peterson started in fourth in his March but was second after the start. Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari) got up to third, while Stewart fell back behind Fittipaldi. After two laps of the 22.8 km on circuit, Ickx was out of sight of his nearest challengers and kept setting new lap records. Fittipaldi got up to second, but Stewart was stuck in fifth place. When Peterson locked up, Regazzoni and Stewart got by, and they even gained another place when Fittipaldi's gearbox blew up and caused an engine fire. On lap 10, Henri Pescarolo suffered an enormous crash at Adenau corner but was unhurt. Ickx's engine was losing a bit of power due to a split exhaust manifold, but he won the race with almost a minute to spare. By leading every lap, he actually achieved a grand chelem. On the second-to-last lap, Stewart saw a chance to finally get past Regazzoni, but their wheels touched and the Scot crashed off. So the Ferraris finished 1-2 ahead of Peterson in the March.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1972/48/the-34th-german-grand-prix/ https://web.archive.org/web/20230530212248/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1972/48/the-34th-german-grand-prix/ 1972 German Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine admin 30 July 1972 30 May 2023 28 February 2024 The Austrian Grand Prix was held in really hot and sunny conditions. Fittipaldi scored pole position ahead of Regazzoni and Stewart. At the start of the race, they went three-wide into the first corner and it was Stewart who took the lead. Fittipaldi fell back to third but overtook Regazzoni when the Ferrari's engine sputtered. The Brazilian gradually closed up to the leader. On lap 23, the lead changed hands and Denny Hulme was challenging for second. Stewart's Tyrrell looked to have trouble with its rear suspension and the Scot would eventually finish seventh, over a minute down. Fittipaldi and Hulme fought a close battle, the Lotus crossing the line just over a second ahead of the McLaren. Hulme's teammate Peter Revson finished third.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1972/25/austrian-grand-prix-14/ https://web.archive.org/web/20230603220510/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1972/25/austrian-grand-prix-14/ 1972 Austrian Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson 13 August 1972 3 June 2023 28 February 2024 thumb|225px|Start of the Italian Grand Prix The European leg of the season concluded with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The circuit had been slowed down by two chicanes, so for once this year, earlier lap records would not be challenged. Jacky Ickx delighted the crowd with a pole position for Ferrari, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Chris Amon in the Matra. Stewart started third, Fittipaldi in sixth. However, seconds after the start, Stewart lost all drive from his engine and had to retire. Ickx and Amon had a trouble-free getaway, while dust on the track left the rest of the field blind into the first corner. No accidents happened but Niki Lauda retired, as the dust had clogged up his March's throttle system. Amon fell back to fifth place, promoting Regazzoni to second, and even to first when the Swiss driver passed his teammate for the lead. Francois Cevert retirement on lap 14 left Tyrrell's championships hopes seriously diminished. Regazzoni hit Carlos Pace when the Brazilian was recovering from a spin and both cars were out of the race. A lot of drivers retired, including Amon with overheating brakes and, on lap 46, leader Jacky Ickx with a failure of all the electrics. Fittipaldi took the win ahead of Hailwood in the Surtees and Hulme in the McLaren.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1972/25/the-43rd-italian-grand-prix/ https://web.archive.org/web/20230530200223/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1972/25/the-43rd-italian-grand-prix/ 1972 Italian Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Denis Jenkinson 10 September 1972 30 May 2023 28 February 2024 With an unsurmountable lead of 30 points over his nearest rival, Emerson Fittipaldi clinched the 1972 Drivers' Championship. At the age of 25, he was the youngest-ever World Champion, a record that would stand until 2005. Denny Hulme (McLaren) had overtaken Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell) in the championship, standing on 31 points compared to 27. Lotus secured the Manufacturers' Championship since McLaren and Tyrrell were now too far back. Rounds 11 and 12 thumb|225px|After securing pole position, Peter Revson crashed out of qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. The McLaren drivers were already familiar with the Mosport International Raceway, host of the Canadian Grand Prix, thanks to their experience in Can-Am. They managed to secure a 1–2 on the grid, Peter Revson ahead of Denny Hulme, with a surprising Ronnie Peterson in third. And it was the Swede that actually reached the first corner first, while Hulme fell back when dirt clogged up his throttle. Coming to complete the first lap, Peterson almost crashed out, and after another mistake a few laps later, he lost the lead to Jackie Stewart. Champion Emerson Fittipaldi was challenging Revson for third. Peterson collided with Graham Hill when trying to lap him. He stopped with a bent steering column and was pushed into the pits. When he rejoined, he found Hill and made clear that the Brit knew how he felt. Peterson was later disqualified for the push up the pits. Fittipaldi fell back with damage to the nose of his car, so on the podium stood Stewart, Revson and Hulme.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/november-1972/39/canadian-grand-prix-5 https://web.archive.org/web/20220706092116/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/november-1972/39/canadian-grand-prix-5 1972 Canadian Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Andrew Marriott 24 September 1972 6 July 2022 28 February 2024 Coming to the final race of the championship, the United States Grand Prix, Stewart was determined to show that the loss of the title did not mean a loss of form, and it would be one of the most convincing wins of his career, achieving a hat-trick of pole position, fastest lap and victory. Revson and Hulme started second and third for McLaren. At the start, Revson was caught up in a collision with Regazzoni and Reutemann, so Hulme was up to second and Fittipaldi up to third. Future champion Jody Scheckter was running fourth in his debut race and actually went past the freshly crowned Brazilian, but when a sudden shower arrived, he spun off at the first corner. Stewart was now leading 40 seconds ahead of his teammate Francois Cevert, and then the McLaren of Hulme.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/november-1972/28/united-states-grand-prix https://web.archive.org/web/20211128211101/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/november-1972/28/united-states-grand-prix 1972 United States Grand Prix race report MotorsportMagazine Motor Sport 8 October 1972 28 November 2021 28 February 2024 Emerson Fittipaldi finished on top of the standings with 61 points, ahead of Jackie Stewart with 45 and Denny Hulme with 39. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Lotus were first with 61 points. Tyrrell were now second (51), having just overtaken McLaren (47). Results and standings Grands Prix Round Grand Prix Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning constructor Tyre Report 1 ARG Argentine Grand Prix ARG Carlos Reutemann GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Tyrrell-Ford Goodyear Report 2 ZAF 1928 South African Grand Prix GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Mike Hailwood NZL Denny Hulme GBR McLaren-Ford Goodyear Report 3 ESP 1945 Spanish Grand Prix BEL Jacky Ickx BEL Jacky Ickx BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Ford Firestone Report 4 MCO Monaco Grand Prix BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi FRA Jean-Pierre Beltoise FRA Jean-Pierre Beltoise GBR BRM Firestone Report 5 BEL Belgian Grand Prix BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi NZL Chris Amon BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Ford Firestone Report 6 FRA French Grand Prix NZL Chris Amon NZL Chris Amon GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Tyrrell-Ford Goodyear Report 7 GBR British Grand Prix BEL Jacky Ickx GBR Jackie Stewart BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Ford Firestone Report 8 FRG German Grand Prix BEL Jacky Ickx BEL Jacky Ickx BEL Jacky Ickx ITA Ferrari Firestone Report 9 AUT Austrian Grand Prix BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi NZL Denny Hulme BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Ford Firestone Report 10 ITA Italian Grand Prix BEL Jacky Ickx BEL Jacky Ickx BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Ford Firestone Report 11 CAN Canadian Grand Prix USA Peter Revson GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Tyrrell-Ford Goodyear Report 12 USA United States Grand Prix GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Jackie Stewart GBR Tyrrell-Ford Goodyear Report Scoring system List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems Points were awarded to the top six classified finishers. The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers only counted the points of the highest-finishing driver for each race. For both the Championship and the Cup, the best five results from rounds 1–6 and the best five results from rounds 7–12 were counted. Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored. Points were awarded in the following system: Position 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th Race964321Source:18 January 2019 World Championship points systems http://8w.forix.com/6thgear/points.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20190924032459/http://8w.forix.com/6thgear/points.html 24 September 2019 21 December 2020 8W Forix World Drivers' Championship standings thumb|175px|Emerson Fittipaldi (pictured in 2008) won the Drivers' Championship, driving for Lotus Pos Driver ARGARG RSAZAF 1928 ESPESP 1945 MONMCO BELBEL FRAFRA GBRGBR GERFRG AUTAUT ITAITA CANCAN USAUSA Points 1 BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi Ret 2 1 3 p 1 p 2 1 Ret 1 p 1 11 Ret61 2 GBR Jackie Stewart 1 f Ret p Ret 4 1 2 f 11 7 Ret 1 f 1 p f45 3 NZL Denny Hulme 2 1 Ret 15 3 7 5 Ret 2 f 3 3 339 4 BEL Jacky Ickx 3 8 2 p f 2 Ret 11 Ret p 1 p f Ret Ret p f 12 527 5 USA Peter Revson Ret 3 5 7 3 3 4 2 p 1823 6 FRA François Cevert Ret 9 Ret NC 2 4 Ret 10 9 Ret Ret 215 7 CHE Clay Regazzoni 4 12 3 Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret 5 815 8 GBR Mike Hailwood Ret f Ret Ret 4 6 Ret Ret 4 2 1713 9 SWE Ronnie Peterson 6 5 Ret 11 9 5 7 3 12 9 DSQ 412 10 NZL Chris Amon DNS 15 Ret 6 6 f 3 p f 4 15 5 Ret 6 1512 11 FRA Jean-Pierre Beltoise Ret Ret 1 f Ret 15 11 9 8 8 Ret Ret9 12 USA Mario Andretti Ret 4 Ret 7 64 13 NZL Howden Ganley 9 NC Ret Ret 8 DNS 4 6 11 10 Ret4 14 GBR Brian Redman 5 9 5 Ret4 15 GBR Graham Hill Ret 6 10 12 Ret 10 Ret 6 Ret 5 8 114 16 ARG Carlos Reutemann 7 p Ret 13 12 8 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret3 17 ITA Andrea de Adamich Ret NC 4 7 Ret 14 Ret 13 14 Ret Ret Ret3 18 BRA 1968 Carlos Pace 17 6 17 5 Ret Ret NC NC Ret 9 Ret3 19 AUS Tim Schenken 5 Ret 8 Ret Ret 17 Ret 14 11 Ret 7 Ret2 20 ITA Arturo Merzario 6 121 21 GBR Peter Gethin Ret NC Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret 13 6 Ret Ret1 — BRA 1968 Wilson Fittipaldi 7 9 Ret 8 12 7 Ret Ret Ret Ret0 — AUT Niki Lauda 11 7 Ret 16 12 Ret 9 Ret 10 13 DSQ NC0 — FRA Patrick Depailler NC 70 — AUT Helmut Marko 10 14 8 10 Ret0 — GBR Mike Beuttler DNQ 13 Ret 19 13 8 Ret 10 NC 130 — FRA Henri Pescarolo 8 11 11 Ret NC DNS Ret Ret DNS DNQ 13 140 — AUS David Walker DSQ 10 9 14 14 18 Ret Ret Ret Ret0 — ZAF 1928 Jody Scheckter 90 — FRG Rolf Stommelen 13 Ret 10 11 16 10 Ret 150 — SWE Reine Wisell Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 100 — USA Sam Posey 120 — ITA Nanni Galli Ret 13 Ret NC Ret0 — USA Skip Barber NC 160 — RHO John Love 160 — ZAF 1928 Dave Charlton Ret DNQ Ret Ret0 — GBR Derek Bell DNS Ret DNQ DNS Ret0 — ESP 1945 Alex Soler-Roig Ret Ret0 — GBR Jackie Oliver Ret0 — FRA François Migault DNS Ret0 — GBR John Surtees Ret DNS0 — CAN Bill Brack Ret0 — ZAF 1928 William Ferguson DNS0 — AUS Vern Schuppan DNS0 Pos Driver ARGARG RSAZAF 1928 ESPESP 1945 MONMCO BELBEL FRAFRA GBRGBR GERFRG AUTAUT ITAITA CANCAN USAUSA Points International Cup for F1 Manufacturers standings thumb|Lotus-Ford won the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers Pos. Manufacturer ARGARG RSAZAF 1928 ESPESP 1945 MONMCO BELBEL FRAFRA GBRGBR GERFRG AUTAUT ITAITA CANCAN USAUSA Pts.Only the best 5 results from the first 6 rounds and the best 5 results from the last 6 rounds counted towards the championship. Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored. 1 GBR Lotus-Ford Ret 2 1 3 1 2 1 Ret 1 1 11 10 61 2 GBR Tyrrell-Ford 1 9 Ret 4 2 1 2 10 7 Ret 1 1 51 3 GBR McLaren-Ford 2 1 5 5 3 7 3 (5) 2 3 2 3 47 (49) 4 ITA Ferrari 3 4 2 2 Ret 11 6 1 Ret 7 5 5 33 5 GBR Surtees-Ford 5 16 4 7 4 6 Ret 13 4 2 7 12 18 6 GBR March-Ford 6 5 6 11 5 5 7 3 10 9 9 4 15 7 GBR BRM 9 14 Ret 1 8 15 11 4 6 6 10 Ret 14 8 FRA Matra DNS 15 Ret 6 6 3 4 15 5 Ret 6 15 12 9 GBR Brabham-Ford 7 6 7 9 13 8 8 6 Ret 5 4 11 7 — FRG Eifelland-Ford 13 Ret 10 11 16 10 Ret 15 0 — ITA Tecno Ret DNS Ret Ret NC Ret DNS Ret 0 — GBR Politoys-Ford Ret 0 — GBR Connew-Ford DNS Ret 0 Pos. Manufacturer ARGARG RSAZAF 1928 ESPESP 1945 MONMCO BELBEL FRAFRA GBRGBR GERFRG AUTAUT ITAITA CANCAN USAUSA Pts. Bold results counted to championship totals. Non-championship races Other Formula One races were also held in 1972, which did not count towards the World Championship. Race name Circuit Date Winning driver Constructor Report GBR VII Race of Champions Brands Hatch 19 March BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Cosworth Report BRA 1968 I Brazilian Grand Prix Interlagos 30 March ARG Carlos Reutemann GBR Brabham-Cosworth Report GBR XXIV BRDC International Trophy Silverstone 23 April BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Cosworth Report GBR XIX International Gold Cup Oulton Park 29 May NZL Denny Hulme GBR McLaren-Cosworth Report ITA I Italian Republic Grand Prix Vallelunga 18 June BRA 1968 Emerson Fittipaldi GBR Lotus-Cosworth Report GBR II World Championship Victory Race Brands Hatch 22 October FRA Jean-Pierre Beltoise GBR BRM Report Notes References External links 1972 World Championship race results and images at f1-facts.com Category:Formula One seasons