German GP 1971

German GP, 1971

After a year away at Hockenheim, the German Grand Prix returned to the Nurburgring where the track had been resurfaced, additional run-off area had been created, and barriers and catch-fencing had been installed.

Missing from the regular grid was Jean-Pierre Beltoise who had been a further period of license suspension which resulted from the accident in Buenos Aires in January which had claimed the life of Ignazio Giunti. He was not replaced. Vic Elford reappeared as the wheel of a BRM ( replacing Pedro Rodriguez, who had been killed a few weeks earlier in a sportscar accident). Ferrari was back up the three cars again with Mario Andretti not having any USAC commitments that weekend.

Qualifying resulted in Jackie Stewart taking pole position for Tyrrell with Jacky Ickx alongside side him on the front row in his Ferrari. Jo Siffert (BRM) and Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari) were on row two with Francois Cevert (Tyrrell) and Denny Hulme (McLaren) on row three. The top 10 was completed by Ronnie Peterson (March), Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus), Tim Schenken (Brabham) and Henri Pescarolo (Frank Williams March).

One man who failed to qualify was F1 new boy Helmut Marko from Austria who was running in Jo Bonnier's old McLaren. He fell out with the team when the car ran out of fuel on the first lap out of the pits.

There was a huge crowd for the race on Sunday and as Graham Hill (Brabham) and Reine Wisell (Lotus) both hand problems before the start only 20 cars lined up on the grid. Ickx took the lead from Stewart but the Tyrrell was soon back ahead again and pulling away from the rest with Ickx being chased by Regazzoni, Hulme, Siffert, Peterson and Cevert. On the second lap Ickx spun off at the Wippermann corner and Regazzoni went off as he tried to avoid his team mate. This left Stewart with a big lead over Siffert (who had overtaken Hulme). Regazzoni rejoined in third and Peterson (who had also overtaken Hulme) was fourth. The McLaren driver soon fell behind Andretti and Cevert, and the Tyrrell driver soon passed the Ferrari so was up to fifth. In the laps that followed Cevert was the man to watch as he overtook Peterson, Siffert (who soon dropped behind Regazzoni) and then Regazzoni himself. Thereafter the order remained stable at the front with a Tyrrell 1-2 the result. Regazzoni was third with Andretti catching and passing Peterson for fourth.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Cosworth 003 12 1h29m15.700s  
Francois Cevert Tyrrell-Cosworth 002 12 1h29m45.800s  
Clay Regazzoni Ferrari 312B2 12 1h29m52.800s  
Mario Andretti Ferrari 312B2 12 1h31m20.700s  11 
15 Ronnie Peterson March-Cosworth 711 12 1h31m44.800s  
25 Tim Schenken Brabham-Cosworth BT33 12 1h32m14.300s  
John Surtees Surtees-Cosworth TS9 12 1h32m34.700s  15 
Reine Wisell Lotus-Cosworth 72D 12 1h35m47.400s  17 
24 Graham Hill Brabham-Cosworth BT34 12 1h35m52.700s  13 
10 12 Rolf Stommelen Surtees-Cosworth TS9 11  12 
11 22 Vic Elford BRM P160 11  18 
12 17 Giovanni Galli March-Alfa Romeo 711 10  21 
Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Cosworth 72D Mechanical 
21 Jo Siffert BRM P160 Coil 
10 Chris Amon Matra Simca-Matra MS120B Accident 16 
20 Peter Gethin McLaren-Cosworth M19A Suspension/ Accident 19 
14 Henri Pescarolo March-Cosworth 711 Suspension 10 
dq 28 Mike Beuttler March-Cosworth 711 Incorrect Route Into Pits 22 
18 Denny Hulme McLaren-Cosworth M19A Fuel Leak 
16 Andrea de Adamich March-Alfa Romeo 711 Fuel Injection 20 
23 Howden Ganley BRM P153 Engine 14 
Jacky Ickx Ferrari 312B2 Accident 
nq 27 Jo Bonnier McLaren-Cosworth M7C   23 
nq 27 Helmut Marko McLaren-Cosworth M7C  Out Of Fuel 24