Tag Archives: Regazzoni

Life is More Important Than A Championship – Ferrari 312 T2 #028, #027 & #026

Today’s photographs come courtesy of another school friend Sven Platt who was lucky to see one of the most controversial British Grand Prix of all time at Brands Hatch in 1976.

The 1976 Grand Prix season was probably the most fascinating of all time, it had technical innovation in the form of a six wheel car, it had a dashing up and coming Englishman given a last minute chance in a top team, all trying to wrest the drivers and constructors title from the reigning champions Ferrari and “Super Rat” Niki Lauda, the first titles Ferrari had won since 1964. The track action was matched by some equally spectacular off track twists and turns that saw Ferrari and McLaren pressure all and sundry who stood in their way. To put into perspective the grandeur of the season Ron Howard famed for making films like Cocoon, Apollo 13 and The Da Vinci Code is currently shooting a film in England all about the 1976 Grand Prix Season called ‘Rush’ which will probably be released before the end of the year.

Niki Lauda started the 1976 season pretty much where he left the 1975 season off taking two straight wins and his team mate Clay Regazonni taking Ferrari’s third straight win of the season all with 1975 Ferrari 312 T’s. Then at the Spanish Grand Prix new rules were adopted mostly tightening up the maximum dimensions of the cars including the overall width. The big technological innovation was the six wheel Tyrrell driven by Patrick Depailler 3rd behind Niki Lauda and James Hunt, McLaren’s last minute signing at the start of the season, who was on his third pole position from four races.

James Hunt crossed the line first in his modestly revised McLaren M23 and Niki Lauda came in second with a more heavily revised 312 T2 still with the 180 degree V12 engine the same transverse gearbox but an all together slimmer model than it’s predecessor the 312 T. Then the fun and games really started when the M23 failed its post race technical inspection for being 1.8 cm less than an inch too wide. This saw James instantly disqualified elevating Niki Lauda to the top spot of the podium. McLaren immediately posted an appeal, and the circus moved on to Belgium and Monaco where Niki Lauda again triumphed both times form pole.

Pending a McLaren appeal Niki was now in an almost unassailable lead in the championship with 5 victories from six races and with Ferrari pending appeal on six for six. In Sweden however real technological innovation broke the Ferrari by taking it’s one, and only, win and an easy second place in the hands of Jody Scheckter who beat team mate Patrick Depailler driving the novelty six wheel Tyrrells since the two Tyrrells had three axles a piece in theory they locked out the three step between them !

Ferrari 312 T2, Brand Hatch, Sven Platt

However the six wheel Tyrrells were never to win, let alone dominate, a race again and at the French Grand Prix it was James Hunt who pending his Spanish appeal made his first win for McLaren official. The next race was the British Grand Prix where these photo’s were taken by my school friend Sven. On the opening corner of the opening lap of British Grand Prix Clay Regazzoni starting from 4th on the grid got the drop on Hunt starting second but in the process lost control clipping Lauda who was ahead of him and leaving James Hunt no place to go except to broadside Clay in the #2 Ferrari.

This collision brought out an immediate red flag Lauda’s car was undamaged, Clays car could take no further part and James car took a short cut back to the pits for hasty repairs. There was nearly a riot when James was initially refused permission to take the 2nd start but following a near riot the organisers saw sense and let the race go ahead with a full compliment of cars. James won the race from the second start with Lauda second. Immediately after the race followed more protests which saw Regazzoni disqualified for failing to start in the same car he qualified. Hunts win was also protested all the way to the FIA who would decide Hunts fate some months later.

Around this time the outcome of the Spanish GP was decided in favour of James Hunt after the the governing body of the FIA accepted McLaren’s argument that their car had only been too wide because the tyres when not moving buldged outwards by at least the amount of the infraction due to the absence of centrifugal force acting on them when measured and therefore the infraction was not deliberate and gave no advantage. Immediately after the Spanish GP McLaren narrowed the rear track of their cars to prevent any reoccurence of this problem.

So it was on to the German GP where this Niki Lauda fan had the questionable privilege of spectating as first Hunt beat Lauda to pole and then not more than half a mile away from me a thin column of smoke arose on the second lap where Niki Lauda who pitted on the opening lap for slick tyres had come to rest with his car ablaze after loosing control of it on a relatively simple part of the Nurburgring.

Ferrari 312 T2, Brand Hatch, Sven Platt

With the track blocked fellow drivers Guy Edwards, Harold Ertl, Brett Lunger and Art Mezairio were the only people in reach to release Niki from his burning car. Eventually a helicopter arrived and took Niki to hospital where he would be read the last rights by a priest before making an astounding come back just six weeks later.

Hunt won the restarted German Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix in Niki’s absence with John Watson driving the Penske scoring the last Grand Prix victory until this day in an American entered car, at the intervening Austrian Grand Prix.

At the Italian Grand Prix Ferrari showed in strength with an unusual for the time three car team one car for Regazzoni which qualified 9th, a car for new signing Carlos Reutemann which qualified 7th and amazingly a car for Niki Lauda who’s head was still heavily rapped in bandages from the burns he had received 6 weeks earlier in Germany qualifying fastest of the Ferrari’s in 5th.

Further shenanigans came to ahead when Watson, Hunt and his team mate Jochen Mass had their Saturday qualifying times of 8th to 10th respectively disallowed due to fuel irregularities which rendered them out of the race until it was found that Otto Stupacher had already gone home and then Art Mezario and Guy Edwards had both withdrawn allowing Hunt, Mass and Watson back into the race at the back of the grid.

Ferrari 312 T2, Brand Hatch, Sven Platt

By the races end it mattered little neither Hunt nor Mass finished and Lauda made moved only 3 points further ahead of Hunt with a 4th place finish. Hunt was then disqualified from the British Grand Prix for an alleged push start away from the incident with Regazzoni on the opening lap. At the Canadian Grand Prix James lead from pole making up nine points on Niki who qualified sixth but could only finish out of the points in 8th.

Still 8 points behind Lauda going into the US Grand Prix East James won from pole again scoring nine more points but Niki managed to convert 5th on the grid to an unbelievable, considering he was still heavily wrapped in bandages, 3rd place and four points and so maintained a 3 point lead going into the final race of the season at Fuji in Japan.

Mario Andretti took pole in the single most improved design of the 1976 season the Lotus 77 with championship contenders Hunt and Lauda right behind him in 2nd and 3rd. Race day dawned monsoon like with mist and fog shrouding the track. Despite much debate and water running across the track the race went ahead with all drivers taking the start and Hunt leading the way from Andretti, at the end of the opening lap Niki with no eyelids decided his life was worth more than a title and pulled into the pits virtually handing James the title on the plate.

However as the track dried Hunt started to fall back and pitted with a puncture rejoining in 5th place with just two laps to go since Andretti had by now lapped the entire field. Hunt went storming off needing to over take at least two cars to level the points and take the title on a count back of wins 6-5 in favor of James, he pulled it off passing Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni who were struggling on the drying track with their worn wet tyres, James completely unaware of his position in the race or the Championship then passed Depailler in the six wheel Tyrrell to take third and win the title by a single point.

Ferrari 312 T2, Brand Hatch, Sven Platt

Ferrari won the constructors championship by nine points, having a more reliable car and having a higher scoring 2nd string driver in Regazzoni than Jochen Mass in the McLaren. So ended possibly the most storied season in Grand Prix racing, certainly so far as the author, who got up at 5am to watch the final race of the season on television is concerned.

In the first two photographs the #1 Ferrari is seen driven by Niki Lauda, during practice in the top photo without his name on the cokcpit side. This chassis 028 was brand new for the British Grand Prix, where Niki was eventually awarded the win. In the second photo Niki is seen leading Welshman Tom Pryce driving a Shadow whom Niki had just lapped. At the following race in Germany Niki so very nearly met his maker when he lost control of chassis 028 on lap 2 of the German Grand Prix, impact with the crash barrier knocked Niki’s helmet off while the car simultaneously burst into flames. #028 was never to be seen in public again.

Clay Regazzoni is seen in the third photo driving the #2 car chassis #027 which Clay used throughout the 1976 season from the Monaco Grand Prix onwards scoring two second place finishes in Holland and Italy. Clay damaged this car during the first corner fracas at the British Grand Prix and so took the restart in chassis #026 for which he would later be disqualified for not having used it to qualify for the race.

In the fourth and final photo Clay is seen prior to retirement, and eventual disqualification, battling with Gunnar Nilson in the #6 Lotus 77 at the entrance to the notorious off camber downhill Paddock Bend after the restart of the race. Chassis #026 was used by Niki Lauda early in the season with which he came 2nd in Spain and First in Monaco and third in Sweden, the car was then past over to Regazzoni who after damaging it at the British Grand Prix only used it as a spare car for practice there after in Germany and Holland before it was re prepared for Niki’s comeback in Italy and the remainder of the season scoring 4th in Italy and a 3rd place in the United States East.

My thanks to Sven Platt for the use of his photo’s.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Life Is More Important Than A Championship edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow, don’t forget to come back now !

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Debut Winner – Ferrari 312 B2 #005

Last week I looked at the Ferrari 312 B2 with which Clay Regazzoni inadvertently ended Jackie Stewart’s championship run at the German Grand Prix, this week Ferrari Friday features #007’s sister car #005 the first of the 312 B2 chassis built in 1971.

Ferrari 312 B2, British GP, Brands Hatch

This photo, taken by a school friend, shows Jacky Ickx driving 312 B2 #005 in the 1972 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. Ickx qualified on pole position  and stormed away from championship contenders Emerson Fittipaldi and Jackie Stewart in the early going until lap 49 of 76 when the magic flat 12 lost oil pressure as a result of a split oil tank. Fittipaldi  and Stewart then battled over the lead which Fittipaldi won.

Two weeks later Ickx won pole position at the German Grand Prix and this time chassis 005 held together to take a dominant victory on the most challenging Grand Prix track in the championship the Nurburgring.

312 B2 #005 was the first of the B2 chassis, readied for Clay Regazzoni in the 1971 season. Clay scored a debut win with #005 at the non championship 1971 Race of Champions but the rest of his 1971 season did not go so well with a pole position at the British GP and two thirds in Holland and Germany marking Clays only visits to the podium amongst 4 retirements and minor placings .

Clay started the 1972 season again with #005 scoring just one points paying 4th place finish in the season opening Argentine GP. In the month between the 1972 Belgian and French GP’s chassis #005 was assigned to Jacky Ickx who scored a further pole position at the Italian GP in addition to his achievements in Britain and Germany outlined above.

Arturo Mezzario drove #005 for the last time in the 1973 South African Grand Prix where he came home 4th.

If you are the school boy who took this photo, thanks for giving it to me all those years ago and please get in touch !

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Debut Winner’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the Formula Junior Lotus 27. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Stewart’s Nemesis – Ferrari 312 B2 #007

In 1970 Ferrari launched the first in a long line of Grand Prix cars powered by flat 12 motors that would eventually power Niki Lauda to World Championships in 1975 and ’77 and Jody Scheckter to a Championship in 1979.

Ferrari 312 B2, Donnington Museum

The initial incarnation of the flat 12 powered Ferrari Grand Prix challenger was known as the Ferrari 312 B, B for boxer although the motor is actually a 180 degree V12 design ie the crank pins operate pairs of pistons rather than individual pistons as on a true boxer motor. The 312 B in the hands of Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni scored 4 championship Grand Prix wins at the end of 1970 in the absence of Jochen Rindt who would be declared the World Champion posthumously.

Ferrari 312 B2, Donnington Museum

For 1971 Mario Andretti joined Ickx and Regazzoni and won the South African GP in a 312B and a non championship race at Ontario before the team introduced the 312 B2 of the type seen here at the Donnington Park Museum. The new car showed some initial promise with Ickx winning the Dutch Grand Prix second time out in part thanks to the superiority of the Firestone wet weather tyres but there after the B2’s suffered appalling reliability with Ickx and Regazzoni and Andretti scoring points on just 4 occasions from 15 further starts between them in the remaining 1971 season.

Ferrari 312 B2, Donnington Museum

Things did not improve much in 1972 when Lotus and Tyrrell’s now joined by McLaren’s superior reliability left only scraps on the table for forth placed Ferrari who’s highlight of the year was a one two finish at the Nurburgring for Ickx and Regazzoni after Regazzoni was involved in contact with Jackie Stewart’s Tyrrell that all but ended the Scotsman’s 1972 World Championship challenge.

Ferrari 312 B2, Donnington Museum

For 1973 Ferrari would have it’s first ever monocoque chassis, built in England, prepared in the guise of the 312 B3 for what would be an even more disastrous season than 1972, but for the first three races of the season the old B2 wheeled out and driven by Ickx and Arturo Mezario the B2 scored 11 of the teams 12 points that saw Ferrari plummet to 6th in the constructors championship.

This particular chassis appears to be #007, the four B2 chassis numbers carried on where the B finished off and so were numbered 005 to 008. Andretti drove this car to 4th place finishes in Germany ’71 and South Africa ’72 and Clay Regazzoni drove the car at the ’72 German Grand Prix to the 2nd place finish that all but ended  Stewart’s championship run in the process.

My thanks to galbet and Sire Bruno de Losckley at Ferrari Chat for helping to sort out which car this is.

Thanks for joining me on ‘Stewart’s Nemesis’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Ferrari Turned Ugly – Ferrari 312 P #0876 ?

Some months ago I said that after Niki Lauda tested the proposed Ferrari 312 P sports prototype for 1974 he advised Enzo Ferrari that if he wanted to win the World Formula One Championship that he ought to drop the Sports Prototype Programme.

Ferrari P312 #0876 ?

(Ferrari 312 P 1974 Spec, Copyright holder unknown image will be correctly credited or removed upon request.)

The photo above shows Niki Lauda testing the 1974 312 P that is thought to be the work of Mauro ‘Fury’ Forghieri who simultaneously was working on turning the Formula One Ferrari 312 B3 into a competitive proposition.

It has emerged that it was more likely that Niki and Luca de Montemezolo between them successfully convinced Mr Ferrari that continuing the sports prototype programme was not a good idea.

Ferrari P312 #0876 ?

(Ferrari 312 P 1974 Spec, Copyright holder unknown image will be correctly credited or removed upon request.)

As can be seen above even after the alleged advice and Lauda’s test drive, the car, seen here with Niki’s team mate Clay Regazzoni at the wheel, was developed further with the wide front wing being added before the car was dropped and plans to enter the World Sportscar Championship were abandoned.

It would appear 1974 spec 312 P was based on a short wheel base 1971 312 P chassis, probably #0876, this car, with it’s even more distinctive driver side cooler arrangement, than we saw in last weeks 1973 312 P blog, was never raced and has not ever been seen in public.

It is thought likely the car got destroyed on the orders of Enzo Ferrari early in 1974 before the Italian Tax Authorities were due to pay Mr Ferrari a visit.

My thanks to everyone on the 1974 Ferrari 312PB ‘evo’ thread at The Nostalgia Forum who contributed to this blog.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s Ugly Sister edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, and that you will join me again, tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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