1972 French Grand Prix

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1972 French Grand Prix
Circuit Charade 1958 1988.png
Race details
Date2 July 1972
Location Circuit de Charade
Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France
Course Temporary street circuit
Course length 8.055 km (5.005 miles)
Distance 38 laps, 306.09 km (190.19 miles)
Pole position
Driver Matra
Time 2:53.4
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Matra
Time 2:53.9 on lap 32
Podium
First Tyrrell-Ford
Second Lotus-Ford
Third Matra
Lap leaders
  • 1972 French Grand Prix
Poleman and third-place finisher Chris Amon in front of fourth place finisher Francois Cevert 1972 French Grand Prix Amon (5225676175).jpg
Poleman and third-place finisher Chris Amon in front of fourth place finisher François Cevert

The 1972 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Charade in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France on 2 July 1972. It was race 6 of 12 in both the 1972 World Championship of Drivers and the 1972 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.

Contents

The Circuit de Charade's natural setting around the base of an extinct volcano created safety concerns due to the dark, volcanic rocks which fell from the mountain onto both sides of the track. [1] [2] Drivers who skirted the track edge would often send rocks flying into the middle of the road and into the way of pursuing competitors. [1] [2] The hazard was highlighted when driver Helmut Marko suffered a career-ending injury during the race, when a stone thrown from Ronnie Peterson's March penetrated his helmet visor and blinded him in the left eye. [1] [2] [a] The rocks also meant that tyre punctures were a perennial hazard on the circuit, as was shown when ten competitors suffered punctures during the race. [1] [2] The French Grand Prix was moved to the new Circuit Paul Ricard for 1973.

Chris Amon achieved the fifth and final pole position of his career and was leading the race in his Matra until a puncture forced him to pit, leaving Jackie Stewart to win in his Tyrrell-Ford. Emerson Fittipaldi finished second, just ahead of a charging Amon, who shattered the circuit's lap record.

Qualifying

Qualifying classification

Pos.NoDriverConstructorTimeGapGrid
19 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Matra 2:53.41
22 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 2:54.2+0.82
34 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford 2:55.0+1.63
43 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ferrari 2:55.1+1.74
527 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Schenken Surtees-Ford 2:57.2+3.85
625 Flag of Austria.svg Helmut Marko BRM 2:57.3+3.96
77 Flag of France.svg François Cevert Tyrrell-Ford 2:58.1+4.77
81 Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Ford 2:58.1+4.78
912 Flag of Sweden.svg Ronnie Peterson March-Ford 2:58.2+4.89
1026 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Hailwood Surtees-Ford 2:58.3+4.910
1117 Flag of Brazil.svg Carlos Pace March-Ford 2:58.6+5.211
1216 Flag of France.svg Henri Pescarolo March-Ford 2:59.0+5.6DNS
1328 Flag of Italy.svg Andrea de Adamich Surtees-Ford 2:59.1+5.712
1411 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman McLaren-Ford 2:59.4+6.013
1519 Flag of Brazil.svg Wilson Fittipaldi Brabham-Ford 2:59.5+6.114
1610 Flag of Germany.svg Rolf Stommelen Eifelland-Ford 2:59.6+6.215
178 Flag of France.svg Patrick Depailler Tyrrell-Ford 2:59.6+6.216
1820 Flag of Argentina.svg Carlos Reutemann Brabham-Ford 3:00.7+7.317
1924 Flag of Sweden.svg Reine Wisell BRM 3:00.7+7.318
2030 Flag of Italy.svg Nanni Galli Ferrari 3:00.7+7.319
2123 Flag of New Zealand.svg Howden Ganley BRM 3:02.0+8.6DNS
2222 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Gethin BRM 3:02.8+9.4DNS
2318 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Hill Brabham-Ford 3:03.0+9.620
2414 Flag of Austria.svg Niki Lauda March-Ford 3:03.1+9.721
256 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dave Walker Lotus-Ford 3:04.7+11.322
2615 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Beuttler March-Ford 3:05.9+12.523
2721 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Bell Tecno 3:06.9+13.5DNS
5 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Beltoise BRM no time24
DNQ29 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Dave Charlton Lotus-Ford 3:11.6+18.2

Race

Classification

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
14 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford 381:52:22.539
21 Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Ford 38+ 27.786
39 Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon Matra 38+ 31.914
47 Flag of France.svg François Cevert Tyrrell-Ford 38+ 49.373
512 Flag of Sweden.svg Ronnie Peterson March-Ford 38+ 56.892
626 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Hailwood Surtees-Ford 38+ 1:36.1101
72 Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 38+ 1:48.12 
819 Flag of Brazil.svg Wilson Fittipaldi Brabham-Ford 38+ 2:25.114 
911 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman McLaren-Ford 38+ 2:55.513 
1018 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Hill Brabham-Ford 38+ 2:59.520 
113 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx Ferrari 37+ 1 Lap4 
1220 Flag of Argentina.svg Carlos Reutemann Brabham-Ford 37+ 1 Lap17 
1330 Flag of Italy.svg Nanni Galli Ferrari 37+ 1 Lap19 
1428 Flag of Italy.svg Andrea de Adamich Surtees-Ford 37+ 1 Lap12 
155 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Beltoise BRM 37+ 1 Lap24 
1610 Flag of Germany.svg Rolf Stommelen Eifelland-Ford 37+ 1 Lap15 
1727 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Schenken Surtees-Ford 36+ 2 Laps5 
186 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dave Walker Lotus-Ford 34Halfshaft22 
1915 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Beuttler March-Ford 33Out of Fuel23 
NC8 Flag of France.svg Patrick Depailler Tyrrell-Ford 33+ 5 Laps16 
Ret24 Flag of Sweden.svg Reine Wisell BRM 25Gearbox18 
Ret17 Flag of Brazil.svg Carlos Pace March-Ford 18Engine11 
Ret25 Flag of Austria.svg Helmut Marko BRM 8Injury6 
Ret14 Flag of Austria.svg Niki Lauda March-Ford 4Halfshaft21 
DNS16 Flag of France.svg Henri Pescarolo March-Ford  Accident  
DNS21 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Bell Tecno  Transmission  
DNS22 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Gethin BRM  Accident  
DNS23 Flag of New Zealand.svg Howden Ganley BRM  Car raced by Beltoise [3]   
DNQ29 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Dave Charlton Lotus-Ford     
Source: [4]

Championship standings after the race

Notes

Additional notes

  1. Some older sources state that the stone was thrown up by Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus, but more recent sources indicate that it was thrown up by Ronnie Peterson's March.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Charade". racingcircuits.info. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Volcanic Rush of Clermont Ferrand". speedhunters.com. August 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  3. "French GP, 1972". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  4. "1972 French Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 "France 1972 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
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1972 Belgian Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1972 season
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1972 British Grand Prix
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