1972 French Grand Prix

Last updated
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
  • Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Amon
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 path 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] [lower-alpha 1] 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. Fittipaldi finished second, just ahead of a charging Amon, who shattered the circuit's lap record.

Qualifying

Qualifying classification

Pos.DriverConstructorTimeNo
1Chris AmonMatra2:53.41
2Denis HulmeMcLaren-Ford2:54.22
3Jackie StewartTyrrell-Ford2:55.03
4Jacky IckxFerrari2:55.14
5Tim SchenkenSurtees-Ford2:57.25
6Helmut MarkoBRM2:57.36
7François CevertTyrrell-Ford2:58.17
8Emerson FittipaldiLotus-Ford2:58.18
9Ronnie PetersonMarch-Ford2:58.29
10Mike HailwoodSurtees-Ford2:58.310
11Carlos PaceMarch-Ford2:58.611
12Henri PescaroloMarch-Ford2:59.0DNS
13Andrea de AdamichSurtees-Ford2:59.112
14Brian RedmanMcLaren-Ford2:59.413
15Wilson FittipaldiBrabham-Ford2:59.514
16Rolf StommelenEifelland-Ford2:59.615
17Patrick DepaillerTyrrell-Ford2:59.616
18Carlos ReutemannBrabham-Ford3:00.717
19Reine WisellBRM3:00.718
20Nanni GalliFerrari3:00.719
21Howden GanleyBRM3:02.0DNS
22Peter GethinBRM3:02.8DNS
23Graham HillBrabham-Ford3:03.020
24Niki LaudaMarch-Ford3:03.121
25Dave WalkerLotus-Ford3:04.722
26Mike BeuttlerMarch-Ford3:05.923
27Derek BellTecno3:06.9DNS
Jean-Pierre BeltoiseBRMno time24
DNQDave CharltonLotus-Ford3:11.6

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 8Driver Injured6 
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 (1928-1994).svg Dave Charlton Lotus-Ford     
Source: [4]

Championship standings after the race

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.

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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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