1972 South African Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of South Africa 1972 took place on March 4, held at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and was the second race of the Formula 1 season 1972.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
Carlos Pace started the second World Cup race of the season in a customer - March under the direction of Frank Williams his Formula 1 career. Mike Hailwood started in this race his commitment as Surtees works driver, after the Grand Prix of Argentina, six weeks before omitted due to other commitments. Also there had not been at the start Jean -Pierre Beltoise, who feared legal consequences due to his involvement in the fatal accident of Ignazio Giunti, who had a year earlier occurred at the same place. For now following South African GP, he was reported for the first time as BRM factory driver.
The German team Eifel Country Caravans debuted in this race. Used was a modified designed by the designer Luigi Colani March 721 with Rolf Stommelen at the wheel. The car was after the conversion work the term Eifel land type 21
According to the last few years, common practice in South Africa, the field was supplemented by a number of local private driver.
Training
The winner of the first race of the season, and, consequently, the leader in the World Cup, Jackie Stewart qualified his Tyrrell for the pole position, he was undercutting the lap times of Ferrari driver Clay Regazzoni and Emerson Fittipaldi in the Lotus 72D by a few tenths of a second. Since the second row of the grid was formed by Mike Hailwood and Denis Hulme, five different vehicles were on the front five grid positions.
Race
At the start of the race Hulme was briefly in the lead, but was overtaken in the second round of Stewart. Regazzoni was dropped after a poor start to the midfield.
Stewart was able to pull a gap on his pursuers at the top, while Hulme, Fittipaldi and Hailwood, who dueled for second place, also were able to sell the rest of the field.
After Stewart was forced to retire due to a gearbox failure on lap 45 and Hailwood was also already failed because of a suspension damage, Fittipaldi took the lead ahead of Hulme.
On lap 57 managed Hulme to overtake the now struggling with handling problems Fittipaldi and ensure a victory. After technical reasons falling back by Chris Amon Peter Revson took third place in the second McLaren factory.
Message list
1 marked with a "T" behind the starting number cars were their drivers as spare car available, but were not utilized.
Classifications
Line-up
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).