1969 South African Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of South Africa 1969 took place on March 1st place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and was the first race of the Formula 1 season 1969.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
The first race of the season not the beginning of January, but the beginning of March took place as in the previous two years. Thus an array of vehicles that could be considered representative of the season, while in previous years due to the early dates each year most vehicles had been used in this Grand Prix resulted.
Ferrari brought only one car at the start, which was driven by Chris Amon. The other famous works teams reported two drivers, Mario Andretti Lotus with even a third. There were several customer teams that made one to two drivers, including the typical for the Grand Prix of South Africa for several years, local teams and drivers who competed exclusively in this Grand Prix.
Training
In the first training became apparent how meticulously the designers had worked over the winter on the aerodynamics of the vehicles. In addition to the newly introduced in the previous year, high above the rear end of the car protruding wings themselves were now on some vehicles also similar constructions in the area of the front axle. During the training sessions there were some problems that were associated with it.
Jack Brabham, who had his own team of Repco on Ford - Cosworth engines changed, set the fastest lap time, and thus secured the pole position. Jochen Rindt to Lotus and Denis Hulme at McLaren also reached a spot in the class consisting of three vehicles first row. With Jackie Stewart Matra and Ferrari driver Chris Amon, who formed the second series, five different vehicles were on the first five starting positions.
The occasional drivers Basil van Rooyen and John Love achieved with grid positions nine and ten remarkable achievements.
John Surtees scored no -evaluated lap time, but was still allowed for the race and started from last place.
Race
Jack Brabham took the lead after the start, first, without being able to set itself apart from its immediate rivals Jackie Stewart. This was followed by Rindt, Hill, Hulme and McLaren. Even during the first round overtook Stewart Brabham and gave the lead thus gained to the finish no longer from. Brabham was first runner-up, until he had to pit due to a broken rear wing. This Rindt came first to the second position, but was overtaken shortly after by Graham Hill and fell a short time later behind Hulme back. After a duel for third place between Hulme and Jo Siffert, which decided Hulme for themselves, the first positions in the second half of the race remained unchanged.
Message list
1 Jackie Stewart drove the Matra MS80 with start number 20 only in training
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).