The majority of the cars are already in the North American continent having raced two weeks earlier in Canada. The accidents of Scheckter, Cevert and Peterson had all given their respective teams headaches regarding repair but, come the start of practice on Friday, all three cars are present. Scheckter’s McLaren has been straightened at the McLaren Engines premises in Detroit, Lotus has flown their damaged monocoque section home and this has been quickly straightened in the jig at Hethel and return to be build up into a car again-thus Peterson has a spare. Elf Team Tyrrell finish building a new chassis in record time and that is flown out and build up as 006/3 replaced the badly damaged 006/1 although, of course, many of the parts come from the damaged car. Thus the three teams, who have dominated Grand Prix racing all season, are at full strength, excepting that Team Lotus don't have a spare chassis for Emerson Fittipaldi. McLaren are running their trio of M23s (Nos. 1, 2 and 4) respectively for Hulme, Scheckter and Revson while Tyrrell also has three cars for Stewart (006/2), Cevert (006/3), and Amon in the older car which is back in snub nose/front radiator form. The only other team that has come close to a Grand Prix victory in 1973 is Brabham and their only change since Canada is to install Irishman John Watson in the seat previously occupied by Rolf Stommelen. This, of course, is de Adamich’s Ceramica Pagnossin car and it continue to be enter by, and carry the markings of, the Italian sponsor. It was Watson’s fourth Formula 1 drive, his second in a World Championship event and his first in a works Brabham since the Race of Champions. For the first time the UOP-Shadow team are running three of their black Tony Southgate cars-all three in different states of development. Jackie Oliver has the latest long-wheelbase version, George Follmer his usual car while Brian Redman are prevailed upon to drive Oliver’s older car, which is still fitted with the older rear suspension lay-out. Graham Hill has his private Embassy Racing Shadow, which after the race has a very large For Sale notice place on it. The fun-loving Hesketh Racing team arrive with their March 731 for James Hunt, overshadowing the works entry of Jean-Pierre Jarier and Mike Beuttler’s private Stockbroker Special March with several of its sponsors on hand to enjoy their little Grand Prix effort. Surtees reinforce their line-up by giving Jochen Mass his third Formula One race of the year with the usual white car he last raced at Nurburgring.
Mike Hailwood and Carlos Pace are in the two regular cars with their various combinations of associations with Fina, Brooke Bond Oxo and Rob Walker. The Frank Williams Racing team are far from sure who is driving the second Iso-Marlboro. Gijs van Lennep has driven it in Italy, Tim Schenken take over in Canada and Henri Pescarolo is entered for Watkins Glen. But Pescarolo is later replaced by Danish Formula 5000 man Tom Belso who arrive at the circuit only to be told that Williams has persuaded Jacky Ickx to take over the drive… Belso caught the next plane home while Ickx missed the first day of practice while he sort out problems with an expired US visa. Ickx is apparently persuaded to drive the car because Ron Tauranac is on hand to help. One factor remaine constant and that was Howden Cranley who is in the other Marlboro-backed Iso. The Ford brigade is been discarded. Of the non-Cosworth V8-powered minority, Ferrari are still running just a single modified 312B3 for Arturo Merzario while B.R.M. had re-installed a confused Regazzoni back in the number one car in place of Peter Gethin. With Niki Lauda threatening to leave the team, most of the attention seem to be focussed on Jean-Pierre Beltoise on this occasion. So there is a field of 28 drivers with only Ronnie Peterson afford the luxury of a training car. Breaking with tradition, the Glen Corporation decid to give the crowd a little extra for their 18 dollar admittance fee and organised a well subscribed and promoted Formula B and Historic and Vintage (well some of them are) races on the Saturday, which goes down very well. In total the were are three practice sessions for the Grand Prix, opening with a four-hour thrash on Friday which commenced at 10:00 a.m. However several of the teams has already put some unofficial practice both earlier in the week and the week before that. Ronnie Peterson usually sets the practice pace these days but after only two laps his regular John Player back car ground to a halt with a rear wheel hanging off. A hub has come loose and Peterson is lucky to bring the car to a halt without serious damage, although he do clip the Armco slightly so there is quite a job list on the car for that evening. Unabashed, Peterson step in the spare car, which he has never really liked, and he is soon at the top of the times with 1'40"492, fractionally slower than Stewart’s pole position time of last year and 1.6 sec. slower than Mark Donohue’s best with his turbo Porsche earlier this year.
Stewart himself is only fractionally slower, while team-mate Cevert, despite having his ankles strap up following his Mosport crash, was third fastest at the track where he has previously won his only Grand Prix. Carlos Reutemann, the still improving Argentinian, is fourth fastest ahead of all three McLarens which practised within 0.1 sec. of each other. Chris Amon is next, settling down well with his Tyrrell, Emerson Fittipaldi is reasonably placed despite various problems and Merzario has the Ferrari going strong and is slightly quicker than Brian Redman who showed the other two Shadow drivers what it is all about. However, earlier in the year, Redman has lapped Watkins Glen faster in his Formula 5000 Lola T330 which is food for thought. James Hunt, who is to go so fast later on, is struggling with the handling of the car which was fitted with the special nose first seen in Austria. Mike Hailwood had the rear suspension collapse, but bring the car under control while Graham Hill has a very close shave when a wishbone broke. He is close to the same spot where he crash so disastrously in 1969. The car spin and some light damage is sustained although this is easily fixed. Most of the others struggled with various problems of one kind or another. On Saturday there are two sessions and Peterson is determined to set a fast time with his race car 72/6. He lost no time in putting the JPS on pole position, his ninth this season. We have also become used to seeing a South American on the front row of the grid and this race is no exception. But this time it is an Argentinian not a Brazilian. Carlos Reutemann is out there winning all the prizes for opposite lock motoring and in the early part of the session setting the pace. He finish up with a best time of 1'40"013, and this is to assure him of a front row grid position, his first since his Grand Prix debut in Argentina two seasons ago. While Peterson is making most of the headlines these days, Emerson Fittipaldi is far from being overshadowed. Despite his ankles still giving him considerable pain, Fittipaldi is third fastest. As it turn out the first ten positions are all decided in this session. After the frustrations of the previous day and, in fact, the previous three Grands Prix James Hunt is back showing his Silverstone form. Running with the conventional nose, Lord Hesketh’s driver is making tremendous progress and finish up with a very smooth and regulated 1'40"520. This is just a fraction slower than the times being recorded by Francois Cevert, who is the fastest of the three Tyrrells.
But with only five minutes of the session remaining drivers start to filter into the pits looking very ashen-faced. Immediately the word spread around that Cevert has crashed in the Esses. He has, apparently, clipped the Armco barrier on the left going in, hit the rail the opposite side of the road a violent blow at 130 m.p.h. and then the car has cannoned back across the road in the air into the Armco on the other side. This impact kill Cevert, and the car is virtually split in half. Naturally the session end there and then. Drivers acknowledge that this particular section of Watkins Glen is the most difficult and the track is narrow in the middle of the Esses where it forms a bridge over a road into the circuit. There are no explanations as to the cause of the tragedy but it has certainly robbed France of her number one driver and motor racing in general of a charming and dashing personality with a tremendous skill. Jackie Stewart has been lapping slightly slower than his team-mate and hasn't improved on his previous day’s time which nevertheless is good enough for the third row. Mike Hailwood is now much happier with his Surtees and clipped his time down to 1'40"844. The McLaren team are not quite as competitive as they have been earlier in the season although it is fascinating to note their close times. Revson proved fastest at 1'40"895, next up is Hulme at 1'40"907 while Scheckter, complaining of the handling, recorded 1'41"321, Pace brake up the McLaren formation with a time of 1'41"125. In the final session most of the drivers are, not surprisingly, subdued, and only Arturo Merzario, Wilson Fittipaldi and Mike Beuttler improved. Merzario’s time of 1'41"455 make him eleventh fastest just ahead of Chris Amon. In fact towards the end of the session the two remaining Tyrrells practised briefly, Ken deciding that it would he better for everyone to get on with the job for the time being. However, that evening he decide, after lengthy discussions, to withdraw both Stewart and Amon from the race and gaps are left on the grid. On the seventh row there are Redman and Beltoise with times from Friday’s session, Redman isn't particularly impressed by the black car, then come Regazzoni and Mass, Jarier and Hill, Ganley and Follmer, Lauda (after umpteen problems) and Oliver and then Ickx and Watson. The Belgian only practise on the Saturday and settled into the Iso without showing any fireworks. He is having a lot of braking problems and never managed a fast lap. Watson, who has shown so much promise in Formula 2, is troubled with what seemed an incurable mis-fire.
Wilson Fittipaldi, Mike Beuttler and Rikky von Opel complete the grid. Another tragedy in motorsport. François Cevert, 29, teammate of Jackie Stewart in the British Tyrrell team, Saturday, October 6, 1973 loses his life on the Watkins Glen circuit on the second day during qualifying for the United States Grand Prix, the last race of that Formula 1 World Championship that Stewart has already won in September at Monza. The French driver’s car went off the track in a very fast stretch, ending up against a protective barrier. Tyrrell crumbled from the impact and Cevert died instantly. The tragedy occurred around 11:50 a.m., in the last minutes of the initial practice session. Cevert drove at high speed on turn 4 of the circuit; towards the end, that is just before the straight in front of the grandstands, the Tyrrell had a sudden skidding, literally rearing up and flying over the guardrail, on which it fell breaking into two main sections. The debris spread around the track, while the marshals and the fire brigade controlled an outbreak of fire. Any attempt to rescue the French driver, whose body was then painfully composed, was useless. Denny Hulme, the New Zealander of McLaren who is also president of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), the association of Formula 1 drivers, says he saw some flames in the Tyrrell before the incident, but does not add other details. Witnesses say they had a feeling that Cevert had lost control of the car. In such cases it is always very difficult to reconstruct the dynamics of the incident and, above all, to ascertain its true reasons. It is in fact almost impossible to determine if some piece was broken before the tragedy, becoming the cause, or after as a result of the impact. Cevert, who had obtained a good 1'41"044 (one of the five best lap times up to that moment) in the first part of qualifying, had stopped at the box to get the car checked. Cevert would have told his mechanic, a Mexican who now is desperate and cries:
"After this lap I stop. I don’t think the car responds well".
On Friday, Cevert, at a party with drivers and technicians, said:
"If Stewart retires, I’ll be Tyrrell’s number one, probably with Amon".
The dream does not last long. Stewart is upset. He saw the car destroyed and went back to the box. It is not yet known whether Tyrrell will race or not. In the course of qualifying, Carlos Reutemann, with Brabham, was the fastest thanks to a lap time of 1'40"013. Merzario, with Ferrari, after this first part of qualifying, is in tenth place. His 312 B3 had some brake and suspension problems. During the evening, however, a sense of discouragement descends on the drivers, who no longer seem very interested in the United States Grand Prix, which, however, will start regularly on Sunday, October 7, 1973, at 2:20 p.m.. A first newsflash on the newspapers.
"French driver François Cevert died today in Watkins Glen...".
Few, dry words. The news, first of all, then the details and the terrifying photographs will come. And when they do, they fill the heart with dismay, with pity. A sense of emptiness, the feeling of tragedy already experienced, directly or indirectly. Another tragedy, another link to a chain that seems to have to go on forever. This time there are no rescue vehicles or organisers to be charged, as in Zandvoort, Holland, for the burning of Roger Williamson. The incident, apart from the reasons that have determined it, seems rather simple, at least according to the information that comes from Watkins Glen. A car skidding, bumping into a guardrail, and its destruction. There are, however, two considerations to be exposed, immediately: safety, both on series cars - those we drive every day - and on Formula 1 cars, is relative, because no one will ever be able to build a car capable of resisting any incident and save the lives of passengers or the driver; the guardrail is too close to the track. It protects spectators, but cannot sufficiently cushion the impact of a vehicle that crashes at 200-250 km/h. On this second topic, it should be added that it is time for circuit owners to change their minds.
The first step was taken in an attempt to protect the safety of the public: it is now time to take the second step, that is, to ensure that the consequences of an off-track, whether it is caused by human error or mechanical failure, are kept to a minimum. So, no fixed obstacles, but clear and smooth areas. And then elastic protection nets and, finally, real barriers. Unfortunately, it is clear that we are repeating known things. But, if we want to save the races, we must keep repeating them, proposing them, suggesting them. Otherwise, Cevert’s death would also mean nothing. Poor François. It was believed by now at the top, with Stewart close to retirement. Twenty-nine, bachelor, brother of Beltoise’s wife, forty-seven Grand Prix ran (a victory, in 1971, in Watkins Glen, ten times second), a very French charm and Italian friendliness, he was a bit considered as the handsome guy of Formula 1. No one wants to lose his life among the drivers, but who can dispose of his own fate?
"The more time passes, the more I understand that an incident can happen to me, but I certainly do not think to retire: it takes more courage to retire than to continue. I prefer to do a job that I like, even if I risk killing myself. However, I have absolutely no desire to die".
Thus 25 cars come to the grid for Sunday’s race, and out to watch them is a record crowd. As usual many has camped for the previous two nights and fortunately the weather has been kind. After one warming-up lap the field rolled forward from the dummy grid up to a new starting position further down the pits straight than before (and not coinciding with the finish line). Almost everyone madke a good start apart from Revson who felt his car creeping forward and threw it out of gear, just as the flag come down. He put his hands in the air and everyone steered round him, and he manage to get away last. But Revson soon pass Brian Redman and Rikki von Opel who are both stuck at the first corner with their throttles jammed shut. The number of times his has happened over the last two years is smazing. Some teams coat the inside of their airboxes with grease to catch the flying grit while others cover them with a stocking. Redman finally restart his car many laps later with the help of his mechanics. He does few laps before pulling into the pits with the engine sounding dreadful and is then told he is disqualified for receiving outside assistance. Peterson has charged into an immediate lead with Reutemann second while James Hunt drive round the outside of Fittipaldi at Turn One to take third spot. Hailwood is fifth, then come the McLarens of Hulme md Scheckter followed by Beltoise, Pace, Mass, Regazzoni, Merzario, Ganley (after an excellent start), Follmer, Jarier, Watson, Lauda, Beuttler, Oliver, Hill, Wilson Fittipaldi, Ickx with Revson last but not for long. Peterson seem unlikely to lose the lead and start to pull away although it isn't long before Hunt pluck up the courage to pass Reutemann and set off after the Lotus.
Undoubtedly the Hesketh team has their March set up extremely well and the little car is particularly fast on the straight. Behind there is further shuffling of position, with Fittipaldi quickly dropping back, worried by a vibration in the front wheels. Hulme quickly established himself, with Scheckter his shadow, while Hailwood dropp back to sixth place ahead of Fittipaldi. By lap five this group has opened out a considerable gap over the rest with Pace and Mass the next two up followed by Merzario and Ganley. The New Zealander make a pit stop on lap 12 to complain that the handling has sudden deterioration on right-handers. A quick inspection revealed nothing is broken and Ganley drive back into the race. Meanwhile John Watson is already out due to piston failure. It seem inconceivable that Hunt would actually pass Peterson but he is undoubtedly hanging on extremely well and is never more than a second behind. After the race Hunt said that, in fact, his car has so much straight line speed that he could have passed Peterson but decide to conserve his energy and learn as he goes, he plan to make a challenge in the later stages. Even so, with these two so close together the crowd were loving every minute of it. But behind it is processional with the order Reutemann, Hulme, Scheckter and Emerson Fittipaldi, once Mike Hailwood has started to run into problems with the handing, which later led to two pit stops, a new front tyre and finally collapsed rear suspension. The two McLarens has mounted a challenge on Reutemann but by half distance he has shaken them off, after finding a quicker way through a gaggle of back markers. The season’s fortunes for B.R.M. are showing no improvement and Beltoise make a pit stop on lap 15 to complain the engine is rough. No fault is diagnosed but it seem to go much better after that.
In fact he don't lose much time and is soon up with Regazzoni who is plodding around near the back. From then on the two ran in convoy, regularly swopping positions. Lauda meanwhile make the first of several stops on lap 17 and his trouble is finally traced to a faulty mechanical fuel pump. It took twenty laps to fix but the game Austrian finally rejoined the race. Surtees’ hopes faded further when Carlos Pace retire with broken rear suspension front seventh place and then Jochen Mass, who inherited that position, also stop only three laps later with an engine failure. Thus all the Surtees team are out of the running. Merzario has a nasty fright at the corner before the pits when the central mounting for his rear wing brake off completely, causing the whole assembly to literally flyaway. The little Italian is sent into a spin but he collect it all up and carry on. After a few more laps the team give him the Box sign and he come in to have the front wing removed, too, in a bid to balance the car up better. Hulme and Scheckter are still in close company, the South African losing remarkably little ground when his fire extinguisher goes off and froze his leg for a while. But his luck don’t hold and on lap 40 he suddenly spun wildly at Turn One. This time no blame could be place on him for a rear wishbone has snapped, an unusual occurrence on a McLaren, and he skidd to a halt. In the process he is very nearly collected by Emerson Fittipaldi who has to lock on everything to stop. This put flats on the two front tyres and the Brazilian make a pit stop to have them changed which surprisingly, thanks to smart Lotus pit work, lost him only one position. The man that sneak by was Peter Revson who has been working his way up the grid in superb style. By threequarters distance it is still Peterson with Hunt only feet behind and Reutemann, if anything, closing up slightly and about nine seconds down. Hulme remain fourth, Revson is now fifth ahead of Fittipaldi. The rest are way behind with Jarier seventh. Behind him quite a battle has raged with Mike Beuttler keeping behind the likes of Jacky Ickx in the Iso, and the two B.R.M.s of Regazzoni and Beltoise. All three tried to pass the yellow March but, like Hunt, Beuttler is very fast on the straights. lckx finally manage to squeeze by when the group lap Graham Hill, and the two works Shadows which is in a little knot towards the hack of the field. By now Hunt has given up any chance of beating Peterson, for the car is proving a handful on its light fuel load and the Englishman wisely decide that he would be pleased to finish second. Reutemann is now some twelve seconds back so is no challenge while Hulme is even further behind, having slowed when a strong vibration started.
However Hunt is still driving hard and fast and on the last but one lap he record the fastest lap of the race. On the very last lap the car spluttered, ominously low on fuel, but Hunt quickly switched on the electrical pump and he finished just 0.6 sec. behind Peterson. For the Swede it is his third win in four races but for any biased Englishman that is around, Hunt is the hero. The Brabham team hold their breath until Reutemann arrive in third place, for he too is running out of fuel and this lost him ten seconds on the closing lap. HuIme, Revson and Fittipaldi complete the point scorers. Jean-Pierre Jarier has the misfortune to crash on the very last lap, he think a wheel had fallen off at first but wasn’t sure, and thus Ickx take seventh place. Regazzoni finally pass Beltoise for the last time on the final lap so they take eighth and ninth places, while Beuttler, who has been pressured into a spin in the closing stages, is tenth. Jarier is classified 11th ahead of pit stoppers Ganley and Hill. Follmer’s first season of F1 finish dismally in 14th place, he said the handling is diabolical and so does Jackie Oliver who stop to replace a chunking tyre. Merzario is finally 16th while Wilson Fittipaldi has a poor race at the back, made a couple of pit stops, and complete the finishers along with Lauda. So 1973 end with the Lotus 72 still the car to beat. Next year Colin Chapman will have a new car for Ronnie Peterson and there should he quite a few other changes too. The result has given Lotus, or John Player Special as they are officially registered, the constructors’ title thanks to four wins from the Swede and three to the Brazilian. Jackie Stewart also win four on the way to his championship title while the only other race winners are McLaren drivers Peter Revson with two and Denny Hulme with one. At the other end of the scale Mike Haillwood goes through the year without picking up a single point and so do Graham Hill, Jean-Pierre Jarier and Mike Beuttler amongst the regulars. Ronnie Peterson wins the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, the last race of the Formula 1 World Championship. The Swede led the race from start to finish, ahead of the young English driver Hunt, with March, and Reutemann, with Brabham. Emerson Fittipaldi finished sixth, Ickx, with Iso, seventh, and Merzario, with Ferrari, sixteenth. It was a sad and melancholy race. The death of François Cevert during qualifying on Saturday was a shock for the Circus that in Watkins Glen closes its long season. Tyrrell abstained from the race, while Cevert’s brother-in-law, Jean-Pierre Beltoise, finished ninth.
Peterson established himself in the United States Grand Prix after being the fastest during qualifying (1'39"65, at an average of 196.500 km/h). The Swede took the lead in front of 100.000 spectators on a cloudy and cold day. Hunt and Reutemann followed him and the race continued like this until the end, when Hunt tried to surprise Peterson, who won by 0.06 seconds. On lap 38, Merzario lost the aileron and the front nose and his race was necessarily modest. For the Italian driver this is the last race with Scuderia Ferrari. Jody Scherckter, the young South African driver who showed his skills this year in Formula 1 with McLaren, would like to move to Ferrari. The rumour, leaked in the USA after the Canadian Grand Prix, would have serious basis, so much so that the managers of the British team appear rather concerned. It is alleged that Scheckter would have contacted Maranello directly to offer his candidacy. As it is well known, Ferrari seems willing to hire the Austrian Niki Lauda, but uncertainty reigns over the name of the second driver. In America, some clarification is expected from Italy: meanwhile, it is confirmed that the Maranello team continues to attract the interest of drivers, who have confidence in it and see it as an exceptional springboard. Jackie Stewart and Chris Amon did not take part in the United States Grand Prix: Tyrrell, with whom the Scotsman won his third World Champion title, and the New Zealander who had raced in Canada, retired in mourning for Cevert’s death. Jackie Stewart admits it:
"I didn’t feel like running, and then I just didn’t see the reason".
Stewart specifies that this is not about safety reasons, that is of defects emerged on the Tyrrells. Sunday morning, in front of the English team’s box, a chaplain celebrated a Mass. American sailors then played the Marseillaise. As to the causes of the incident, there are still no definitive explanations. The English driver Mike Hailwood, who with his Surtees followed the Tyrrell of the Frenchman in practice, says that, in his opinion, Cevert’s car must have had some suspension failure.
"Just before it hit the guardrail, I saw it making irregular leaps".
Engineer Raffaele Zamboni, of CSAI, summarises the outcome of the investigation carried out by international sports managers:
"Cevert was going towards the corner at over 160 km/h. Some colleagues saw him drifting a few seconds before the incident. Then the car turned right and the tyres hit the guardrail, which bounced the car to the left, where it flipped over on the other barrier. The driver died instantly".
Cevert’s body, after the coroner had officially ascertained the death of the driver, was transported with an ambulance to a funeral home in Montour Fall, a town near Watkins Glen. After the conclusion of the United States Grand Prix, all friends and colleagues of Cevert went to pay homage to his body, carrying a French flag to be placed on the coffin; it will be transported on Tuesday morning to Paris.
Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda will race for Ferrari in 1974. On Monday, October 8, 1973, the Maranello team publishes a statement confirming the anticipation of these days on the subject.
"The Swiss Clay Regazzoni and the Austrian Niki Lauda - it is written - are the two Ferrari drivers for 1974. The program of Ferrari participation will be decided after taking note of the final international calendar".
Regazzoni and Lauda were chosen in a rather wide list of candidates. The American Revson, the South African Scheckter, the South American Reutemann and Pace had also come forward. Regazzoni is coming back to Ferrari.
The Swiss driver, in fact, raced for the Maranello team in the years from 1970 to 1972, before moving to B.R.M.. Born in Lugano (where he lives with his wife and two children) on September 5, 1939, he proved himself in Formula 2 with Tecno: with this car he won the European title in 1969. The Swiss, who among his most beautiful victories with Ferrari includes that in the 1970 Italian Grand Prix at the wheel of the 312-B, debuted in Formula 1 in the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix. A generous and fast driver, Regazzoni had little luck this year with the B.R.M.. Lauda was born in Vienna on February 22, 1949. He is in Formula 1 from 1972 with March, but this year he moved to B.R.M. (he was therefore already Regazzoni’s teammate). He has often been at the wheel of March-B.R.M. and Porsche prototypes, with which he has done excellent races. The Austrian, who is considered a fashion designer and a sensitive and regular driver (during the current season he obtained twelve placings, including a third place) will also be used by Ferrari as a test driver. This is a very suitable choice on Ferrari’s part. Regazzoni is very well blended with the environment and is devoted to Scuderia Ferrari, so in the summer he even agreed to make a secret test with the 312 B3. Lauda has developed March in a brilliant way in 1972 (this year Hunt has proven himself just using the Austrian's car) and in the current season the recalcitrant B.R.M., so much to get the best results among the drivers of the English team. As for the last part of the Maranello statement, according to reliable rumours, the 1974 program will be based mainly on Formula 1 with some occasional appearance in the world championship for makes with only one car, a new 312-P now almost completed. Concentrating their efforts on a single sector should help to bring Ferrari back on the road to success. In the following days Niki Lauda tests the 312 B3 on the private circuit of Scuderia Ferrari, the Fiorano Track. Lauda makes a couple of laps before expressing his opinion to Enzo Ferrari, accompanied by Piero Lardi, who acts as an interpreter (Lauda does not speak Italian). Ferrari asks:
"What do you think of the car?"
Lauda, lapidary, replies:
"It’s shit".
But Piero Lardi interrupted him: this cannot be said.
"Why can I not say it? The car understeers in a ridiculous way, I can’t turn, it’s ungovernable".
But Piero Lardi replies again:
"No, I can’t translate that".
Lauda, impatient, changes terms and says that the car has a bad set up, understeers excessively and the front axles must be changed. After Piero Lardi translates what Lauda said to Enzo Ferrari, the latter asks engineer Mauro Forghieri:
"How long do you need to make the changes proposed by Lauda?"
Forghieri replies that a week will be enough. After that, Ferrari turns to Lauda, and tells him:
"If in a week you do not improve by a second, you are out".
Lauda knows that Forghieri is already studying a new front axle with a deeper roll centre and therefore is not surprised by Ferrari’s response: after a week, Lauda and Forghieri manage to lower the time by 0.6 seconds. The Austrian driver, however, understands what trouble he got into: it was not the Maranello cars that conditioned the 1973 season, with few satisfactions, but only the drivers. Therefore, to tell Enzo Ferrari that the car isn’t fast, is not planned. During the following week Lauda works day and night with Forghieri, to the point that the new front axle actually succeeds in improving and saving the Austrian driver’s job. Lauda takes little time to understand how the working system in Maranello works. Enzo Ferrari spends the whole day reading ìnewspapers, while the drivers run along the Fiorano Track, but he is informed of everything. In fact, he knows everything, even if he does not propose any technical improvements. Decisions are made from the bottom up, and through Ferrari they pass to engineers, managers and drivers. Lauda, therefore, understands that Ferrari only receives altered information from the outside world, depending on the personality and the intermediary, and that the technique of keeping the constructor calm was often more important than mechanical technology. For this reason, Lauda no longer speaks to intermediaries, preferring to speak directly with Enzo Ferrari. And if the latter is not present at the pits of the Fiorano Track, the Austrian driver leaves the circuit, crosses the Abetone road (or via Giardini for the Maranello’s inhabitants), goes inside the Ferrari factory, and without being announced steps into the manufacturer’s office, after having gently knocked on the door. Together with Montezemolo and Niki Lauda, Regazzoni manages to shape a dynamic, aggressive and harmonious team. The Austrian driver will never hide how fundamental the Swiss driver was for the Scuderia Ferrari. An honest, sincere, correct person, with whom the strengths will emerge naturally over time. The decision to hire Niki Lauda in Ferrari dates back to July 1973, when Enzo Ferrari gave the order to Luca Montezemolo to contact the Austrian driver, who in that first telephone contact is not in Salzburg, where he has a small workshop. Lauda’s secretary - returning from Monte Carlo - will inform him of the contact received from Ferrari.
Lauda thinks that it is a joke, but the secretary insists that the Austrian driver calls the Italian lawyer, who when contacted by phone confirms that he talked to Clay Regazzoni and that he has chosen him for the 1974 season. The decision matures after Enzo Ferrari watches the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix and notes the Austrian driver. After this telephone contact, Montezemolo and Lauda are at Linate airport in Milan, in a bar. After a brief interview, Montezemolo asked Lauda to sign the contract with Ferrari. When the lawyer asks Lauda for the money he would have requested, the Austrian driver indicates the amount in Austrian shillings. Montezemolo, not knowing how much the demand was in dollars, leaves Lauda at the bar and goes to the airport newsstand, where he buys the newspaper Il sole 24 Ore, to read the monetary exchange rates in the last pages. After discussing the fee, Montezemolo invited Lauda to Maranello, where he would meet Enzo Ferrari.But since Lauda has a Ford Capri, the lawyer invites him to go to Modena, from where together they would go to Maranello, to the headquarters of Ferrari. Thus, Lauda rescinds the two-year contract with B.R.M., paying the penalty that is partly covered by the new contract signed with Enzo Ferrari. The Scuderia Ferrari tests continue on Tuesday, November 6, 1973 at Le Castellet, in France, with Regazzoni and Lauda. The two take turns at the wheel of a 312 B3 with an advanced driver’s seat. The Swiss driver runs in 1'12"9, the Austrian in 1'12"6. The tests, carried out in agreement with Goodyear, will not be able to continue on Wednesday, November 7, 1973 due to the rain. The indications are very positive. Suffice it to say that Emerson Fittipaldi, with McLaren, runs in 1'12"1 with the same type of tyres, but after a week of training. It should also be considered that Ferrari tests new tyres, for which the car has not been prepared, and that the B3 is fitted with an engine abundantly exploited. At Le Castellet there is the feeling that the technicians of Maranello are doing a profitable job. Regazzoni and Lauda, moreover, are demonstrating a commitment worthy of praise. The following week, Tuesday, November 14, 1973, the new Ferrari 312-P makes the first laps on the Fiorano track, driven by Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda. The car pleases the two drivers, destined to lead it in some test of the World Championship for makes. And the engineers Forghieri and Caliri, who direct the tests under the watchful eye of Enzo Ferrari, also like it.
The car tested on the Fiorano Track is only an initial version, which will probably undergo some changes.
"It will be the basis on which to work".
A very valid base, however, which differs quite significantly from the '73 model. The aerodynamics, the geometry of the suspensions and some sections of the machinery have changed. The technicians made a shift towards the central part to increase stability and handling. The results, as mentioned, were positive. Lauda quickly became accustomed to the 312-P and Regazzoni expressed an optimistic opinion.
"This year I never drove the Sport, however I remember the 1972 version. This one seems much easier to drive. It is very handy. I really like it".
The tests will continue in the coming days, weather permitting. It is hoped by the end of the week to finish the car in every detail, even aesthetic. But at Ferrari, in the climate of renewed agreement of commitment that promises so well for the next season, they also think of the development of the Formula 1 car. The track in Kyalami, South Africa was booked for a week (from Monday, December 3, 1973 to Sunday, December 9, 1973) to carry out a series of tests and checks. One question about whether or not such tests can be carried out is the restrictions imposed by the South African Government on the oil crisis: among other things, racing has been banned. But in this regard, lawyer Luca Montezemolo specifies:
"If we cannot go to Kyalami we will go to Le Castellet. The important thing is to work hard and well".
The oil crisis, the limiting consumption and the measures taken in Europe affect the car industry in a particular way and, with it, competition, which is one of its most important and spectacular aspects. The races are affected on three aspects: as superfluous in a moment of austerity; as a sporting event that takes place in venues - the circuits - quite far from the cities, and therefore more difficult to reach for spectators; as a competitive confrontation that forces competitors to consume fuel, which, these days, is a problem. The first point is taken into consideration by Enzo Ferrari these days. The constructor from Modena declares:
"We do not need to determine whether or not competitions weigh heavily on fuel consumption, but to consider how the public can react to them. Those who are forced to walk may wonder: why do I have to leave my car in the garage and they can run? I think it is better that people do not have to think like that and now give an example to everyone. We will then see how the situation will evolve and what we will have to do".
Engineer Alberto Rogano, president of CSAI, has a different opinion:
"I disagree with this moral aspect. We do need to economise, but we must not be reduced to a state of immobility: sport has important social aspects, such as leisure and tourism: why should we be marginalised? We hope that the situation will be solved, that other measures will be taken in the near future. For now, I will appeal to the organisers to study plans to increase public services or find agreements with self-service companies to encourage the flow of the public to the circuits. As an alternative, there is the possibility to transfer the races to Saturday".
The second aspect of the problem of race-austerity is easy to understand, even if we must immediately make a distinction between competitions on the circuit and uphill racing and Rally. The circuits - as it has been mentioned - are far from the cities. Monza is very well served by public transport, but Vallelunga, in Rome, or the young track of Casale can only be reached by private transport. The hill-climbs take place on isolated paths, in weekend locations. How can people get there? And the same consideration applies to rallies. The ban of driving on Sundays should not, in and of itself, affect a race that takes place in a circuit, as a circuit should be considered a private area and therefore not subject to compliance with government measures. Otherwise, even in a Formula 1 Grand Prix drivers would be required to comply with the 120 km/h (equating a track to a highway) and the Highway Code. However, also in view of the large number of means that should be moved to ensure the service of order and first aid (much greater than for a football match at the stadium), the anticipation of races to Saturday could be a good solution. Similar reasoning for the hill-climbs and for the rallies, in particular those of the National Trophy, which are held in the night between Saturday and Sunday. About the speed limits, we must remember that the rallies are considered regular races and that the competitors have schedules programmed for the 50 km/h. Cesare Fiorio, who has been running the Lancia Rally business for years, says:
"It is a little premature to draw conclusions from the current situation. Incidentally, the season, apart from the Monte Carlo Rally, begins in the spring. I believe, however, that motorsport should be defended as such, also in view of the merits it has earned and the positive effects it has on our industry. I know that there are no problems for Monte Carlo, as the route takes place in France, where there are no limitations. If anything, they will have to abolish the approach routes in Europe: it will be an advantage for everyone. For now our programmes remain unchanged".
And here is the third point, that of fuel consumption. A Sport-Prototype car or a Formula 1 single-seater (both driven by three-litre engines) run an average of two kilometres with a litre of fuel. So, a Ferrari or an Alfa Romeo in a thousand-kilometre race consumes about 500 litres, and a Ferrari or a Lotus in a Grand Prix whose distance is 300 kilometres consumes between 150 and 180 litres. Considering that, on average, in a Grand Prix there are twenty-six cars on track for two days of practice and the race, the consumption should be of 8.000-9.000 litres of fuel per run. It is no small matter, but we must consider that competitions, especially Grands Prix, are not only a technical or sporting event, but also a real industry that directly or indirectly employs thousands of people. Three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart offered a good suggestion:
"Even in Formula 1 we will have to think about some savings, for example limiting practices to the minimum necessary".
There is still enough time to think about this and other solutions (Ferrari, for example, mentioned the use of methyl alcohol instead of fuel). We are, fortunately, in a phase of pause, but it is logical that the calendars should undergo some cut, voluntary or imposed. Already some races in Europe and South Africa have been cancelled, and there is talk of others that will not be organised in 1974 (and mention is made of the Argentine and Brazilian Grands Prix, scheduled in January and February).
"The restrictive measures in force since 1 December put Ferrari in a situation of perplexity to be fully considered".
This is what Enzo Ferrari says on Tuesday, November 27, 1973 in Bologna, during an event organised by a specialised weekly magazine.
"Ferrari builds gran turismo cars that are appreciated all over the world, also for their instantaneous acceleration and speed. We export more than 80% of our production, but because the restrictions are becoming widespread, our future will be conditioned to the resolution of the contingencies that caused them".
When asked about racing, Ferrari says:
"We will have to see if we can return to national fuel, the one imposed in 1936 based on methyl alcohol. With this fuel Brivio won the Mille Miglia in that year at over 121 km/h average. Among other things, this solution will allow the application of the compressor".
Ferrari, who seemed to have quick reflexes and to be in the mood for jokes, says he had the satisfaction, intervening at the event, to meet, after a long time, with Mietta Ascari, the widow of the passed away champion. And he expresses words of esteem and encouragement towards Vittorio Brambilla. To avoid the possible (or perhaps probable) suspension of the sporting activity for how long it will last the current oil crisis, as already said, Enzo Ferrari launches a proposal: to use alcohol-based fuels to feed the competition engines. It would be a return to the past, to the times (1936-37) in which the economic autarchy of Italy had one of its implications in the desire to reduce petrol imports. A huge propaganda had been made on the substitutes of the gasoline and the national fuel was born that Enzo Ferrari recalls now, well remembering that for example the cars participating in the 1936 Mille Miglia were precisely powered by special mixtures only in small parts composed of gasoline. In fact, both ethyl alcohol (or ethylene) and - to a lesser extent - methyl alcohol (methylene) are good fuels, with an octane number equal to or greater than 100 (that is greater than that of the premium-grade fuel on the market today); but they have three times the heat of evaporation compared to this, and a significantly lower calorific value, so they develop fewer calories per kilogram used. However, this would not be a problem. Instead, in order to operate alcohol engines satisfactorily, it would be necessary to review some mechanical characteristics, and in any case many difficulties would be resolved by the injection. Still referring to the experiences of the second half of the 1930s, and not only in the field of racing engines, good results were obtained with mixtures formed by thirty-five percent of gasoline, thirty-eight percent of ethanol and twenty-eight percent of methanol, or two parts ethanol and one of methanol.
But also with ninety percent methyl and ten percent water, the latter to lower the heat of evaporation of alcohol, which as we have mentioned is very high. But then, someone will ask, if it is so easy to replace gasoline with alcohol, or at least to mix each other, any difficulty, even for the daily use of the car, would be overcome? The answer is that if you could replace fuel with alcohol, agriculture would be in trouble. Because ethyl alcohol is distilled (with a yield of 30-35%) from potatoes or cereals or from beet molasses (but it can also be produced by synthesis), while methyl alcohol, which however is less usable as a fuel because it is particularly low in calories, is industrially obtained from carbon monoxide and hydrogen. It is therefore possible to exclude the possibility of mixing petrol with alcohol for the normal needs of the car, given the enormous quantity of alcohol itself that would be needed, while the problem can be seriously considered for sporting purposes, according to Ferrari’s proposal. On Thursday, December 13, 1973 Maserati decides to lay off 603 employees out of 921, for thirteen hours a week. That is, the workers from next Monday will work only 27 hours per week out of 40, with a salary loss calculated around six percent, 13,000 lire. The company submitted the application for one month, until Wednesday, January 16, 1974. This news comes as a bomb in the economic and industrial environment of Modena, although many admit that this was to be expected. The reason is not difficult to understand: the energy crisis, the restrictions, especially those on circulation and speed limits, the decline that is expected to be particularly serious in sales in Italy and abroad. Ferrari announces similar measures, even if there is no talk of layoffs; to cope with the delicate moment, Ferrari will suspend work from Monday, December 24, 1973 to Sunday, January 6, 1974, a longer stop than other years, a pause for reflection that in the opinion of experts is a wait-and-see move to see how things will turn out. Certainly these are hard times, full of unknowns and worries.
"The moment is not pleasant; on the contrary, it is rather bad".
Admits the commercial director of Maserati Aldo Torrusio, representing the managing director engineer Guy Malleret who is in Paris for work commitments. It is precisely Malleret who in the last few days, talking with specialised automotive journalists, announced the layoff.
"We were the first, unwillingly, to raise the alarm. Someone misunderstood, speaking of all workers at home, of a disastrous situation. Let’s not exaggerate. The layoff for thirteen hours per week, for a month and limited to about six hundred employees, comes from a state of necessity, we could not do otherwise".
This is confirmed by Dr. Torrusio. The manager of Maserati talks clearly when he adds:
"We produce about a thousand cars per year, in Italy for 1973 we will have sold at the end of December from 380 to 400 (to dealers), in 1972 there were just over 300. A pretty good budget. And we consider that normally between November and January we sell less".
Then why the alarm? Dr Torrusio says:
"There’s been a huge drop in orders, from five or six a day to just one. We produce an average of five cars a day. In this particular situation we have had to hold back until, at least, we will not know precisely what the government wants to do. There is no precise news, nothing can be programmed".
If on one side Maserati does not dramatise, on the other it launches the alarm:
"Of course we have in storage a hundred cars. There are not many. Consider that these are all the models, those intended for the United States (our largest export market), those that go to England with the right-hand drive, those French with a very special type of lights. I remember that in July we only had two cars in stock. Back then we said that it was a little, now we say that there are elements of concern".
The company is asking various questions these days, or rather asks them to the government: will there be tax increases for so-called luxury cars? Will there be a devaluation of the lira? And will the speed limit on highways be maintained at 120 km/h? The commercial director of Maserati hopes that the speed will be differentiated for at least three to four classes of cars, increasing the limits to 130-140 km/h. Torrusio is polemical against the Sunday driving ban:
"I guess that doesn’t really affect us. Several owners of cars from 3,000 cc or higher are also responsible people, who demonstrate civic consciousness. They say that the ban favours the rich: I can assure you that the rich have something else to think about at times like this".
The managers of Maserati claim to have been forced to the drastic measure of layoffs and add:
"Thirteen thousand lire a month less on salary are not few, we understand, there are people who receive two hundred thousand lire, but also others who bring home only one hundred".
According to Dr Torrusio, the worst scenario has to be considered:
"If it were to continue like this we would face the worst, a bad spring and, after that, who knows. The sooner the government will announce something, the better it will be for everyone".
The layoff measure, estimated in relation to annual production, will reduce production by one third, about three hundred Merak, Indi, Bora, Khamsin less available to those who can spend from 8.000.000 to 12.500.000 lire (excluding taxes at 18%). The decision to reduce working hours was communicated on Monday, December 9, 1973 to trade unions, who immediately asked for a meeting with the management. The company has restated the motivations of the measure: restrictions, more expensive fuel, limits of speed, the closing of some foreign markets like Japan and the decrease of domestic sales. The workers' representatives replied:
"We do not accept it, there have been planning errors; should we be the ones to pay?"
At Maranello, at Ferrari, there is no comment on the decision to close fourteen days between Christmas and the Epiphany (four days more than last year in the same period). Officials refer to statements already made in recent days by the constructor, Enzo Ferrari.
"Between Modena and Maranello, the company employs 1500 people. This year, 1790 cars (1844 in 1972) will be produced by 31 December 1973. For 1974 we are not forecasting the target of 2830 cars, which we would consider to be the optimum for the company. As soon as the government issues further measures, we will re-examine our possibilities. Now we can’t really talk about programs".
For Ferrari, too, the restrictions and the crisis create serious problems, and one of the points that have negatively affected sales so far is the highway speed limit. From now on, if the 120 km/h limit were not to be changed, the current 20% of domestic sales would be significantly reduced (80% will be sold abroad). In Italy more than elsewhere would weigh the prohibition to exceed the 120 km/h, for the tradition of the customers and the necessities of circulation that have led us to build a modern highway network.
"Despite the great uncertainty of the moment, I think it is appropriate to continue to study, experiment and build. Let us wait, let us hope in a less ungrateful future. One thing is certain: we must be prepared. No one ceases to work".
Almost evoked by the words of Enzo Ferrari, on Thursday, December 13, 1973 the roar of the 312 B3 1974 version rises powerfully. Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda complete some test laps on the private Ferrari track, in Fiorano, not far from the Maranello factory. A quick test of the car before moving to Vallelunga for another series of tests. Perhaps never as in recent months has Ferrari worked around a racing car, this bizarre single-seater that seemed beautiful and perfect but could not be competitive like Lotus, McLaren or Tyrrell. First with Merzario, then with Regazzoni and Lauda, the technicians of Maranello, with a new-found agreement of intent and with a generosity of commitment stimulated by an always combative and driving Ferrari, worked on the B3.
"I am confident that I have done what I had to do".
It is not an interview, but a simple chat together with some friends. While his car runs safely on track, Ferrari takes his friends to visit the centre of the Fiorano track. There are no glass block buildings, but a complex of three buildings typical of the Emilian countryside, with an internal square. One is for engineer Mauro Forghieri and his advanced research study, the second is a garage, the third - which would be the envy of the most sophisticated club - is divided into rooms for drivers, lounges, and boardrooms. A long panel collects an effective photographic synthesis of over twenty years of history of Scuderia Ferrari. Ferrari prefers not to dwell on the past and on the results of an unhappy season. He looks to the present and the future, he limits himself to talking about races, about those that have allowed him to achieve a world prestige more unique than rare, even if there are some worrying references to the situation of Ferrari as a constructor. Austerity mortifies its momentum and threatens to seriously alter its programmes.
"We cannot give up competition. It would be like denying a half-century-long activity. Nothing needs to be invented to overcome this moment. Just look at 1936, the period of sanctions against Italy. Mixtures based on methyl alcohol effectively replaced gasoline: they can do it again now. And I think that the international sports organisations are going in this direction".
Ferrari has already begun to study the problem of the changes to be made to the twelve boxer cylinders used on single-seaters and three-litre sports.
"The work to be done is quite simple. With methanol we will have a power increase of about twelve percent. Consumption, however, doubles. If we run to alcohol, then we will have to divide the Grand Prix into two rounds. The increase of the tanks would mean to completely restructure the cars".
Speaking of power, we must remember that the engine is around 490 horsepower. With methanol it would reach 550 horsepower. The roar of the 312 B3 filters through the windows. Every now and then the living room door opens, and someone says to Ferrari:
"All right, engineer, drivers are happy".
The single-seater is the subject of huge care and attention: the Ferrari sports program for 1974 is based on it.
"We will only do the Formula 1 World Championship, with some occasional participation in the one for sports cars, discarding the 24 hours. We will not, therefore, go to Le Mans. Just one or two or three 1000 Kilometres, when we think it appropriate, just to stay technically up to date".
The activity is halved compared to 1973 and it seems that Ferrari is ready to further downsize in the event of an aggravation of the situation.
"The times, unfortunately, give reason to this reduced program that I had planned. On the other hand, a little austerity will perhaps call the racing world to a greater responsibility".
The mention of certain wastes of dollars, the excessive advertising initiatives of tobacco companies, and the economic demands of some drivers is clear. Taking a look at the tests, the single-seater of Maranello slips easily into the curves and on the straights of the Fiorano track. Ferrari is watching carefully. In the days of great testing he takes refuge in a box where, through a system of cameras, he can control the whole track.
"We rely on the full cooperation of Regazzoni and Lauda. They are disciplined guys. They work. The agreements we have made are respected with mutual satisfaction".
Hearing the words of the drivers, the mechanics, the technicians, there is enthusiasm and serenity. The times are what they are, but the commitments are faced with extreme seriousness. And the results can be seen and felt. The 312 B3 is different from the past. There is confidence. On Friday, December 14, 1973, Scuderia Ferrari continues the series of tests at the Vallelunga circuit. The team, led by engineer Mauro Forghieri, arrives in Rome during the morning with a single-seater 312 B3 1974 edition and the two drivers Regazzoni and Lauda.
The tests, run in preparation for the Argentine Grand Prix, the first race of the Formula 1 World Championship, scheduled in Buenos Aires on Sunday, January 13, 1974, last all day. Lauda does most of the tests scoring very good lap times: 1'09"4. The tests are then suspended due to a power failure. Nevertheless, engineer Forghieri declares:
"These lap times seem good. We are working to improve the car's reliability. We have made good progress".
The tests, which are also attended by the lawyer Luca Montezemolo, continue Saturday, December 15, 1973, before stopping as prescribed by the new Italian national rules.
"The car improves from test to test".
Says Niki Lauda.
"The car is safer, less nervous; in a word, it is better than the one I drove in 1972".
Says Clay Regazzoni.
"It is a new car: I’m not saying that it will allow us to win, but at least to be competitive".
Explains engineer Mauro Forghieri. The two drivers of the Ferrari 312 B3 1974 edition and the designer engineer of the Maranello team are serene and optimistic, albeit with judgement. Despite the austerity, despite the troubles of a not brilliant season, there is confidence in Ferrari that is preparing with ambitious commitment to 1974. This feeling, which emerged in the interview with Enzo Ferrari, is confirmed in the conversations with the most representative people of the team. And besides the trust, with the leaving of the bizarre Ickx and the far too effervescent Merzario, and the reconstruction of the sports department and thanks to the able diplomatic work of Luca Montezemolo who recreated an atmosphere of agreement, there is an admirably unity of intent and desire to work. A significant fact: from August to today, the single-seater B3, first driven by Merzario and then by Lauda and Regazzoni, has completed about 20,000 kilometres of tests. The 312 B3 is smaller and wider than the previous version. Aerodynamics has been designed to obtain higher coefficients of downforce more consistent in all conditions. The driver’s seat was advanced by about fifteen centimetres and the driver is sitting, not semi-lying; the oil tanks, the fuel, the onboard plants and water radiators are in a different place. Maranello technicians are also working around the engine. The twelve cylinders engine has a power of about 480-490 horsepower at 12,400-12,600 rev/minute. Engineer Bussi explains:
"We are studying and testing a series of innovations, small and big, to improve the engine as a whole. The immediate objective is to obtain more vigorous accelerations, that is, a greater power in the lower part without losing the peak one".
Drains, valves, pipes, heads are under observation. And, in addition, they are working to be able to allow the use of methanol instead of the usual gasoline. But engineer Mauro Forghieri admits:
"It’s hard to get back on top, but Ferrari will try. Even harder is to make a winning car. And who succeeds, holds it tight, even with some update from year to year. Look at the Lotus or the McLaren, which, in my opinion, looks like the cars to beat in 1974. Then, I would add the B3. The direct comparisons with the two English teams have been too fast in these last tests at Le Castellet. However, we have received comforting information. Now we have a development mule and two cars in preparation for the Argentine Grand Prix".
These are the three 1973 B3s modified, but in Maranello the construction of two more B3s that will be brand new is about to start.
"We will also build the chassis: not only the British are able to build a monocoque".
Lauda and Regazzoni, bound by a sincere friendship, work together in perfect harmony (unlike Ickx and Merzario). The Austrian is a promising young driver with considerable talent as a test driver, to the point that Regazzoni claims that if Niki had had a McLaren this year, the phenomenon would have been him and not Scheckter. The Swiss is an experienced man, a generous fighter from whom you can always expect a great performance. Their judgement on the B3 is unanimous. Regazzoni explains:
"The B1 or the B2 were difficult cars to set up track by track and required exceptional effort from the driver. This B3 is simpler, easier to drive: it warns you when it is about to start running. In addition, it allows you to repeat the time-limit several times. Coming out of the corners, you can take advantage of the power and you are no longer forced to do acrobatics. The road holding is improved in a fantastic way".
The two Ferrari drivers have faith in their car. For now, waiting for the first races, Lauda and Regazzoni give McLaren and Lotus more possibilities. But they are convinced that they can be part of the fight for the world title. Maranello fans also count on it. 1973 was a difficult year for Clay Regazzoni, the Swiss-Lombard driver with a slightly Gascon air.
"A year to forget, if it were not for my return to Ferrari in the fall".
Regazzoni raced in Formula 1 under the worn-out flags of the English team B.R.M.. A long series of nerve-wracking retirements or placings achieved with the anger of despair and pride, never an enlightening success or a clear performance. It was the car’s fault, not the driver’s.
"A lot happened to me, but the fault was in the engines. They were fragile and not very powerful; fighting with Stewart, Fittipaldi and others was impossible for me".
The 1973 chapter is now closed. The moment of revenge is near: at the end of the week Ferrari goes to Argentina, where Sunday, January 13, 1974 the Grand Prix will open in Buenos Aires the World Championship. Two renewed cars, two drivers, the Austrian Niky Lauda and, indeed, Clay Regazzoni.
"I have a lot of confidence, because Ferrari has built a really competitive car. Yes, Lotus and McLaren, with the various lckx, Peterson, Fittipaldi and Hulme, seem to be the favourites, but immediately after them there is Ferrari, and only for these first races, because we have the opportunity to stay at their level and, hopefully, to beat them. Me as a World Champion? Well, calm down, certainly I hope it".
Regazzoni is clear, he doesn’t hide behind his predictions or behind too many ifs and buts. Maybe he's a bit of a Gascon, but Ferrari has worked really well in recent months. The revenge time was prepared first with the newfound union between the men of the team, then with the refinements brought by the technicians to the 312 B3 single-seater. Regazzoni (and Lauda, of course) must take advantage of it. Will they succeed? The 1974 of Regazzoni and the Maranello team - which is experiencing a delicate period due to the consumption crisis that particularly affects its series production - is all in this question. At the same time, Jackie Stewart’s retirement from racing almost automatically raises a question: was he the greatest driver of all time or did others manage to reach higher levels?
Stewart, Fangio, Clark or Ascari? It is perhaps impossible to give an objective answer to such a question, which is not limited to motorsport but arises spontaneously when in different eras there is a champion that beats every rival. This question cannot be answered precisely because there are many factors that change. In motorsport there has been a complete technical evolution (the engine has moved from the front of the car to the rear, the tyres have become very wide, the accessories have been refined, the driving position - and therefore the cockpit - has changed from sitting to lying down). This has often been accompanied by a radical change of the circuits. Between the Ferrari that Ascari drove in 1952, when he won his first world title, and the one that lckx has brought in this season there is only one thing in common: the name. An element that at first glance could offer a sure indication is the statistical one. Many races, many successes, many titles: who has won more, is the best. Instead, not even this element is convincing. Stirling Moss, with 16 wins, is fourth in the ranking of the drivers with the richest booklet, yet he never became World Champion. Nuvolari, Caracciola, Varzi and Fangio himself won dozens of Grands Prix, but these victories did not count, because before 1950 there was no championship. Not even Fangio’s record of the titles won - five - counts: at his time, a driver forced to retire in a race, could take over from a teammate on his car and collect half of the points won with this relay. Finally, the number of Grands Prix has increased considerably: from 7-8 per year to 15 in 1973. For these reasons it is better to change the question. Not the greatest driver, but the greatest drivers. The answer, then, becomes easier. We remember with admiration Felice Nazzaro, who was the first to drive clean with the glorious Fiat Grand Prix 60 years ago; the legendary Tazio Nuvolari, who invented the driving with outstretched arms; Achille Varzi, the great rival of Nuvolari in the thirties, all calculation and reason (Fangio and Stewart can be considered his imitators); Rudy Caracciola, unbeatable in the rain with the Mercedes before the war; Giuseppe Farina, first World Champion, generous and impetuous driver (a Peterson of the time).
The last ace, Alberto Ascari, who clung to the steering wheel, arms raised, a bit like Rally drivers now use to dominate their cars on jumps and bumps; finally, Moss, who dominated the Grand Prix from 1958 to 1962 and was driven by natural talent and a desperate desire for success. But the drivers who, more than others, have shaped the history of the Formula 1 World Championship and that we all know are undoubtedly Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark and, of course, Jackie Stewart. Three champions, which we find at the top of the ranking of the best drivers. In terms of success, Fangio has the highest percentage: he won forty-six percent of the Grands Prix he ran (Clark in thirty-six percent and Stewart in twenty-seven percent), while Clark in 1963 won 7 out of 10: an unbeaten record. The Argentine was the king of the Fifties: in eight years of Formula 1 (from 1950 to 1958) he went from one title to another, from one victory to another, always looking for the best car. He didn’t want to be faithful to anyone, so much so that he drove Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Mercedes. He retired at 47, because he was tired of racing. His style was not spectacular, but profitable. Clark was a perfect driver. Not even Stewart, perhaps, knew how to use his cars as the fellow countryman, who remained faithful to Lotus and Colin Chapman. The Scotsman drove with his arms fully extended, lying in a car really tailored to him, the head slightly bent towards the inside of the curve. Everything seemed simple for Jim, who jumped at the head of the starting line, leaving behind resigned opponents. Clark died in Hockenheim, Germany, in 1968 in a Formula 2 race. Heir to Varzi, Fangio and Clark, Stewart in nine years of Formula 1 won 27 races. A record number. His rise was very rapid: Formula 3, Formula 2, Formula 1, in which he achieved his first success at Monza in 1965. Stewart was a calculator, a steering wheel accountant. His style, identical at first to that of Clark, changed a little in relation to the increase in power. Lately he was driving closer to the steering wheel. Who will be his heir, the next great driver? This is also a difficult answer...