Formula One 1970 Season

Send This Page To A Friend
Fade To White
Formula One 1970 Season


1970 Lotus Formula One
1970 Lotus Profile ...

Regulations:

Engine:
1500cc (supercharged / turbocharged), 3000cc (normally aspirated)

Weight:
500 kg (minimum)

Points - Driver & Constructors:
1st: 9, 2nd: 6, 3rd: 4, 4th: 3, 5th: 2, 6th: 1

Death of a Champion:
There was drame at the Italian Grand Prix. During practice, when he was beginning to brake at the approach of the Parabolica curve, Jochen Rindt lost control of his Lotus, thought by many to be because of mechanical failure, and the car plunged under the safety barrier. Rindt died, cut down in his prime. The winner of five of the preceding Grand Prix, he was assured of the world title, which was to be given to him posthumously.

Controversy then ensued as to how well Lotus racing cars were constructed. Ferrar's superiority was confirmed in the Italian Grand Prix, Fegazzoni, in only his fifth Formula 1 Grand Prix race, took on Stewart, Beltoise, Hulme and Stommelen to drive to triumph in an atmsphere of general delirium. Two weeks later SEFAC Ferrari chalked up its third consecutive victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, where Ickx zoomed home in from of the same Regazzoni. The Lotus team had abstained from the race.

The British GP - By Sterling Moss



NOW that the dust has settled over the British Grand Prix, Jochen Rindt, can look back with an objective eye at one of the most remarkable races any of us can remember. "I ought to be very happy and in a way I am. But, you know, it's too much luck and this worries me a little. Because 1 believe that luck evens itself out and, if that's so, I must have some pretty bad days ahead." For the second time this season Rindt had beaten Jack Brabham on the last lap in a Championship Grand Prix with Jack seemingly home and dry. At Monaco, Jack locked his brakes on the last bend. At Brands Hatch, he ran out of fuel with the chequered flag literally in sight. Rindt's victory at Monaco, however, could not be grudged.

He had put the most tremendous pressure upon Brabham and it was this that largely accounted for the locking of the brakes. But at Brands Hatch, it was Jack who put the pressure on Jochen, sitting on his tail for 69 laps, never more than a couple of car lengths away. Then once past, he built up a lead steadily, lap by lap. "I was quicker than Jochen everywhere on the circuit" he said afterwards. "Then he missed a gear out at the far end of the track and I was able to move up alongside him. After that I was going away fairly quickly". Just how did he run out of fuel? Jack suspected that there might have been a leak in the tank, but there didn't appear to be any trace of that. It could well be that they miscalculated. They had based consumption on practice performances and then put in five gallons extra as a safety margin. But this inevitably has to be a bit of a gamble. You can't run with your tanks too full, otherwise the weight alone will cost you those vital fifths of seconds per lap.

So you study your practice fuel consumption and make your calculations accordingly. Of course, you never do enough laps at racing speed in practice to be absolutely accurate. It is no good basing consumption on your last race, because it must vary, circuit by circuit. Somebody asked Jack if he felt like giving up. "I do at the moment, yeah", he said, and I can imagine all too well how he must have felt. Luck in motor racing is a strange thing and rarely as good or bad in retrospect, as it seemed on the day, as you sat there with a spluttering engine or whatever.

Just consider, for instance, what would have happened if Jack's fuel had run out half a lap earlier. So his luck could have been worse and will doubtless get a lot better before the season is much older. Because, at this moment in time, it is clear that he, in company with the very able Ron Tauranac, has the best car around. Like Colin Chapman, he does have this ability to suddenly produce a car that has an edge over everything else in sight. In particular, he has the ability to produce a race-winning car. The Brabhams will probably never go into the history of the sport as "great" cars ... in the sense that the 1955 Mercedes and the 1961 Ferrari were great cars. But they do win races and, given the chance; championships too.

The edge this time may only be a temporary one. The Lotus 72 is formidable and still probably short of its full potential. While for a second grand prix in succession, the Ferrari of Jacky Ickx helped set the early pace. The power of its 12-cylinder engine is self-evident and, with a bit more reliability, the car would become a very serious contender. The Ferraris have always gone well at Monza and I will be surprised if they don't do so again this year. In the meantime, Jack Brabham goes to Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix, at least joint favourite with Rindt - and it is to be hoped that the fates will be a little kinder, because he really is a man who deserves all the luck that's going. At Brands Hatch, there was an unrecorded story that was typical of Brabham. In practice Graham Hill's engine blew up. As soon as they heard the news, and without any hesitation at all, the Brabham team lent him one of theirs.

Jack did much the same sort of thing for me once when we were racing in New Zealand. I had broken a halfshaft. He promptly gave me one of his and, given half a hint, would probably have fitted it for me too. He doesn't even look upon such things as a gesture. It has just never occurred to him to do anything less. Although he is a bit short on luck at the moment, there is at least some rough justice in the fact that Rindt is the one to benefit from his ill fortunes.

Because the good days for Jochen are, in my opinion long overdue. Just 12 months earlier, I recall it was he who ran out of fuel in the British Grand Prix when running neck and neck with Jackie Stewart. So although he is right in saying that "luck evens itself out", he needn't worry too much. His current good fortune still has a bit of catching up to do.

1970 Grand Prix Calendar
Date
Grand Prix Circuit
Pole Position
Winner
March 7th, 1970
South Africa
South African GP Kyalami Jackie Stewart Jack Brabham
April 19th, 1970
Spain
Spanish GP Montjuich Park Jack Brabham Jackie Stewart
May 10th, 1970
Monaco
Monaco GP Monte Carlo
Jackie Stewart Jochen Rindt
June 7th, 1970
Belgum
Belgian GP Spa-Francorchamps Jackie Stewart Pedro Rodriguez
June 21st, 1970
Netherlands
Dutch GP Zandvoort Jochen Rindt Jochen Rindt
July 5th, 1970
France
French GP Clermont-Ferrand
Jacky Ickx Jochen Rindt
July 19th, 1970
United Kingdom
British GP Brands Hatch Jochen Rindt Jochen Rindt
August 2nd, 1970
Germany
German GP Hockenheim Jacky Ickx Jochen Rindt
August 16th, 1970
Austria
Austrian GP Osterreichring Jochen Rindt Jacky Ickx
September 6th, 1970
Italy
Italian GP Monza Jacky Ickx Clay Regazzoni
September 20th, 1970
Canada
Canadian GP Mont Tremblant Jackie Stewart Jacky Ickx
October 4th, 1970
United States
United States GP Watkins Glen Jacky Ickx Emerson Fittipaldi
October 25th, 1970
Mexico
Mexican GP Mexico City Clay Regazzoni Jacky Ickx
 
1970 F1 Drivers
Championship
Position
Driver
Points
C
Jochen Rindt
45
2
Jacky Ickx
40
3
Clay Regazzoni
33
4
Denny Hulme
27
5
Jack Brabham
25
6
Jackie Stewart
25
7
Pedro Rodriguez
23
8
Chris Amon
23
1970 F1 Constructors
Championship
Position
Manufacturer
Points
C
Lotus / Ford
59
2
Ferrari / Ferrari
52
3
March / Ford
48
4
Brabham / Ford
35
5
McLaren / Ferrari
35
6
BRM / BRM
23
7
Matra / Matra
23
8
Surtees / Ford
3
Latest Classic Car Classifieds


Sell Your Car or Parts Browse the Classifieds It's Absolutely Free! - Find Out More