The 1970's started the playboy era of formula 1, when some of the old guard retired and the younger more fun loving drivers started coming through. The sport was still slightly amateurish in its running both in safety and the way it was run. This meant the sport still had quite a high level of fatalities where the drivers hoped to be back on the grid the following year but were never sure.
The 1970 Formula One season was the 21st FIA World Championship season, which commenced on March 7, 1970, and ended on October 25 after thirteen races. This is the only season to date in which the World Championship title has been awarded posthumously. The Austrian Jochen Rindt, dominated the championship until he was killed at Monza when a brake shaft broke. He won 5 out of 13 races for Lotus and amassed 45 points, while Lotus also took the the constructors title with 59 points. The 1971 Formula One season was the 22nd FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 6, 1971, and ended on October 3 after eleven races. After the death of Jochen Rindt the previous year, Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart easily dominated in 1971.Stewart won 6 of the 11 races amassing 62 points nearly double of runner up Ronnie Peterson on 33 points. Unfortunately Jo Siffert and Pedro Rodriguez both lost their lives racing this year. The 1972 Formula One season was the 23rd FIA Formula One season. The World Championship season commenced on January 23 and ended on October 8 after twelve races. Lotus took the championship by surprise in 1972, with 25-year old Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi taking the championship and became the youngest world champion at that point. The Changing of the guard had began. In 1973, Lotus team-mates Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson raced each other while Stewart was supported by Franois Cevert at Tyrrell. Stewart took the Driver's title, but then at the final race of the season, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Cevert crashed during Saturday practice in the notorious 'Esses' and was killed instantly. Stewart and Tyrrell withdrew from the race effectively handing the Constructor's title to Lotus.
The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on October 6 after fifteen races. Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni went into the last race level on points, but Regazzoni dropped down the field with handling problems, so Fittipaldi's fourth place gave him the championship. Two F1 drivers died over the course of the season,Peter Revson in a practice session accident at the South African GP in March, then Austrian newcomer Helmuth Koinigg at the US GP in October. The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races. After a strong finish to the 1974 season, many observers felt the Brabham team were favourites to win the 1975 title. The year started well, with an emotional first win for Carlos Pace at the Interlagos circuit in his native Sao Paulo. However, over the season tyre wear frequently slowed the cars, and the initial promise was not maintained. Niki Lauda often refers to 1975 as "the unbelievable year". In his second year with Ferrari, the team provided him with the Ferrari 312T- a car that was technically far superior to any of the competition. He won his first world title with 5 wins and a huge margin over second placed Ronnie Peterson in the championship.
The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on October 6 after fifteen races. Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni went into the last race level on points, but Regazzoni dropped down the field with handling problems, so Fittipaldi's fourth place gave him the championship. Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson and Carlos Reutemann each won three races,Jody Scheckter and Niki Lauda two each, Regazzoni and Denny Hulme, who retired at the end of the season, one each. Graham Hill ran a new team of Lolas, the larger-than-life Hesketh team entered its own car after running James Hunt in a March, and Americans Roger Penske and Parnelli Jones entered their own cars late in the season. Chris Amon's own car, like the Token and the Trojan, was not a success. Two F1 drivers died over the course of the season,Peter Revson in a practice session accident at the South African GP in March, then Austrian newcomer Helmuth Koinigg at the US GP in October. The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races. The season also included three non-championship Formula One races and a nine race South African Formula One Championship. After a strong finish to the 1974 season, many observers felt the Brabham team were favourites to win the 1975 title. The year started well, with an emotional first win for Carlos Pace at the Interlagos circuit in his native Sao Paulo. However, over the season tyre wear frequently slowed the cars, and the initial promise was not maintained. Niki Lauda often refers to 1975 as "the unbelievable year". In his second year with Ferrari, the team provided him with the Ferrari 312T- a car that was technically far superior to any of the competition. He won his first world title with 5 wins and a huge margin over second place in the championship. The 1976 season was an extraordinarily political season, that saw the world championship go to James Hunt by one point from Niki Lauda, although Ferrari took the constructors' title. Controversy began in Spain where Hunt was initially disqualified from first place, giving the race to Lauda, only for the decision to be overturned on appeal months later. The six wheeled Tyrrell confounded the sceptics by winning in Sweden, with Lauda third and Hunt fifth. Hunt won in France and, it seemed, in Britain, but the race had been restarted after a first lap pile-up and Hunt re-started in a spare car which was against the rules. He was eventually disqualified after an appeal from Ferrari, whose own driver,Regazzoni, had also re-started in a spare. Lauda became the official race winner. Lauda then crashed heavily in Germany and appeared likely to die from his injuries. Hunt won the race and finished fourth to John Watson's Penske (the team's only win) in Austria. Miraculously, Lauda returned to finish fourth in Italy, where Hunt, Jochen Mass and Watson were relegated to the back of the grid for alleged infringements of the regulations. Hunt won in Canada and in the USA but Lauda took third to lead Hunt by three points going into the final race. In appalling weather conditions Mario Andretti won, Lauda gave up because of the hazardous conditions, and Hunt eventually finished third to take the title.
The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th World Championship season, which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on October 23 after seventeen races. Niki Lauda took his second championship, though Mario Andretti won more races. This was because drivers had to take their best performances from the first half of the season and combine them with their best results from the second half, to arrive at a final points total. The season was also marred by one of the most horrific accidents in Formula One history. During the South African GP on March 5, TV cameras captured how Tom Pryce was unable to avoid 19-year-old race marshal Frederiik Jansen Van Vuuren. The latter was killed by the terrifying collision, his bloody corpse was hurtled into the air, and his fire extinguisher killed and nearly decapitated Pryce, whose car proceeded to the end of the straight where it collided with Jacques Laffite's Ligier. The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October 8 after sixteen races. Mario Andretti won the Championship and was the last American to date to win a Formula One race. The season will also be remembered for the death of Ronnie Peterson, who would finish second in the Championship standings despite a fatal first lap accident at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix. The season also saw James Hunt retire after seeing one too many colleagues die, The end of the playboy era. The final season in the 70's was 1979, saw 15 races contested ,with Jody Scheckter eventually winning the title with 51 points. It was also during this year that Formula one changed forever and became big business, with the forming of the Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile(Fisa) which set of the FISA-FOCA controversy which eventually led to the huge billion dollar business that Formula 1 became from the 1980's onwards.
The 1970 Formula One season was the 21st FIA World Championship season, which commenced on March 7, 1970, and ended on October 25 after thirteen races. This is the only season to date in which the World Championship title has been awarded posthumously. The Austrian Jochen Rindt, dominated the championship until he was killed at Monza when a brake shaft broke. He won 5 out of 13 races for Lotus and amassed 45 points, while Lotus also took the the constructors title with 59 points. The 1971 Formula One season was the 22nd FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 6, 1971, and ended on October 3 after eleven races. After the death of Jochen Rindt the previous year, Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart easily dominated in 1971.Stewart won 6 of the 11 races amassing 62 points nearly double of runner up Ronnie Peterson on 33 points. Unfortunately Jo Siffert and Pedro Rodriguez both lost their lives racing this year. The 1972 Formula One season was the 23rd FIA Formula One season. The World Championship season commenced on January 23 and ended on October 8 after twelve races. Lotus took the championship by surprise in 1972, with 25-year old Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi taking the championship and became the youngest world champion at that point. The Changing of the guard had began. In 1973, Lotus team-mates Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson raced each other while Stewart was supported by Franois Cevert at Tyrrell. Stewart took the Driver's title, but then at the final race of the season, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Cevert crashed during Saturday practice in the notorious 'Esses' and was killed instantly. Stewart and Tyrrell withdrew from the race effectively handing the Constructor's title to Lotus.
The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on October 6 after fifteen races. Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni went into the last race level on points, but Regazzoni dropped down the field with handling problems, so Fittipaldi's fourth place gave him the championship. Two F1 drivers died over the course of the season,Peter Revson in a practice session accident at the South African GP in March, then Austrian newcomer Helmuth Koinigg at the US GP in October. The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races. After a strong finish to the 1974 season, many observers felt the Brabham team were favourites to win the 1975 title. The year started well, with an emotional first win for Carlos Pace at the Interlagos circuit in his native Sao Paulo. However, over the season tyre wear frequently slowed the cars, and the initial promise was not maintained. Niki Lauda often refers to 1975 as "the unbelievable year". In his second year with Ferrari, the team provided him with the Ferrari 312T- a car that was technically far superior to any of the competition. He won his first world title with 5 wins and a huge margin over second placed Ronnie Peterson in the championship.
The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on October 6 after fifteen races. Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni went into the last race level on points, but Regazzoni dropped down the field with handling problems, so Fittipaldi's fourth place gave him the championship. Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson and Carlos Reutemann each won three races,Jody Scheckter and Niki Lauda two each, Regazzoni and Denny Hulme, who retired at the end of the season, one each. Graham Hill ran a new team of Lolas, the larger-than-life Hesketh team entered its own car after running James Hunt in a March, and Americans Roger Penske and Parnelli Jones entered their own cars late in the season. Chris Amon's own car, like the Token and the Trojan, was not a success. Two F1 drivers died over the course of the season,Peter Revson in a practice session accident at the South African GP in March, then Austrian newcomer Helmuth Koinigg at the US GP in October. The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races. The season also included three non-championship Formula One races and a nine race South African Formula One Championship. After a strong finish to the 1974 season, many observers felt the Brabham team were favourites to win the 1975 title. The year started well, with an emotional first win for Carlos Pace at the Interlagos circuit in his native Sao Paulo. However, over the season tyre wear frequently slowed the cars, and the initial promise was not maintained. Niki Lauda often refers to 1975 as "the unbelievable year". In his second year with Ferrari, the team provided him with the Ferrari 312T- a car that was technically far superior to any of the competition. He won his first world title with 5 wins and a huge margin over second place in the championship. The 1976 season was an extraordinarily political season, that saw the world championship go to James Hunt by one point from Niki Lauda, although Ferrari took the constructors' title. Controversy began in Spain where Hunt was initially disqualified from first place, giving the race to Lauda, only for the decision to be overturned on appeal months later. The six wheeled Tyrrell confounded the sceptics by winning in Sweden, with Lauda third and Hunt fifth. Hunt won in France and, it seemed, in Britain, but the race had been restarted after a first lap pile-up and Hunt re-started in a spare car which was against the rules. He was eventually disqualified after an appeal from Ferrari, whose own driver,Regazzoni, had also re-started in a spare. Lauda became the official race winner. Lauda then crashed heavily in Germany and appeared likely to die from his injuries. Hunt won the race and finished fourth to John Watson's Penske (the team's only win) in Austria. Miraculously, Lauda returned to finish fourth in Italy, where Hunt, Jochen Mass and Watson were relegated to the back of the grid for alleged infringements of the regulations. Hunt won in Canada and in the USA but Lauda took third to lead Hunt by three points going into the final race. In appalling weather conditions Mario Andretti won, Lauda gave up because of the hazardous conditions, and Hunt eventually finished third to take the title.
The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th World Championship season, which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on October 23 after seventeen races. Niki Lauda took his second championship, though Mario Andretti won more races. This was because drivers had to take their best performances from the first half of the season and combine them with their best results from the second half, to arrive at a final points total. The season was also marred by one of the most horrific accidents in Formula One history. During the South African GP on March 5, TV cameras captured how Tom Pryce was unable to avoid 19-year-old race marshal Frederiik Jansen Van Vuuren. The latter was killed by the terrifying collision, his bloody corpse was hurtled into the air, and his fire extinguisher killed and nearly decapitated Pryce, whose car proceeded to the end of the straight where it collided with Jacques Laffite's Ligier. The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October 8 after sixteen races. Mario Andretti won the Championship and was the last American to date to win a Formula One race. The season will also be remembered for the death of Ronnie Peterson, who would finish second in the Championship standings despite a fatal first lap accident at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix. The season also saw James Hunt retire after seeing one too many colleagues die, The end of the playboy era. The final season in the 70's was 1979, saw 15 races contested ,with Jody Scheckter eventually winning the title with 51 points. It was also during this year that Formula one changed forever and became big business, with the forming of the Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile(Fisa) which set of the FISA-FOCA controversy which eventually led to the huge billion dollar business that Formula 1 became from the 1980's onwards.
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