1970 Formula One season
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The 1970 Formula One season was the 24th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 21st World Championship of Drivers, the 13th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers and three non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over thirteen races between 7 March and 25 October.
Jochen Rindt, driving for Lotus, won his first Drivers' Championship, although he died four races before the end of the season.[1] He had earned enough championship points that no other driver managed to surpass his total. It is the only season to date in which the Drivers' Championship has been awarded posthumously. Jacky Ickx, driving for Ferrari, finished the season strongly but ended up five points short. The Manufacturers' Cup was won by Lotus, seven points ahead of Ferrari.[2]
Three-time World Champion Jack Brabham retired at the end of the year.
Teams and drivers
The following
Team and driver changes
- Matra had split with Ken Tyrrell and entered the season under French licence. The MS120 was powered by Matra's own V12 engine. Tyrrell entered two Cosworth-provided March 701's, before introducing the Tyrrell 001 later in the year, the first chassis designed by the Tyrrell team. Reigning champion Jackie Stewart and his 1969 teammate Johnny Servoz-Gavin both moved to Tyrrell, while their third teammate Jean-Pierre Beltoise stayed with Matra. He was joined by Henri Pescarolo, for his first full-time drive.
- 1968 champion Graham Hill was moved out of Team Lotus by team boss Colin Chapman and placed at the Rob Walker Racing Team. Walker's 1969 driver Jo Siffert found a new home at March. There he was joined by Chris Amon, who had left Ferrari half-way through last season, disappointed by the performance of their engine.
- 1969 runner-up flat-12 engine gave the Belgian hopes of new success. His place at Brabham was taken up by debutant Rolf Stommelen. Ex-Ferrari driver Pedro Rodríguez was signed by BRM.
- McLaren M7C before debuting his self-designed Surtees TS7half-way through the year.
- V8.
- Frank Williams had run a privatised Brabham BT26C in 1969, but collaborated with Italian car manufacturer De Tomaso. This resulted in the De Tomaso 505/38, which was uncompetitive and never managed to be classified in a championship race.
Mid-season changes
- Tyrrell driver Johnny Servoz-Gavin retired from the sport three races into the 1970 season.[3][4] His seat was taken up by François Cevert.
- After the death of Bruce McLaren, new team leader Teddy Mayer signed American driver Peter Gethin. Veteran Dan Gurney also drove three races for the McLaren team.
- Ferrari expanded their operations from one to three cars, promoting their successful sports car driver Ignazio Giunti and hiring Clay Regazzoni. The Swiss would also continue to drive in Formula Two and would go on to win the F2 championship.
- Piers Courage was killed in the Dutch Grand Prix. Frank Williams hired Brian Redman and then Tim Schenken.
- John Miles quit the sport after Jochen Rindt's accident. Besides everything, this left Lotus team owner Colin Chapman without drivers. He hired Emerson Fittipaldi, at the time a promising F2 driver, and Reine Wisell, another debutant but with wide experience under his belt.[5]
Calendar
| Round | Grand Prix | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South African Grand Prix
|
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand | 7 March |
| 2 |  Spanish Grand Prix
|
Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, Madrid
|
19 April |
| 3 |  Monaco Grand Prix
|
Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo | 10 May |
| 4 |  Belgian Grand Prix
|
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot | 7 June |
| 5 |  Dutch Grand Prix
|
Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort | 21 June |
| 6 |  French Grand Prix
|
Charade Circuit, Clermont-Ferrand
|
5 July |
| 7 |  British Grand Prix
|
Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown | 18 July |
| 8 |  German Grand Prix
|
Hockenheimring, Hockenheim[a] | 2 August |
| 9 |  Austrian Grand Prix
|
Spielberg
|
16 August |
| 10 |  Italian Grand Prix
|
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza
|
6 September |
| 11 |  Canadian Grand Prix
|
Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant | 20 September |
| 12 |  United States Grand Prix
|
Watkins Glen International, New York | 4 October |
| 13 |  Mexican Grand Prix
|
Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City
|
25 October |
Calendar changes
- The Belgian Grand Prix returned after major safety changes had been made to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Drivers had boycotted the 1969 race because of the extreme dangers.
- After a one-off Österreichring.
- The Mosport Park to Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
- The German Grand Prix was originally to be held at the Nürburgring but the drivers refused to race unless major safety changes were made to it. The circuit's owners responded negatively to a list of changes requested by the drivers, so the Hockenheimring was found as host for the race in 1970.
Regulation changes
Technical regulations
- A "safety bladder" was introduced around the fuel tanks to reduce the risk of fires.[6][7]
- The maximum displacement for compressed engines, turbo engines for example, was reduced from 1,500 cc (92 cu in) to 500 cc (31 cu in). The maximum displacement for naturally aspirated engines remained at 3,000 cc (180 cu in).[6][8]
- The minimum weight was raised from 500 kg (1,100 lb) to 530 kg (1,170 lb).[6][8]
Sporting and event regulations
The starting order of the race would usually be decided by the drivers' fastest time during any of the practice sessions. However, in some cases, only ten "chosen" drivers would be guaranteed a place on the grid, in the order of their best time. The remaining drivers had to earn their entry in a 30-minute qualifying session: the fastest drivers in that session would be allowed to start the race and would be placed on the grid in the order of their original best practice time. This resulted in drivers not qualifying for a race despite going faster in practice than others who did qualify.[9][10][11] This system was introduced shortly before the second race of the season, leading to protests among teams and drivers.[12]
Drivers would have to complete at least five laps in practice to be allowed to race.[13] [b]
The
- Run-off areas should be at least 3 m (9.8 ft) wide.
- Double strawbaleswas banned.
- Spectators placed at least 3 m (9.8 ft) behind the fencing.
- The pit laneshould be separated from the track by a barrier.
- Furthermore, regulations were set on track width, track surface and maximum gradient change.
Championship report
Rounds 1 to 5
As it had been since
During the weekend of the
In
After the death of founder and owner Bruce McLaren, the McLaren team withdrew their cars for the Belgian Grand Prix. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps had received an upgrade in safety measures: Armco barriers lined around the track and a slow chicane instead of the infamous high-speed Masta kink. Unlike in the last two races, practice times were used to determine the order of the grid and it was Stewart again on pole, with Rindt and Amon next to him. Rindt was first at the start, but it was Stewart and Amon fighting for the lead during the opening laps. Pedro Rodríguez started sixth but had passed everyone in front of him by lap 5, the BRM V12 engine reaching nearly 300 km/h (190 mph) on the straights, but Amon kept the pressure on him, setting a new lap record, even with the added chicane. Half-way through the race, Stewart's engine let go, before Hill and Brabham suffered mechanical issues as well. Rodríguez his second career win, just over a second clear of Amon. Jean-Pierre Beltoise finished third, and with two other V12-powered cars in the points, the Belgian high-speed roads had brought a stop to the V8 monopoly.[13]
In the Drivers' Championship, Jackie Stewart led with 19 points, ahead of Jochen Rindt with 18 and Jack Brabham with 15. Their respective constructors filled the Manufacturers' Cup standings in the same order: March led with 25 points, ahead of Lotus with 23 and Brabham with 17.
Rounds 6 to 9
For the British Grand Prix, Rindt was again favourite, but his Firestone tyres were not working perfectly in the high summer temperatures. Brabham, using Goodyear tyres, managed to equal Rindt's time in practice. Ickx completed the front row. Stewart started down in eighth, his March not liking the bumpy off-camber track of Brands Hatch. At the start, Brabham took the lead but was quickly passed by Ickx. The Ferrari was quick until its differential broke on lap 7. Ickx slowed down, Brabham's entry to Paddock Bend was hampered and Rindt seized the chance to pass them both. Rindt and Brabham were inseparable for the next 60 laps, until the Austrian missed a gear and the Australian outbraked him into South Bank corner. Brabham led away, growing his advantage to 13 seconds in the last lap, but then dramatically running out of fuel. Rindt crossed the line first, extending his lead in the championship, and Brabham coasted home in second. Denny Hulme was third for McLaren. After the race, Rindt was disqualified for running an illegally high rear wing, but team boss Colin Chapman successfully appealed and the decision was reverted.[17]
The
Ferrari's hopes for a resurgence came true during the
In the Drivers' Championship, Jochen Rindt's retirement had not made a big dent in his lead, yet. He stood on 45 points, ahead of Jack Brabham with 25 and Denny Hulme with 20. In the battle for the Manufacturers' Cup, Lotus, unsurprisingly, was in the lead with 50 points, ahead of March and Brabham with 33.
Rounds 10 to 13
With the
The championship concluded with three races in North America, starting with the Canadian Grand Prix at the spectacular Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The Lotus team had decided not to participate, while Tyrrell revealed their first self-designed chassis: the 001. Jackie Stewart immediately snatched pole position, going four tenths faster than in his March, ahead of the Ferrari pair of Ickx and Regazzoni. In the race, Stewart established a comfortable lead, until on lap 32, his left front suspension collapsed and he retired. Ickx and Regazzoni moved up to take a 1-2 finish, ahead of Chris Amon in the March.[22]
For the United States Grand Prix, Ickx qualified on pole position, ahead of Stewart and Fittipaldi, the leading Lotus driver after Rindt's demise. Ickx needed to win the two remaining races to stand a chance of overtaking Rindt's points total, but at the start, he fell back to third. On lap 16, he overtook Rodríguez for second, but around half distance, had to make a pit stop to repair a fuel leak. Stewart then retired with an oil leak, and Rodríguez had to pit for extra fuel. This left the Lotus pair of Fittipaldi and Wisell in the lead. Rodríguez eventually recovered to second, while Ickx could manage more than fourth place. Jochen Rindt was awarded the Drivers' Championship posthumously.[23]
For the Mexican Grand Prix, Clay Regazzoni qualified on pole, ahead of the three "Jacks": Stewart, Ickx and Brabham. The race was delayed over an hour, because over 200,000 supporters had turned up and were lined up right along the track to get the best view. The drivers pleaded with the crowd to move back and eventually agreed to start the race. When they got underway, Ickx quickly seized the lead. Stewart had to pit due to a loose steering column but he was fighting back to the front until, on lap 33, he hit a stray dog and heavily damaged his front suspension. Ferrari scored their third 1-2 finish, ahead of Denny Hulme in the McLaren.[24]
Jochen Rindt was awarded the Drivers' Championship posthumously, the only time this has ever happened, with 45 points, ahead of the Ferrari drivers Jacky Ickx (40) and Clay Regazzoni (33). Lotus were awarded the Manufacturers' Cup with 59 points, ahead of Ferrari (52) and March (48).
Results and standings
Grands Prix
World Drivers' Championship standings
Points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first six finishers at each race. The best six results from the first seven rounds and the best five results from the last six rounds were retained.
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† Jochen Rindt suffered a fatal accident in practice before the Italian Grand Prix.
‡ Piers Courage suffered a fatal accident during the Dutch Grand Prix.
International Cup for F1 Manufacturers standings
Points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first six finishers at each round, however only the best placed car from each manufacturer was eligible to score points. The best six results from the first seven rounds and the best five results from the last six rounds were retained.
| Pos. | Manufacturer | RSA
|
ESP
|
MON
|
BEL
|
NED
|
FRA
|
GBR
|
GER
|
AUT
|
ITA
|
CAN
|
USA
|
MEX
|
Pts.[26] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus-Ford
|
5 | 4 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | DNS | NC | 1 | NC | 59 |
| 2 | Ferrari
|
Ret | Ret | Ret | 4 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | (4) | 1 | 52 (55) |
| 3 | March-Ford
|
3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 48 |
| 4 | Brabham-Ford
|
1 | Ret | 2 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 35 |
| 5 | McLaren-Ford
|
2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 35 | |
| 6 | BRM
|
9 | Ret | 6 | 1 | 10 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 4 | Ret | 4 | 2 | 6 | 23 |
| 7 | Matra
|
4 | Ret | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | Ret | 6 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 23 |
| 8 | Surtees-Ford
|
Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | 5 | 6 | 8 | 3 | ||||||
| — | Alfa Romeo
|
DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | NC | DNS | DNQ | 12 | 8 | Ret | DNQ | 0 | |||
| — | De Tomaso-Ford
|
Ret | DNS | NC | Ret | Ret | DNS | DNQ | Ret | Ret | NC | Ret | 0 | ||
| — | Tyrrell-Ford
|
DNS | Ret | Ret | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
| — |  Bellasi-Ford
|
DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
| Pos. | Manufacturer | RSA
|
ESP
|
MON
|
BEL
|
NED
|
FRA
|
GBR
|
GER
|
AUT
|
ITA
|
CAN
|
USA
|
MEX
|
Pts. |
- Bold results counted to championship totals.
Non-championship races
Other Formula One races held in 1970, which did not count towards the World Championship. The International Trophy and Gold Cup were held concurrently with Formula 5000 cars.
| Race name | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Constructor | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V Race of Champions
|
Brands Hatch | 22 March | Jackie Stewart
|
March-Cosworth
|
Report |
| XXII BRDC International Trophy
|
Silverstone | 26 April |  Chris Amon
|
March-Cosworth
|
Report |
International Gold Cup
|
Oulton Park | 22 August | John Surtees
|
Surtees-Cosworth
|
Report |
Notes
- ^ The German Grand Prix was originally to be held at the Nürburgring but the drivers refused to race at the venue unless major safety changes were made to it. The Nurburgring track officials responded negatively to a list of changes requested by the drivers. The Hockenheimring would host the race in 1970 on its intended date.[citation needed]
- ^ It is unclear if this rule existed before this year.
References
- ^ "1970 Driver Standings". Formula1.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "1970 Constructor Standings". Formula1.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ISBN 0851127029.
- ^ Henry, Alan (26 July 2006). "Johnny Servoz-Gavin". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
- ^ "Reine WISELL". DriverDatabase. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Steven de Grootte (1 January 2009). "F1 rules and stats 1970-1979". F1Technical.net. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Safety Improvements in F1 since 1963". AtlasF1. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b Steven de Grootte (1 January 2009). "F1 rules and stats 1960-1969". F1Technical.net. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (10 May 1970). "1970 Monaco Grand Prix race report: Brabham bins it, Jochen wins it". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (21 June 1970). "1970 Dutch Grand Prix race report: Sharp end of the wedge". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (6 September 1970). "41st Italian Grand Prix". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Poachers turned gamekeepers: how the FOCA became the new FIA - Part 1: Introduction and timeline". Forix.com. 21 November 2007.
- ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (7 June 1970). "1970 Belgian Grand Prix race report: Rodriguez reaps rewards". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Denis Jenkinson (7 March 1970). "1970 South African Grand Prix race report: Brabham schools the kids". MotorSport Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Ben Stevens (21 June 2017). "REMEMBERING PIERS COURAGE". GrandPrix247. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Denis Jenkinson (5 July 1970). "1970 French Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Mark Hughes (August 2020). "1970 British Grand Prix: Duel of the Fates". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Denis Jenkinson (2 August 1970). "1970 German Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ Denis Jenkinson (16 August 1970). "Forza Ferrari". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Maurice Hamilton (5 September 2020). "Remembering Jochen Rindt, 50 years on from his death at Monza". ESPN UK. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Elizabeth Blackstock (5 September 2021). "This Day In History: F1 Championship Leader Jochen Rindt Dies At Monza". Jalopnik. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ admin (20 September 1970). "1970 Canadian Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Motor Sport (4 October 1970). "1970 United States Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ admin (25 October 1970). "1970 Mexican Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Drivers' points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top six finishers in each race. The best 6 results from the first 7 races and the best 5 results from the last 6 races were counted, though this rule did not affect any driver's points tally in the 1970 championship.
- ^ Only the best 6 results from the first 7 rounds and the best 5 results from the last 6 rounds counted towards the championship. Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.