United States GP 1971

OCTOBER 3, 1971

United States GP, 1971

There had been a considerable amount of safety work done at Watkins Glen with a new pit complex and an extension to the track. The field was much as it had been in Canada two weeks earlier although Rolf Stommelen was out of action because of a jaw problem. The second Surtees (a third was being run for Mike Hailwood) was entered for Sam Posey and Gijs van Lennep, the faster of the two (Posey) getting into the race. Tyrrell expanded to three cars with Peter Revson returning to F1 after seven years away. BRM continued to run five cars but George Eaton was replaced in the fifth by Formula 5000 driver John Cannon. Mark Donohue was again in the second McLaren but was sharing the car with David Hobbs as he had to fly backwards and forwards to Trenton, where a delayed USAC race was taking place. Mario Andretti decided not to bother and so Ferrari ran only two cars.

Jackie Stewart took pole position for Tyrrell with Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus and Denny Hulme's McLaren alongside. The second row featured Clay Regazzoni in the fastest of the Ferraris and Francois Cevert in the second Tyrrell. Jo Siffert (BRM), Jacky Ickx (Ferrari) and Chris Amon (Matra) shared the third row.

Stewart took the lead from Hulme at the start with Cevert jumping up to third place, followed by Regazzoni and Siffert. Fittipaldi made a poor start and was eighth. On the seventh lap Cevert was able to pass Hulme for second place and on lap 14 he moved ahead of Stewart, who was suffering from bad oversteer. Hulme was also having handling problems and he began to drop back, being overtaken by Ickx (who had passed Siffert). Stewart also fell victim to the Ferrari and then Siffert as well. Ickx stalked Cevert until lap 40 when the Ferrari began to fall back with an alternator problem which led to the Belgian's retirement. This moved Siffert to second place and Peterson (who had passed Stewart) to take third. Howden Ganley (BRM) was fourth with Stewart fifth.

It was Cevert's first World Championship victory and with the Mexican GP having been canceled it was the last World Championship race of the 1971 season.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
Francois Cevert Tyrrell-Cosworth 002 59 1h43m51.991s  
14 Jo Siffert BRM P160 59 1h44m32.053s  
25 Ronnie Peterson March-Cosworth 711 59 1h44m36.061s  11 
16 Howden Ganley BRM P160 59 1h44m48.740s  12 
Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Cosworth 003 59 1h44m51.994s  
Clay Regazzoni Ferrari 312B2 59 1h45m08.417s  
22 Graham Hill Brabham-Cosworth BT34 58  18 
12 Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra Simca-Matra MS120B 58  10 
15 Peter Gethin BRM P160 58  21 
10 31 David Hobbs McLaren-Cosworth M19A 58  22 
11 27 Andrea de Adamich March-Alfa Romeo 711 57  26 
12 11 Chris Amon Matra Simca-Matra MS120B 57  
13 17 Helmut Marko BRM P160 57  16 
14 28 John Cannon BRM P153 56  24 
15r 20 Mike Hailwood Surtees-Cosworth TS9 54 Puncture/ Accident 14 
16r 29 Jo Bonnier McLaren-Cosworth M7C 54 Out Of Fuel 28 
17 18 John Surtees Surtees-Cosworth TS9 54  13 
nc 33 Skip Barber March-Cosworth 711 52  25 
nc Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Cosworth 72D 49  
nc 30 Peter Lovely Lotus-Cosworth 69 49  29 
Jacky Ickx Ferrari 312B 49 Mechanical 
Denny Hulme McLaren-Cosworth M19A 47 Accident 
23 Tim Schenken Brabham-Cosworth BT33 41 Engine 15 
24 Chris Craft Brabham-Cosworth BT33 30 Suspension 27 
21 Henri Pescarolo March-Cosworth 711 23 Engine 20 
19 Sam Posey Surtees-Cosworth TS9 15 Engine 17 
26 Giovanni Galli March-Cosworth 711 11 Wheel 23 
Reine Wisell Lotus-Cosworth 72D Brakes/ Accident 
10 Peter Revson Tyrrell-Cosworth 001 Clutch 19 
ns Mario Andretti Ferrari 312B2  Raced Elsewhere 30 
ns 31 Mark Donohue McLaren-Cosworth M19A  Raced Elsewhere 31 
ns 19 Gijs van Lennep Surtees-Cosworth TS9  Car Raced By Posey 32