Race F

Formula 1 cars (1966-1974)

Once again Formula 1 cars (1966.1974) were the category that caused great excitement, and all that in spite of the third win in a row of American Dayton in Brabham BT33, thanks to the umpteenth capital practice. During the qualifying tests things went wrong for the American driver, with Monegasque Sytner able to set Pole position with almost two seconds’ lead. As it wasn’t enough, even Rossi di Montelera in Brabham BT42/44 and Folch-Rusinol in McLaren M23 ex-James Hunt had set times equal to Dayton’s, sending a challenge to him.

On Sunday the first surprise was given by Richard Attwood, with his Brabham which has already left him in the lurch during the reconnaissance lap; at the start Dayton drove well but Sytner managed to hold the first position, with Rossi di Montelera and Folch-Rusinol fourth and fifth respectively. The first two laps were like in a film library of Formula 1, with the American who attacked on every bend, and was threatened in his turn by the Italian: he managed to overtake easily on Portier bend, but Monegasque Sytner didn’t accept and he tried to overtake again, unsuccessfully, on the chicane. Also Rossi di Montelera managed to attack Hesketh but ended by passing on the Rascasse turn wasting time and a position’s lead to advantage of Folch-Rusinol who placed the nose of his car close to the exhaust pipes of the present second driver. When positions seemed clearly defined, there was a new surprising event, with the entry of the Safety Car owing to a bad crash between Maydon in Amon and Wallenberg in March 731 in tunnel. Casino Square suggested him to give up by keeping the final second place. Third Folch-Rusinol unable to worry the two rivals while Rossi di Montelera kept the fourth place in extremis by defending himself against Hamson’s attacks in March 711.

Marco Zanello
Photos by Fabio Carrera
Technical advice by Joni Stefani

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