Race G

Formula 1 cars (1975-1978)

The queen class stirred up deep emotions during the week-end, and in spite of the fact that the protagonists of past editions were missing: absent Edwards, Stretton and Pane, the struggle for the win was concentrated on Verdun-Roe with his McLaren M26 and Stéphane Richelmi, the local favourite who replaced his father Jean Pierre at the wheel of the Ensign N175. During qualifying tests the two drivers succeeded in inflicting three seconds’ lead over the direct following drivers and at the end the English driver got his own way because was able to set his best time 1:33:900. The first session has unfortunately been troubled by a bad accident on the Tabac bend that has involved the Ferrari 312T3 driven by Folch-Rusinol, whose engine has suddenly exploded and the March 761 of Gallego; damages caused on the two single-seaters has made it impossible their taking part in the race.

With the presence of seventeen drivers only, the start of the race reserved many surprises: at the end of the first formation lap some cars, lined-up in the last positions, met some trouble which made it necessary to interrupt the starting procedure, with the race that was reduced to 14 laps. Even the second formation lap didn’t finish without any problems, with the intervention of three marshals who allowed the Poleman to restart the engine which was switched off just when was going to occupy the grid position. As a matter of fact, the excitement of the race worn out here: Verdun-Roe and Richelmi were fighting with fast laps up to lap 9, when the Ensign driven by the Monegasque switched off on Ostende hill, leaving the English driver alone in the lead. After him there was the small group made by Martin in Ensign N177, Kubota in March 761, with which Peterson won the Italian GP in 1976, and Fitzgerald at the wheel of a March 761B lost the lowest two steps of podium; while the first one managed to obtain a certain safety gap which allowed him to win the second place, the other two drivers had to fight up to the second-last lap, when after a bit unfair action the American ran into the Japanese on the chicane causing the rival’s car to spin right round and making podium third step. We have to point out the fight engaged between Wills in Williams Fw05 and Colyvas in Shadow DN5, fifth and sixth respectively under the chequered flag: the fight has been entertaining the spectators for twelve laps out of fourteen.

Marco Zanello
Photos by Fabio Carrera
Technical advice by Joni Stefani

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