Race E

Voitures de Grand Prix de F1, 3 litres (1966-1972)

We started with the bang for the series A bringing together the F1 single-seaters from 1966 to 1972. In the First row were the March 701 and 721G of pole man Smith and Sytner; in the second row a beautiful March 711 with Fitzgerald and McLaren with Joaquim Folch.

A matter of seconds, and Smith and Fitzgerald moved in advance on the right. Folch also started and dodged Sytner who was quietly waiting for the green, but the maneuver is awkward and he got on the rear right side of Sytner with his left rear side. Result: both cars had smashed the suspensions, while Smith and Fitzgerald flew away. It could be the big day for Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, now It could be the big day for Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, who after having qualified his Tecno PA 123 at the fifth place, now finds himself easily third and has already started to press closely the red March 711 with Fitzgerald. No time to finish the first lap and the Italian went into a spin at Rascasse. Walker took advantage of it with his McLaren M19A.

But the dangers came from far away: behind the English driver there was Duncan Dayton appearing by now at the wheel of his Brabham. Dayton had started as a shell from the last position on the grid and was running as a devil. After a Safety Car lap due to the accident at the start, Dayton overtook Walker for the third place and after a lap, precise like a killer, bumped Fitzgerald off.

Meantime Montelera, who was recovering after his first spin, had to retire because of a technical failure on lap five when was ninth. Trouble even for Dayton who, during his run after the March car in the lead, had a spin and let himself newly overtake by Fitzgerald, The American returned to pursue the March 711 and, while was in action, here was the decision of race directors to inflict a drive through penalty to Smith, Fitzgerald and Walker for a jump start. Therefore the American found himself first in theory, but he didn’t give up passing Fitzgerald on the track at the Chicane du Port through a clean and clear action.

The decision of marshals also favored Bruno Ferrari at the wheel of his March 701, who was by that time at the third position, but the Italian driver came out at Sainte Devote and crossed the finishing line at the sixth place, behind the Ferrari 312 driven by Hoyt and the Tyrrell 6 driven by Delane. Behind Dayton the winner, there were the March 711 with Fitzgerald and the 701 with Smith, who held, however, a high rhythm in the race and gained a step on podium.

Stefano Costantino
Photos by Giacomo & Marco Zanello

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