The last privateer win?

Sir,

I thoroughly enjoyed the article in the May issue on Jo Siffert’s victory in the 1968 British GP. But there’s another candidate for the `final privateer’ victory, if privateer is defined as a car entered by a team which had not designed the vehicle: Jackie Stewart’s win in the 1970 Spanish GP at Jarama.

Tyrrell campaigned March 701s for Stewart, Johnny Servoz-Gavin and Francois Cevert through the 1970 season, though from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards, Stewart drove the Tyrrell 001.

At Jarama, there were two works 701s driven by Siffert and Amon, the Tyrrell entries of Stewart and Servoz-Gavin, and an STP Corporationentered car for Mario Andretti. Siffert failed to qualify and Amon retired after 11 laps. Stewart led from start to finish, Andretti finished third and Servoz-Gavin came home last of the five finishers.

Stewart’s victory was the first for March in only their second Grand Prix. A works March did not score a Grand Prix victory until Austria in 1975, driven by Vittorio Brambilla.

I AM, YOURS, ETC

Mike Finch, via E-mail