Italian Grand Prix
Eight left.—By half-distance there were eight cars remaining in the battle for the lead at Monza. The winning Ferrari of Clay Regazzoni is about to move up past Jack Oliver’s BRM and the leading March of Jackie Stewart. Following are HuIme (McLaren), Stommelen (Brabham), Beltoise ((Matra), Cevert (March) and Brabham (Brabham). Brabham spun off and hit a barrier when his engine unexpectedly cut out and Cevert lost time in avoidance.
BRM’S new cylinder heads, but not the expected short-stroke engine, were tried on an engine installed in the spare car for Rodriguez during practice. This engine was then used in the race by George Eaton, who retired when the heads leaked water. Both Rodriguez and Oliver led the race until their over-revved engines blew up.
Matra’s two cars arrived with these glassfibre fuel pods. the team having despaired of ever being able to get the last 40 litres to pick up properly from the normal tanks. BeItoise stayed with the leading group throughout the race, eventually finishing third behind Jackie Stewart; Pescarolo in the second Matra went well before his V12 blew up.
Experience and youth.—Denny HuIme played a waiting game at the start of the race, keeping his McLaren at the back of the bunch in company with Francois Cevert, who drove well in the second Tyrrell March and eventually took his first World Championship point. Hulme might well have been placed even higher had he not missed a gear on the run in to the line.
Enthusiastic flag marshals signal that Pedro Rodriguez’s BRM has blown up round the corner. Ronnie Peterson and Henri Pescarolo take due notice.
Jackie Stewart decided to drive his normal March at Monza, using a Cosworth engine. He finished a fine second, completely exhausted.
Patriotic Italians flooded over the fences in an unstoppable mass of fervent hysteria after the race. Several cars had to brake heavily before the line and when Clay Regazzoni completed his slowing down lap he was mobbed and chaired, while his Ferrari was virtually trampled underfoot.