1973 Dutch Grand Prix

  1973 Dutch Grand Prix
Race details
Race 10 of 15 in the 1973 Formula One season

Date July 29, 1973
Official name XXI Grote Prijs van Nederland
Location Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands
Course Permanent racing facility
4.18 km (2.6 mi)
Distance 72 laps, 304.27 km (189.06 mi)
Weather Dry
Pole position
Driver Ronnie Peterson Lotus-Ford
Time 1:19.47
Fastest lap
Driver Ronnie Peterson Lotus-Ford
Time 1:20.31
Podium
First Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford
Second François Cevert Tyrrell-Ford
Third James Hunt March-Ford

The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Zandvoort on July 29, 1973. Zandvoort returned to the Formula 1 calendar following a year's absence for extensive safety upgrades to the race track including new asphalt, new barriers and a new race control tower. Jackie Stewart won the race, this Grand Prix being fourth of five wins for Stewart during the 1973 Formula One season, and he became the most successful Formula One driver of all time with his 26th Grand Prix victory, surpassing Jim Clark's record of 25 victories.

Driver Roger Williamson was killed in the race; this was the first of two driver fatalities in the 1973 season. François Cevert, who took the podium in second place at this race, would later perish during practice for the 1973 United States Grand Prix.

Contents

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Death of Roger Williamson

On the 8th lap of the race, a suspected tyre failure caused Williamson's car to pitch into the barriers at high speed, and be catapulted 300 yards (275 m) across the track, eventually coming to rest upside down against the barriers on the other side. The petrol tank had ignited while being scraped along the track, and the car caught fire. Williamson had not been seriously injured by the impact, but was trapped in the car. The race was not stopped and continued with a local yellow at the scene, a fact which would become significant over the next few minutes.

Fellow driver David Purley almost immediately pulled his car over on the opposite side of the track, then ran across the live racetrack to assist him. Williamson was heard shouting to Purley to get him out of the car as Purley tried in vain to turn the car upright. There appeared to have been ample time to right the car and pull Williamson out, but as desperately as he tried, Purley was unable to do it by himself, and the marshals, who were not wearing flame retardant overalls, were unable to help due to the intense heat.

Race control assumed that it was Purley's car that had crashed and that the driver had escaped unharmed. Many drivers who saw Purley waving them down to stop assumed that he was trying to put a fire out from his own car, after having safely exited it, and thus did not know that a second driver had been involved. As a result the race continued at full pace while Purley desperately tried to save the life of Williamson.

There was only a single fire extinguisher in the area, and it was not enough to put out the fire. With the car still burning upside-down, the situation became hopeless, and the distraught Purley was led away by a marshal. Some spectators, appalled at Williamson's plight, tried to breach the safety fences in order to assist Williamson, but were pushed back by track security staff with dogs.

With the race still on, it took some eight minutes for a fire truck to completely travel around the circuit with the flow of race traffic. By the time the car was eventually righted, and the fire extinguished, Williamson had died of asphyxiation. A blanket was thrown over the burnt-out wreck with Williamson still inside, and the race carried on.

Purley was awarded the George Medal for his brave actions in trying to save his fellow sportsman.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Constructor Lap Gap
1 2 Ronnie Peterson Lotus-Ford 1:19.47
2 5 Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford 1:19.97 +0.50
3 6 François Cevert Tyrrell-Ford 1:20.12 +0.65
4 7 Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 1:20.31 +0.84
5 10 Carlos Reutemann Brabham-Ford 1:20.59 +1.12
6 8 Peter Revson McLaren-Ford 1:20.60 +1.13
7 27 James Hunt March-Ford 1:20.70 +1.23
8 24 Carlos Pace Surtees-Ford 1:21.02 +1.55
9 20 Jean-Pierre Beltoise BRM 1:21.14 +1.67
10 17 Jackie Oliver Shadow-Ford 1:21.23 +1.76
11 21 Niki Lauda BRM 1:21.43 +1.96
12 19 Clay Regazzoni BRM 1:21.56 +2.09
13 11 Wilson Fittipaldi Brabham-Ford 1:21.82 +2.35
14 28 Rikky von Opel Ensign-Ford 1:22.01 +2.54
15 25 Howden Ganley Iso Marlboro-Ford 1:22.10 +2.63
16 1 Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Ford 1:22.24 +2.77
17 12 Graham Hill Shadow-Ford 1:22.50 +3.03
18 14 Roger Williamson March-Ford 1:22.72 +3.25
19 22 Chris Amon Tecno 1:22.73 +3.26
20 26 Gijs van Lennep Iso Marlboro-Ford 1:22.95 +3.48
21 18 David Purley March-Ford 1:23.09 +3.62
22 16 George Follmer Shadow-Ford 1:24.14 +3.67
23 15 Mike Beuttler March-Ford 1:24.45 +3.98
24 23 Mike Hailwood Surtees-Ford 1:32.33 +11.86

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 5 Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford 72 1:39:12.45 2 9
2 6 François Cevert Tyrrell-Ford 72 + 15.83 3 6
3 27 James Hunt March-Ford 72 + 1:03.01 7 4
4 8 Peter Revson McLaren-Ford 72 + 1:09.13 6 3
5 20 Jean-Pierre Beltoise BRM 72 + 1:13.37 9 2
6 26 Gijs Van Lennep Iso Marlboro-Ford 70 + 2 Laps 20 1
7 24 Carlos Pace Surtees-Ford 69 + 3 Laps 8  
8 19 Clay Regazzoni BRM 68 + 4 Laps 12  
9 25 Howden Ganley Iso Marlboro-Ford 68 + 4 Laps 15  
10 16 George Follmer Shadow-Ford 67 + 5 Laps 22  
11 2 Ronnie Peterson Lotus-Ford 66 Engine 1  
NC 12 Graham Hill Shadow-Ford 56 Not Classified 17  
Ret 21 Niki Lauda BRM 52 Fuel Pump 11  
Ret 23 Mike Hailwood Surtees-Ford 52 Electrical 24  
Ret 7 Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford 31 Engine 4  
Ret 11 Wilson Fittipaldi Brabham-Ford 27 Accident 13  
Ret 22 Chris Amon Tecno 22 Fuel System 19  
Ret 10 Carlos Reutemann Brabham-Ford 9 Tyre 5  
Ret 18 David Purley March-Ford 8 Withdrew 21  
Ret 14 Roger Williamson March-Ford 7 Fatal Accident 18  
Ret 1 Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus-Ford 2 Physical 16  
Ret 15 Mike Beuttler March-Ford 2 Electrical 23  
Ret 17 Jackie Oliver Shadow-Ford 1 Accident 10  
DNS 28 Rikky von Opel Ensign-Ford 0 Non Starter 14  

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Jackie Stewart 51
2 Emerson Fittipaldi 41
3 François Cevert 39
4 Ronnie Peterson 25
5 Peter Revson 23
Constructors' Championship standings
Pos Constructor Points
1 Tyrrell-Ford 62 (66)
2 Lotus-Ford 58 (62)
3 McLaren-Ford 38
4 Brabham-Ford 12
5 Ferrari 12

References

Previous race:
1973 British Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1973 season
Next race:
1973 German Grand Prix
Previous race:
1971 Dutch Grand Prix
Dutch Grand Prix Next race:
1974 Dutch Grand Prix