1974 South African Grand Prix
| Race details | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race 3 of 15 in the 1974 Formula One season | ||
 Kyalami Circuit | ||
| Date | 30 March 1974 | |
| Location | Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa | |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 4.1 km (2.5 mi) | |
| Pole position | ||
| Driver |  Niki Lauda |
Ferrari |
| Time | 1:16.58[1] | |
| Fastest lap | ||
| Driver |  Carlos Reutemann |
Brabham-Ford |
| Time | 1:18.16[2] on lap 58 | |
| Podium | ||
| First | Carlos Reutemann |
Brabham-Ford |
| Second |  Jean-Pierre Beltoise |
BRM |
| Third |  Mike Hailwood |
McLaren-Ford |
The 1974 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 30 March 1974.
Race summary
It was initially uncertain that the South African Grand Prix would go ahead due to the power crisis, but it did so, albeit belatedly in March. Lotus stunned the paddock with an innovative model on display with four pedals and an electric clutch.
However, practice was overshadowed by a tragic accident which cost the life of Peter Revson, his team Shadow withdrawing as a result. Niki Lauda took pole by a fraction from Carlos Pace. The two Lotus cars tangled shortly after the start, also involving Jochen Mass and Henri Pescarolo whilst Tom Belsø's race lasted no more than a few hundred yards due to clutch failure. Lauda led a train of cars consisting of Carlos Reutemann, Clay Regazzoni, Jody Scheckter and James Hunt, whose Hesketh was suffering vibration problems.
Mike Hailwood caught and passed Scheckter when he missed a gear, and then passed Reutemann on lap 9. On lap 75, nearly at the finish, Lauda was forced to retire with ignition problems and low oil pressure, handing the lead to Reutemann. This was the first Argentine victory since Juan Manuel Fangio and Brabham's first since the 1970 South African Grand Prix. Jean-Pierre Beltoise fought his way up through the field to 2nd, capping a fine drive by holding off a determined challenge from Mike Hailwood who took the final podium place.
Classification
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Carlos Reutemann |
Brabham-Ford | 78 | 1:42:40.96 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | 14 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise |
BRM | 78 | + 33.94 | 11 | 6 |
| 3 | 33 | Mike Hailwood |
McLaren-Ford | 78 | + 42.16 | 12 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | Patrick Depailler |
Tyrrell-Ford | 78 | + 44.19 | 15 | 3 |
| 5 | 9 |  Hans Joachim Stuck |
March-Ford | 78 | + 46.23 | 7 | 2 |
| 6 | 20 |  Arturo Merzario |
Iso Marlboro-Ford | 78 | + 56.04 | 3 | 1 |
| 7 | 5 |  Emerson Fittipaldi |
McLaren-Ford | 78 | + 1:08.39 | 5 | |
| 8 | 3 |  Jody Scheckter |
Tyrrell-Ford | 78 | + 1:10.54 | 8 | |
| 9 | 6 |  Denny Hulme |
McLaren-Ford | 77 | + 1 Lap | 9 | |
| 10 | 10 | Vittorio Brambilla |
March-Ford | 77 | + 1 Lap | 19 | |
| 11 | 18 | Carlos Pace |
Surtees-Ford | 77 | + 1 Lap | 2 | |
| 12 | 26 | Graham Hill |
Lola-Ford | 77 | + 1 Lap | 18 | |
| 13 | 29 | Ian Scheckter |
Lotus-Ford | 76 | + 2 Laps | 22 | |
| 14 | 32 | Eddie Keizan |
Tyrrell-Ford | 76 | + 2 Laps | 24 | |
| 15 | 37 | François Migault |
BRM | 75 | + 3 Laps | 25 | |
| 16 | 12 | Niki Lauda |
Ferrari | 74 | Ignition | 1 | |
| 17 | 8 | Richard Robarts |
Brabham-Ford | 74 | + 4 Laps | 23 | |
| 18 | 15 | Henri Pescarolo |
BRM | 72 | + 6 Laps | 21 | |
| 19 | 23 | Dave Charlton |
McLaren-Ford | 71 | + 7 Laps | 20 | |
| Ret | 11 |  Clay Regazzoni |
Ferrari | 65 | Oil Pressure | 6 | |
| Ret | 28 | John Watson |
Brabham-Ford | 54 | Fuel System | 13 | |
| Ret | 2 | .svg.png){kind=small} Jacky Ickx |
Lotus-Ford | 31 | Brakes | 10 | |
| Ret | 24 | James Hunt |
Hesketh-Ford | 13 | Transmission | 14 | |
| Ret | 19 | Jochen Mass |
Surtees-Ford | 11 | Suspension | 17 | |
| Ret | 30 | Paddy Driver |
Lotus-Ford | 6 | Clutch | 26 | |
| Ret | 1 |  Ronnie Peterson |
Lotus-Ford | 2 | Collision | 16 | |
| Ret | 21 |  Tom Belsø |
Iso Marlboro-Ford | 0 | Clutch | 27 | |
| WD | 16 |  Peter Revson |
Shadow-Ford | Fatal accident | |||
| WD | 17 | Jean-Pierre Jarier |
Shadow-Ford | Entry withdrawn |
Notes
- While driving the Ford UOP Shadow-Ford DN3 in a test session before the race, Peter Revson suffered a front suspension failure, and crashed heavily into the Armco barrier on the outside of Barbecue Bend (Turn 2), and was killed. Denny Hulme tried to save his life, but to no avail.
- Carlos Reutemann's first Formula One victory.
Standings after the race
|
|
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
References
Unless otherwise indicated, all race results are taken from "The Official Formula 1 website". Retrieved 2007-06-15.
| Previous race: 1974 Brazilian Grand Prix |
FIA Formula One World Championship 1974 season |
Next race: 1974 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 1973 South African Grand Prix |
South African Grand Prix | Next race: 1975 South African Grand Prix |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||