Eisspeedway

1970 Formula One season

Jochen Rindt was awarded the Drivers' Championship posthumously.

The 1970 Formula One season was the 24th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's Formula One motor racing. It featured the 21st World Championship of Drivers, the 13th International Cup for F1 Manufacturers and three non-championship races open to Formula One cars. The World Championship was contested over thirteen races between 7 March and 25 October.

Jochen Rindt, driving for Lotus, won his first Drivers' Championship, although he died four races before the end of the season.[1] He had earned enough championship points that no other driver managed to surpass his total. It is the only season to date in which the Drivers' Championship has been awarded posthumously. Jacky Ickx, driving for Ferrari, finished the season strongly but ended up five points short. The Manufacturers' Cup was won by Lotus, seven points ahead of Ferrari.[2]

Bruce McLaren, founder and owner of the famous McLaren team, died on 2 June while testing his McLaren M8D Can-Am car at Goodwood Circuit. Piers Courage, driver for Frank Williams's team, was killed during the Dutch Grand Prix on 21 June.

Three-time World Champion Jack Brabham retired at the end of the year.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1970 World Championship.

Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre Driver Rounds
United Kingdom Tyrrell Racing Organisation Tyrrell-Ford 001 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 D United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 11–13
March-Ford 701 1–10
France Johnny Servoz-Gavin 1–3
France François Cevert 5–13
France Équipe Matra Elf Matra MS120 Matra MS12 3.0 V12 G France Jean-Pierre Beltoise All
France Henri Pescarolo All
United Kingdom Bruce McLaren Motor Racing McLaren-Ford M14A Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G New Zealand Bruce McLaren 1–3
New Zealand Denny Hulme 1–3, 6–13
United Kingdom Peter Gethin 5, 8–13
United States Dan Gurney 5–7
McLaren-Alfa Romeo M7D
M14D
Alfa Romeo T33 3.0 V8 Italy Andrea de Adamich 2–3, 5–12
Italy Nanni Galli 10
United Kingdom Team Surtees McLaren-Ford M7C Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F United Kingdom John Surtees 1–3, 5
Surtees-Ford TS7 7–13
United Kingdom Derek Bell 12
United States STP Corporation March-Ford 701 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F United States Mario Andretti 1–2, 7–9
United Kingdom Gold Leaf Team Lotus
United Kingdom Garvey Team Lotus
United Kingdom World Wide Racing
Lotus-Ford 49C
72B
72C
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F Austria Jochen Rindt 1–10
United Kingdom John Miles 1–10
Spain Alex Soler-Roig 2, 4, 6
Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi 7–10, 12–13
Sweden Reine Wisell 12–13
United Kingdom Rob Walker Racing Team
United Kingdom Brooke Bond Oxo Racing with Rob Walker
Lotus-Ford 49C
72C
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F United Kingdom Graham Hill 1–8, 10–13
United Kingdom Motor Racing Developments
United Kingdom Auto Motor und Sport
Brabham-Ford BT33 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G Australia Jack Brabham All
West Germany Rolf Stommelen All
United Kingdom March Engineering March-Ford 701 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F New Zealand Chris Amon All
Switzerland Jo Siffert All
Italy Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC Ferrari 312B Ferrari 001 3.0 F12 F Belgium Jacky Ickx All
Italy Ignazio Giunti 4, 6, 9–10
Switzerland Clay Regazzoni 5, 7–13
United Kingdom Owen Racing Organisation
United Kingdom Yardley Team BRM
BRM P153
P139
BRM P142 3.0 V12 D United Kingdom Jackie Oliver All
Mexico Pedro Rodríguez All
Canada George Eaton 1–3, 5–7, 9–12
United Kingdom Peter Westbury 12
United Kingdom Frank Williams Racing Cars De Tomaso-Ford 505/38 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 D United Kingdom Piers Courage 1–5
United Kingdom Brian Redman 7–8
Australia Tim Schenken 9–12
South Africa Team Gunston Lotus-Ford 49 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 D Rhodesia John Love 1
Brabham-Ford BT26A G South Africa Peter de Klerk 1
South Africa Scuderia Scribante Lotus-Ford 49C Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F South Africa Dave Charlton 1
United Kingdom Antique Automobiles Racing Team
United Kingdom Colin Crabbe Racing
March-Ford 701 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G Sweden Ronnie Peterson 3–8, 10–12
United Kingdom Tom Wheatcroft Racing Brabham-Ford BT26A Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G United Kingdom Derek Bell 4
Switzerland Silvio Moser Racing Team Bellasi-Ford F1 70 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G Switzerland Silvio Moser 5–6, 8–10
United States Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc. Lotus-Ford 49B Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F United States Pete Lovely 5–7, 12
West Germany Hubert Hahne March-Ford 701 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 F West Germany Hubert Hahne 8
Switzerland Ecurie Bonnier McLaren-Ford M7C Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G Sweden Jo Bonnier 10, 12
United States Gus Hutchison Brabham-Ford BT26A Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 G United States Gus Hutchison 12

Team and driver changes

Mid-season changes

Calendar

Round Grand Prix Circuit Date
1 South African Grand Prix South Africa Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, Midrand 7 March
2 Spanish Grand Prix Spain Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, Madrid 19 April
3 Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 10 May
4 Belgian Grand Prix Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 7 June
5 Dutch Grand Prix Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort 21 June
6 French Grand Prix France Charade Circuit, Clermont-Ferrand 5 July
7 British Grand Prix United Kingdom Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown 18 July
8 German Grand Prix West Germany Hockenheimring, Hockenheim[a] 2 August
9 Austrian Grand Prix Austria Österreichring, Spielberg 16 August
10 Italian Grand Prix Italy Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza 6 September
11 Canadian Grand Prix Canada Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant 20 September
12 United States Grand Prix United States Watkins Glen International, New York 4 October
13 Mexican Grand Prix Mexico Magdalena Mixhuca, Mexico City 25 October

Calendar changes

Regulation changes

Technical regulations

  • A "safety bladder" was introduced around the fuel tanks to reduce the risk of fires.[6][7]
  • The maximum displacement for compressed engines, turbo engines for example, was reduced from 1,500 cc (92 cu in) to 500 cc (31 cu in). The maximum displacement for naturally aspirated engines remained at 3,000 cc (180 cu in).[6][8]
  • The minimum weight was raised from 500 kg (1,100 lb) to 530 kg (1,170 lb).[6][8]

Sporting and event regulations

The starting order of the race would usually be decided by the drivers' fastest time during any of the practice sessions. However, in some cases, only ten "chosen" drivers would be guaranteed a place on the grid, in the order of their best time. The remaining drivers had to earn their entry in a 30-minute qualifying session: the fastest drivers in that session would be allowed to start the race and would be placed on the grid in the order of their original best practice time. This resulted in drivers not qualifying for a race despite going faster in practice than others who did qualify.[9][10][11] This system was introduced shortly before the second race of the season, leading to protests among teams and drivers.[12]

Drivers would have to complete at least five laps in practice to be allowed to race.[13] [b]

The FIA published some considerations on circuit design and announced that all circuits would have to pass their inspections:[6][7]

  • Run-off areas should be at least 3 m (9.8 ft) wide.
  • Double guardrails were now the standard. The use of strawbales was banned.
  • Spectators placed at least 3 m (9.8 ft) behind the fencing.
  • The pit lane should be separated from the track by a barrier.
  • Furthermore, regulations were set on track width, track surface and maximum gradient change.

Championship report

Rounds 1 to 5

As it had been since 1967, the championship commenced in South Africa. Reigning champion Jackie Stewart, driving a privatised March 701 for Tyrrell Racing, set the fastest lap, before Chris Amon, driving the same car but for the March works team, set the exact same time, a 1:19.3. Three-time World Champion Jack Brabham joined them on the first row. At the start, Stewart and Brabham had the best initial start, until Jochen Rindt, who started in fourth, made a charge round the outside of the first corner. But he hit the front of Amon's car and then crashed into Brabham. Stewart was the only frontrunner unharmed and was now leading Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver, who started fifth and twelfth, respectively. By lap 6, however, Brabham was back into second place, and the McLarens of Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren were third and fourth. Brabham took the lead on lap 20, Hulme went past Stewart on lap 38 into second, and it was only thanks to Bruce McLaren's engine failure that the Scot finished on the podium.[14]

During the weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix, the organisers of the event, backed by the Commission Sportive Internationale (currently known as the FIA), had a falling out with a large number of teams and drivers, represented by the F1CA (later known as FOCA). The organisers had suddenly decided to allow just 16 starters for the race, and, only after all practice and qualifying sessions were run, decided to discount any lap time set on Friday. Under pressure of the protesting teams, they reverted their decision on the morning of the race and all 22 entered cars were rolled onto the grid, until the CSI forced them to uphold it and saw to it that the six slowest qualifiers, based on the Saturday qualifying times alone, were removed. The first row on the grid was filled by Jack Brabham (Brabham), Denny Hulme (McLaren) and Jackie Stewart (March). At the start, Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver came together and both cars were engulfed in flames. Another nine drivers retired during the race with mechanical issues, which meant only five were left at the finish. Stewart won ahead of Bruce McLaren and Mario Andretti, the American's first podium. Stewart's victory would be the last for any "private" (non-works) team.[12]

In Monaco, the same qualifying rules were implemented, resulting in six cars not qualifying for the race, although none of them were slowest in practice. Championship leader Stewart started on pole position, with Amon next to him. Hulme and Brabham started on the second row. Bruce McLaren retired on lap 19, when he hit the wall going through the fast chicane after the tunnel. On lap 22, Brabham finally managed to pass Amon, and when Stewart's Cosworth engine started misfiring badly, he acquired the lead of the race. With three quarters of the race, Amon crashed out with a broken rear suspension and Hulme fell back with gearbox issues. This gave Jochen Rindt a surprising chance for a podium finish and the inspired Austrian actually came within a few car lengths of Brabham. On the last corner of the last lap, the Australian took a different line than usual to prevent any chance of an overtake, but he locked his wheels and slid straight on into the barrier. Rindt swooped by, setting a new lap record and taking the victory for the second time in his career. Brabham dragged his damaged car over the line, ahead of Henri Pescarolo in the Matra, scoring his first podium.[9]

Start of the Dutch Grand Prix
The burning wreck of Piers Courage being extinguished

After the death of founder and owner Bruce McLaren, the McLaren team withdrew their cars for the Belgian Grand Prix. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps had received an upgrade in safety measures: Armco barriers lined around the track and a slow chicane instead of the infamous high-speed Masta kink. Unlike in the last two races, practice times were used to determine the order of the grid and it was Stewart again on pole, with Rindt and Amon next to him. Rindt was first at the start, but it was Stewart and Amon fighting for the lead during the opening laps. Pedro Rodríguez started sixth but had passed everyone in front of him by lap 5, the BRM V12 engine reaching nearly 300 km/h (190 mph) on the straights, but Amon kept the pressure on him, setting a new lap record, even with the added chicane. Half-way through the race, Stewart's engine let go, before Hill and Brabham suffered mechanical issues as well. Rodríguez his second career win, just over a second clear of Amon. Jean-Pierre Beltoise finished third, and with two other V12-powered cars in the points, the Belgian high-speed roads had brought a stop to the V8 monopoly.[13]

Lotus introduced their wedge-shaped Lotus 72 for the Dutch Grand Prix, incorporating revolutionary brake and suspension design. It provided better vision and ventilation to the driver besides the overall advancement in grip and ride. Rindt comfortably qualified on pole position, with Stewart and Ickx next to him. The Belgian driver forced his Ferrari into the lead ahead of Rindt, while Stewart fell to fourth. Going into lap 3, however, Rindt passed Ickx with ease, going round the outside at Tarzan corner. The Austrian would finish 30 seconds ahead of Stewart and a lap ahead of Ickx in third place.[10] The race was marred by the fatal accident of Piers Courage.[15]

In the Drivers' Championship, Jackie Stewart led with 19 points, ahead of Jochen Rindt with 18 and Jack Brabham with 15. Their respective constructors filled the Manufacturers' Cup standings in the same order: March led with 25 points, ahead of Lotus with 23 and Brabham with 17.

Rounds 6 to 9

Jochen Rindt in his new Lotus 72 was favourite for the French Grand Prix, but he was suffering from a stomach ulcer and the twisty nature of the track brought on heavy sickness. To add to the misery, in practice, a stone was thrown up by a car in front, hitting his face and cutting his right cheek deeply. After qualifying, it seemed that, like in Spa, the V12-powered cars would be dominant: Jacky Ickx put his Ferrari on pole position, ahead of Jean-Pierre Beltoise in the Matra. And in the opening laps, only championship leader Jackie Stewart was able to keep up with those two. On lap 16, however, Ickx's engine was misfiring and he had to retire. When Stewart pitted with engine issues as well, Rindt was in second place and promptly set a new fastest lap. When Beltoise suffered a slow rear puncture, hopes of an all-French win in France were shattered and Rindt took the win, ahead of Chris Amon and Jack Brabham, and took the lead in the Drivers' standings.[16]

For the British Grand Prix, Rindt was again favourite, but his Firestone tyres were not working perfectly in the high summer temperatures. Brabham, using Goodyear tyres, managed to equal Rindt's time in practice. Ickx completed the front row. Stewart started down in eighth, his March not liking the bumpy off-camber track of Brands Hatch. At the start, Brabham took the lead but was quickly passed by Ickx. The Ferrari was quick until its differential broke on lap 7. Ickx slowed down, Brabham's entry to Paddock Bend was hampered and Rindt seized the chance to pass them both. Rindt and Brabham were inseparable for the next 60 laps, until the Austrian missed a gear and the Australian outbraked him into South Bank corner. Brabham led away, growing his advantage to 13 seconds in the last lap, but then dramatically running out of fuel. Rindt crossed the line first, extending his lead in the championship, and Brabham coasted home in second. Denny Hulme was third for McLaren. After the race, Rindt was disqualified for running an illegally high rear wing, but team boss Colin Chapman successfully appealed and the decision was reverted.[17]

The German Grand Prix was planned to be held at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, but in light of the deaths of Bruce McLaren and Piers Courage, the drivers asked the FIA to find a safer circuit. This led to the first Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring, which had already been fitted with Armco barriers all around. The track's whose long straights gave the advantage to the V12-powered cars, whereas the Cosworth V8s suffered from attrition. Jacky Ickx started on pole in his Ferrari, with championship leader Jochen Rindt and teammate Clay Regazzoni next to him. Rindt's main rival Jack Brabham could only manage a twelfth starting position and when his engine suffered an oil leak, he was already out of the race after four laps. Ickx and Rindt engaged in a race-long battle, the Austrian eventually taking his fourth win in a row. Denny Hulme was third, again, while Jackie Stewart retired with engine troubles before the half-way point.[18]

Ferrari's hopes for a resurgence came true during the Austrian Grand Prix. The first race at the new Österreichring saw Jochen Rindt take pole position, but he was closely followed by both Regazzoni and Ickx. Ignazio Giunti in the third Ferrari started fifth. Brabham had another miserable qualifying: he started in eighth. Rindt lost out at the start, dropping to third, and Ickx was waved through by his teammate in a tactical play. François Cevert's Tyrrell lost oil and in the melee, Rindt dropped to seventh place. He tried to fight back, but on lap 21, his Cosworth engine broke and all danger to Ferrari was over. The pair in red finished the race in formation and lapped the whole field except third-placed Rolf Stommelen.[19]

In the Drivers' Championship, Jochen Rindt's retirement had not made a big dent in his lead, yet. He stood on 45 points, ahead of Jack Brabham with 25 and Denny Hulme with 20. In the battle for the Manufacturers' Cup, Lotus, unsurprisingly, was in the lead with 50 points, ahead of March and Brabham with 33.

Rounds 10 to 13

Ignazio Giunti's Ferrari in the pits at Monza
Jack Brabham leaving the pits at Monza

With the Scuderia Ferrari coming off a dominant victory in Austria, the tifosi were praying for a repeat during the Italian Grand Prix. Main rivals March and Lotus had prepared their cars for the long straights of Monza by stripping them from any spoilers and such. It allowed them to reach top speeds of over 300 km/h (190 mph) but made them quite unstable in the corners, which Emerson Fittipaldi found out during practice: he crashed going into the Parabolica, escaped unhurt, but gave his Lotus mechanics a big repair job. Championship leader Jochen Rindt crashed at the same place on Saturday and the Austrian came off much worse, sadly: he was only wearing a seat belt around his waist and, in the impact, slid underneath it, all the way down until the belt slid his throat.[20][21] Upon hearing the news, the Lotus team packed up their operations and withdrew from the race. With the wreck cleared, normal proceedings resumed, albeit in a very different atmosphere. Jacky Ickx qualified on pole position for Ferrari, ahead of Pedro Rodríguez (British Racing Motors|BRM), Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari) and Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-March). Ickx fell back to seventh place, but the other three put up a brilliant fight for the lead, switching positions almost every lap. Rodríguez retired when his engine exploded, but his teammate Jackie Oliver joined the battle. Spurred on by the promise that a part of the prize money would be awarded to the driver in the lead at laps 17, 34 and 51, several drivers joined the tactical slipstreaming fight. In the end, Regazzoni managed to win the race, ahead of a group of four drivers finishing within three quarters of a second. Jackie Stewart and Jean-Pierre Beltoise completed the podium. François Cevert, the only other driver to not get lapped, encountered a sea of fans on the track when he finished a minute later.[11]

The championship concluded with three races in North America, starting with the Canadian Grand Prix at the spectacular Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The Lotus team had decided not to participate, while Tyrrell revealed their first self-designed chassis: the 001. Jackie Stewart immediately snatched pole position, going four tenths faster than in his March, ahead of the Ferrari pair of Ickx and Regazzoni. In the race, Stewart established a comfortable lead, until on lap 32, his left front suspension collapsed and he retired. Ickx and Regazzoni moved up to take a 1-2 finish, ahead of Chris Amon in the March.[22]

For the United States Grand Prix, Ickx qualified on pole position, ahead of Stewart and Fittipaldi, the leading Lotus driver after Rindt's demise. Ickx needed to win the two remaining races to stand a chance of overtaking Rindt's points total, but at the start, he fell back to third. On lap 16, he overtook Rodríguez for second, but around half distance, had to make a pit stop to repair a fuel leak. Stewart then retired with an oil leak, and Rodríguez had to pit for extra fuel. This left the Lotus pair of Fittipaldi and Wisell in the lead. Rodríguez eventually recovered to second, while Ickx could manage more than fourth place. Jochen Rindt was awarded the Drivers' Championship posthumously.[23]

For the Mexican Grand Prix, Clay Regazzoni qualified on pole, ahead of the three "Jacks": Stewart, Ickx and Brabham. The race was delayed over an hour, because over 200,000 supporters had turned up and were lined up right along the track to get the best view. The drivers pleaded with the crowd to move back and eventually agreed to start the race. When they got underway, Ickx quickly seized the lead. Stewart had to pit due to a loose steering column but he was fighting back to the front until, on lap 33, he hit a stray dog and heavily damaged his front suspension. Ferrari scored their third 1-2 finish, ahead of Denny Hulme in the McLaren.[24]

Jochen Rindt was awarded the Drivers' Championship posthumously, the only time this has ever happened, with 45 points, ahead of the Ferrari drivers Jacky Ickx (40) and Clay Regazzoni (33). Lotus were awarded the Manufacturers' Cup with 59 points, ahead of Ferrari (52) and March (48).

Results and standings

Grands Prix

Round Grand Prix Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning constructor Tyre Report
1 South Africa South African Grand Prix United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Australia Jack Brabham Australia Jack Brabham United Kingdom Brabham-Ford G Report
2 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Australia Jack Brabham Australia Jack Brabham United Kingdom Jackie Stewart United Kingdom March-Ford D Report
3 Monaco Monaco Grand Prix United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Austria Jochen Rindt Austria Jochen Rindt United Kingdom Lotus-Ford F Report
4 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix United Kingdom Jackie Stewart New Zealand Chris Amon Mexico Pedro Rodríguez United Kingdom BRM D Report
5 Netherlands Dutch Grand Prix Austria Jochen Rindt Belgium Jacky Ickx Austria Jochen Rindt United Kingdom Lotus-Ford F Report
6 France French Grand Prix Belgium Jacky Ickx Australia Jack Brabham Austria Jochen Rindt United Kingdom Lotus-Ford F Report
7 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Austria Jochen Rindt Australia Jack Brabham Austria Jochen Rindt United Kingdom Lotus-Ford F Report
8 West Germany German Grand Prix Belgium Jacky Ickx Belgium Jacky Ickx Austria Jochen Rindt United Kingdom Lotus-Ford F Report
9 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Austria Jochen Rindt Belgium Jacky Ickx
Switzerland Clay Regazzoni
Belgium Jacky Ickx Italy Ferrari F Report
10 Italy Italian Grand Prix Belgium Jacky Ickx Switzerland Clay Regazzoni Switzerland Clay Regazzoni Italy Ferrari F Report
11 Canada Canadian Grand Prix United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Switzerland Clay Regazzoni Belgium Jacky Ickx Italy Ferrari F Report
12 United States United States Grand Prix Belgium Jacky Ickx Belgium Jacky Ickx Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi United Kingdom Lotus-Ford F Report
13 Mexico Mexican Grand Prix Switzerland Clay Regazzoni Belgium Jacky Ickx Belgium Jacky Ickx Italy Ferrari F Report

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top six classified finishers. The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers only counted the points of the highest-finishing driver for each race. For both the Championship and the Cup, the best six results from rounds 1-7 and the best five results from rounds 8-13 were counted.

Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored. Points were awarded in the following system:

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
Race 9 6 4 3 2 1
Source:[25]

World Drivers' Championship standings

Pos. Driver RSA
South Africa
ESP
Spain
MON
Monaco
BEL
Belgium
NED
Netherlands
FRA
France
GBR
United Kingdom
GER
West Germany
AUT
Austria
ITA
Italy
CAN
Canada
USA
United States
MEX
Mexico
Pts.[26]
1 Austria Jochen Rindt 13 Ret 1 Ret 1 1 1 1 Ret DNS† 45
2 Belgium Jacky Ickx Ret Ret Ret 8 3 Ret Ret 2 1 Ret 1 4 1 40
3 Switzerland Clay Regazzoni 4 4 Ret 2 1 2 13 2 33
4 New Zealand Denny Hulme 2 Ret 4 4 3 3 Ret 4 Ret 7 3 27
5 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart 3 1 Ret Ret 2 9 Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret 25
6 Australia Jack Brabham 1 Ret 2 Ret 11 3 2 Ret 13 Ret Ret 10 Ret 25
7 Mexico Pedro Rodríguez 9 Ret 6 1 10 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 4 2 6 23
8 New Zealand Chris Amon Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret 2 5 Ret 8 7 3 5 4 23
9 France Jean-Pierre Beltoise 4 Ret Ret 3 5 13 Ret Ret 6 3 8 Ret 5 16
10 Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi 8 4 15 DNS 1 Ret 12
11 West Germany Rolf Stommelen Ret Ret DNQ 5 DNQ 7 DNS 5 3 5 Ret 12 Ret 10
12 France Henri Pescarolo 7 Ret 3 6 8 5 Ret 6 14 Ret 7 8 9 8
13 United Kingdom Graham Hill 6 4 5 Ret NC 10 6 Ret DNS NC Ret Ret 7
14 New Zealand Bruce McLaren Ret 2 Ret 6
15 Sweden Reine Wisell 3 NC 4
16 United States Mario Andretti Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret 4
17 Italy Ignazio Giunti 4 14 7 Ret 3
18 United Kingdom John Surtees Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 9 Ret Ret 5 Ret 8 3
19 United Kingdom John Miles 5 DNQ DNQ Ret 7 8 Ret Ret Ret DNS 2
20 United Kingdom Jackie Oliver Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 5 Ret NC Ret 7 2
21 France Johnny Servoz-Gavin Ret 5 DNQ 2
22 France François Cevert Ret 11 7 7 Ret 6 9 Ret Ret 1
23 United Kingdom Peter Gethin Ret Ret 10 NC 6 14 Ret 1
24 United States Dan Gurney Ret 6 Ret 1
25 United Kingdom Derek Bell Ret 6 1
Switzerland Jo Siffert 10 DNQ 8 7 Ret Ret Ret 8 9 Ret Ret 9 Ret 0
Sweden Ronnie Peterson 7 NC 9 Ret 9 Ret Ret NC 11 0
Italy Andrea de Adamich DNQ DNQ DNQ NC DNS DNQ 12 8 Ret DNQ 0
Rhodesia John Love 8 0
Canada George Eaton Ret DNQ DNQ Ret 12 Ret 11 Ret 10 Ret 0
South Africa Peter de Klerk 11 0
South Africa Dave Charlton 12 0
United Kingdom Piers Courage Ret DNS NC Ret Ret‡ 0
Australia Tim Schenken Ret Ret NC Ret 0
United States Pete Lovely DNQ DNQ NC DNQ 0
Switzerland Silvio Moser DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret DNQ 0
Sweden Jo Bonnier DNQ Ret 0
United States Gus Hutchison Ret 0
Spain Alex Soler-Roig DNQ DNS DNQ 0
United Kingdom Brian Redman DNS DNQ 0
West Germany Hubert Hahne DNQ 0
Italy Nanni Galli DNQ 0
United Kingdom Peter Westbury DNQ 0
Pos. Driver RSA
South Africa
ESP
Spain
MON
Monaco
BEL
Belgium
NED
Netherlands
FRA
France
GBR
United Kingdom
GER
West Germany
AUT
Austria
ITA
Italy
CAN
Canada
USA
United States
MEX
Mexico
Pts.
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Excluded (EX)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Withdrawn (WD)
Did not enter (cell empty)
Text formatting Meaning
Bold Pole position
Italics Fastest lap


† Jochen Rindt suffered a fatal accident in practice before the Italian Grand Prix.

‡ Piers Courage suffered a fatal accident during the Dutch Grand Prix.

International Cup for F1 Manufacturers standings

Lotus Ford won the International Cup for Formula 1 Manufacturers
Pos. Manufacturer RSA
South Africa
ESP
Spain
MON
Monaco
BEL
Belgium
NED
Netherlands
FRA
France
GBR
United Kingdom
GER
West Germany
AUT
Austria
ITA
Italy
CAN
Canada
USA
United States
MEX
Mexico
Pts.[27]
1 United Kingdom Lotus-Ford 5 4 1 Ret 1 1 1 1 15 DNS NC 1 NC 59
2 Italy Ferrari Ret Ret Ret 4 3 14 4 2 1 1 1 (4) 1 52 (55)
3 United Kingdom March-Ford 3 1 7 2 2 2 5 7 8 2 3 5 4 48
4 United Kingdom Brabham-Ford 1 Ret 2 5 11 3 2 5 3 5 Ret 10 Ret 35
5 United Kingdom McLaren-Ford 2 2 4 6 4 3 3 10 4 6 7 3 35
6 United Kingdom BRM 9 Ret 6 1 10 12 Ret Ret 4 Ret 4 2 6 23
7 France Matra 4 Ret 3 3 5 5 Ret 6 6 3 7 8 5 23
8 United Kingdom Surtees-Ford Ret 9 Ret Ret 5 6 8 3
United Kingdom McLaren-Alfa Romeo DNQ DNQ DNQ NC DNS DNQ 12 8 Ret DNQ 0
Italy De Tomaso-Ford Ret DNS NC Ret Ret DNS DNQ Ret Ret NC Ret 0
United Kingdom Tyrrell-Ford DNS Ret Ret Ret 0
Switzerland Bellasi-Ford DNQ DNQ DNQ Ret DNQ 0
Pos. Manufacturer RSA
South Africa
ESP
Spain
MON
Monaco
BEL
Belgium
NED
Netherlands
FRA
France
GBR
United Kingdom
GER
West Germany
AUT
Austria
ITA
Italy
CAN
Canada
USA
United States
MEX
Mexico
Pts.
  • Bold results counted to championship totals.

Non-championship races

Other Formula One races held in 1970, which did not count towards the World Championship. The International Trophy and Gold Cup were held concurrently with Formula 5000 cars.

Race name Circuit Date Winning driver Constructor Report
United Kingdom V Race of Champions Brands Hatch 22 March United Kingdom Jackie Stewart United Kingdom March-Cosworth Report
United Kingdom XXII BRDC International Trophy Silverstone 26 April New Zealand Chris Amon United Kingdom March-Cosworth Report
United Kingdom XVII International Gold Cup Oulton Park 22 August United Kingdom John Surtees United Kingdom Surtees-Cosworth Report

Notes

  1. ^ The German Grand Prix was originally to be held at the Nürburgring but the drivers refused to race at the venue unless major safety changes were made to it. The Nurburgring track officials responded negatively to a list of changes requested by the drivers. The Hockenheimring would host the race in 1970 on its intended date.[citation needed]
  2. ^ It is unclear if this rule existed before this year.

References

  1. ^ "1970 Driver Standings". Formula1.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  2. ^ "1970 Constructor Standings". Formula1.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  3. ^ Steve Small (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 351. ISBN 0851127029.
  4. ^ Henry, Alan (26 July 2006). "Johnny Servoz-Gavin". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Reine WISELL". DriverDatabase. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Steven de Grootte (1 January 2009). "F1 rules and stats 1970-1979". F1Technical.net. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Safety Improvements in F1 since 1963". AtlasF1. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b Steven de Grootte (1 January 2009). "F1 rules and stats 1960-1969". F1Technical.net. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (10 May 1970). "1970 Monaco Grand Prix race report: Brabham bins it, Jochen wins it". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (21 June 1970). "1970 Dutch Grand Prix race report: Sharp end of the wedge". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (6 September 1970). "41st Italian Grand Prix". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Poachers turned gamekeepers: how the FOCA became the new FIA - Part 1: Introduction and timeline". Forix.com. 21 November 2007.
  13. ^ a b Denis Jenkinson (7 June 1970). "1970 Belgian Grand Prix race report: Rodriguez reaps rewards". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  14. ^ Denis Jenkinson (7 March 1970). "1970 South African Grand Prix race report: Brabham schools the kids". MotorSport Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  15. ^ Ben Stevens (21 June 2017). "REMEMBERING PIERS COURAGE". GrandPrix247. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  16. ^ Denis Jenkinson (5 July 1970). "1970 French Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  17. ^ Mark Hughes (August 2020). "1970 British Grand Prix: Duel of the Fates". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  18. ^ Denis Jenkinson (2 August 1970). "1970 German Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  19. ^ Denis Jenkinson (16 August 1970). "Forza Ferrari". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  20. ^ Maurice Hamilton (5 September 2020). "Remembering Jochen Rindt, 50 years on from his death at Monza". ESPN UK. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  21. ^ Elizabeth Blackstock (5 September 2021). "This Day In History: F1 Championship Leader Jochen Rindt Dies At Monza". Jalopnik. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  22. ^ admin (20 September 1970). "1970 Canadian Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  23. ^ Motor Sport (4 October 1970). "1970 United States Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  24. ^ admin (25 October 1970). "1970 Mexican Grand Prix race report". Motorsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  25. ^ "World Championship points systems". 8W. Forix. 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  26. ^ Drivers' points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top six finishers in each race. The best 6 results from the first 7 races and the best 5 results from the last 6 races were counted, though this rule did not affect any driver's points tally in the 1970 championship.
  27. ^ Only the best 6 results from the first 7 rounds and the best 5 results from the last 6 rounds counted towards the championship. Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.

Further reading

  • Hughes, Mark (2013). F1 Retro: 1970. Bristol: Cluster Publishing. ISBN 9780957025523.