RETROSPECTIVE - 1975 Spanish Grand Prix

Formula 1 has had its fair share of controversies and political infighting, especially in recent years with the FOTA threat of a breakaway championship (which thankfully did not materialise) and the infamous FISA/FOCA all out war which culminated in the mass boycott of the San Marino Grand Prix in 1982. But only rarely (especially in todays world) does a race come under threat in the interests of the safety of the drivers. This could not have been more true than in the week leading up to and including the race weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix of 1975. It was a shame that the bitter row that ensued that weekend helped put an end to arguably one of the finest tracks ever to grace a Grand Prix, the street/mountain Montjuich Park circuit near Barcelona. With its sweeping fast turns and terrifying crests negotiated at top speeds putting enourmous stress on car aerodynamics, it was a dangerous track, yet one which provided a challenge drivers relished.

But the focus of the weekend was the pathetic organisation of the whole event, after posts were not embedded properly into the ground and only loosely bolted armco barriers, the circuit was a potential deathtrap, the drivers took this up with the race organisers after conducting a thorough inspection during their traditional walk around the circuit and afterwards called a strike of all the drivers union members which made up over 3 quarters of the 26 car grid. Forced into action, the organisers sent the track marshals to work on the track overnight to fix the problems, to help out, the teams even sent over groups of their mechanics to lend a hand. Unfortunately though the circuit's safety precautions were still not fully completed and the standard of marshalling was also called into question by the drivers too. The drivers union insisted that unless the problems were fully rectified and better trained marshals were brought in from neighbouring circuits, they would refuse to race.

Unfortunately though, instead of heeding to the drivers requests, the organisers decided that the drivers action was a breach of the circuit's contract with the sport's governing body and threatened legal action against all the drivers and teams if no race took place, there were even rumours that General Franco's military police force (the Guardia Civil) would threaten to impound the cars in their makeshift paddock for the same reasons.

Thus blackmailed into racing, the drivers reluctantly agreed to race although 3 drivers recorded ridiculously slow laps in qualifying and withdrew after one lap of the race itself in protest against the race organisers, one of these included Emerson Fittipaldi, the reigning world champion at the time.

STARTING GRID
ROW 1: 1. Niki Lauda (Ferrari), 2. Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari)
ROW 2: 3. James Hunt (Hesketh), 4. Mario Andretti (Parnelli)
ROW 3: 5. Vittorio Brambilla (March), 6. John Watson (Surtees)
ROW 4: 7. Patrick Depailler (Tyrrell), 8. Tom Pryce (Shadow)
ROW 5: 9. Rolf Stommelen (Hill), 10. Jean-Pierre Jarier (Shadow)
ROW 6: 11. Jochen Mass (McLaren), 12. Ronnie Peterson (Lotus)
ROW 7: 13. Jody Scheckter (Tyrrell), 14. Carlos Pace (Brabham)
ROW 8: 15. Carlos Reutemann (Brabham), 16. Jacky Ickx (Lotus)
ROW 9: 17. Mark Donohue (Penske), 18. Tony Brise (Williams)
ROW 10: 19. Roelof Wunderink (Ensign), 20. Alan Jones (Hesketh)
ROW 11: 21. Francois Migault (Hill), 22. Bob Evans (BRM)
ROW 12: 23. Lella Lombardi (March)
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WITHDREW: Emerson Fittipaldi (McLaren), Wilson Fittipaldi (Fittipaldi), Arturo Merzario (Williams)

The race began and the further it went on, it descended into a complete farce, like i said 3 drivers withdrew afer just 1 lap in protest leaving 23 cars to battle it out. Polesitter Niki Lauda crashed out at the first corner with Mario Andretti, Regazzoni was also involved in the melee but managed to continue thus handing the lead to James Hunt ahead of Andretti who had managed to keep his car running, Watson, Stommelen, Brambilla and Pace made up the top 6.

Then on lap 4, Jody Schecker suffered a massive engine blowout in his Tyrrell which dumped oil onto an already treacharous circiut, failing to see the marshal's warnings, both Jones and Donohue crashed out on the oil and 2 laps later, the same fate had befallen leader Hunt therefore handing Andretti a shock lead despite his damaged car. John Watson's Surtees dropped down the order after spotting a vibration in one of his tyres and then on lap 16, Andretti crashed out with a broken rear suspension handing Rolf Stommelen the lead who then shared the honours with Carlos Pace producing a decent scrap for 1st place. After lap 18 all the crashes were taking their toll on the field, only 13 cars were running within a respectable race distance of the leaders. The top 6 read Stommelen, Pace, Peterson, Mass, Ickx and Reutemann, Peterson would crash out while trying to lap a backmarker on lap 23 promoting Jarier to 6th place

And then at the beginning of lap 26, disaster struck. As Stommelen went over the crest on the start finish kink, his carbon fibre rear wing strut gave way and the rear wing flew off, after hitting the barrier on the left, he careered over to the right, Pace crashed while trying to avoid Stommelen, then the Germans car leapt over the barrier and into the crowd killing 4 people while Stommelen got out alive with a broken leg, cracked ribs and a broken wrist.

Wierdly (and i hasten to add, Stupidly) despite the presence of the medical crews at the scene of the crash and marshals trying to remove the mountain of wreckage from the circuit, the organisers refused to bring out the safety car, Mass passed Jacky Ickx for the lead on lap 28 before the race was halted just one lap later as race was descending into a farcical deathtrap. Jochen Mass was declared the winner for his first (and what would be only) Grand Prix victory ahead of Jacky Ickx, Carlos Reutemann, Jean-Pierre Jarier and Vittorio Brambilla in 5th, but in 6th place, history was made as Lella Lombardi had survived the mayhem enough to sneak up into 6th place and score the first and only points finish for a female driver, but as the race was called 8 laps short of half distance, half points were awarded.

Despite his win, Jochen Mass was not pleased one bit, on the podium he came close to assaulting the race organisers as they waited to present him with his trophy. After this, Formula 1 never returned to Montjuich Park for a Grand Prix and the race was moved to the safer Jarama track near Madrid. Formula 1 would not return to Barcelona for another 16 years.

RACE RESULT - TOP 10 - AFTER 29 OF 75 LAPS

1. Jochen Mass (McLaren) ................ 42m 53.700
2. Jacky Ickx (Lotus) ................ + 1.100
3. Carlos Reutemann (Brabham) ................ + 1 Lap
4. Jean-Pierre Jarier (Shadow) ................ + 1 Lap
5. Vittorio Brambilla (March) ............... + 1 Lap
6. Lella Lombardi (March) ................ + 2 Laps
7. Tony Brise (Williams) ................ + 2 Laps
8. John Watson (Surtees) ................ + 3 Laps
9. Rolf Stommelen (Hill) ................ + 4 Laps (Crashed out)
10. Carlos Pace (Brabham) ................ + 4 Laps (Crashed out)