Aside from his regular report on the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, won by James Hunt for McLaren, Motor Sport devoted a page to Denis Jenkinson’s take on a new concept organised for the event: pre-qualifying, which took place on the Wednesday before the event proper began on the Thursday.
With the Bernie Ecclestone-led Formula One Constructors’ Association effectively exercising a closed shop on entering for a grand prix, this was a bid by the Silverstone-organising Royal Automobile Club and British Racing Drivers’ Club to throw open the gates to anyone who wished to take part.
“Some years ago, when the Association was asked how one qualified for membership, the official answer was that you had to compete in at least 80% of the Championship races in one year,” fulminated ‘Jenks’. “When asked how you went about getting an entry in your chosen 80% of the races, you were told you had to be a member of the Association to ensure such a thing!”
In what was described by DSJ as “this pleasant day… marred by a serious accident to the popular David Purley”, eight of the 14 competitors who eventually showed up graduated to join FOCA’s 22 for qualifying proper on Thursday and Friday, before those 30 were slimmed down to 26 for the grand prix itself. From second fastest downwards, these were Patrick Tambay (Theodore Ensign), Jean-Pierre Jarier (ATS Penske), Brett Lunger (BS Fabs McLaren), Brian Henton and Arturo Merzario (self-run Marches), Patrick Nève (Williams March) and Emilio de Villota (Risi McLaren).
