80th, Stewart Triumphs, Amon's Heroic Charge in a Race of Stones
“Bravo Stewart, but thank you Mr Amon,” read a French newspaper headline the following day. Matra had won Le Mans in June, and now it had pulled out the stops to conquer the French Grand Prix, too.
1972 French GP
July 2, Clermont-Ferrand
Its driver certainly delivered the performance required – only for his infamous bad luck to rob him once again.
Then again, the puncture that cost Amon the race did lead to a fabulous, charging comeback. The Kiwi had been imperious around one of the last great road racing circuits and in many ways it was a performance that would define the career of a Grand Prix great – and a man destined never to win a World Championship race.
It must be said, Jackie Stewart’s victory shouldn’t be forgotten, given that Clermont-Ferrand marked his return to the cockpit following treatment for the ulcer that had forced him to miss six weeks of the 1972 season. But in truth, this race was all about Amon.
He’d qualified on pole position in the new MS120D, eight tenths clear of Denny Hulme’s McLaren, which joined him on the front row ahead of Stewart and Jacky Ickx’s Ferrari. From the start the three fastest qualifiers drew away and Amon began to build a gap as Stewart passed Hulme for second on lap 17.
But three laps later Stewart emerged in the lead, Amon’s flat left-front tyre leading to a 50sec stop to replace it. The partisan home crowd groaned.
Loose stones on the swooping, demanding track had been a problem throughout practice, and one had already cost Helmut Marko his F1 career. In the early laps of the race a stone was flicked up by a fat slick tyre, smashing through Marko’s helmet visor and into his eye, causing irreversible damage. Consequently, his Formula 1 career is a footnote, and he’s better known as Red Bull’s outspoken driver development manager – Sebastian Vettel’s biggest fan.
Following Amon’s puncture, Stewart consolidated his lead as Emerson Fittipaldi moved up the order, the pair taking care to avoid the ‘marbles’ that had done so much harm. Amon pushed his wailing V12 to its maximum, throwing caution to the wind as others pitted with punctures. He passed both Ronnie Peterson and François Cevert on one lap, on a twisty circuit at which overtaking was difficult, and at the flag was just four seconds down on Fittipaldi.
Denis Jenkinson, not exactly known for dishing out praise, described the drive as “fantastic and almost unbelievable”. It was one that deserved so much more. DS
1st Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
2nd Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus-Ford)
3rd Chris Amon (Matra)
Winner’s time & speed 1hr 52min 21.5sec, 101.56mph
Pole position Amon, (Matra) 2min 53.4sec, 103.91mph