1973 Formula One season

The 1973 Formula One season was the 27th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers , which were contested concurrently over a fifteen-race series [ 1 ] that commenced on 28 January and ended on 7 October. The season also included two non-championship races which were open to both Formula One and Formula 5000 cars.

The World Championship of Drivers was won by Jackie Stewart , driving for Elf Team Tyrrell , for the third time. The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers was awarded to John Player Team Lotus . [ 1 ] At the final race of the season, Stewart's teammate Francois Cevert crashed during Saturday practice and was killed instantly. The Tyrrell team withdrew from the race, handing the Manufacturers' title to Lotus. Subsequently, Stewart made public his decision to retire, but he had decided on this al...

British driver Roger Williamson was also killed during the season, in a tragic crash at the Dutch Grand Prix where marshals arrived too late on the scene and fellow driver David Purley was unable to free Williamson from the burning wreck.

The following teams and drivers contested the 1973 World Championship.

There were relatively few changes in the top teams, but no less than usual further down the order:

Other changes:

Like last year, the championship commenced in January in Argentina . Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni had left Ferrari after three years, having scored just one podium finish in 1972 . He was attracted by the Marlboro -sponsored British Racing Motors team for "an astronomical fee" [ 4 ] and delivered early success: he qualified on pole position , ahead of reigning champion Emerson Fittipaldi in the Lotus and last year's teammate Jacky Ickx . But on Sunday, it was sixth-starting François Cevert that t...

After an inspired promotional campaign, São Paulo were selected to host the first ever World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix . Team Lotus dominated practice and qualified 1–2, but it was Peterson ahead of Fittipaldi. Ickx started next to them in third. The Tyrrells of Stewart and Cevert could only managed eighth and ninth, respectively. At the start, however, the Scot jumped up to third, behind Fittipaldi and another local hero with a good start, Carlos Pace . Peterson fell back to fourth and ...

Staying on the southern hemisphere but moving almost 7,500 km (4,700 mi) on, Kyalami hosted the South African Grand Prix . In practice, Jackie Stewart was going faster and faster until he suffered a dramatic brake failure and spun backwards through three layers of chain link fence . He was unhurt, so his biggest grief came from being unable to defend his time: with the first thirteen drivers separated by less than a second, the Scot was relegated to the sixteenth place on the grid. Denny Hulme a...

The Spanish Grand Prix was held on Barcelona 's street circuit that combined tight hairpins with high-speed blind corners, resulting in average speeds of over 160 km/h (99 mph). Peterson qualified on pole position, ahead of Hulme and Cevert. Stewart and Fittipaldi started fourth and seventh, respectively. Around a quarter distance, Hulme and Cevert had to pit with damage and the Swede at the front achieved a comfortable lead. On lap 55, however, his gearbox failed and his Lotus ground to a halt....

In the Drivers' Championship, Emerson Fittipaldi (31 points) held a sizable lead over Jackie Stewart (19) and François Cevert (12). Lotus (31 points) was leading in the standings for the Manufacturers' Cup, ahead of Tyrrell (27) and McLaren (15).

The Belgian Grand Prix was held at Circuit Zolder for the first time, as part of the 1972 agreement to alternate with Nivelles-Baulers . The track was prepared for the event too late and after an hour of practice , the drivers' union ( GPDA ) were threatening with a strike action , complaining that the tarmac was breaking up. After a quick resurfacing job on Friday evening, the track held together during Saturday practice, but now was very slippery, and there was a lot of sand off the racing lin...

The Monaco Grand Prix was held on a heavily revised circuit, the layout becoming even twistier and slower than before. Stewart qualified on pole position, ahead of Peterson, but it was Cevert who took the lead at the start. Clay Regazzoni moved his BRM ahead of Stewart, going up from eighth to third, and this became second when Cevert hit a kerbstone and punctured his tyre. On lap 6, however, he locked up coming out of the tunnel and had to make a pit stop . Now Stewart could start chasing down ...

The F1 circus arrived at Anderstorp Raceway for the first Swedish Grand Prix and it was local hero Ronnie Peterson who qualified on pole position, ahead of François Cevert. Stewart and Fittipaldi started on the second row. At the start, Fittipaldi got up to second and so, the two Lotuses were leading the two Tyrrells. On lap 33, Stewart passed his teammate, who fell further back behind Denny Hulme in miscommunication with a lapped car. The McLaren driver was on a real charge and rejoiced in his ...

Circuit Paul Ricard played host to the French Grand Prix , combining two twisty sections with the 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long Mistral Straight. Stewart qualified on pole, ahead of a surprising Jody Scheckter in just his third F1 race, and championship leader Fittipaldi. Scheckter made the quickest getaway and was followed by fifth-starting Peterson. Astonishingly, Scheckter led the field for 42 laps. While lapping a backmarker, however, the South African was hit from behind by now-second placed Fittipa...

In the Drivers' Championship, Jackie Stewart (42 points) had just overtaken Emerson Fittipaldi (41), while François Cevert was third (31). The Manufacturers' Cup was being fought just as closely by Lotus (52 points) and Tyrrell (51), ahead of McLaren (26) in a distant third.

Going into the second half of the championship, the British Grand Prix was held at the fast Silverstone Circuit . The 450 bhp (340 kW) cars were expected to hit average speeds of nearly 225 km/h (140 mph). Fans and rivals were eager to see the pace of Jody Scheckter , after he was robbed of an apparent victory in France . The South African could manage a sixth starting place. Pole position was for Ronnie Peterson ( Lotus ), with Denny Hulme and Peter Revson (both McLarens ) next to him. Champion...

Scuderia Ferrari had decided to withdraw from the Dutch Grand Prix to focus on upgrading their cars, seeing that they had played no part in the championship so far this year. Fittipaldi crashed during Saturday practice when his left front wheel broke coming on to the start-finish straight. His ankles were badly bruised. His teammate Peterson qualified on pole for the sixth time this season, ahead of Stewart and Cevert (Tyrrell). The top two remained the same at the start, but eighth-starting Car...

The fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife constituted the arena for the German Grand Prix . Stewart started on pole, ahead of Peterson and Cevert. Fittipaldi was down in fourteenth, still recovering from his injuries. Peterson retired halfway through the first lap and the Tyrrells were unchallenged. Jacky Ickx was third for McLaren . Future champion Niki Lauda had crashed on the second lap, completely demolishing his BRM and breaking his wrist . [ 26 ]

In the Drivers' Championship, Emerson Fittipaldi (42 points) had fallen down to third after a streak of four races without points. Jackie Stewart (60) was leading teammate François Cevert (45). Tyrrell (71 points) had also taken a firm grip on the Manufacturers' Cup over Lotus (59) and McLaren (42).

Lotus were not giving up their hunt for the title: Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson qualified 1-2 for the Austrian Grand Prix . Their rivals at Tyrrell , Jackie Stewart and François Cevert , started seventh and tenth, respectively. Denny Hulme ( McLaren ) started third but overtook Fittipaldi before the first corner. On lap 4, Stewart overtook Arturo Merzario for fourth place. Cevert tried the same on lap 6, but hit the Ferrari and had to retire with a damaged wishbone . Hulme had to pit w...

If Stewart would manage to finish third or higher in the Italian Grand Prix , he would clinch the Drivers' Championship. A lower points finish would almost necessitate Fittipaldi to win and Cevert to get on the podium to stay in the championship fight. It was Peterson who claimed his seventh pole position of the season, ahead of the McLarens of Peter Revson and Denny Hulme . Stewart started in sixth, with his teammate and closest rival Cevert in eleventh. Fittipaldi started in fourth but was sec...

For the Canadian Grand Prix , Peterson started on pole, ahead of Revson and Scheckter . A heavy shower fell before the start and all-but-one drivers started on full wet tyres . After the start, Peterson was leading Scheckter and Lauda , while Revson fell back to seventh. Lauda was comfortable in the wet conditions and actually grabbed the lead on lap 4. Peterson crashed out on lap 16, before the track dried up and everyone started coming into the pits . The race organisers got confused with the ...

The 1973 season ended on a low-point when François Cevert crashed during practice for the United States Grand Prix and was killed on impact. Tyrrell withdrew from the event, giving up the Manufacturers' Title to Lotus. Peterson started on pole for the ninth time this year, ahead of Reutemann and Fittipaldi. Future champion Hunt in his little March passed Fittipaldi and Reutemann and came within a second of Peterson. The Swede held on to take his third win in four races, ahead of hero-of-the-day ...

The Drivers' Championship was awarded to Jackie Stewart ( Tyrrell , 71 points), ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi ( Lotus , 55) and Ronnie Peterson (Lotus, 52). The Manufacturers' Cup was won by Lotus (92 points), ahead of Tyrrell (82) and McLaren (58).

The following races counted towards both the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers.

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 seven results from rounds 1-8 and the best six results from rounds 8-15 were counted.

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

† Williamson suffered a fatal accident during the Dutch Grand Prix.

† Cevert suffered a fatal accident in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix.

Ensign, which did not score points during the championship, was not given a classification in the official FIA results. [ 1 ]