Vallelunga Formula One Race

A small entry of eight Formula One cars attended the non-championship “Grand Premio Repubblica Italiana” at Vallelunga near Rome on June 18th, the date originally scheduled for the cancelled Dutch Grand Prix. The number was reduced to seven when Niki Lauda wrote off his March 721/2 in practice after a tyre deflated although the Austrian was unhurt.

The race was held over eighty laps and started very late in the afternoon. It provided a predictably easy win for Emerson Fittipaldi at the wheel of the John Player-Team Lotus 72D/R5, despite the rear wing starting to fall apart in the closing stages. Andrea de Adamich finished second in his Surtees after the BRM P160s of Ganley (05) and Gethin (04) and Pescarolo’s March 711/3 ran into trouble. Galli finished third in a new Martini-Tecno and the only other finisher was Beuttler in the March 721G. — A. H.