The chase is on
In the top photograph Francois Cevert is hounded by the two John Player Lotus 72s during the early stages of the race while Regazzoni is in the lead. His team-mate Jean-Pierre Beltoise, in the second Marlboro-BRM, chases the Lotuses. Stewart moved up to second place soon after this photograph was taken and the two Tyrrells and the two Lotuses spent many laps in close formation battling for the lead after Regazzoni dropped back. Jacky Ickx (Ferrari No. 18) and Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell No. 6) both made slow starts but Ickx finally came through to fourth place while Stewart finished third. Stewart, in fact, spent many laps in second place holding off Fittipaldi and, in so doing, enabled teammate Francois Cevert to keep the lead. Our lower photograph shows the three in the closing stages of the race as they pass the elaborate Autodrome pits. Soon after Fittipaldi passed Stewart and then, with only ten laps to go, finally took the lead.