The unfortunate Copersucar Fittipaldi team never got themselves really clear of trouble, which all began when the prop-shaft broke on the big DAF transporter they had bought off Hesketh. This happened just as they were approaching the Jarama circuit the day before practice was due to begin. They got under way with the two cars on Friday morning and while Emerson Fittipaldi put in 40 laps, with a best of 1 min. 20.71 sec. which was good average, Ingo Hoffman in the later of the two cars only completed three timed laps before there was an almighty bang and a big hole in the side of the Cosworth crankcase and a shower of broken bits in one of the inlet trumpets, so that was the end of his practice and the mechanics set to work to change the engine. The number one March team were also in trouble for Peterson’s blue and yellow car died on the opening lap and it took him a long time to coax it back to the pits, where the electrics were put right. Later the rear aerofoil came loose in its mounting and swung drunkenly round sideways. The other half of March were not a lot better off for Stuck’s air-box came undone and lay more or less upside-down on top of the engine, the tall German pressing on unheedingly. Among the “aces” there was concern in the Ferrari pits for Lauda was still black and blue with damaged ribs following an agricultural accident when a tractor digger he was using rolled over on him on his property near Salzburg. Although he was suffering a lot of pain and was very uncomfortable he was driving as well as ever, though in some doubts as to whether he could keep it up for the full race distance. He was so stiff that he could not get out of the Ferrari until mechanics had removed the complete cockpit surround. The usual twist and wriggle up and over the narrow fairing being quite impossible for him. In the McLaren pits his erstwhile rival James Hunt was sympathetic but not making any allowances for the World Champion’s discomfort. In fact this was just the chink in the Ferrari armour that the McLaren boys needed and they kept the pressure on. Hum made fastest lap in 1 mm. 18.52 sec. to Lauda’s 1 min. 18.84 sec., but Regazzoni was supporting his team-mate well, with third fastest in 1 min. 19.15 sec. Making up for all the troubles in the March teams, Brambilla was his usual spirited self and was fourth fastest, just ahead of Depailler, Nilsson, Mass, Laffite and Pace, these all getting into the one-minute-nineteen-seconds bracket. It was quite clear that a lap in the one-eighteens was to be “ace” time, with one-nineteens as “good triers” in with a chance. Anything in the order of 1 min. 20 sec. or over was hardly worth bothering about and 1 min. 21 sec. to 1 min. 22 sec. was going to be the back of the grid. After some indecision and discussion it was agreed that 24 cars could start, which meant that six drivers were going to get left out.
While the Ferraris and Hunt were at the front as expected, the biggest surprise for some people was Depailler in fifth place with the six-wheeled Tyrrell. However, anyone watching on the faster corners could not have helped noticing the way the front of the car was really sticking to the road, so much so that the rear end was beginning to look unhappy. Another pleasant surprise was the driving of the new Swedish star Gunnar Nilsson, who was lifting the Team Lotus spirits with every lap and pronouncing himself very happy with the Lotus 77. His new team-mate Mario Andretti was a bit cautious and settling in the new car with a best lap one second slower than Nilsson. The Ligier-Matra was reliable if nothing else, putting in 54 laps in this first 1 1/2-hour session, and his time of 1 min. 19.39 sec. was right in there with Mass, Nilsson and Depailler. It was nice to see an all-French team in action, and going well, with French car, French driver, French engineer, French mechanics and the whole equipe financed by French cigarettes and coloured mainly blue. There was a distinct air of Matra about the whole team and very little Ligier, most of the people involved being old familiar faces from the Matra days.
After lunch there was a shorter session, of one hour, but even so Tom Pryce managed to get in 32 laps, still learning his way round the Autodrome, not having been before. Although Hoffman had another engine installed in his Fittipaldi car he still failed to get any practice as it refused to run properly and he did not get a timed lap. Big trouble also moved with the Brabham pit, for Pace’s Alfa Romeo engine went sour on him and he had to go out in the spare car, while preparations were made to change the sick engine. But that was not all for Reutemann went off the course and damaged his car against a particularly strong post supporting the catch-fencing. As the monocoque chassis was damaged it meant that he had to take over the spare car, once Pace’s own car was back in action. While Brambilla was in great form as he always is, Peterson was making little progress, the clutch action on his car being slow so that he was losing time on gear changes, and there are a lot of them at Jarama. Hunt was still making full use of the six-speed McLaren/Hewland gearbox on his car and remained ahead of Lauda and his team-mate Mass, also with a six-speed gearbox, moved up into fifth place. A pleasant surprise was to see Chris Amon heading the mid-field runners with the brand new Ensign N176, the car performing well. The performances of the Shadow team, the Williams team and the Surtees team were not at all outstanding, all their drivers being down amongst the also-rans and not far off the non-qualifiers.
