Race Report: Snetterton, 28 March 1971

Race Report: Snetterton, 28 March 1971

Snetterton

A disappointing field of six runners arrived for this Lombank round so the race was combined with Formule Libre and Clubmen’s cars. The Brabham BT35s of Brendan McInerney and Colin Vandervell were joint quickest in practice and proceeded to lead away from the flag chased by the March-Holbay 713M of Roger Williamson and Andy Sutcliffe in his Lotus-Holbay 69. McInerney was slowed by a failing battery eventually stopping but managing to restart and get to the finish albeit a lap down. Sutcliffe and Williamson had a good dice until gear selection problems towards the end of the race severely hampered Sutcliife. Poor Tim Goss (March 713M) missed the start due to a jammed starter motor when over efficient marshalls waved him off the track after a brief agreement Goss was allowed back on the track although by this time he had lost two and a half laps and was further hampered by a sticking throttle. Chris O’Brien gained some useful racing experience (as well as some Lombank points) by keeping out of everyone’s way on his way to fifth.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Snetterton, 28 March 1971

Race

1 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 16:42.0 10

2 Roger Williamson

March-Holbay 713 M 10

3 Andy Sutcliffe

Lotus-Holbay 69 10

4 Brendan McInerney

Brabham-Holbay BT35 9

5 Chris O'Brien

Brabham-Holbay BT35 9

6 Tim Goss

March 713M 8

Race Report: Montlhéry, 28 March 1971

Race Report: Montlhéry, 28 March 1971

Montlery
James Hunt fought a tough race at Montlhéry in the Challenge Raymond Sommer, beating the two works Alpines of Depailler and Jabouille. Christian Ethuin led for a time in the new works Tecno until fuel starvation struck and he fell back to finish fifth.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Montlhéry, 28 March 1971

Qualifying

1 Jacques Coulon

Martini-Ford MW7 1:36.5

Race

1 James Hunt

March-Holbay 713M 31:57.3

2 Patrick Depailler

Alpine-Renault A360 31:58.0

3 Jean-Pierre Jabouille

Alpine-Renault A360 31:58.1

4 François Migault

Martini-Ford MW7 32:22.3

5 Christian Ethuin

Tecno-Renault TF71/3 32:50.3

6 Bernard Lagier

Brabham-Ford BT35 33:00.3

7 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Ford 69 33:01.3

Race Report: Brands Hatch, 21 March 1971

Race Report: Brands Hatch, 21 March 1971

Brands Hatch
An improved entry of 16 cars arrived for this first round of the Shell Super Oil Championship, there were Brabham BT35s for Colin Vandervell, Brendan McInerney and Chris O’Brien and a BT28 for Alan Joy. Marches appeared for James Hunt with a spaceframe 713S, whilst Tim Goss, Roger Williamson and Tom Walkinshaw had the monocoque 713M variants. There were also four Lotus 69s with Gerry Birrell in the ex-works test hack, and Andy Sutcliffe, Claude Bourgoignie and Fabrizio Noe in their production versions. Two Martini MW7s were on hand for Patrice Compain and Jacques Coulon whilst there were singleton entries for Bev Bond (Ensign LN1) and Bob Evans (Puma).

Both of the qualifying sessions were held in wet conditions and there was a certain amount of indecision as to what tyres to use but most of the quickest times were set on Dunlops, at the end of the day Gerry Birrell was fastest in both sessions to take pole from Colin Vandervell, Brendan McInerney and a surprised Bob Evans, Bev Bond’s Ensign only did a limited number of laps due to a faulty high pressure fuel pump. Neither Noe or O’Brien managed to set qualifying times after accidents, O’Brien’s damaging the chassis too badly to continue with the meeting.

The race started on a nearly dry track although there were plenty of black clouds overhead, Hunt made an excellent start from the second row to take the lead from Birrell, Vandervell and Williamson, these four together with McInerney, Bond and Walkinshaw soon pulling away from the rest of the pack. Bob Evans was an early pit visitor with timing problems to his engine after mistakenly advancing the camshaft timing. Bond soon began to make his move, passing Birrell, Vandervell and Hunt on successive laps to take the lead on lap 6. Hunt stayed with Bond for several laps until a sticking throttle and a broken fuel pipe ended his race. Bond slowly stretched his lead over Vandervell to 4 seconds by lap 15 whilst Birrell held third despite a damaged nosecone. Vandervell began to close again on Bond until he was sitting on his tail by lap 26. On lap 29 Bond spun at Stirlings following gear selection problems and a recalcitrant 2nd gear and fell to fourth behind Vandervell, Birrell and Walkinshaw.

Bond quickly reeled in Walkinshaw and Birrell and set off after Vandervell who was having to drive cautiously with sagging oil pressure. Going into the final lap Bond was just over a second behind Vandervell, he closed up all round the track and dived inside the Brabham at Clearways. However Vandervell had the better line and took the chequered flag inches ahead of the fast finishing Ensign. The two drivers were so close at the finish that they were given the same finishing time. Birrell was a second behind the battling duo in third place ahead of Walkinshaw who was having a petrol bath due to a broken fuel line and Williamson. All the other finishers were a lap or more behind these first four.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Brands Hatch, 21 March 1971

Qualifying

1 Gerry Birrell

Lotus-Holbay 69 1:54.1

2 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 1:54.9

3 Brendan McInerney

Brabham-Holbay BT35 1:56.0

4 Bob Evans

Puma-Piper 1:56.1

5 James Hunt

March-Holbay 713M 1:56.6

6 Jacques Coulon

Martini-Rowland MW7 1:57.4

7 Roger Williamson

March-Holbay 713M 1:57.8

8 Tim Goss

March-Holbay 713M 1:58.0

9 Tom Walkinshaw

March-Lloyd 713M 1:58.5

10 Patrice Compain

Martini-Rowland MW7 ?

11 Andy Sutcliffe

Lotus-Holbay 69 2:03.3

12 Claude Bourgoignie

Lotus-Holbay 69 2:03.5

13 Bev Bond

Ensign-Holbay LN1 2:30.2

14 Alan Joy

Brabham-Rowland BT28 2:42.1

15 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Novamotor 69 NT

16 Chris O'Brien

Brabham-Holbay BT35 NT

Race

1 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35 1-07:38.1 40 94.03

2 Bev Bond

Ensign-Holbay LN1 1-07:38.1 40

3 Gerry Birrell

Lotus-Holbay 69 1-07:39.3 40

4 Tom Walkinshaw

March-Lloyd 713M 1-08:34.1 40

5 Roger Williamson

March-Holbay 713M 1-08:43.2 40

6 Patrice Compain

Martini-Rowland MW7 39

7 Jacques Coulon

Martini-Rowland MW7 39

8 Brendan McInerney

Brabham-Holbay BT35 39

9 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Novamotor 69 35

Race Report: Mallory Park, 14 March 1971

Race Report: Mallory Park, 14 March 1971

Mallory Park
Britain’s first ever 1600cc F3 race boasted an 18 car entry for this first round of the Lombank Championship, unfortunately only 4 arrived! Bev Bond’s works Ensign wasn’t quite finished in time whilst Tom Walkinshaw decided to miss the race as his March 713 didn’t seem quick enough. When he arrived at the track and found the new 1600s were a second a lap slower than the 1-litre cars he decided he might have been a bit hasty.
Pole position for the race went to James Hunt in his works run Rose Bearings March 713S with Colin Vandervell’s Castrol sponsored works Brabham BT35 second, Roger Williamson (March 713M) next and Brendan McInerney (Brabham BT35) bringing up the rear in his unsorted car.
Due to the small number of starters the F Fords that had raced earlier were invited out for another run which as Vandervell’s oil-pump drive sheared in the paddock was probably a very good idea. At the start Hunt disappeared into the distance whilst Williamson got boxed in behind some F Fords, only managing to get past on the penultimate lap. McInerney was black flagged for loose suspension and spent two laps in the pits but still finished 3rd in class.
After the race a plug in the airbox were scrutineers check the vacuum was found to be missing from Hunt’s car so the results were announced provisionally pending an RAC inquiry. As a result of this investigation Hunt was subsequently disqualified.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Mallory Park, 14 March 1971

Qualifying

1 James Hunt

March-Holbay 713S 49.2

2 Colin Vandervell

Brabham-Rowland BT35

3 Roger Williamson

March-Holbay 713M

4 Brendan McInerney

Brabham-Holbay BT35

Race

1 Roger Williamson

March-Holbay 713M 12:59.6 15

2 Brendan McInerney

Brabham-Holbay BT35 13

Race Report: Monza, 7 March 1971

Race Report: Monza, 7 March 1971

Monza
The first race of the 1600cc F3 era, the XX Trofeo Bruno e Fofi Vigorelli, took place at Monza with a small field of 11 starters racing on the shorter Junior circuit. Since 1-litre F3 cars were still allowed to race against the 1600cc cars in Italy it is likely that some of the starters used the smaller capacity engine, Adelmo Fossati’s Brabham BT28 would seem to have been one such car.

Despite the small number of starters two 20 lap heats and a 31 lap final were run, the first heat went to Vittorio Brambilla driving a Birel powered by a F3 version of the twin-cam Alfa Giuila with Fabrizio Noe’s Lotus 69 second. Victor in the second heat was Lo Voy’s Brabham ahead of Fossati’s Brabham BT28 and Patrice Compain’s Martini MW7, the race had to be stopped after 15 laps. In the final Brambilla won by only 0.4 seconds from Marcello Gallo in his Brabham BT28.

f3 HISTORY

RACES

Race Report: Monza, 7 March 1971

Race Heat 1

1 Vittorio Brambilla

Birel Alfa Romeo 20:09.40

2 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Ford 69 20:09.50

3 Luigi Fontanesi

Tecno-Ford 20:13.10

4 Carlo Franchi (Gimax)

De Sanctis-Alfa Romeo 20:23.40

Race Heat 2

1 Giovanni Lo Voi

Brabham-Ford BT28 15:05.00

2 Adelmo Fossati

Brabham BT28 15:05.00

3 Patrice Compain

Martini-Ford MW7 15:21.00

4 Manfred Möhr

Lotus-Ford 15:34.10

5 Marcello Gallo

Brabham BT28

Race Final

1 Vittorio Brambilla

Birel Alfa Romeo 30:44.30 144.318

2 Marcello Gallo

Brabham BT28 30:44.34

3 Fabrizio Noe

Lotus-Ford 69 30:45.10

4 Adelmo Fossati

Brabham BT28 30:55.40

5 Patrice Compain

Martini-Ford MW7 31:08.00

6 Carlo Franchi (Gimax)

De Sanctis-Alfa Romeo 31:11.50

7 Manfred Möhr

Lotus-Ford 31:59.60

8 Giovanni Lo Voi

Martini-Ford MW7 31:08.00