F3 History

Surprisingly this race at Montlhéry, the XVI Prix de Paris, was scheduled to take place on the day after the Monaco GP support race but even so a representative entry arrived with several drivers stopping off at the French track on their way back to their bases. The race was held over 20 laps and was the sixth round of the French F3 Championship.

Fastest in practice was Jean-Louis Lafosse in his Brabham BT35 from the Martinis of Patrice Compain and Lucien Guitteny.

At the start the leading group consisted of Lafosse, Ethuin (Tecno), Coulon (Martini), Williamson (March), Thompson (Ensign), Depailler (Alpine) and Jabouille (Alpine). Coulon was soon out with a blown engine and then Depailler crashed out at Virage de la Ferme when he hit a patch of oil. Next out was Williamson and Jabouille found himself falling back from the leading group. This left Ethuin, Lafosse and Thompson fighting for victory, Thompson got ahead of Lafosse’s Brabham but found the Tecno of Ethuin a more difficult prospect. On the last corner of the last lap Thompson pushed the Ensign ahead of the Tecno and held on to take the chequered flag by two tenths of a second. In the overtaking attempt Thompson lost control of the Lotus as it crossed the line and hit a straw bale wiping a corner off the car, he commented after it was a case of hit the bale or finish second!