Date 15 August 1971 Weather Dry | Course length 5.912 km (3.673 mi) | |
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Location Österreichring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria Course Permanent racing facility Distance 54 laps, 317.347 km (198.686 mi) | ||
The 1971 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on 15 August 1971. It was the eighth round of the 1971 Formula One season. The 54-lap race was won by BRM driver Jo Siffert after he started from pole position. Emerson Fittipaldi finished second for the Lotus team and Brabham driver Tim Schenken came in third. This was the debut race of the future world champion Niki Lauda.
Contents
Race report
Jo Siffert took a surprise pole position from Jackie Stewart and led away at the start from Clay Regazzoni and Jacky Ickx. The front two drew away from the pack, where Regazzoni was duelling with François Cevert and Ickx was dropping back with mechanical problems. On lap 21, Stewart-with a poorly handling car-allowed Cevert through so he could chase Siffert. Further down the field, there were two Brabham-Lotus battles, with Tim Schenken duelling with Emerson Fittipaldi and Reine Wisell trading places with Graham Hill. By lap 32, Ickx had retired with a spark plug problem, Regazzoni had an engine blow up and Fittipaldi had passed Schenken and set about catching Stewart.
On lap 36, Stewart's race ended with a violent accident - his left rear driveshaft broke and the wheel was torn off. He emerged unhurt to be greeted as World Champion following Ickx's retirement. Cevert was chasing down Siffert, but with 12 laps to go his gearbox exploded.
Fittipaldi was now carving chunks out the BRM's lead, due to a left-rear puncture for the Swiss. However he managed to nurse the ailing car home for a popular victory by 4 seconds. Schenken was 3rd, with Wisell pipping Hill for 4th place - the Englishman was another to suffer a puncture in the dying stages and Pescarolo finished 6th in his March.