1973 Formula One season

Updated on Dec 31, 2023

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Dates 28 Jan 1973 – 7 Oct 1973

Similar 1972 Formula One seas, 1974 Formula One seas, 1975 Formula One seas, 1971 Formula One seas, 1970 Formula One seas

The 1973 Formula One season was the 24th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, which were contested concurrently over a fifteen race series that commenced on 28 January and ended on 7 October. The season also included two non-championship races which were open to both Formula One and Formula 5000 cars.

The World Championship of Drivers was won by Jackie Stewart and the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers was awarded to John Player Special.

In the World Championship, John Player Team Lotus teammates Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson raced each other while Jackie Stewart was supported by François Cevert at Elf Team Tyrrell. Stewart took the Drivers' title, but then at the final race of the season, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Cevert crashed during Saturday practice in the notorious 'Esses' and was killed instantly. Stewart and Tyrrell withdrew from the race, handing the Manufacturers title to Lotus. At the end of the season Stewart made public his decision to retire, a decision that had been made before the US Grand Prix.

There were two new races for the 1973 season – the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in São Paulo and the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp.

Briton Roger Williamson died in a crash at the Dutch Grand Prix, which was his second Formula One race.

By the end of the 1973 season the best car on the track was probably the new McLaren M23, a wedge-shaped car following the same concept as the Lotus 72 but with more conventional suspension and up to date aerodynamics.

For the first time in Formula One's history, this season saw the intervention of a Safety Car in the form of a Porsche 914 at the Canadian Grand Prix. The sport, however, would officially introduce this safety concept only 20 years later during the 1993 season.

Drivers and constructors

The following competitors contested the 1973 World Championship.

Grands prix

The following races counted towards both the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers.

Calendar changes

The Belgian Grand Prix also carried the title of European Grand Prix for 1973.

After being absent from the Championship in 1972 due to extensive safety upgrades to the Zandvoort circuit including new asphalt, new barriers and a new race control tower, the Dutch Grand Prix returned to the Championship calendar for 1973.

World Championship of Drivers - final standings

Points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first six finishers in each race.

For classification, only the seven best results from the first eight races and the six best results from the last seven races were retained.

Drivers scoring an equal number of points were awarded equal championship classifications, regardless of the relative number of wins, second places, etc. scored by each driver.

The FIA did not award a championship classification to those drivers who did not score points in the championship.

Points were awarded on a 9–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the first six finishers in each race.

Points were only awarded for the position filled by the best placed car from each manufacturer.

For classification, only the seven best results from the first eight races and the six best results from the last seven races were retained.

Ensign, which did not score points during the championship, was not given a classification in the official FIA results.

Non-championship races results

The 1973 Formula One season included two non-championship races which were open to both Formula One and Formula 5000 cars.

References

1973 Formula One season Wikipedia

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