French G.P. To Stewart

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32034, 8 July 1969, Page 17

French G.P. To Stewart

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) CLERMONT-FERRAND (France). J. Stewart (Scotland) won the French formula one Grand Prix by almost a minute from a Frenchman, J. Beltoise, and consolidated his substantial lead in the world drivers’ championship.

It was Stewart’s fourth grand prix victory this season and it increased to 20 points his lead over the world champion, G. Hill (Britain). Stewart led from start to finish in his Matra Ford, at an average speed at 97.71 m.p.h. over the twisting fivemile “charade” circuit.

Stewart was not in danger after the twelfth lap when the New Zealander, D. Huime, who had been pressing him hard, encountered suspension trouble with his McLaren and lost several laps. TENSE DUEL

Stewart steadily drew away from the other 12 cars in the field, and interest quickly switched to an absorbing battle for second place between Beltoise in another Matra and the Belgian, J. Ickx, in a Brabham. Beltoise, spurred on by his home crowd, drove the race of his life. Starting seventh at the grid, he worked his way to third by the fourteenth lap and gradually caught up to trail Ickx eight laps later. Beltoise edged past Ickx momentarily in the twentythird lap, overtaking him on the inside of a hairpin bend, only to lose control and slip back to third.

Beltoise finally forged past on the last lap to snatch second place by just two-tenths of a second. LAP RECORD

Meanwhile Stewart had streaked away to win by 57.1 sec, pruning the lap record to 3min 2.7 sec at an average speed of 98.22 m.p.h. He also bettered the record average speed for the race set by the late J. Clark, of Britain, at 89.21 m.p.h. in 1965—the last time the French Grand Prix was run on the “Charade” circuit. The New Zealander, B. McLaren was fourth in a McLaren car and the British rally driver, V. Elford fifth in another McLaren, with Hill in his Lotus back in sixth place. C. Amon (New Zealand,

driving a Ferrari, dropped out only six laps from the end when he held fourth place. The first appearance of the new four-wheel-drive Lotus in competition was doomed to failure. A British driver, J. Miles, in his first formula one race, completed only one lap before pulling into the pits with a vapour lock in the fuel line, trouble which almost prevented him from starting in the first place. Results:—

J. Stewart (Britain, Matra Ford), 1:56:47.4, average speed 97.710 milets an hour, 1; J. Beltoise (France, Matra Ford), 1:57:44.5, 2; J. Ickx (Belgium, Brabham), 1:57.44.7, 3; B. McLaren (New Zealand, McLaren), one lap behind, 4; V. Elford (Britain, McLaren), one lap behind, 5; G. Hill (Britain, Lotus), one lap behind. 6; S. Moser (Switzerland, Brabham), two laps behind, 7; D. Huime (New Zealand, McLaren), three laps behind, 8; J. Siffert (Switzerland, Lotus), four laps behind, 9.

Leading places in the world drivers’ championship after the French Grand Prix: Stewart, 36 points, 1; Hill, 16, 2; McLaren and Siffert, 13, 3; Beltoise and Huime, 11. 5; Ickx, 7. 7; P. Courage (Britain), 6,8; Amon, 4,9: R. Attwood (Britain), 3, 10: J. Surtees (Britain) and Elf ord. 2, 11; J. Brabham (Australia). 1. 13.