Lap record to Amon

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32959, 4 July 1972, Page 24

Lap record to Amon

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) CLERMONT FERRAND (France).

The New Zealander, C. Amon, drove brilliantly to take third place in the French Formula I grand prix at Clermont Ferrand on Sunday after a puncture caused him to drop from the lead to eighth.

J. Stewart (Scotland) won the race, and E. Fittipaldi (Brazil) was second. Driving with a bandaged left wrist, and given painkilling injections before the

race. Stewart’s team-mate, F.j Cevert (France) was fourth in the second of the Tyrell I Fords. Amon passed Cevert' with three laps to go. shortly' after driving his Matra round the 5.0055-mile course in the i record time of 2 min. 53.9 sec —an average speed of 103.604 miles an hour. EARLY LEAD Amon, in a Matra, took an' early lead in the race. He had' I earlier set the fastest time in practice. After two of the 38 laps, he was followed by D. Hulme | (New Zealand), in a McLaren.' and Stewart, driving a Tyrell Ford. Punctures were rife on the [ 51-bend mountain circuit, and; Hulme and J. Ickx (Belgium), were among those who j dropped back after having to! put into the pits for wheel changes. GANLEY OUT H. Ganley (New Zealand) relinquished his drive to the Frenchman. J. P. Beltoise. the leader of the B.R.M. team, who broke a half-shaft in a 15-minute practice less than three hours before the start. Two other drivers who had qualified, H. Pescarolo (France) and P. Gethin (Bri-

[tain) did not start after crash ing their cars in practice Only 24 cars started. I Fittipaldi, in his black-and gold J.PS. Lotus, extended [his lead in the world driver’s| [championship with half the 'season’s grand prix races! held. Results of the race:— Stewart. 1:52:21.5. average I speed, 101 450 m.p.h . 1; Fittipaldi, 1:52:42.02, 2: Amon, i 1:53:53.04. 3; Cevert. 1:53:10.00. 4: K Peterson (Sweden . .March. 1:53:18.03, 5; M Hailwood (Britain'. Surtees, 1:53:57.06, 6. Hulme, 1:54:09.06. 7. Drivers' championship Points in the world drivers’ : championship after the race are:—Fittipaldi 34 points. 1: Stewart. 21. 2: Hulme. l‘i. 3: Ickx. 16. 4; Beltoise ami Cevert. 9 tequal). 5; C. Regar/oni, 'Switzerland l . 7. 7 P Ru\ Min (U.S.) and Amon. 6. <equal 8; R. Peterson (Sweden*. 5. 10; Hailwood, 4, 11.