FITTIPALDI WINS

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33213, 1 May 1973, Page 22

FITTIPALDI WINS

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BARCELONA.

The world champion, E. Fittipaldi (Brazil) swept to victory in the Spanish Grand Prix—the fourth in the 1973 championship—after his two nearest rivals had to abandon the race with mechanical trouble.

F. Cevert (France) driving a Tyrrell Ford, was second, and G. Follmer (United States) behind the wheel of a U.O.P. Shadow and competing in his first European grand prix, finished third. Fittipaldi’s Lotus-John Player Special team-mate, R. Peterson (Sweden) had appeared all set to log his first grand prix triumph, starting out from the pole position after setting a sizzling new lap record in practice on the 3.79-kilometer Montjuich circuit.

The 29-year-old Peterson led from the outset and kept ahead, with Fittipaldi close behind, but his car developed

| gearbox trouble, he missed a gear on one of the tight corners, and he was out on lap 57. The other challenge to Fittipaldi — from his great rival, J. Stewart (Scotland) fizzled when Stewart had to pull into the pits in the fortyeighth lap with brake trouble and abandoned. With Peterson and Stewart out of the race, Fittipaldi stayed in front the rest of the way. For a while it looked as if the previously unfavoured C. Reutemann (Argentina), driving a Brabham Ford, would pose a new threat to the champion. He pulled up to within three seconds of the leader, but with only 10 laps to go was forced out of the race with a broken rear-wheel coupling. Only a third of the starters finished. D. Hultne (New Zealand) finished sixth and stands fourth equal with P. Revson (United States) in the world championship points table. .