Fittipaldi opens Formula One series with win

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 24

Fittipaldi opens Formula One series with win

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) BUENOS AIRES.

Emerson Fittipaldi, of Brazil, the world champion, got off to a flyingstart in the 1975 Formula One championship when he steered his McLaren to victory in a thrilling Argentine Grand Prix.

James Hunt, of Britain, drove his best grand prix to date to finish second in his Hesketh, and Carlos Reutemann, the local hero, was third in a Brabham. Jean-Pierre Jarier, of France, who won pole position during practice in his American-built U.O.P. Shadow, failed to make the start. Mechanics explained that his gearbox broke during the warm-up lap. The lead changed hands four times during the 54 laps of the 5968-metre (3.7-mile) track in Admiral Brown Park on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Reutemann had an excellent start, but his Brabham team-mate, Carlos Pace, of Brazil, passed him on the fourteenth lap. only to spin off and allow the Argentinian to regain the 1 ad. Pace eventually retired with engine trouble.

Hunt, in his Hesketh, was pressing strongly and took the lead in the twenty-sixth lap. Fittipaldi also passed Reutemann, and when Hunt spun off briefly in the thirtyfifth lap the . Brazilian took the lead and held it to the end with a margin of just over five seconds. His average speed was 118.657 miles per hour. STEADY RACE

Clay Regazzoni, of Switzerland, "drove a steady race in 'his Ferrari to finish in fourth i place, followed by Patrick Depailler, of France, in a Tyrrell, and Niki Lauda, of Austria, in the other Ferrari. Mark Donohue, of the United States, driving in Formula One for the first time, was a creditable seventh in his Penske. The new Bfazilian-built

Copersucar, driven by Fittipaldi’s brother, Wilson, caught fire in the thirteenth lap and was almost totally destroyed. Fittipaldi escaped unhurt.

Just before losing the lead. Hunt clocked the fastest lap of the race in Imin. 50.9 sec, breaking the race record of Imin 52.105ec set by Clay Regazzoni last year. But it was under the trial lap record of Imin. 49.215ec set by Jarier on Friday. "Hunt said the flat spin 18 laps from the end cost him the race. “It was all going just perfect until I spun on a hairpin. That cost me five seconds.” „ Graham Hill, the veteran British driver, came tenth in a Lola. ICKX EIGHTH

Jackie Ickx (Belgium), in a Lotus, finished eighth. Jody Scheckter (South Africa), in the other Tyrrell, lost a lap when he was forced into the pits in the second lap and was in eighteenth place when he came out. But he quickly started passing the stragglers and finished eleventh.