# 1969 Guards Formula 5000 Championship

The 1969 Guards Formula 5000 Championship was a motor racing competition for Formula 5000 cars and cars with unrestricted racing engines of up to 2000cc capacity. The championship was organized in the United Kingdom but also included European rounds. It was the first and only series to carry the Guards Formula 5000 Championship name and the first in a sequence of seven annual European Formula 5000 Championships to be contested between 1969 and 1975. The championship was won by Peter Gethin, driving a McLaren M10A.

## Calendar

The championship was contested over twelve rounds.
| Round | Name | Circuit | Country | Date | Winning driver | Car | Team |
| 1 | | Oulton Park | Great Britain | 4 April | Peter Gethin | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Church Farm Racing Team |
| 2 | | Brands Hatch | Great Britain | 7 April | Peter Gethin | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Church Farm Racing Team |
| 3 | Kent Messenger 5000 | Brands Hatch | Great Britain | 11 May | Peter Gethin | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Church Farm Racing Team |
| 4 | | Mallory Park | Great Britain | 26 May | Peter Gethin | McLaren M10A Chevrolet | Church Farm Racing Team |
| 5 | Vanwall Trophy | Silverstone | Great Britain | 15 June | Mike Walker | Lola T142 Chevrolet | McKechnie Racing Team |
| 6 | Dublin Grand Prix | Mondello Park | Ireland | 13 July | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet | Team Surtees |
| 7 | Trofee der Noordzee | Koksijde | Belgium | 3 August | Trevor Taylor | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet | Team Surtees |
| 8 | Duinen Trophee | Zandvoort | Netherlands | 10 Aug | Trevor Taylor | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet | Team Surtees |
| 9 | | Snetterton | Great Britain | 1 September | Trevor Taylor | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet | Team Elite |
| 10 | Nations Grand Prix | Hockenheim | Germany | 14 September | Trevor Taylor | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet | Team Elite |
| 11 | | Oulton Park | Great Britain | 20 September | Mike Walker | Lola T142 Chevrolet | McKechnie Racing Team |
| 12 | | Brands Hatch | Great Britain | 28 September | Mike Hailwood | Lola T142 Chevrolet | Epstein Cuthbert Racing |

## Points system

Championship points were awarded at each round on a 500-350-250-200-150-125-100-90-80-75-70-65-60-55 basis to the first 14 drivers, with 50 points awarded for each place from 15th to 20th. The final championship placings were determined from the best eight results from the twelve rounds.

## Championship standings

The following table lists the top twenty positions in the championship.
| Position | Driver | Car | Entrant | Points |
| 1 | Peter Gethin | McLaren M10A Chevrolet 5.0 | Church Farm Racing Team | 2365 |
| 2 | Trevor Taylor | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet 5.0 | Team Surtees Team Elite | 2170 |
| 3 | Mike Hailwood | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Paul Hawkins & Epstein - Cuthbert | 2045 |
| 4 | Keith Holland | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Alan Fraser | 2000 |
| 5 | Alan Rollinson | Brabham BT30 Ford FVA 1.6 Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Irish Racing Cars Doug Hardwick | 1920 |
| 6 | Mike Walker | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Allan McKechnie Racing | 1845 |
| 7 | Ulf Norinder | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Sports Cars Switzerland | 1450 |
| 8 | David Hobbs | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet 5.0 | Team Surtees | 1275 |
| 9 | Willie Forbes | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | | 1080 |
| 10 | Robert Lamplough | Lotus 43 Ford 4.7 Lotus 41 Ford 1.6 | | 795 |
| 11 | Derrick Williams | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Race Development Engineering DJ Bond Racing | 675 |
| 12 | Andrea de Adamich | Surtees TS5 Chevrolet 5.0 | Team Surtees | 620 |
| 13 | Doug Hardwick | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | | 575 |
| 14 | Terry Sanger | BRM P83 Ford 4.7 | | 540 |
| 15 | Steve Thompson | Lola T60 Ford 1.6 | | 420 |
| 16 | Kaye Griffiths | BRP Mk2 Ford 4.7 | | 415 |
| 17 | Frank Gardner | Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | Sid Taylor | 350 |
| = | Peter Westbury | Brabham BT30 Ford FVA 1.6 Lola T142 Chevrolet 5.0 | | 350 |
| 19 | Ian Ashley | Kitchiner K3 Ford 4.7 | | 330 |
| 20 | Brian Cullen | Lola T60 Ford 1.6 & Brabham BT23C Ford FVA 1.6 | | 310 |