# 1972 British Grand Prix

The 1972 British Grand Prix (formally the John Player Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 15 July 1972. It was race 7 of 12 in both the 1972 World Championship of Drivers and the 1972 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was won by Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi driving a Lotus 72D.
Ronnie Peterson suffered an engine failure with less than two laps to go, and crashed into the parked cars of Graham Hill and François Cevert. Arturo Merzario finished sixth on his debut; he was the last driver whose first race was with Ferrari until Oliver Bearman at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, 52 years later.

## Qualifying
### Qualifying classification

| Pos. | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap | Grid |
| 1 | 5 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 1:22,2 | | 1 |
| 2 | 8 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | 1:22,6 | +0.4 | 2 |
| 3 | 19 | Peter Revson | McLaren-Ford | 1:22,7 | +0.5 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell-Ford | 1:22,9 | +0.7 | 4 |
| 5 | 22 | Tim Schenken | Surtees-Ford | 1:23,2 | +1.0 | 5 |
| 6 | 11 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | BRM | 1:23,4 | +1.2 | 6 |
| 7 | 21 | Mike Hailwood | Surtees-Ford | 1:23,5 | +1.3 | 7 |
| 8 | 3 | Ronnie Peterson | March-Ford | 1:23,7 | +1.5 | 8 |
| 9 | 6 | Arturo Merzario | Ferrari | 1:23,7 | +1.5 | 9 |
| 10 | 27 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham–Ford | 1:23,8 | +1.6 | 10 |
| 11 | 18 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-Ford | 1:23,9 | +1.7 | 11 |
| 12 | 2 | François Cevert | Tyrrell-Ford | 1:23,9 | +1.7 | 12 |
| 13 | 25 | Carlos Pace | March-Ford | 1:24,0 | +1.8 | 13 |
| 14 | 14 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 1:24,4 | +2.2 | 14 |
| 15 | 9 | David Walker | Lotus-Ford | 1:24,4 | +2.2 | 15 |
| 16 | 12 | Peter Gethin | BRM | 1:24,5 | +2.3 | 16 |
| 17 | 17 | Chris Amon | Matra | 1:24,6 | +2.4 | 17 |
| 18 | 30 | Nanni Galli | Tecno | 1:25,1 | +2.9 | 18 |
| 19 | 4 | Niki Lauda | March-Ford | 1:25,1 | +2.9 | 19 |
| 20 | 23 | Andrea de Adamich | Surtees-Ford | 1:25,2 | +3.0 | 20 |
| 21 | 26 | Graham Hill | Brabham-Ford | 1:25,2 | +3.0 | 21 |
| 22 | 28 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Brabham-Ford | 1:25,5 | +3.3 | 22 |
| 23 | 31 | Mike Beuttler | March-Ford | 1:25,6 | +3.4 | 23 |
| 24 | 29 | Dave Charlton | Lotus-Ford | 1:25,6 | +3.4 | 24 |
| 25 | 33 | Rolf Stommelen | Eifelland-Ford | 1:26,3 | +4.1 | 25 |
| 26 | 24 | Henri Pescarolo | Politoys-Ford | 1:27,4 | +5.2 | 26 |
| 27 | 34 | François Migault | Connew-Ford | 1:30,3 | +8.1 | DNS |

## Race
### Classification

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 8 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | 76 | 1:47:50.2 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | 1 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell-Ford | 76 | + 4.1 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | 19 | Peter Revson | McLaren-Ford | 76 | + 1:12.5 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 17 | Chris Amon | Matra | 75 | + 1 Lap | 17 | 3 |
| 5 | 18 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-Ford | 75 | + 1 Lap | 11 | 2 |
| 6 | 6 | Arturo Merzario | Ferrari | 75 | + 1 Lap | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | Ronnie Peterson | March-Ford | 74 | Engine/accident | 8 | |
| 8 | 27 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham-Ford | 73 | + 3 Laps | 10 | |
| 9 | 4 | Niki Lauda | March-Ford | 73 | + 3 Laps | 19 | |
| 10 | 33 | Rolf Stommelen | Eifelland-Ford | 71 | + 5 Laps | 25 | |
| 11 | 11 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | BRM | 70 | + 6 Laps | 6 | |
| 12 | 28 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Brabham-Ford | 69 | Suspension | 22 | |
| 13 | 31 | Mike Beuttler | March-Ford | 69 | + 7 Laps | 23 | |
| Ret | 22 | Tim Schenken | Surtees-Ford | 64 | Suspension | 5 | |
| Ret | 2 | François Cevert | Tyrrell-Ford | 60 | Spun off | 12 | |
| Ret | 9 | Dave Walker | Lotus-Ford | 59 | Suspension | 15 | |
| Ret | 5 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 49 | Oil pressure | 1 | |
| Ret | 26 | Graham Hill | Brabham-Ford | 47 | Spun off | 21 | |
| Ret | 25 | Carlos Pace | March-Ford | 39 | Differential | 13 | |
| Ret | 14 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 36 | Suspension | 14 | |
| Ret | 21 | Mike Hailwood | Surtees-Ford | 31 | Gearbox | 7 | |
| Ret | 29 | Dave Charlton | Lotus-Ford | 21 | Gearbox | 24 | |
| Ret | 30 | Nanni Galli | Tecno | 9 | Spun off | 18 | |
| Ret | 24 | Henri Pescarolo | Politoys-Ford | 7 | Accident | 26 | |
| Ret | 12 | Peter Gethin | BRM | 5 | Engine | 16 | |
| Ret | 23 | Andrea de Adamich | Surtees-Ford | 3 | Accident | 20 | |
| DNS | 34 | François Migault | Connew-Ford | | Suspension | | |
| WD | 7 | Mario Andretti | Ferrari | | | | |
| WD | 10 | Tony Trimmer | Lotus-Ford | | Engine | | |
| WD | 15 | Reine Wisell | BRM | | | | |
| WD | 16 | Helmut Marko | BRM | | | | |
| WD | 20 | Brian Redman | McLaren-Ford | | | | |
| WD | 32 | Ray Allen | March-Ford | | | | |
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