# 1972 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1972 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nivelles on 4 June 1972. It was race 5 of 12 in both the 1972 World Championship of Drivers and the 1972 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 85-lap race was won by Lotus driver Emerson Fittipaldi after he started from pole position. François Cevert finished second for the Tyrrell team and McLaren driver Denny Hulme came in third.
Reigning World Champion Jackie Stewart was a notable absence – his gruelling schedule of racing in Formula 1, Can-Am and European touring cars, plus promotional events for Tyrrell sponsors Elf and Ford, as well as a sideline of sports commentating on television in the US led to what was originally diagnosed as an ulcer, but was later confirmed as gastritis. Under doctor's orders, he took about three weeks off from everything, canceled his involvement with the Can-Am series and US TV for the remainder of 1972, and was restricting his schedule of everything else.

## Qualifying
### Qualifying classification

| Pos. | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 32 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | 1:11.43 | |
| 2 | 30 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 1:11.58 | +0.15 |
| 3 | 9 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-Ford | 1:11.80 | +0.37 |
| 4 | 29 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 1:11.84 | +0.41 |
| 5 | 8 | François Cevert | Tyrrell-Ford | 1:11.93 | +0.50 |
| 6 | 23 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | BRM | 1:12.12 | +0.69 |
| 7 | 10 | Peter Revson | McLaren-Ford | 1:12.19 | +0.76 |
| 8 | 34 | Mike Hailwood | Surtees-Ford | 1:12.35 | +0.92 |
| 9 | 19 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham–Ford | 1:12.50 | +1.07 |
| 10 | 36 | Andrea de Adamich | Surtees-Ford | 1:12.54 | +1.11 |
| 11 | 16 | Carlos Pace | March-Ford | 1:12.64 | +1.21 |
| 12 | 33 | David Walker | Lotus-Ford | 1:12.76 | +1.33 |
| 13 | 5 | Chris Amon | Matra | 1:12.80 | +1.37 |
| 14 | 11 | Ronnie Peterson | March-Ford | 1:13.00 | +1.57 |
| 15 | 25 | Howden Ganley | BRM | 1:13.01 | +1.58 |
| 16 | 17 | Graham Hill | Brabham-Ford | 1:13.10 | +1.67 |
| 17 | 24 | Peter Gethin | BRM | 1:13.15 | +1.72 |
| 18 | 18 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Brabham-Ford | 1:13.20 | +1.77 |
| 19 | 15 | Henri Pescarolo | March-Ford | 1:13.40 | +1.97 |
| 20 | 6 | Rolf Stommelen | Eifelland-Ford | 1:13.43 | +2.00 |
| 21 | 35 | Tim Schenken | Surtees-Ford | 1:13.60 | +2.17 |
| 22 | 14 | Mike Beuttler | March-Ford | 1:13.70 | +2.27 |
| 23 | 27 | Helmut Marko | BRM | 1:14.10 | +2.67 |
| 24 | 22 | Nanni Galli | Tecno | 1:14.60 | +3.17 |
| 25 | 12 | Niki Lauda | March-Ford | 1:16.50 | +5.07 |
| 26 | 26 | Vern Schuppan | BRM | 1:16.90 | +5.47 |

## Race
### Classification

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 32 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | 85 | 1:44:07.3 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | 8 | François Cevert | Tyrrell-Ford | 85 | + 26.6 | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | 9 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-Ford | 85 | + 58.1 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 34 | Mike Hailwood | Surtees-Ford | 85 | + 1:12.0 | 8 | 3 |
| 5 | 16 | Carlos Pace | March-Ford | 84 | + 1 Lap | 11 | 2 |
| 6 | 5 | Chris Amon | Matra | 84 | + 1 Lap | 13 | 1 |
| 7 | 10 | Peter Revson | McLaren-Ford | 83 | + 2 Laps | 7 | |
| 8 | 25 | Howden Ganley | BRM | 83 | + 2 Laps | 15 | |
| 9 | 11 | Ronnie Peterson | March-Ford | 83 | + 2 Laps | 14 | |
| 10 | 27 | Helmut Marko | BRM | 83 | + 2 Laps | 23 | |
| 11 | 6 | Rolf Stommelen | Eifelland-Ford | 83 | + 2 Laps | 20 | |
| 12 | 12 | Niki Lauda | March-Ford | 82 | + 3 Laps | 25 | |
| 13 | 19 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham-Ford | 81 | + 4 Laps | 9 | |
| 14 | 33 | Dave Walker | Lotus-Ford | 79 | + 6 Laps | 12 | |
| Ret | 17 | Graham Hill | Brabham-Ford | 73 | Suspension | 16 | |
| NC | 15 | Henri Pescarolo | March-Ford | 59 | + 26 Laps | 19 | |
| Ret | 30 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 57 | Accident | 2 | |
| Ret | 36 | Andrea de Adamich | Surtees-Ford | 55 | Engine | 10 | |
| Ret | 22 | Nanni Galli | Tecno | 54 | Accident | 24 | |
| Ret | 29 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 47 | Injection | 4 | |
| Ret | 14 | Mike Beuttler | March-Ford | 31 | Halfshaft | 22 | |
| Ret | 18 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Brabham-Ford | 28 | Gearbox | 18 | |
| Ret | 24 | Peter Gethin | BRM | 27 | Fuel Pump | 17 | |
| Ret | 23 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | BRM | 15 | Overheating | 6 | |
| Ret | 35 | Tim Schenken | Surtees-Ford | 11 | Overheating | 21 | |
| DNS | 26 | Vern Schuppan | BRM | | Driven by Marko | | |
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