Although designed and built in only 12 weeks, no fewer than five March 701 cars were present at the first race of the 1970 World Championship season: the 1970 South African Grand Prix in early March. The two March Engineering-entered works cars were chassis 701/1 (in red) and 701/5 (in a brighter, 'dayglow' STP red) for Chris Amon and Jo Siffert, respectively. Amon had joined March as the works' lead driver from Scuderia Ferrari, while Siffert's drive had been bought for him by Porsche for £30,000, in order to keep him from signing as Amon's replacement with the Italian team. A third 701 present also wore the darker of the two red STP liveries. This car, chassis 701/3 but presented as the "STP Oil Treatment Special", was owned and entered by Andy Granatelli to be driven by Mario Andretti. Both Tyrrell cars – chassis 701/2 and 701/4, in Tyrrell's Elf-sponsored blue livery – were also present, driven by reigning World Champion Jackie Stewart and Tyrrell's number two driver, Johnny Servoz-Gavin.