1971 United States Grand Prix

The 1971 United States Grand Prix, after the cancellation of the Mexican Grand Prix, was the final race of the season. With the large prize fund, the race attracted a very strong entry. Since the 1970 race, the circuit had undergone a major rebuilding. The track had been resurfaced and widened to a uniform 36 feet (11m) all around, and guard rail now lined the entire track. The pits (along with the start/finish line) had been moved, and more than doubled in size, with a four hundred foot long garage immediately behind. There was a new press building, new grandstands and a new section of track to the southwest, adding almost a mile to the length. Many were now describing the track as the finest road circuit in North America.
In the race itself, driver François Cevert scored his first (and, tragically, his only) Formula One victory.
__TOC__
==Background==
*: For this race only, Chris Craft's car was entered with the factory team. Otherwise there were no changes.
*: The team had five entries again. Canadian John Cannon was supposed to rent a March to drive, but when the car was unavailable, he cut a deal for BRM's P153, and Helmut Marko got one of the P160s. All of the P160s except for Howden Ganley's car had Mark II cylinder heads.
*: The team had brought one of the 1970 312Bs as a spare, and Jacky Ickx used it in the race. Mario Andretti had a problem in that the USAC race at Trenton, NJ had been rained out the previous week, and was now scheduled to be held on the same day as the Grand Prix.
*: Nothing changed since Mosport.
*: After skipping Mosport, Autodelta was back in support of Andrea de Adamich.
*: Nothing changed since Mosport.
*: Nothing changed since Mosport, including the questions about the team's future.
**The Roger Penske-entered car also had an issue, as Mark Donohue was supposed to drive in the same USAC race as Andretti. In case Donohue would be unable to drive at Watkins Glen, David Hobbs was selected as an alternate.
*: Rolf Stommelen's frustrating season with Surtees ended a race early, when he contracted a tooth infection, and would not be able to drive. Mike Hailwood was already signed to drive the third car, so John Surtees had a competition during practice between Gijs van Lennep and Sam Posey for Stommelen's car. It was not until after practice that Surtees decided to let Posey drive. Surtees himself was driving the full-width nose and side radiator car that first appeared at Monza, and would be called a TS9B next season.
*: For this race the team entered the original 001 chassis with new Can-Am Champion Peter Revson.
==Entry list==
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No.	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Model 	Tyre
2 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	Gold Leaf Team Lotus 	 	72D 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
3 	Reine Wisell 	Gold Leaf Team Lotus 	 	72D 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
4 	Jacky Ickx 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	312B 	 	001 3.0 F12 	
5 	Clay Regazzoni 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	312B2 	 	001/1 3.0 F12	
6 	Mario Andretti 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	312B2 	 	001/1 3.0 F12	
7 	Denny Hulme 	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing 	 	M19A 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
8 	Jackie Stewart 	Elf Team Tyrrell 	 	003 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
9 	François Cevert 	Elf Team Tyrrell 	 	002 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
10 	Peter Revson 	Elf Team Tyrrell 	 	001 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
11 	Chris Amon 	Equipe Matra Sports 	 	MS120B 	 	MS71 3.0 V12 	
12 	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Equipe Matra Sports 	 	MS120B 	 	MS71 3.0 V12 	
14 	Jo Siffert 	Yardley Team BRM 	 	P160 	 	P142 3.0 V12 	
15 	Peter Gethin 	Yardley Team BRM 	 	P160 	 	P142 3.0 V12 	
16 	Howden Ganley 	Yardley Team BRM 	 	P160 	 	P142 3.0 V12 	
17 	Helmut Marko 	Yardley Team BRM 	 	P160 	 	P142 3.0 V12 	
18 	John Surtees 	Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees 	 	TS9 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
19 	Gijs van Lennep 	Team Surtees 	 	TS9 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
19 	Sam Posey 	Team Surtees 	 	TS9 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
20 	Mike Hailwood 	Team Surtees 	 	TS9 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
21 	Henri Pescarolo 	Frank Williams Racing Cars 	 	711 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
22 	Graham Hill 	Motor Racing Developments Ltd	 	BT34 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
23 	Tim Schenken 	Motor Racing Developments Ltd	 	BT33 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
24 	Chris Craft 	Ecurie Evergreen 	 	BT33 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
25 	Ronnie Peterson 	STP March Racing Team 	 	711 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
26 	Nanni Galli 	STP March Racing Team 	 	711 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
27 	Andrea de Adamich 	STP March Racing Team 	 	711 	 	T33 3.0 V8 	
28 	John Cannon 	Yardley Team BRM 	 	P153 	 	P142 3.0 V12 	
29 	Jo Bonnier 	Ecurie Bonnier 	 	M7C 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
30 	Pete Lovely 	Pete Lovely Volkswagen 	 	69 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
31 	David Hobbs 	Penske-White Racing 	 	M19A 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
31 	Mark Donohue 	Penske-White Racing 	 	M19A 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
32 	Jacky Ickx 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	312B 	 	001 3.0 F12 	
33 	Skip Barber 	Gene Mason Racing 	 	711 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Qualifying Results===
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Time 	Time 	Gap
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Friday 	Saturday	Gap
1 	8 	Jackie Stewart 	 	1:42.844	1:42.642	
2 	2 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	 	1:43.873	1:42.659	+0.017s
3 	7 	Denny Hulme 	 	1:44.544	1:42.925	+0.283s
4 	5 	Clay Regazzoni 	 	1:43.227	1:43.002	+0.360s
5 	9 	François Cevert 	 	1:44.336	1:43.152	+0.510s
6* 	6 	Mario Andretti 	 	1:44.151	1:43.195	+0.553s
7 	14 	Jo Siffert 	 	1:45.217	1:43.468	+0.826s
8† 	4 	Jacky Ickx 	 	1:45.210	1:43.843	+1.201s
9 	11 	Chris Amon 	 	1:46.440	1:43.970	+1.328s
10 	3 	Reine Wisell 	 	1:46.202	1:44.024	+1.382s
11 	12 	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	 	1:44.752	1:44.067	+1.425s
12 	25 	Ronnie Peterson 	 	1:47.816	1:44.193	+1.551s
13 	16 	Howden Ganley 	 	1:44.638	1:44.430	+1.788s
14 	18 	John Surtees 	 	1:44.908	1:45.223	+2.266s
15 	20 	Mike Hailwood 	 	1:45.801	1:45.094	+2.452s
16 	23 	Tim Schenken 	 	1:45.110	1:46.702	+2.468s
17 	17 	Helmut Marko 	 	1:48.143	1:45.204	+2.562s
18 	19 	Sam Posey 	 	No Time 	1:45.267	+2.625s
19* 	31 	Mark Donohue 	 	No Time 	1:45.378	+2.736s
20 	22 	Graham Hill 	 	1:47.480	1:45.448	+2.806s
21 	10 	Peter Revson 	 	1:45.681	1:45.515	+2.873s
22 	21 	Henri Pescarolo 	 	1:45.568	1:45.857	+2.926s
23 	15 	Peter Gethin 	 	1:45.568	1:45.857	+3.087s
24 	31 	David Hobbs 	 	1:48.497	1:46.270	+3.628s
25 	26 	Nanni Galli 	 	1:48.261	1:46.608	+3.966s
26 	28 	John Cannon 	 	1:49.927	1:47.741	+4.829s
27 	33 	Skip Barber 	 	1:49.910	1:47.673	+5.031s
28 	27 	Andrea de Adamich 	 	1:48.009	1:47.952	+5.310s
29* 	19 	Gijs van Lennep 	 	1:50.158	1:48.029	+5.387s
30 	24 	Chris Craft 	 	1:49.421	1:48.698	+6.056s
31 	29 	Jo Bonnier 	 	1:51.212	1:49.391	+6.749s
32 	30 	Pete Lovely 	 	1:52.628	1:52.140	+9.498s
** Andretti, Donohue, and Van Lennep were not able to take the start of the race.
*† Ickx would be able to drive car #32 in the race.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
Pos	No	Driver 	Constructor	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid	Pts
1 	9 	François Cevert 	 	59 	1:43:51.991 	5 	9
2 	14	Jo Siffert 	 	59 	+40.062 	6 	6
3 	25	Ronnie Peterson 	 	59 	+44.070 	11 	4
4 	16	Howden Ganley 	 	59 	+56.749 	12 	3
5 	8 	Jackie Stewart 	 	59 	+1:00.003 	1 	2
6 	5 	Clay Regazzoni 	 	59 	+1:16.426 	4 	1
7 	22	Graham Hill 	 	58 	+1 Lap 	18 	 
8 	12	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	 	58 	+1 Lap 	10 	 
9 	15	Peter Gethin 	 	58 	+1 Lap 	21 	 
10 	31	David Hobbs 	 	58 	+1 Lap 	22 	 
11 	27	Andrea de Adamich 	 	57 	+2 Laps 	26 	 
12 	11	Chris Amon 	 	57 	+2 Laps 	8 	 
13 	17	Helmut Marko 	 	57 	+2 Laps 	16 	 
14 	28	John Cannon 	 	56 	+3 Laps 	24 	 
15 	20	Mike Hailwood 	 	54 	Accident 	14 	 
16 	29	Jo Bonnier 	 	54 	Out of fuel 	28 	 
17 	18	John Surtees 	 	54 	+5 Laps 	13 	 
NC 	33	Skip Barber 	 	52 	+7 Laps 	25 	 
Ret	4 	Jacky Ickx 	 	49 	Alternator 	7 	 
NC 	2 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	 	49 	+10 Laps 	2 	 
NC 	30	Pete Lovely 	 	49 	+10 Laps 	29 	 
Ret	7 	Denny Hulme 	 	47 	Accident 	3 	 
Ret	23	Tim Schenken 	 	41 	Engine 	15 	 
Ret	24	Chris Craft 	 	30 	Suspension 	27 	 
Ret	21	Henri Pescarolo 	 	23 	Engine 	20 	 
Ret	19	Sam Posey 	 	15 	Engine 	17 	 
Ret	26	Nanni Galli 	 	11 	Accident damage	23 	 
Ret	3 	Reine Wisell 	 	5 	Brakes/accident	9 	 
Ret	10	Peter Revson 	 	1 	Clutch 	19 	 
DNS	6 	Mario Andretti 	 	 	  	6* 	 
DNS	31	Mark Donohue 	 	 	  	19* 	 
DNS	19	Gijs van Lennep 	 	 	  	29* 	 
* = Position of driver among all 32 entrants.
==Milestones==
*First championship Grand Prix race to time to thousandths of a second.
*First race for Sam Posey.
*Only victory for François Cevert, as he would be killed at this track two years later.
*Final race for Jo Siffert, who would be killed three weeks later at the non-championship Rothmans World Championship.
*Final race for Jo Bonnier, who would be killed at the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans.
==Standings after race==
Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts 	+/-
1 	Jackie Stewart 	62 	
2 	Ronnie Peterson 	33 	
4 	François Cevert 	26 	
3= 	Jacky Ickx 	19 	
3= 	Jo Siffert 	19 	3
5 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	16 	1
6 	Clay Regazzoni 	13 	1
7 	Mario Andretti 	12 	
9= 	Pedro Rodríguez 	9 	
9= 	Chris Amon 	9 	
9= 	Peter Gethin 	9 	
9= 	Reine Wisell 	9 	1
9= 	Denny Hulme 	9 	2
14= 	Tim Schenken 	5 	
14= 	Howden Ganley 	5 	6
16= 	Henri Pescarolo 	4 	1
16= 	Mark Donohue 	4 	1
18= 	Mike Hailwood 	3 	1
18= 	John Surtees 	3 	1
18= 	Rolf Stommelen 	3 	1
21 	Graham Hill 	2 	1
22 	Jean-Pierre Beltoise 	1 	
Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship
Pos. 	Team 	Pts 	+/-
1 	 	73 	
2 	 	36 	1
3= 	 	33 	1
3= 	 	33 (34) 	1
5 	 	21 	
6 	 	10 	
7 	 	9 	
8 	 	8 	
9 	 	5 	
==References==
*
*http://racing-reference.info/race/1971_United_States_Grand_Prix/F
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1971 Grands Prix
Category:United States Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in the United States
Category:1971 Formula One Season