1975 Monaco Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Monaco
Grand Prix = Monaco
Official name = XXXIII Gran Prix de Monaco
Date = May 11
Year = 1975
Race_No = 5
Season_No = 14
Location = Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Course = Street circuit
Course_mi = 2.037
Course_km = 3.278
Distance_laps = 75
Distance_mi = 152.764
Distance_km = 245.850
Scheduled_laps = 78
Scheduled_mi = 158.874
Scheduled_km = 255.684
Weather = Rain, later drying
Pole_Driver = Niki Lauda
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:26.40
Pole_Country = Austria
Fast_Driver = Patrick Depailler
Fast_Team = Tyrrell-Ford
Fast_Time = 1:28.67
Fast_L

Fast_Country = France
First_Driver = Niki Lauda
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Austria
Second_Driver = Emerson Fittipaldi
Second_Team = McLaren-Ford
Second_Country = Brazil
Third_Driver = José Carlos Pace
Third_Team = Brabham-Ford
Third_Country = Brazil

The 1975 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 11, 1975. It was the fifth race of the 1975 Formula One season

Race summary

The future of Grand Prix racing was under scrutiny following the disastrous Spanish race. Actions had to be taken quickly: extra guard rails and catch fences were erected, kerbing resited and the chicane was modified. New measures were introduced: the grid was staggered and in addition would be restricted to just 18 cars. This last rule took Graham Hill's chance to qualify: the 5-time Monaco winner had all sorts of practice problems and failed to qualify by 0.377 seconds. John Watson and Clay Regazzoni collided in practice, whilst the Surtees team was ordered to remove pro-Europe political stickers from its cars.

Niki Lauda, on Ferrari, claimed pole position, but sensationally sharing the front row was Tom Pryce, on Shadow, who just 12 months earlier had been deemed 'too inexperienced' to compete. Jean-Pierre Jarier and Ronnie Peterson filled the second row.The race began under rain conditions, so everyone went for wet tyres. Lauda was fastest at the start, while Pryce had a slow start and was passed by Jarier; the Frenchman soon attempted to pass Lauda in an ill-advised overtaking manoeuvre, and hit the barriers at the Mirabeau; his car was damaged in the collision and handled badly, which caused him to hit the wall again at the chicane and then retire. Peterson went into the second place with Vittorio Brambilla third, until Pryce hit the Italian's wheel. Regazzoni stopped to change a tyre and the nosecone of his car, and James Hunt stopped to change onto slick tyres, anticipating a drying of the track surface. However, his team's slow pit work cost him a substantial amount of time.

Ronnie Peterson's victory chances were damaged at his pit stop when a wheel nut was lost under the car. Tom Pryce came in to replace a broken nosecone, and by that time Niki Lauda led by 15 seconds from Emerson Fittipaldi and Carlos Pace. Many accidents happened during the race: Jochen Mass and James Hunt tangled at Mirabeau, and Patrick Depailler got embroiled in their accident; Clay Regazzoni hit the chicane and suffered damage; John Watson spun and stalled the engine of his car; Pryce hit the barrier and had to retire; Mario Andretti entered the pits with his car on fire; Mark Donohue hit the barrier, whilst Alan Jones broke a wheel.

In the last laps Lauda's oil pressure was fading and Fittipaldi was closing. With 3 laps left the gap was 2.75 seconds, however,the 2 hour time limit was reached and the race was stopped, with Lauda winning. Ferrari had won their first Monaco Grand Prix in 20 years; the tragedy of the Spanish Grand Prix was being forgotten and the Championship race was back on.

Classification

Notes

*The race was originally scheduled for 78 laps, but was stopped after reaching the two hours limit.
*Graham Hill's last race appearance.

References

*cite book |last=Lang |first=Mike |title=Grand Prix! Vol 3 |publisher=Haynes Publishing Group |date=1983 |pages=pp76-77 |isbn=0-85429-380-9
*cite web |title=The Official Formula 1 website |url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1975/462/ |accessdate=2007-06-15

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Monaco Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1975
Previous_race_in_season = 1975 Spanish Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1975 Belgian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1974 Monaco Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1976 Monaco Grand Prix
Previous_promotional_trophy_winner = None
Next_promotional_trophy_winner = 1976 United States Grand Prix West