1972 French Grand Prix
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The 1972 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Charade in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France on 2 July 1972. It was race 6 of 12 in both the 1972 World Championship of Drivers and the 1972 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.
The Circuit de Charade's natural setting around the base of an extinct volcano created safety concerns due to the dark, volcanic rocks which fell from the mountain onto both sides of the track.<ref name="Charade">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="The Volcanic Rush of Clermont Ferrand">Template:Cite web</ref> Drivers who skirted the track edge would often send rocks flying into the middle of the road and into the way of pursuing competitors.<ref name="Charade"/><ref name="The Volcanic Rush of Clermont Ferrand"/> The hazard was highlighted when driver Helmut Marko suffered a career-ending injury during the race, when a stone thrown from Ronnie Peterson's March penetrated his helmet visor and blinded him in the left eye.<ref name="Charade"/><ref name="The Volcanic Rush of Clermont Ferrand"/>Template:Efn The rocks also meant that tyre punctures were a perennial hazard on the circuit, as was shown when ten competitors suffered punctures during the race.<ref name="Charade"/><ref name="The Volcanic Rush of Clermont Ferrand"/> The French Grand Prix was moved to the new Circuit Paul Ricard for 1973.
Chris Amon achieved the fifth and final pole position of his career and was leading the race in his Matra until a puncture forced him to pit, leaving Jackie Stewart to win in his Tyrrell-Ford. Emerson Fittipaldi finished second, just ahead of a charging Amon, who shattered the circuit's lap record.
Qualifying
Qualifying classification
Race
Classification
Championship standings after the race
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- Drivers' Championship standings
| Pos | Driver | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:1rightarrow blue.svg | 1 | Template:Flagicon Emerson Fittipaldi | 34 |
| File:1uparrow green.svg 2 | 2 | Template:Flagicon Jackie Stewart | 21 |
| File:1downarrow red.svg 1 | 3 | Template:Flagicon Denny Hulme | 19 |
| File:1downarrow red.svg 1 | 4 | Template:Flagicon Jacky Ickx | 16 |
| File:1rightarrow blue.svg | 5 | Template:Flagicon Jean-Pierre Beltoise | 9 |
| Source: <ref name="champ">Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
- Constructors' Championship standings
| Pos | Constructor | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:1rightarrow blue.svg | 1 | Template:Flagicon Lotus-Ford | 34 |
| File:1uparrow green.svg 2 | 2 | Template:Flagicon Tyrrell-Ford | 27 |
| File:1downarrow red.svg 1 | 3 | Template:Flagicon McLaren-Ford | 23 |
| File:1downarrow red.svg 1 | 4 | Template:Flagicon Ferrari | 19 |
| File:1rightarrow blue.svg | 5 | Template:Flagicon BRM | 9 |
| Source: <ref name="champ"/> | |||
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
Notes
- This was the Formula One World Championship debut for French driver and future Grand Prix winner Patrick Depailler.
- This was the 5th pole position and 10th fastest lap set by a New Zealand driver.
Additional notes
References
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