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Grand Prix de Reims

Reims, 29 Jun 1969

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 François Cevert Tecno 68/F2 [T00 306] - Cosworth FVA
#26 Tecno Racing Team (see note 1)
35
2 Robin Widdows Brabham BT23C [12] - Cosworth FVA
#40 Bob Gerard Racing (see note 2)
35
3 Piers Courage Brabham BT30 [5] - Cosworth FVA
#24 Frank Williams Racing Cars (see note 3)
35
4 Jackie Stewart Matra MS7 [01] - Cosworth FVA
#6 Matra International
35
5 Nanni Galli Tecno 68/F2 [T00 304] - Cosworth FVA
#28 Tecno Racing Team (see note 4)
35
6 Alan Rollinson Brabham BT30 [6] - Cosworth FVA
#42 Irish Racing Cars [Mick Mooney]
(see note 5)
35
7 Pedro Rodriguez Matra MS7 [06] - Cosworth FVA
#12 Matra Sports
35
8 Patrick Dal Bo Pygmée MDB12 [169] - Cosworth FVA
#14 Constructions Mechaniques Pygmee
(see note 6)
34
9 Graham Birrell Brabham BT23C [5-2] - Cosworth FVA
#34 Ecurie Ecosse (see note 7)
34
10 Graham McRae Brabham BT23C [1] - Cosworth FVA
#44 Frank Williams Racing Cars (see note 8)
34
11 Enzo Corti Brabham BT23 [2] - Cosworth FVA
#36 Scuderia Picchio Rosso (see note 9)
32
R Peter Westbury Brabham BT30 [3] - Cosworth FVA
#38 FIRST Racing (see note 10)
25 retired
R Jochen Rindt Lotus 59B [59-F2-19] - Cosworth FVA
#4 Roy Winkelmann Racing (see note 11)
24 retired
R Jo Siffert BMW F269 [F2 69-1] - M12
#18 Bayerische Motoren Werke (see note 12)
21 retired
R Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra MS7 [07] - Cosworth FVA
#10 Matra Sports
12 retired
R Jacky Ickx Brabham BT23C [16] - Cosworth FVA
#30 Alistair Walker Racing (see note 13)
10 retired
R Kurt Ahrens Brabham BT30 [1] - Cosworth FVA
#32 Ahrens Racing Team (see note 14)
7 retired
R Johnny Servoz-Gavin Matra MS7 [04] - Cosworth FVA
#8 Matra International
3 retired
R Graham Hill Lotus 59B [59-F2-20] - Cosworth FVA
#2 Roy Winkelmann Racing (see note 15)
1 retired
R Eric Offenstadt Pygmée MDB12 [269] - Cosworth FVA
#16 Constructions Mechaniques Pygmee
(see note 16)
0 retired
DNE Hubert Hahne BMW F269 [F2 69-2] - M12
Bayerische Motoren Werke
Did not enter

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Jacky Ickx (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23C [16] - Cosworth FVA
2 Piers Courage (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT30 [5] - Cosworth FVA
3 Nanni Galli (F2) 1.6-litre Tecno 68/F2 [T00 304] - Cosworth FVA
4 Jackie Stewart (F2) 1.6-litre Matra MS7 [01] - Cosworth FVA
5 Jochen Rindt (F2) 1.6-litre Lotus 59B [59-F2-19] - Cosworth FVA
6 François Cevert (F2) 1.6-litre Tecno 68/F2 [T00 306] - Cosworth FVA
7 Jo Siffert (F2) 1.6-litre BMW F269 [F2 69-1] - BMW M12
8 Jean-Pierre Beltoise (F2) 1.6-litre Matra MS7 [07] - Cosworth FVA
9 Kurt Ahrens (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT30 [1] - Cosworth FVA
10 Alan Rollinson (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT30 [6] - Cosworth FVA
11 Graham Hill (F2) 1.6-litre Lotus 59B [59-F2-20] - Cosworth FVA
12 Pedro Rodriguez (F2) 1.6-litre Matra MS7 [06] - Cosworth FVA
13 Peter Westbury (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT30 [3] - Cosworth FVA
14 Johnny Servoz-Gavin (F2) 1.6-litre Matra MS7 [04] - Cosworth FVA
15 Eric Offenstadt (F2) 1.6-litre Pygmée MDB12 [269] - Cosworth FVA
16 Robin Widdows (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23C [12] - Cosworth FVA
17 Graham Birrell (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23C [5-2] - Cosworth FVA
18 Graham McRae (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23C [1] - Cosworth FVA
19 Patrick Dal Bo (F2) 1.6-litre Pygmée MDB12 [169] - Cosworth FVA
20 Enzo Corti (F2) 1.6-litre Brabham BT23 [2] - Cosworth FVA
- Hubert Hahne * (F2) 1.6-litre BMW F269 [F2 69-2] - BMW M12 2m 32.7s
 
* Did not start

Notes on the cars:

  1. Tecno 68/F2 [T00 306] (François Cevert): New at the December 1968 Argentine Temporada as a works car for Jo Siffert but likely to have been the "brand new" spare car available for Clay Regazzoni at Vallelunga in October. Then a works entry for François Cévert in F2 in 1969, winning at Reims in June. Entered by Jolly Club for Giancarlo Gagliardi at two F2 races early in 1970 and then to Hervé Bayard for hillclimbs later in 1970. Bayard's car was described as "ex-Regazzoni" and a 1969 car, but identified by later owner Fred Marquet as chassis T00 306. Used in the 1971 French hillclimb series by Bayard with 1600cc FVA and 1800cc FVC engines. Then to Daniel Gache for 1972 and raced in the 1600cc G9 class. Unknown after the end of 1972 until acquired by Marquet from a M. Rabanel (Toulon, France) in 1987. Retained by Marquet in 2009.
  2. Brabham BT23C [12] (Robin Widdows): New to Frank Williams' customer Corrado Manfredini and raced as a Scuderia Picchio Rosso entry in F2 from June onwards. Returned to Williams and entered by Frank Williams Racing Cars for Malcolm Guthrie in F2 in early 1969 but sold to Bob Gerard (Leicester) in May and entered for his drivers Robin Widdows and Brian Hart, each of who won a race that summer in the car. Advertised by Gerard Racing as a rolling chassis in August 1970. Sold to drag racer Gerry Tyack (Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire) in 1970 and used to set four national speed records at Elvington, and also to win the Brighton Speed Trials. Advertised by Tyack in November 1971. Its history thereafter is unclear but it reappeared in 1986 being raced by Adrian Thomas in HSCC events, then with Kelvin Lambeth (London) in 1988-89 and with Monte Shalett (Metairie, LA) in 1990. Advertised by Mark Leonard of Grand Prix Classics (La Jolla, CA) in 1998 and sold by him to Peter Ball who did not use it much, preferring his FJ. From Bull to Harindra de Silva (Palos Verdes Estates, CA) February 2008 and raced in 2008 and 2009. Then stored until run in the F1 Support Race at COTA in November 2013.
  3. Brabham BT30 [5] (Piers Courage): Sold to Frank Williams Racing Cars and entered for Piers Courage and Richard Attwood in F2 in 1969. Then sold to Albert Poon (Hong Kong) and raced by him at the Macau GP in November 1969. Retained by Poon for South East Asian racing in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Reported to have been scrapped.
  4. Tecno 68/F2 [T00 304] (Nanni Galli): A brand new Tecno-FVA taken to the Argentine Temporada in December 1968 for local driver Andrea Vianini. Brought back into the factory Tecno team for 1969 and driven by Nanni Galli in the 1969 F2 series. Taken over by Clay Regazzoni at the Albi GP in September 1969 and crashed into the Armco on the opening lap of the race. Not seen again.
  5. Brabham BT30 [6] (Alan Rollinson): Bought by Mick Mooney's Irish Racing Cars for Alan Rollinson to race in F2 in 1969. Retained for 1970 but raced only at Phoenix Park as it still had 1969-style aluminium fuel tanks which weren't allowed in 1970. Raced at Bogotá early 1971 when Rollinson won the second race. Then to John Smith (Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) for Irish 1600cc racing, winning first time out at Mondello Park in April 1971. To Ken Walker (Harrogate, North Yorkshire) for 1972 and raced in northern English libre racing. Advertised by Adrian Bethall of Northern Racing Spares (Sheffield, South Yorkshire) in January 1973. Subsequent history unknown. At some point in the early 1980s, a BT30 was reputedly sold by dealer Jon Blackburn to Otford Group's Jim Wallis (Edenbridge, Kent) who restored it and raced it in HSCC events from 1982 to 1985. Its HSCC papers issued in 1984 identify it as BT30-6. It then passed via Bobby Howlings to Tony Thompson in 1986 but he did not like the car and had sold it to Australian Chris Farrell by 1987. Retained in Farrell's collection for many years. Fully restored in 2006 and raced in Tasman Revival events.
  6. Pygmée MDB12 [169] (Patrick Dal Bo): New for Patrick Dal Bo in Formula 2 in 1969. To Jean Lachaud (Sainte-Colombe, Rhône, France) for hillclimbs in 1970, still with its 1600cc Cosworth FVA engine. To Marc Pozet (Trévoux, Lyon, Ain) for hillclimbs in 1971. To Georges Détalante (Dijon, Burgundy) for 1972, fitted with a 1600cc Cosworth BDA and used in mainly regional hillclimbs in 1972 and 1973. Advertised by him in October 1974. Also advertised as "ex-Pozet" in May 1975. Identified by Gérard Gamand as the car of Bruno Sotty (Dijon, Burgundy) at Mont Dore in 1974. As Sotty and Détalante both lived in Dijon, Sotty may have borrowed the car. According to Gérard Gamand and Didier Martin's research, this is the car later owned by Etienne Maire and Thierry Parriaux, which was last in 1985 when it was advertised by Noël Faillace (Bastia, Corsica), when it was fitted with a 1300cc Renault Gordini engine. Subsequent history unknown, but in the late 1990s, a MDB12 with a Renault engine was acquired by Stephan Kupka of Mec Auto in Belgium, who initially thought it was a F/Renault. It was still with him, unrestored, in 2009.
  7. Brabham BT23C [5-2] (Graham Birrell): New to Winkelmann Racing for Jochen Rindt to race in F2 in 1968, winning four of his first seven races. Driven by Vic Elford at at Monza in June and crashed. The car was rebuilt on a new chassis and Rindt won two more races later that year. To Ecurie Ecosse and raced by Graham Birrell in F2 in 1969. Ecurie Ecosse and Birrell had a BT30 for 1970 but the BT23C was raced in a libre at Ingliston in May when it was crashed. Sold in July to Stanley Robinson who fitted the engine, gearbox and suspension to the Unipower GT Group 6 car he raced with John Blanckley. The BT23C chassis was repaired some time around 1972 and sold to Joe Applegarth (Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham) who built it up using parts from BT23C/16 and fitted a pushrod Ford engine for Monoposto racing. Raced by Applegarth from 1973 until the end of 1977, competing in around 130 events, and then retained after Applegarth retired. Sold by him to Joe Willenpart (Scheibbs, Austria) in 2010.
  8. Brabham BT23C [1] (Graham McRae): The prototype BT23C was used at the end of the 1967 season by Jack Brabham and Frank Gardner and then sold to Frank Williams for Picko Troberg to drive, but not start, at Hockenheim in April 1968. It was then used briefly in F3 by Harry Stiller but wasn't seen again until October 1968 when Piers Courage took it over for the Albi F2 race, his regular BT23C/07 having been "sold to Tasmania" (Autosport 25 Oct 1968 p14). Then to Laurence Brownlie (Kelso, South Island, New Zealand), possibly leased by Williams, and raced in the 1969 Tasman series before returning to Europe for Graham McRae to drive in the 1969 F2 series, entered by Williams again. Last raced in July 1969, then advertised by Alan Grant (Winkfield Row, Berkshire) in August and reappeared in April 1970 when advertised by Bobby Howlings. Sold to Rodney Seow in Singapore but never raced. Traded together with Seow's Brabham BT9 to Mike Truter by 1980 and sold on to Brian Wilson (Australia) about 1983. Wilson imported the cars to Australia, had the BT23C restored and raced it in historic racing for more than 20 years. Sold to Chad Parrish (Sydney, NSW, Australia) early 2014.
  9. Brabham BT23 [2] (Enzo Corti): Motor Racing Developments entry for Denny Hulme in 1967 and probably the car used by Jack Brabham for a few races in July and August after his usual car was sold to Mick Mooney. Then raced by Frank Gardner in September. It was then taken to the Tasman series for Denny Hulme to drive after he had wrecked BT23-5 at Pukekohe. The BT23 was then advertised by Frank Williams in early April and sold by him to Ernesto 'Tino' Brambilla in Italy. Brambilla raced it as a Scuderia Picchio Rosso entry at Tulln-Langenlebarn in July 1968, but was then recruited by Ferrari to drive the F2 Dino 166, and his BT23 was only seen once more that season, when driven by Enzo Corti at Vallelunga in October. Corti drove the car for Scuderia Picchio Rosso right through the 1969 season, and it was then raced a few times in early 1970 by Vittorio Brambilla, Tino's younger brother. In 1970, the car had BT30 sidepods and wings. Its last appearance was in July 1970, after which the brothers bought new Brabham BT30s. The next steps in the car's life remains unclear, but it is said to have been acquired by Antonio Bernardo (Lugano, Switzerland) some time in the early 1970s. An original claim that Bernardo acquired it directly from the Winkelmann Racing at the end of the 1967 season appears to have been a misunderstanding. He stored it unused "for over 30 years". It was bought from Bernardo in 2006, and restored between 2006 and 2010. Paint layers on the bodywork match the colours used by MRD and Corti, and the double-rollhoop also matches Corti's car, but some questions remain unanswered about this car as of February 2023.
  10. Brabham BT30 [3] (Peter Westbury): New to Peter Westbury and used for a full season of European F2 in 1969, winning at Neubiberg in October. Sold to John Wingfield (London NW11) and used in libre and in selected F2 events in 1970 and 1971. In August 1971, Wingfield acquired a new BT36 and the BT30, still with its Felday-tuned FVA engine, was sold to Jim Charnock (Liverpool) for Formule Libre, starting at Rufforth in early September. Charnock won five races in the closing weeks of the 1971 season, then won three more in 1972, when he was a regular runner at Aintree. He continued with the car in 1973, when he competed at Aintree and in the BRDC Jaybrand Racewear Formule Libre series, and in 1974 and 1975 when he was mainly seen at Aintree. The car is then unknown until it was advertised by dealer Brian Classic (Bucklow Hill, Cheshire) as "chassis number 3" in June 1984. Sold to Chris Mann (UK) 1985 and then sold via Frank Sytner to Ray Delaney (Melbourne, Australia) in 1987. Raced by Delaney in east coast Australian historic events the next six years at Calder Raceway (Vic), Sandown Park (Vic), Oran Park (NSW), Amaroo Park (NSW), Winton Raceway (Vic) and the support races at the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide (SA) in 1988 and 1989. Sold to Dick James in 1993. To Mike Carmody 2003 and sold by him to Tom Lee (Puyallup, WA) October 2005. Restored for 2007 to its original livery.
  11. Lotus 59B [59-F2-19] (Jochen Rindt): New for 1969, and entered by Roy Winkelmann Racing for Jochen Rindt at Thruxton in April 1969, which the Austrian won. Driven by Alan Rollinson at Hockenheim, and then by Rindt again at Pau, which he also won. Rindt also won at Zolder and Tulln-Langenlebarn, and the car was driven at other races in 1969 by Rollinson, Roy Pike, Rolf Stommelen, and John Miles. According to Richard Spelberg's research, this car was converted to Lotus 69 specification for 1970, as F2.69.4.
  12. BMW F269 [F2 69-1] (Jo Siffert): The first F269 to appear is called "F2/4" by Autosport at Zolder but it seems evident from later events that it was F2-70-1. it was raced by Gerhard Mitter, Jo Siffert, Dieter Quester and Hubert Hahne before Hahne wrecked in in practice at Enna-Pergusa in August. It was not seen again.
  13. Brabham BT23C [16] (Jacky Ickx): New to Frank Williams Racing Cars intended for Juan Manuel Bordeu to race in the F2 Argentine Temporada in December 1968. Retained by Williams for 1969 and raced for him by Piers Courage until his new BT30 was delivered. Earlier suggestions that this car was used by Gagliardi and Marcello Gallo in F3 in 1969 do not now appear to be correct. Sold to Alistair Walker and entered by him for Jacky Ickx to race late 1969, for Walker himself at Thruxton early 1970 and then in the Japanese GP at Fuji in May. Sold to Walter Kinnear (Gilford, County Down, Northern Ireland), fitted with a 1600cc Ford twin cam and raced by him in Irish libre racing from September 1970 to the end of the 1972 season. To John Blades (Whitley Bay, Northumberland) in part-exchange for Blades' Lotus 69 and advertised for sale by Blades in 1973. Sold to Joe Applegarth (Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham) who used parts from this car on his Monoposto Formula BT23C/5.
  14. Brabham BT30 [1] (Kurt Ahrens): Sold new to Kurt Ahrens (Braunschweig, Germany) and raced in European F2. Sold to Montan Racing Team for 1970 and raced by Werner Lindermann but destroyed by fire prior to the Hockenheim round.
  15. Lotus 59B [59-F2-20] (Graham Hill): One of three Lotus 59Bs built for Roy Winkelmann Racing in F2 in 1969. This was Graham Hill's usual car, winning at Albi in September, but was driven at other races by Roy Pike, John Miles, Hans Herrmann, and Andrea de Adamich. According to Richard Spelberg's research, this car was converted to Lotus 69 specification for 1970, as F2.69.5.
  16. Pygmée MDB12 [269] (Eric Offenstadt): New for Eric Offenstadt to drive in Formula 2 in 1969. Wrecked when Offenstadt cartwheeled off the track after a driveshaft broke at Tulln-Langenlebarn in July. Rebuilt and sold to Pierre Maublanc (Rillieux-la-Pape, Rhône-Alpes), who used it in French hillclimbs in late 1969. Retained for 1970 and fitted with a 1800cc Cosworth FVC. To Richard Daniel for 1971, still with the FVC, but crashed at Brides-Méribel in August, when according to reports, "la Pygmée est pulvérisée".

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.

Individual sources for this event

Autosport (4 Jul 1969 pp8-10) makes up for recent ommissions with a full set of chassis number observations. Rindt and Hill had Lotus 59Bs No 19 and 20 again; the Tecnos were 306 for Cevert and 304 for Galli and the Brabhams were as expected. Siffert had "his usual" BMW F2/1/69 with special body and Hahne was in a "new but conventional" F2/2/69 with an experimental engine which was just there to test. As a second BMW had already been seen, these chassis numbers as slightly suspect.