German Grand Prix

Nürburgring, 1 Aug 1971

All cars are 3-litre F1 unless noted.

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.

3-litre Formula 1 World Championship events 1966-1985

These 1966 to 1985 results were initially compiled by Allen Brown, but these were in the very basic form required to track individual car histories. Since then further details, such as laps completed, qualifying times and so on, have been added from Rob Ryder's extensive database.

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

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 5 Aug 1971 pp8-15 (by Patrick McNally). Motoring News 5 Aug 1971 pp9-12, including 'In the paddock' p9 (by 'MGD' Mike Doodson). Motor Sport September 1971 pp904-907 (by 'DSJ' Denis Jenkinson). Autocourse 1971-72 pp98-105 (by David Phipps). The Motor Racing Year No 3 (by Anthony Pritchard) pp79-86.

The German Grand Prix was back at the Nürburgring, which had been significantly modified with reprofiled corners, runoff areas and mile upon mile of Armco barrier, but was still over 14 miles long. Two cars from each of Tyrrell, Lotus, McLaren, Surtees, Brabham; three from Ferrari, who had Andretti back, BRM, who had 'Ring specialist Elford in Rodriguez' place and Ganley in the P153 sponsored by Ganley's backer Barry Newman, and March; and one from each of Matra, Frank Williams, Clarke-Mordaunt-Guthrie and Jo Bonnier, whose McLaren M7C had been "completely refurbished" by John Thompson's TC Prototypes. So just 23 entries for this race. Matra was down to one car as Jean-Pierre Beltoise's licence had been suspended in further misplaced reaction to his role in the accident that took Ignazio Giunti's life. Dieter Quester had been attempting to hire the remaining Surtees TS7 with Eifelland support, but Eifelland could not agree terms with the race organisers so withdrew, leaving Quester to suffer the ire of John Surtees. Autosport reported that the TS7 did not travel to the event, but Motoring News and Pritchard both said it was at the circuit but stayed in the truck.

As at Silverstone, spare cars were given their own entry numbers: Ferrari had a spare 312B used by Regazzoni (31), Siffert had a spare BRM P160 (32) and John Surtees had the latest TS9 (33), which Stommelen also used as 12T. Two other spare cars were used with T numbers: Stewart's Tyrrell 001 (2T) and Amon's spare Matra MS120B (10T), the Kiwi now having the disappointing MS71 engine in the older MS120B-04, and racing the newer MS120B-06 with an old MS12 engine in it. Helmut Marko tried out Bonnier's McLaren M7C as Bonnier was dreadfully slow in it, despite the car allegedly having a new monocoque since its last appearance.

Siffert is shown as a retirement in some sources and a disqualification in others; the full story is that the BRM's coil went, he returned to the pits via the pit loop, the coil was replaced in the pits but he was disqualified for using the loop. Beuttler was disqualified for the same reason following a puncture. As neither car left the pits, the puncture and coil are probably more relevant as reasons for them leaving the race.