Argentinian Grand Prix

Buenos Aires, 13 Jan 1974

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 17 Jan 1974 pp14-21 (by Pete Lyons). Motoring News 17 Jan 1974 pp8-10,12 (by 'AH' Alan Henry). Motor Sport February 1974 pp115-117 (by 'AH' Alan Henry). Sport Auto Fev 1974 pp12-21 (by Gérard Crombac). Autocourse 1974/75 (edited by Mike Kettlewell) reproduced Pete Lyons' reports from Autosport, so included very little information that had not already been published.

The Formula One Constructors Association, still commonly called the F1 Association at this stage, was now firmly in charge of F1, the FIA's CSI in Paris having largely agreed to leave most issues to this group of teams, led by Bernie Ecclestone and with full-time secretary Peter Macintosh based in Reading. Many race promoters were also happy for the Association to take on much of the routine organisation on their behalf. For 1974, the members were Lotus, Tyrrell, Brabham, March, Ferrari, Shadow, Surtees and Williams, mostly two-car teams but with third cars entered by McLaren and BRM, McLaren because they had a contract to run a car in Yardley livery as well as the two principal cars in Marlboro livery, and BRM simply because Louis Stanley wanted to. The Formula 1 Association therefore represented 22 entries, and guaranteed the presence of 20 cars at each race, making them a very attractive package for race organisers, and giving Ecclestone huge negotiating power. James Hunt, driving for non-member Hesketh, used his column in Motor to argue for a restoration of power in the CSI's favour. For 1974, entry numbers were fixed for the whole season, numbers 1-21 for the association's ten two-car teams, omitting number 13 for reasons of superstition, with the two third cars given numbers 33 and 37. In Argentina, only 21 or the F1 Association's 22 entries were present, Williams having yet to sign a second driver alongside Merzario.

Anyone could join the F1 Association after a one-year probation period as long as they built their own car and competed in 80% of races. The non-members at this first race were Ensign, who had built their own car and were allocated number 22, Hesketh Racing, whose new car had been tested so were allocated number 24 but were using the old March 731 here, Graham Hill's Embassy Racing which had commissioned Lola T370s so therefore did not qualify for future membership, and privateers Hexagon Racing who had a second-hand Brabham BT42. Lola became the 22nd marque of the 3-litre F1 era. Embassy Racing's team manager was Ray Brimble, with a team of six mechanics. Hesketh team manager was Bubbles Horsley, with designer Harvey Postlethwaite. Hexagon Racing was headed by Paul Michaels, with main financial backer John Goldie, team manager Rod Sawyer, and Tecno refugee Alan McCall preparing the car. Teddy Mayer, previously in charge of McLaren's US operation, was now in charge of the Marlboro McLarens and Phil Kerr was running the Yardley car. That gave 26 entries in total, but the Ensign was a non-starter.

The only spare car present was a Brabham BT42 used by Richard Robarts, although Autosport's preview predicted there would also be a spare McLaren M23. Ickx' Lotus 72D was wearing the 72-5 chassis plate but was said to be a new car. However, Lotus later built an all-new car and called it 72-9, so evidently regarded this 72-5 as a rebuild, not a new car. Jarier's Shadow DN1 was identified as DN1-6A, but said by Autosport to be actually the seventh car built. However, only six distinct Shadow DN1 entities ever existed, so this number has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Scheckter's Tyrrell had torsion bar rear suspension but this was dropped after practice. Autosport tended to report exactly what was said on the chassis plate, and reported the two brand new Surtees TS16s as "TS16-02-2" and "TS16-03-2". The "-2" denoted a Mk 2 version of the TS16 design.