OldRacingCars.com

Gran Premio di Roma

Vallelunga, 12 Oct 1969

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Johnny Servoz-Gavin Matra MS7 [04] - Cosworth FVA
#44 Matra International
80
2 Peter Westbury Brabham BT30 [3] - Cosworth FVA
#16 FIRST Racing (see note 1)
79
3 John Miles Lotus 59B [59-F2-21] - Cosworth FVA
#34 Roy Winkelmann Racing (see note 2)
79
4 Derek Bell Brabham BT30 [4] - Cosworth FVA
#20 Frank Williams Racing Cars (see note 3)
78
5 Franco Bernabei Brabham BT23C [16] - Cosworth FVA
#42 Frank Williams Racing Cars (see note 4)
77
6 John Pollock Lotus 48 [R2] - Cosworth FVA
#22 Racing Team Ireland [Gerry Kinnane]
(see note 5)
76
7 Andrea de Adamich Lotus 59B [59-F2-20] - Cosworth FVA
#36 Roy Winkelmann Racing (see note 6)
76
8 John L'Amie Lotus 48 [R1] - Cosworth FVA
#24 Racing Team Ireland [Gerry Kinnane]
(see note 7)
76
9 Enzo Corti Brabham BT23 [2] - Cosworth FVA
#38 Scuderia Picchio Rosso (see note 8)
75
10 Robin Widdows Brabham BT23C [12] - Cosworth FVA
#14 Bob Gerard Racing (see note 9)
75
11 Bruno Frey Tecno 69/F2 - Cosworth FVA
#8 Midland Racing Team
70
12 Brian Hart Merlyn Mk 12A [109] - Cosworth FVA
#18 Bob Gerard Racing (see note 10)
53
13 Piers Courage De Tomaso 103 [F2-00298] - Cosworth FVA
#46 Alessandro de Tomaso
46
14 Jochen Rindt Lotus 59B [59-F2-19] - Cosworth FVA
#32 Roy Winkelmann Racing (see note 11)
35
15 Claudio Francisci Matra MS7 [01] - Cosworth FVA
#40 Matra International
35
16 Dieter Quester BMW F269 [F2 69-2] - M12
#26 Bayerische Motoren Werke
20
17 Hubert Hahne BMW F269 [F2 69-4] - M12
#28 Bayerische Motoren Werke
10
18 Xavier Perrot Brabham BT23C [17] - Cosworth FVA
#6 Squadra Tartaruga (see note 12)
10
19 Alan Rollinson Brabham BT30 [6] - Cosworth FVA
#12 Irish Racing Cars [Mick Mooney]
(see note 13)
10
20 Tommy Reid Brabham BT30 [8] - Cosworth FVA
#8 Irish Racing Cars [Mick Mooney]
(see note 14)
8

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Heat 1 Laps Time Speed
1Johnny Servoz-Gavin40
2John Miles40
3Piers Courage40
4Peter Westbury39
5Derek Bell39
6Franco Bernabei39
7Brian Hart38
8John Pollock38
9John L'Amie38
10Bruno Frey37
11Enzo Corti36
12Andrea de Adamich36
13Jochen Rindt35
14Robin Widdows35
15Claudio Francisci35
16Dieter Quester20
17Hubert Hahne10
18Xavier Perrot10
19Alan Rollinson10
20Tommy Reid8
Heat 2 Laps Time Speed
1Johnny Servoz-Gavin40
2Andrea de Adamich40
3Robin Widdows40
4Peter Westbury40
5Derek Bell39
6Enzo Corti39
7John Miles39
8Franco Bernabei38
9John Pollock38
10John L'Amie38
11Bruno Frey33retired
12Brian Hart15retired
13Piers Courage6retired
Dieter QuesterDid not start
Hubert HahneDid not start
Tommy ReidDid not start
Claudio FrancisciDid not start
Xavier PerrotDid not start
Jochen RindtDid not start
Alan RollinsonDid not start
Qualifying
Qualifying information not available

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. Lotus 59B [59-F2-21] (John Miles): New to Max Mosley for Formula 2 in 1969. It was prepared and entered by Len Street Engineering, a successful west London Lotus dealership. The car was first seen at the Jarama F1/F5000 race where it was ballasted and entered in the F1 class. At its next race, the F2 race at the Nürburgring, Mosley went off the road during practice when a bolt worked lose in the front suspension, and the Lotus was severely damaged. It returned to Lotus for repairs, but then remained unused during the summer as Mosley retired from driving. In September it was loaned to Roy Winkelmann Racing so that Ronnie Peterson could drive it at Albi, a precursor to Mosley and Winkelmann team manager Alan Rees signing Peterson to drive the new March F3 car two weeks later. The 59B was also raced by John Miles at Vallelunga. Then sold to Johnny Blades (Whitley Bay, Northumberland) for F2 in 1970, appearing at four early-season F2 races before being returned to Lotus to be converted to 69 specification. After a few libre races, it returned to F2 at Mantorp Park in August, where Autosport said "the only parts remaining of his ex-Mosley 59B being the wheels, gearbox and engine". Despite this surgery, the car was often described as a 59 or a 59B during Blades' ownership. Retained by Blades for F2 in 1971, when it was also raced by Carlos Pace at Crystal Palace. Blades retained the car again for 1972, when it was fitted with a BDA and used in the British Formula Atlantic series. Then sold to Ton Strous (Netherlands) for 1973, and fitted with a F2 engine, but Strous withdrew after wrecking his engine before his first race. Converted by Strous to F3 specification, but then unknown Strous reportedly sold it in 1991 to Richard Spelberg (Dusseldorf, Germany), who converted back to Lotus 59B spec for historic F2.
  3. Brabham BT30 [4] (Derek Bell): Sold to Frank Williams Racing Cars and entered for Malcolm Guthrie in two F2 races at Zolder and Monza in June 1969, and for Derek Bell at Vallelunga at the end of the season. Next seen in June 1970 when entered by Scuderia Jolly Club for Giancarlo Gagliardi but now given as chassis BT30-7 instead of BT30-4. This apparent change of number may be the result f the car's frame number, 'AM69-7', being used as its chassis number after it moved to Italy. For Silvio Moser at Bogotá early 1971 and at Mallory Park in March; then entered by Scuderia Ala d'Oro for several drivers in the first half of the season. When the team's other two BT30s were written off, the team bought new March 712Ms, and the last time this remaining BT30 was seen was at Monza in June 1971, where Gimax failed to qualify. A car with chassis number BT30-7 with Fabio Montani (Italy) in 1997. This car was imported to the US by Dave Irwin (Colorado) in 1998 and restored. Then via Barry Marquart (Kansas) 1999, Peter McLaughlin (Hannover, NH) 2005, James King (Belleville, IL) 2006 and Richard Scott (Ohio) 2007 to Brad Baker (Oshawa, Ontario) in 2009.
  4. Brabham BT23C [16] (Franco Bernabei): 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.
  5. Lotus 48 [R2] (John Pollock): Graham Hill's regular Team Lotus entry in Formula 2 in 1967, raced by him in 16 of that season's races. Retained for 1968, when it was entered by Gold Leaf Team Lotus for Hill in a further eight F2 races. Sold to Gerry Kinnane's Team Ireland for 1969, and raced by John Pollock in the Thruxton F2 race in April and then in Irish 1600cc racing. Sold to Kevin Murphy in 1970 for Frank Keane to drive in Irish libre racing, primarily at Mondello Park, and in hillclimbs. Traded to Bobby Howlings for a Brabham BT30 in September 1970, and advertised by him the following month. Then evidently to Beric Ewin (Finchley, London) and fitted with a Ford twin cam engine for the new Formula Atlantic category in 1971 and 1972. Then unknown until acquired by a private collector in the late 1970s.
  6. Lotus 59B [59-F2-20] (Andrea de Adamich): 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.
  7. Lotus 48 [R1] (John L'Amie): The prototype Lotus 48 was taken out to Australia for Graham Hill to drive in the Australian Grand Prix at Warwick Farm in February 1967, when he retired. It was then the Team Lotus spare car at the start of the F2 season, first racing at the Nürburgring in April. Jim Clark then used the car in nine F2 races from May onwards, including his wins at Jarama and Keimola. Driven by Alex Solor-Roig at the Spanish GP in November, but his deal to race the car fell through. Retained for 1968, when it was Jackie Oliver's regular entry supported by Roger Frogley's Herts & Essex Aero Club and maintained by Derek Wilde. It was sold to Gerry Kinnane at the end of the European F2 season, and raced for him by Oliver in the Argentine Temporada in December. Then raced by John Watson at the opening F2 race of 1969, at Thruxton, but crashed and badly damaged. Repaired in Belfast with a new outer skin created by Fred Smith using the workshop of Belfast Corporation Bus Company on the Falls Road, and raced by John L'Amie for Kinnane later in the year. To Alan Fowler for 1970, and driven by Barrie Smith at the Thruxton F2 race in March 1970, but did not start. Reportedly sold by Fowler's D&A Shells to a collector in Nuneaton, and retained by him until 1997, when it was sold via John Harper to Bob Tabor (Llanrothal, Herefordshire). The car was restored by Tabor by Simon Hadfield, and the monocoque was rebuilt by Competition Fabrications (Attleborough, Norfolk) who carefully replaced the single-curvature Belfast-made outer skin with a correct double-curvature skin. A stronger rollhoop structure was also fitted. The rebuilt car was raced by Hadfield in the Goodwood Glover Trophy in September 1999.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Merlyn Mk 12A [109] (Brian Hart): New for Bob Gerard's quasi-works F2 team in 1968, and raced early in the season by John Cardwell. This car was updated to MK 12A specification for 1969 and run alongside Gerard's Brabham BT23C for Robin Widdows and others. Advertised by Gerard Racing in January 1970 but not seen again until Pete Tester ran it in a libre race at Lydden in early 1973. Used by Peter Bull (London) in sprints that summer, by which time it had a BRM engine of some sort, and then advertised by Bull in September with a 1600cc Ford twin cam engine and FT200 gearbox. Bull bought a Brabham BT30 for 1974 and the later history of the Merlyn is unknown.
  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. Brabham BT23C [17] (Xavier Perrot): New to Jorge Cupeiro to be used in the F2 Argentine Temporada in December 1968. Sold to Xavier Perrot (Zürich, Switzerland) for 1969 and raced in the Swiss championship and in selected F2 races as a Squadra Tartaruga entry. To Kurt Buess (Gelterkinden) for 1970 and raced in hillclimbs in Switerland and France. Note that this is not the car bearing the identity 'BT23C/17' that was imported into New Zealand by Baron Robertson in 1970. Buess was last seen racing this car at Neubiberg 25 Oct 1970. Subsequent history unknown but quite possibly the "BT23C" raced by Heinz Schulthess (Corcelles) at the Gurnigel hill climb in Switzerland in September 1971. Schulthess kept the car for some time, eventually selling it to an unknown Swiss owner. It was acquired by Hans Peter in 2018, and started restoration.
  13. 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.
  14. Brabham BT30 [8] (Tommy Reid): Bought by Mick Mooney's Irish Racing Cars for Tommy Reid (Tandragee, County Armagh, Northern Ireland) in Irish racing late 1969, winning four of the five races it started, and also in a single F2 race at Vallelunga. Retained for 1970 and 1971 but fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC. Then via Bobby Howlings (Manchester) and Bob Vincent (Bryn, Wigan), possibly Rodney Bloor (Manchester) 1977 and Robin Darlington (Ruabon, Wales) 1977 to Tom Elton (Westbury, Wiltshire) 1978 but unused through this period. To Mike Remnant (Redruth, Cornwall) and used in sprints and hillclimbs in southwest England. Then via Bob Wilson (Glasgow, Scotland) 1981 - Jonathan Bradburn (Wolverhampton, West Midlands) c1984 - Simon Hadfield (Shepshed, Leicestershire) - Andrew Fellowes (Ramsey, Cambridgeshire) 1986 and used in HSCC racing. Later to George Nuse (Norcross, Georgia) 1990 - Jordan Harris (Malibu, California) 1992 - Peter McLaughlin (Hanover, New Hampshire) 2007 - Sean Whelan (Somerton Park, SA, Australia) 2012.

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 (16 Oct 1969 pp18-20) gave plenty of chassis details, Alan Phillips doing the report on this occasion. The BMWs were F2-69-2 for Quester and F2-69-4, presumably new, for Hahne. Stewart's usual Matra MS7 was loaned to Claudio Francisci; the De Tomaso was called F2-00298,