Grand Prix de Pau

Pau, 5 May 1974

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. March 742L [18] (Patrick Depailler): New for the March Engineering works team, assigned to Patrick Depailler. March records say that it was not raced in 1975, and sold to Pierre Maublanc in November 1975. To Bernard Chevanne for 1976, and raced at Thruxton in April, but he was unable to qualify for any of his others races that season. Subsequent history unknown. Note that the March raced by Joe Henry in WCAR Formula Atlantic in 1984 has been reported to be "742/18" but is more likely to have been a 74B.
2. March 742 [24] (Jacques Laffite): New to Jacques Laffite (Paris) using BP France money and prepared by Tico Martini for F2 in 1974. Extensively modified by Martini during the season. To Jorg Siegrist (Lucerne, Switerland) for 1975 and entered for him in F2 events by Schweizer Auto Rennsport. It was then sold to Bernhard Wissler (Ebringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) in mid-1975 and raced by him at the Preis Der Nationen at Hockenheim at the end of August and at Ulm-Mengen two weeks later. He also raced it in the F2 race at Hockenheim in April 1976, when it still had its Martini nose from 1974. One distinct possibility is that this car was acquired by French Martini enthusiast Jacques Terrien (France) who had raced an ex-F3 MK12 in 1974-75 and would run a pukka F2 MK19 in 1977 but had a March 742-Ford for the latter half of 1976. Terrien's car went to Jean-Pierre Perrin (Beaucourt, northeastern France) for 1977. Subsequent history unknown but the remains of a car believed to be the ex-Laffite car were bought from French dealer Hollinger via Gérard Billaud (Toulouse, France) in the late 1990s by Philippe Demeyer. Demeyer sold these parts to Matt Slinn (UK) and they form the basis of the car later raced in historics by Martin Stretton.
3. March 732 [10] (Andy Sutcliffe): STP March Engineering works car for Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Hockenheim and later by Jean-Pierre Jarier at two races. Probably the car used by Jacques Coulon at Hockenheim, by Beltoise at Albi and by Stuck at Estoril. To Brian Lewis Racing for 1974 and updated to 742 spec for Andy Sutcliffe as '742-10b', then run for hire drivers later in the year. To Roger Heavens for Antônio Castro Prado for F2 in the latter part of 1975, then sold via Hervé Le Guellec to Jimmy Mieusset as a backup car for French hillclimbing at the start of the 1976 season. Also used by Roger Rivoire in May 1976, and then sold to Jean-Pierre Simon in June 1976. Retained by Simon for 1977, still with its BMW engine. Unknown in 1978, when it could have been the 742-BMW of, for example, Robert Despratx in southwest France. Then to Maurice Crozier and raced in 1979 and 1980 with a 1600cc Ford engine. Advertised by Crozier with or without its 1600cc Cosworth FVA engine in November 1980. It was next seen with Michel Goutarel, who raced it in courses de côte in the Lyon area in 1981 and 1982. Goutarel appears to have kept this car for some time, as he is noted as the winner of the Course de côte régionale de Vals-prés-Le-Puy in September 1986.
4. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3673] (Jean-Pierre Jabouille): New for 1974, for Ecurie Elf team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2. The car was fitted with Schnitzer BMW engines. It was raced by Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Hockenheim in April, where it used Schnitzer's experimental 12-plug engine. Jabouille won at Hockenheim in June in this car. Retained by Equipe Elf Switzerland for 1975, when No 2 driver Gérard Larrousse used it until his new Jabouille-designed Elf 2 was ready, and Larrousse won at Hockenheim in April in this car. Unlike the two sister cars which were rebuilt for further duty in 1976, this car was sold to Guy Fréquelin and used in French hillclimbs in 1976, still with its Schnitzer BMW engine. It was then sold to Pierre Desnos and used by him in French hillclimbs in 1977 and 1978. Gerard Gamand on Autodiva adds that the car was raced by Jean Louis Neveu from 1983 to 1985.
5. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3672] (Michel Leclère): New in mid-1973, for Elf Coombs Racing team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2. Raced with Cosworth BDG and Hart alloy-block BDA engines. Retained for 1974, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine and assigned to Michel Leclère for that season, but probably the car raced by Alain Cudini at Hockenheim. Two effectively new cars were built for 1975 consuming two of A367s, this car becoming chassis 7501.
6. Surtees TS15A [03] (Tim Schenken): New for the Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team run by Ron Dennis in 1974, driven in F2 races by Tim Schenken, starting at Pau in May. Also raced by Rolf Stommelen at Hockenheim in June. The Ecuador team was disbanded after 1974, and this car was sold for 1975 to Yves Courage who ran it in French hillclimbs. He made his debut at Poissons in August, where the gearbox broke, and then raced the car almost every weekend to the end of the season, taking two second places and three wins. The car was twice identified as "ex-Schenken" by Echappement during this period. Courage bought a new Lola T450 for 1976, and the Surtees went to "Pat Shadock", in exchange for his ex-Coupe Simca Grac MT20 sports car. He raced the Surtees in March, April and May 1976, and then was not seen again until an outing in August. "Pat Shadock" recalled to Gerard Barathieu in 2021 that he loaned the car back to Courage for at least one event towards the end of 1976, so this would be the car Courage used for four events after he wrecked his brand new Lola T450 at Sancerre in June. "Pat Shadock" advises that he owned the Surtees for a couple of years and it was then sold via an intermediary to a Swiss collector. Subsequent history unknown.
7. March 742S [23 or 25] (David Purley): New to Bob Harper, an American Ford and BMW importer based in Hong Kong, and entered in 1974 F2 under the banner of Team Harper. The team was run for him by Mike Earle from the Lec workshops in Bognor Regis, with mechanics Greg Field and Tony Harvey. Chassis 742/23 is believed to be the car raced by David Purley at two races early in the season, before Harper replaced the Marches with Chevron B27s. It was acquired for Chris Meek to race at two events in Ceylon, but he did not have the right licence and the 742 was next seen raced by Graham Perry (Birmingham) in Formula Atlantic in 1975, sponsored by Harrisons of Birmingham. For 1976, it was sold to John Walker (Lancaster) but only seen rarely. Retained by Walker for libre racing in 1977, and by the end of that season it was being described as a 772. To Paul Gardner (Preston, Lancashire) for 1978, again for libre racing.
8. March 742S [9] (Masami Kuwashima): New to Masami Kuwashima, run for him by Roy Kennedy, and raced in European F2 until September, at which point the car was shipped to Japan for the JAF GP in November. Retained by Kuwashima for the Japanese F2 series in 1975, then to Kenji Takahashi for 1976, 1977 and 1978.
9. March 742S [8] (Giancarlo Martini): New to Trivellato Racing Team, and raced in F2 by Giancarlo Martini, entered by Scuderia Everest. In 1975, Martini raced for Giancarlo Minardi's Everest-sponsored Scuderia del Passatore, and the March 742 was retained as a muletto. It was raced by Martini at Enna, by Roberto Farneti at Misano when it had 752 bodywork, and is very probably the car raced by Lorenzo Niccolini at Vallelunga in October. The car was then retired and according to a later advertisement it was acquired by Antonino Missiroli who fitted a non-F2 BMW engine and used the car for track days only. It then passed to a Mr Guerzoni (Bolzano) in 1985, but its history is then unknown until acquired by Christian Bouveron (Prunoy, France) in 2007. It was advertised by Bouveron in 2017 when it was restored to Everest livery and in long-nose 1974 specification. Bought by Gerard Gamand in 2019, who commenced a restoration of the car.
10. March 742L [12-2] (Jacques Coulon): Originally built with a Ford engine and used in back-to-back tests with a BMW-engined car. Then converted to BMW specification and entered by March Engineering for Jacques Coulon in F2 in 1974, sponsored by Antar. In February 1975, the car was converted to 75B specification, and March records show that it was given the identity 75B-U1. However, Motoring News twice reported its chassis number as 742/12 during 1975, suggesting that it still had its 742 chassis plate.
11. March 742L [15] (Gabriele Serblin): Sold to Trivellato Racing Team and raced by Gabrielle Serblin in F2 in 1974. Retained by Trivellato as a spare car for 1975 and raced by Alberto Colombo, Francesco Cerulli-Irelli, Serblin and "Gimax" (Carlo Franchi). Raced by Gimax at a few Italian F2 races in 1976 and 1977 then to Richard Jones and Robin Smith for the Aurora AFX series in mid-1978, using the Cosworth BDG (or BDA) engine from the pair's Chevron B31 sports car that had been wrecked at Le Mans. Also raced by fellow sports car racer Tony Charnell at the end of 1978. Later to Jim McGaughey and rebuilt as a Renault 5GT special saloon for 1981. When the special saloon's career ended, it was acquired by the Higgins Brothers of Lincolnshire, and was bought from them by Ian Jones in 1990, by which time it was in a very sorry state. Jones reskinned the monocoque using the original bulkheads, fabricated new suspension parts, and fitted late-1974 (long-nose) F2 bodywork. Jones sold it to Richard Evans in 2010, and by 2012 it was completed with a Gathercole BDG in Stebel livery and was raced in the Derek Bell Trophy races at the HSCC Superprix at Brands Hatch. Shared by Evans and Andrew Smith in Historic F2 from 2013 onwards.
12. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3670] (Alain Serpaggi): Entered as an "ELF 2", but built by Alpine and designated the A367. Chassis 3670 was built for the 1972 F2 season, when it was raced by Patrick Depailler and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. This is apparently the same car that was updated for 1973 and became Depailler's regular car that season. Substantially redesigned by Andre de Cortanze for 1974, and fitted with a Schnitzer BMW as a fourth team car for Alain Serpaggi and others to race. According to reports, this car started to be converted to 1975 specification, but was unfinished. In 1999, this car was reported to be owned by Thierry Gay (Lyons), and Gerard Gamand reported on Autodiva that the car had been reconstructed using a new chassis fabricated by Gilles and Vincent Duqueine. In 2015, Fred Marquet's HTT Motorsport was restoring this car to its 1974 Serpaggi specification. It was first seen at Albi in June 2016.
13. March 742S [13] (Robert "Jimmy" Mieusset): New to Jimmy Mieusset, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine instead of the works engine and used in French hillclimbs, winning 34 of the first 37 events it competed in, and finishing second in the other three. The car was kept in original short nose form for both seasons. Mieusset bought an Alpine A441 sports car for 1976, and the March 742 was sold to Freddy Roland, who ran it in French hillclimbs in 1976 and 1977. It was not seen in 1978, but reappeared in 1979, driven by André Salanon and fitted with a 1600cc engine. Its history after that has proved difficult to decipher, as reports in Echappement confuse this car with the long-nose 732/742 that Mieusset used as a backup car in 1976.
14. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3671] (Patrick Tambay): New for 1973, for team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2 for the Elf Coombs Racing team. The car was fitted with a Cosworth BDG for its first two races, but was then changed to a Hart alloy-blocked BDA. Also driven by François Cevert, at Pau as his own new car was not yet ready, and won the race, Alpine's first F2 win. Only seen a couple more times that season. Retained for 1974, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine and assigned to Patrick Tambay for that season, but driven once by Alain Cudini in Tambay's absence. Tambay won at Nogaro in September in this car. Two effectively new cars were built for 1975 consuming two of A367s, this car becoming chassis 7501.
15. March 742S [7] (Paolo Bozzetto): New to Trivellato Racing Team, and raced in F2 by Paolo Bozzetto with Elba sponsorship, initially in short-nose specification. At Karlskoga and Enna-Pergusa in August it was raced by Carlos Alberto Jarque, who was Argentinean F2 champion and was backed by Juan Manuel Fangio. By this time the car was in long-nose specification. Bozzetto returned to the drive for the last two races of the season. Not known after 1974.
16. March 742 [19] (Jean-Pierre Paoli): New to the Jacques Laffite's F2 team run by Tico Martini and funded by BP France for F2 in 1974. After being raced by Laffite at the first race, this car was then taken over by his teammate Jean-Pierre Paoli and raced by him until a major accident at Karlskoga effectively destroyed the car. It was rebuilt on a new monocoque and sold to Max Mamers (Objat, France), fitted with one of Ecurie ROC's Chrysler-Simca-based engines and used in French hillclimbing. Retained by Mamers for 1976 but fitted with a BMW engine again. Sold to Rémy Née (Châteaubriant, France) for 1977, and fitted with the ROC engine again. To Roland Contignon for 1978, and again fitted with a new engine, this time a 1.3-litre Renault engine. Contignon continued to race this car well into the 1980s, and possibly into the 1990s.
17. Surtees TS15 [08] (José Dolhem): This car was not seen in 1973, but was raced by John Watson as a works Bang & Olufsen Team Surtees entry at the opening race of the 1974 season where it was described as "one of last year's cars dusted off". It was then José Dolhem's works car at the next four races before disappearing again. To Yugoslavian driver Francy Jerancic for 1975, entered in four F2 races by Avto-Moto društvo (AMD) Škofja Loka. Jerancic returned for three races in 1977. In early 1978, the car was advertised by David Winstanley's Lodge Corner Agencies (Crewe, Cheshire), but the advert said that details were still to come from Yugoslavia, which suggests the car was not actually in Crewe. As it was not advertised again, it may never have arrived. Subsequent history unknown, but some time around 1990, this car was bought by Pasqualino Turatello from Flavio Tullio. Pasqualino Turatello's son Francesco understands that the car had previously been used in Swiss hillclimbs. Flavio Tullio's son Matteo recalls that Flavio owned the car twice, selling it to Bertola of Torino and then buying it back, before selling it to Turatello. Matteo believes it was used by Bertola in French hillclimbs using a Fiat Volumetrico engine. It is listed in its 2013 FIA HTP as a Surtees TS15/A with chassis number TS15/08. Used by Francesco Turatello in historic hillclimbs in 2014.
18. March 742L [17] (Hans-Joachim Stuck): New for the March Engineering works team, assigned to Hans-Joachim Stuck and painted in his bright orange Jagermeister livery. March records show that after Loris Kessel crashed his Favre-owned March 742 at the Nurburgring in 1975, it was rebuilt on "Stuck's 742 tub from last year". It is assumed that 742/17 had therefore been broken up and disappeared at this point.
19. Surtees TS15 EXP (John Watson): An experimental Surtees TS15 various described as the EXP or TS15X or "Exp 2" and driven by John Watson in F2 in 1974. It was also driven by Derek Bell at Hockenheim in June. It appears to have been one of a pair loaned to Space Racing in 1975 for Hans Meier, but he wrecked the "ex-Watson" car in practice at Zolder and was unable to take over the second car as it had not been through scrutineering. He then failed to qualify for the next two races in the "ex-Watson" car. John Woodington of Space Racing recalls that both cars were returned to John Surtees after the season. Subsequent history unresolved.
20. March 742S [22] (Maurizio Flammini): New to the CSAI's Equipe Nationale, then managed by Eugenio Dragoni, for Maurizio Flammini to drive in F2 in 1974. After Dragoni's sudden death in April 1974, the team was managed by Ottorino Maffezzoli, the Monza circuit director. Flammini reappeared in this car from June 1975 onwards, running as part of the Trivellato Racing Team, and won at Mugello in July and Misano in August. Flammini joined the March works F2 team for 1976, but brought the old 742 out for a few races in 1977. In March 1977, the ex-Flammini March 742 was advertised by Solanda Fowsitt from a Haddenham phone number.
21. March 732 [11] (Bill Gubelmann): New to Bill Gubelmann (Oyster Bay, NY) for F2 in 1973 and retained for 1974 when run by Brian Lewis Racing. Clay Regazzoni was due to drive the car at Vallelunga in October, but did not arrive, so a deal was done for Gabrielle Serblin to drive after he damaged his usual 742 in practice. Not seen in 1975, when the intention had been to sell the car to Stuart Chubb Racing, but Gubelmann returned for the 1976 Shellsport G8 series with the car updated to 752 specification, fitted with a Hart BDG, and run by Bob Gerard. Gubelmann also appeared in a handful of F2 races in 1976, but after failing to qualify for the Rouen race, quickly moved to Mallory Park in time to qualify for the Shellsport race. He was involved in a nasty accident in the race when he clipped the rear of Mike Wilds' F1 Shadow, rode up over its back wheel and hit the bank at the Esses very hard. He was taken to hospital with head injuries. The March is believed to have been destroyed.
22. March 742S [25 or 23] (Dieter Quester): New to Bob Harper, an American Ford and BMW importer based in Hong Kong, and entered in 1974 F2 under the banner of Team Harper. The team was run for him by Mike Earle from the Lec workshops in Bognor Regis, with mechanics Greg Field and Tony Harvey. Chassis 742/23 is believed to be the car crashed by Dieter Quester in its first race at Hockenheim. It was rebuilt on a new monocoque in time for the Pau GP, but Quester crashed in practice, heavily damaging the monocoque again, and the car was not seen again. It seems likely that this was the "complete" March 742 "ex Monocoque" advertised by Team Harper in January 1975.
23. Surtees TS15A [01] (Guillermo Ortega): New for the Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team run by Ron Dennis in 1974, driven in F2 races by team principal Guillermo Ortega. Ortega struggled during 1974, and failed to qualify four times. His TS15A was sold to Gerd Biechteler (Klotten, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany) and used in German and Austrian F2 races in 1975. Then raced by Norbert Przybilla (Klotten, Rhineland-Palatinate) in hillclimbs in 1976, 1977 and 1978. In 1977, the car was entered by Benedikt Müller (Osterspai, Rhineland-Palatinate), and at least once it was entered as a "Surtees Toj", suggesting Jörg Obermoser's Toj sports car firm had been involved with it. Przybilla continued to appear in German events in 1979, but now with a Toj SC03 in the 2-litre sports car class, and also with a "Toj" in the F2 class. The last known appearance in the Surtees was at the ADAC-Eifel-Bergpreis in October 1979. This car was advertised for sale from Freidorf, Switzerland in June 2019, when it was said to be chassis 001, formerly driven by Norbert Przybilla, and with Toj bodywork.
24. March 742S [21] (Diulio Truffo): New to the CSAI's Equipe Nationale, then managed by Eugenio Dragoni, for Diulio Truffo to drive in F2 in 1974. After Dragoni's sudden death in April 1974, the team was managed by Ottorino Maffezzoli, the Monza circuit director. Run by Osella Squadra Corse for Truffo until his new Osella was ready, then to Gianfranco Trombetti for the rest of the 1975 season.
25. Surtees TS15A [02] (Fausto Merello): New for the Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team run by Ron Dennis in 1974, driven in F2 races by Fausto Merello. Merello was dropped after failing to qualify four times in succession, and the TS15A was raced by Reine Wisell at Karlskoga, but was wrecked during a race accident. Not seen again. As Ron Dennis only advertised two TS15As in January 1975, this one was presumably scrapped.
26. Surtees TS15 EXP (Jochen Mass): An experimental Surtees TS15 various described as the EXP or TS15X or "Exp 2" and driven by John Watson in F2 in 1974. It was also driven by Derek Bell at Hockenheim in June. It appears to have been one of a pair loaned to Space Racing in 1975 for Hans Meier, but he wrecked the "ex-Watson" car in practice at Zolder and was unable to take over the second car as it had not been through scrutineering. He then failed to qualify for the next two races in the "ex-Watson" car. John Woodington of Space Racing recalls that both cars were returned to John Surtees after the season. Subsequent history unresolved.

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's report (9 May 1974 pp14-17), Autocourse 1974/75 results section pp181-182, and Autosport's F2 Review (12 Dec 1974 pp18-27).