Grand Prix de Magny-Cours

Magny Cours, 4 May 1975

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Elf (Jabouille) 2J [7501] (Jean-Pierre Jabouille): New for the Elf Switzerland team in 1975, based on the Alpine A367 chassis 3671. The car was completed in time for 50 km of testing at Dijon before the first race of the 1975 F2 season at Estoril on 9 March. Jean-Pierre Jabouille placed it fourth on the grid at that race, but struggled in the wet race conditons and finished eighth. He qualified scond at Hockenheim in April, then won the non-championship race at Magny Cours in May. He was second on the grid again at Pau, Hockenheim again in June and Salzburgring, winning the latter race. He took the 2J's first pole position at Rouen-les-Essarts two weeks later. The second 2J was then completed, so this car was handed over to Gérard Larrousse, who finished a fine second at Silverstone but retired with engine problems at Zolder and Nogaro. This car was consumed in the creation of new cars with Renault V6 engines for 1976. Whether chassis 7502 became the new chassis 7602 remains unresolved.
2. 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. The car is then unknown for two years, until an "Atlantic March" 742 with 772 bodywork was advertised by Ralph Halley, an Opel dealer in Milngavie, a suburb of Glasgow. It was bought from Halley by Jim McGaughey (Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute, Scotland) and rebuilt as a Renault 5GT special saloon for 1981, using bodywork modelled on the new Renault 5 Turbo by Graham Kelly, a 1930cc Cosworth FVC acquired from Jimmy Jack, and a Hewland FT200 gearbox. It debuted in this form at Ingliston in April 1981, and won McGaughey the 1981 Scottish GT Championship. He then fitted an ex-F2 BMW M12 engine acquired from hillclimber Barrogill Angus, and raced it again in 1982 and 1983. 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.
3. Chevron B29 [29-75-03] (Héctor Rebaque): New to Fred Opert Racing as a Formula 2 car for Hector Rebaque. Raced by Rebaque in the first five races of the season and then hired to Maxime Bochet for Pau in May. The car was next seen in September when it was raced by Rebaque at Zolder and Nogaro, and it was very probably the car then driven by Tom Bagley at Vallelunga in October. It was then converted to Formula Atlantic specification and sold to Carl Liebich (Plymouth, WI) and used in the IMSA and Players Formula Atlantic series. In August, Liebich acquired a new Lola T460, and the Chevron was advertised by Lola importer Carl Haas in November 1976. The history of the Chevron is then unknown until it was advertised by David Klutsenbaker (Nashville, TN) in February 1984. Klutsenbaker had owned a 1972 Brabham BT38B until January 1983, so it likely that he had only had the Chevron for one season. The B29 was bought by Ted Voruz (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin) in 1990. It was bought from Voruz by Howard Blight (Sydney, NSW) in late 2005, and raced in a few events in 2008. Then to David Kent, and raced by him from 2013 to 2016.
4. March 752 [10] (Hans Binder): Sold to Jorg Obermoser and run by Obermoser's Team Warsteiner Eurorace for Hans Binder in European F2, and later for Alain Peltier and Ewald Boisitz. To Alois Muller for 1976, still with its B Schnitzer BMW engine and used in the European F2 race at Salzburgring in May 1976, where it was entered by BMW Dienst Rischer Wien, and in Austrian national events. Unknown after 1976.
5. March 742 [24] (Jorg Siegrist): 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, Switzerland) 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 Christian Hollinger (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes, France) via Gérard Billaud (Toulouse, France) in the late 1990s by Philippe Demeyer (Liège, Belgium). Demeyer sold these parts to Matt Slinn (UK) and they form the basis of the car later raced in historics by Martin Stretton.
6. March 752 [17] (Vittorio Brambilla): New to Ron Dennis's Project Three team and raced by Vittorio Brambilla and Sandro Cinotti during the first half of the 1975 F2 season. Crashed heavily by Brambilla in practice at Mugello, then raced by Bruno Pescia at the end of the year. Sold to Max Bonnin for 1976 but only seen at a few races. To Sylvain Lachaud for French hillclimbs in 1977 but referred to as a 742 for much of the year. To Bernard-Etienne Grobot for 1978 but he crashed very heavily at Gué-Chervais in September and the car was returned to March for repairs. To Anne Baverey for 1979, when described as a 772, but damaged mid-season and sold to Philippe Porcheur. Retained by Porcheur for 1980, when it was again described as a 772. Bought from Porcheur by Eddy D'Hoe for Belgian hillclimbs in 1981. Then to Pierre Evrard (Rochefort, Belgium) for Belgian hillclimbs in 1982 and 1983. Subsequent history unknown.
7. March 742L [27/17] (Loris Kessel): New to Jean-Claude Favre (Switzerland) and raced in European F2 rounds but rarely qualified. Sold mid-season to Loris Kessel (Lugano, Switzerland) and entered for him by Jo Vonlanthen Racing Team at Vallelunga at the end of the year. Retained for 1975 and impressively quick, finishing fourth at Hockenheim in April and then qualifying second at the Nürburgring. It was crashed at that race and rebuilt on the monocoque from the ex-Hans Stuck 742/17. Prior to the Mugello race in July, Kessel heavily modified the March, including a wide nose, front radiator and modified rollhoop shroud. He crashed during practice and although the tub was undamaged, the modifications meant it could not be repaired. That evening, he bought Markus Hotz' March 752, and used that for the rest of the season. The 742's unique rollhoop shroud, together with references to it being "ex-Stuck", identify this as the car sold to Romain Feitler (Luxembourg) and used in hillclimbs in Luxembourg, France and Germany during 1976. A photograph shows that it was back in normal long nose specification and appeared to have a Schnitzer BMW engine. Sold to Helmut Kalenborn (Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) and used in hillclimbs across Europe in 1977 and 1978. It was described by Autosprint at Ecce Homo in 1978 as "ex-Stuck". The same unusual rollhoop shroud identified this as the Schnitzer-engined 742 acquired by Henri Nussbaum (Luxembourg) and used in hillclimbs in 1979 and 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
8. March 742 [30] (Bernard de Dryver): New to Bang & Olufsen late in the 1974 season and used as a training car over the close season by Bernard de Dryver, the son of B&O's marketing director Fredy De Dryver. Bang & Olufsen Team Vaillant bought new March 752s for 1975 but the 742 was kept as a backup, and De Dryver reverted to the 742 for the race at Magny Cours in May. It was also raced by B&O teammate Claude Bourgoignie at Enna in August. Advertised by Brian Lewis for Bang & Olufsen Team Michel Vaillant in November 1975. Retained again for 1976 and raced by De Dryver and by Hervé Regout, B&Q's 1975 F3 driver. Sold after 1976 to Belgian hillclimber Henri Bruixola (Brussels), who raced it in Belgian hillclimbs in 1977. He sold it to Claude Darné in France but the next owners after that are not known. A later owner, Fouché (Foucher?), sold it to Maurice Noel (Cherbourg), who sold it to Alain Prat in 1991. Raced by Alain in French historic events. Sold in 2003 to Ian Jacobs and raced by him in HSCC events. To Mark Dwyer (Huddersfield, West Yorkshire) in 2006, also in HSCC racing, and restored to Bang & Olufsen livery in 2009.
9. Chevron B29 [29-75-10] (Xavier Lapeyre): New to Fred Stalder's Societé Racing Organisation Course (Annemasse, Haute-Savoie, France), and fitted with ROC's Chrysler-Simca-based engines, developed by Max Funda (Geneva, Switzerland) for Formula 2 in 1975. Raced by Xavier Lapeyre (Toulouse, southwest France), starting at Hockenheim in April. Lapeyre left ROC for 1976, but retained the Chevron, fitting a BMW engine and racing it in five events at the start of 1976, failing to qualify for four of them. The last time the B29 was seen was at Pau on 7 June, where Lapeyre failed to qualify, and at the next race, at Rouen three weeks later, he had a new Chevron B35. Sold to Werner Ruckelshausen for Austrian national races in 1977, where it was entered as a "Chevron Swindon" of 2000cc capacity, implying a Swindon BDX engine. Subsequent thistory unknown.
10. Chevron B29 [29-75-12] (Jean-Pierre Beltoise): New to Fred Stalder's Societé Racing Organisation Course (Annemasse, Haute-Savoie, France), and fitted with ROC's Chrysler-Simca-based engines, developed by Max Funda (Geneva, Switzerland) for Formula 2 in 1975. Raced by Christian Ethuin, starting at Hockenheim in April, and also by former F1 driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Magny Cours, Pau and Nogaro. It was part of a two car team with Xavier Lapeyre driving the other car. Laurent Ferrier then drove the car in the final race of the season but did not qualify. It was raced by Roger Rivoire in two French hillclimbs in early 1976, at Charnizay and at Hébecrevon, and later in the year was driven by Jean Lachaud at Le Gua and Limonest-Mt Verdun. Press reports said it had been loaned to Lachaud by ROC boss Fred Stalder for these two events. As Xavier Lapeyre had retained his B29 for 1976, Lachaud must have been in the ex-Beltoise car. By the same logic, 75-12 is likely to be the ROC-engined Chevron bought by Ange-Marie Cheval from Stalder for 1977. It was described as a B27/B29, a B29 and a B29/35, but photographs in Echappement clearly show a B29. Advertised in Echappement in October 1977 as a B29/35. Subsequent history unknown, but there is a good chance this could be the "B35"-ROC raced by Jean Arzeno at Ceyreste in September 1979 and then the "B35" raced by Bernard Hazotte from 1980 onwards.
11. March 742 [19] (Max Mamers): 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. Retained with the 1600cc Renault engine for 1979 and 1980, then moved to a 1600cc Ford Cosworth engine for 1981 and 1982. Contignon wrecked the front of the car in an accident at Montgueux in September 1982. Contignon continued to race a March well into the 1980s, and possibly into the 1990s.
12. March 732 ["59"] (Max Bonnin): Max Bonnin raced a March in Formula 2 in 1974, which was described by Motoring News as being "one of last year's March monocoques", to which Bonnin had fitted his own suspension, "which featured narrower track and revised roll centres". Bonnin later told Gérard Gamand that he acquired an unused 732 monocoque to build this car. It was powered by a Hart BDA. Bonnin raced this car in F2 through 1974 and 1975 before buying a March 752 for 1976. The 732, by then called a 742, was sold to Jean-Louis Albinet and used in French hillclimbs in 1976, 1977 and 1978, using a 2-litre Hart engine. In July 1978, Albinet acquired a Martini MK22, and the March-Hart was sold to Gérard Lafaurie (Bordeaux, Aquitaine), first appearing in August 1978 in a "March 732", and then regularly from the start of 1979 in a "March 742". Lafaurie raced the car again in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Later in 1982, the car was sold to Pascal Malateste, who fitted the 1600cc engine from his Pygmée. He raced the car in 1982 and 1983, before it passed to his father Yves Malateste in 1984. It is reported that the elder Malateste had a severe accident in the car, leaving him in a wheelchair. It is also reported that the remains of this car were sold to dealer/collector Christian Hollinger (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes, France), who took them to mechanic Jean-Pierre Navarro (Montluel, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), who built a new March 712-style monocoque and reassembled the car to be used in the 1600cc Historic F2 series. According to Navarro's records, the resulting car was delivered by Hollinger to Frédéric Lacarelle (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes). The car's HVIF shows Lacarelle acquiring it in January 1994. From Lacarelle, it went to Jean-Jacques Gravier (Servolex, Rhône-Alpes) who entered it for Historic Formula 2 events between 1999 and 2002 as a March "71B". Subsequent history withheld.

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

Motoring News (8 May 1975 p20) does not give chassis numbers but does mention that Serblin was in last year's car after "his nasty crash at the Nurburgring", that De Dryver was in the team's 742 test car and that Mamers had acquired the ex-Paoli 742.