RONNIE PETERSON
Ronnie Peterson, son of a baker from Orebro in Sweden , had entered Formula 2 in 1969 with an Italian Tecno Ford. With the foundation of March Engineeering in British Bicester near Oxford Peterson became their driver for all types of single seater racing cars. In 1971 Peterson won the European Formula 2 Championship being the fastest man of the year with a works March Ford 712M and became an A-Driver. The Swede also became vice champion in Grand Prix racing driving a March Ford 711. In 1972 he continued competing in Formula 2 with a works STP March Ford 722, as in the March Grand Prix team partnered by rising star Niki Lauda. But Peterson did not take part in all Formula 2 events that year, because he was not able to score points anymore having once got the A-driver status. When he was involved in sportscar racing, Peterson was replaced by German Jochen Mass in the cockpit of the March Ford 722. When the revolutionary March Ford 721X Grand Prix car showed a very low level of performance, March combined the 722 Formula 2 chassis with the Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine and other Formula 1 equipment for the 721G giving their works debut in the French Grand Prix at Clermont Ferrand. Before that the first Formula 2 based 721G had entered the scene on a private base with Briton Mike Beuttler.
The
works STP March Ford 722 driven by Ronnie Peterson, Niki Lauda
and Jochen Mass was the base ...
...
for the 721G Grand Prix car of 1972 and all other March Formula 1
designs
the following years.
Graphics: project * 2000
© 2002 by researchracing