Formula 1

About the season

Ken Tyrrell's team beat the established manufacturers with its own Derek Gardner-designed Tyrrell 003, a title that remains the constructor's only Constructors' Championship in its history. In only its second season, the March team surprised everyone as Ronnie Peterson finished runner-up in the standings aboard the striking March 711, whose Frank Costin-designed front wing - nicknamed the "tea tray" for its shape and elevation - was one of the era's oddest aerodynamic solutions. In early January, before the season even started, Ignazio Giunti was killed in a sports car race in Buenos Aires - this death, along with further tragedies later in the year, led to the first-ever mandatory safety equipment and defined job descriptions for race marshals. After the championship had ended, the sport lost two more leading drivers outside the world championship itself: Pedro Rodríguez died in an Interserie race in July, and Jo Siffert was killed in the non-championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch in October. Jackie Stewart won the 1971 Drivers' Championship with 62 points (Tyrrell), 29 points ahead of the runner-up. Tyrrell won the Constructors' Championship with 73 points, 37 points ahead of the runner-up. Across 11 completed races this season, there were 123 retirements. 6 different drivers won a race this season. Jackie Stewart took the most race wins, 6 in total. Andretti won the season-opening race, the South African Grand Prix. The season's biggest upset win came from Gethin at the Italian Grand Prix, starting from grid position 11. The closest finish of the season came at the Italian Grand Prix, with a gap of just 0.010 seconds. The Italian Grand Prix saw the most retirements of the season, with 14 drivers failing to finish. The most dominant win of the season came at the United States Grand Prix, with a margin of 40.1 seconds. de Adamich made the biggest gain of the season at the United States Grand Prix, from grid position 26 to finishing 11 (up 15 places). Cevert won the United States Grand Prix, the final race of the season.