Posted 31 January 2002 - 07:07
As Roger has stated, all this was as clear as mud then and obviously remains so three decades later.
Even after reading a few other accounts of the race other than those already cited -- that of Rob Walker, John Blundsden, and Anthony Pritchard, it still is a tad muddy.
Naturally, the problem began long before the race. For 1970, there was the beginning of an upswing in entries after a generally lean season in 1969. The season began without an agreement in place that orgamizers and entrants both wanted -- for different reason naturally. There as a movement afoot -- even then -- for a better prize money system since the old starting money system was beginning to rapidly fade from the scene now that commercial interests were well and truly involved in GP racing. After the USGP went to a prize money only format -- and one which made it worth your while to show up and try hard -- the trend began edging in that direction
At a meeting in Geneva between the entrants and the organizers, 10 drivers were to be guaranteed starting positions at each race -- the No. 1 from each 'recognized' works team, plus all past & present WDC's:
Owen Racing Organisation -- Pedro Rodriguez;
SEFAC Ferrari -- Jacky Ickx;
Equipe Matra-Elf -- Jean-Pierre Beltoise;
Bruce McLaren Motor Racing -- Denny Hulme;
Gold Leaf Team Lotus -- Jochen Rindt;
March Engineering -- Chris Amon;
Motor Racing Developments -- Jack Brabham;
Tyrrell Racing Organisation -- Jackie Stewart;
Team Surtees -- John Surtees; and,
R.R.C. Walker/Brooke Bond Oxo Racing -- Graham Hill
Everybody else would have to qualify for places on the grid at each round of the championship.
As the late and much beloved HMN III used to say, "Practice was the usual shambles..." In this case, it was an apt description of a real mess. The first pactice session started late and that set the tone for the Friday and Saturday sessions -- okay, the first Saturday session did start on time.
The orginial grid was set at 16 starters, so with 22 showing up and 10 with guaranteed places on the grid already spoken for, some folks were not going to make The Show.
The first session saw Ickx use Michelins before reverting to Firestones -- just thought I would mention that since I had forgotten about it. Then after a a break to pick up the pieces, the second session started, which was supposed to be 30 minutes ffor those who were in the "Qualifier" group. There was supposed to be an hour session following, but it was originally cancelled and then reduced to 30 minutes.
The third session did start on time, but was just a ploy to confuse everyone. The fourth session is where all the fun really started it seems. Piers Courage, who seemed to have a time quick enough to be among the Speedy Six crashed and the de Tomaso was too damaged to be ready for The Show. Jackie Oliver was parked out on the circuit with a broken stub axle so practice was stopped to police up the bits and pieces and tow the BRM back to the pits. Then Chaos jumped up a few notches. It was announced that there would be a 30 minute session for everyone and then an additional 10 -- or 15 -- minute session for the Q-Group. Oh, yeah, the times from this session will determine who the Speedy Six are -- Have a Nice Day. Seppi Siffert was never even informed of the stipulation which now was tossed into the final session and assumed that he had put times on the board good enough to make the SS. Besides, didn't the Geneva Agreement say something about there having to tthe opportunity to qualify under "equal" conditions? And, more than a few had questions about the timing since what was being given by the organizers was often at odds with what the teams had.
So, when it was announced -- after a flurry of protests and scowls and very liberal use of the Great Australian Expletive by even those who weren't Australian -- that the Speedy Six were going to be, drumroll please: Pescarolo, Oliver, McLaren, Stommelen, Servoz-Gavin, and Andretti with Wooden Spoons being distributed to Siffert, de Adamich, Miles, Soler-Roig, and Eaton -- Courage was given an honorary Wooden Spoon since his car was rather mangled and he was never able to "qualify" during the final session.
As Keith Jackson likes to say, "Whoa, Nellie!" After much mumbling and grumbling and snarling amongst the Wooden Spoon Club, Phil Kerr circulated a petition about an hour before the grid was to form which requested that all God's Children be allowed to compete. It was signed by one and all and Kerr scurried off to deal with the officials. The WSC members then proceeded to get ready to participate since, surely, the voice of the people would be heard and respected.
But, wait! The fun is just starting. When one of the race officials parked his vehicle in front of the entrance unto the circuit from the paddock, which being blocked as the Rob Walker team was pushing their Lotus with a certain N.G. Hill aboard, made it difficult to reach the grid. The Walker crew finally managed to get to the grid only to be informed that they were Late and could not start. And besides, said The Official, That Man -- indicating our Mr. Hill, had been nasty to him. As Walker states, with a Bell Star on the whole time, it was unlikely that even had Mr. Hill wanted to verbally singe The Official, hearing his barbs would have next to impossible. The Official, now truly demonstrated that he was indeed an Official of the First Rank and there upon had six policemen descend upon Mr. Hill and yank him -- still suffering from the after-effects of the massive leg injuries from his crash at the USGP the previous Fall -- from the Lotus. They released his safety straps and literally pulled him from the car and tried to dump him on the ground.
While all this was going on, like ships from the mist, there were suddenly 20 -- well 19 since the Walker Lotus was sorta half on & half off the grid -- cars on the grid. The Guaranteed's and the SS had been joined by the WSC members save George Eaton in his green BRM -- the latter of which was used as a Hanger Queen to ensure that the other two actually made the grid. Naturally, this created a scene somewhere between Omaha Beach at H-Hour and the stands at an away match for England on the Continent. There was much punching, yelling, screaming, and lots of pushing and shoving as police dragged drivers from their cars and team members shoved them back into the cars.
Meanwhile, the CSI respresentatives were conferring and after consulting their horoscopes, the tide tables, various other documents, and giving the minor war on the grid a very wide berth, they proclaimed The Answer was "16" and not "20." And, oh, let that Mr. Hill on the grid if you haven't beat him to a pulp.
Sent Off were the WSC holders -- with the dismissal of Dr. Soler-Roig being taken very, very poorly by the assembled masses in the stands, who would have liked to see a Spaniard in the Spanish GP and were quite vocal in their dissent of the descision.
Once the race actually got underway, the crash between Ickx and Oliver created a scene which even the Marx Brothers would have been in awe of with foam everywhere, burning gasoline floating on water, drivers dodging the crashed cars and firemen and marshals -- and cars being coated in foam as they passed through the area.
As for the times given by the organizers....
1 7 Jack Brabham Brabham/Ford 1'23.90
2 5 Denny Hulme McLaren/Ford 1'24.10
3 1 Jackie Stewart March/Ford 1'24.20
4 4 J.P.Beltoise Matra 1'24.46
5 10 Pedro Rodriguez BRM 1'24.50
6 9 Chris Amon March/Ford 1'24.65
7 2 Jacky Ickx Ferrari 1'24.70
8 3 Jochen Rindt Lotus/Ford 1'24.80
9 22 Henri Pescarolo Matra 1'24.90
10 15 Jackie Oliver BRM 1'25.00 (1min24.44sec)
11 11 Bruce McLaren McLaren/Ford 1'25.00 (1min 24.54sec)
12 8 John Surtees McLaren/Ford 1'25.20
13 12 Piers Courage De Tomaso/Ford 1'25.40 (1min 24.77sec -- non-starter)
14 16 J.Servoz-Gavin March/Ford 1'25.46 (1min 24.54sec)
15 6 Graham Hill Lotus/Ford 1'25.54
16 18 Mario Andretti March/Ford 1'25.70 (1min 24.62sec)
17 24 Rolf Stommelen Brabham/Ford - - (1min 25.10sec)
Not qualified
18 20 A.de Adamich McLaren/Alfa Romeo 1'25.15
19 19 John Miles Lotus/Ford 1'25.30
20 14 Jo Siffert March/Ford 1'25.38
21 21 George Eaton BRM 1'26.40
22 23 Alex Soler-Roig Lotus/Ford 1'25.8
.... the times in bowlegs are those that Pritchard gives for the 'qualifying session' if it were better than the time used otherwise -- plus, the time for Stommelen was never 'officially' released at the time...
And just who said history was dull!
Yes, it was Oliver, not Amon, who got involved in that accident. It must be a case of brain fade 
One wonders what it would have taken for them to red-flag the race! I reflection of the prevailing safety attitudes, I suppose.
