1970 Formula One season

F1 season
Previous = 1969
Current = 1970
Next = 1971The 1970 Formula One season included the 21st FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on March 7, 1970, and ended on October 25 after thirteen races. This is the only season to date in which the World Championship title has been awarded posthumously.

eason summary

For 1970 following the agreement with Simca, Tyrrell were asked by Matra to use their V12 rather than the Cosworth. Stewart tested the Matra V12 and found it inferior to the DFV. As a large part of the Tyrrell budget was provided by Ford, and another significant element came from French state-owned petroleum company Elf, which had an agreement with Renault that precluded supporting a Simca partner, Ken Tyrrell had little alternative (due to clashing sponsorship deals) but to buy March 701 chassis as interim solution while developing his own car in secret; the first Tyrrell bore much resemblance to the MS80.

The new wedge-shaped Lotus 72 was a very innovative car featuring torsion bar suspension, hip-mounted radiators, inboard front brakes and an overhanging rear wing. The 72 originally had suspension problems, but when anti-dive and anti-squat were designed out of the suspension the car quickly showed is superiority and Lotus' new leader, the Austrian Jochen Rindt, dominated the championship until he was killed at Monza when a brake shaft broke. He took the 1970 title posthumously for Lotus. Jacky Ickx won the Austrian, the Canadian and the Mexican Grand Prix to become second in the driver championship, having re-joined Ferrari from Brabham. Had he won the United States Grand Prix instead of Brazilian up-riser Emerson Fittipaldi, Ickx would have been crowned champion.

1970 saw the introduction of slick tyres by Goodyear.

Triple champion Jack Brabham retired at the end of the year.

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Notes

External links

* [http://f1-facts.com/results/season/1970 1970 World Championship results and images from f1-facts.com]