On June 7, 1970 the weather sat brooding and unpredictable over the circuit at Spa-Francorhamps, Belgium. For the first time in over a year, the pits and paddocks were bustling with the activity of Formula 1 crews as they prepared their cars for the race. The previous year had found the historic circuit left off the schedule due to safety concerns. Jackie Stewart, among other drivers, had begun what would become an epic movement to propel driver safety forward and as a result Spa had undergone massive upgrades and changes that had made it safer, faster, and better suited for cars and drivers alike. The need for such improvements had been sadly emphasized the Tuesday preceding the race when Bruce McLaren had been killed testing a CanAm car at Goodwood. The McLaren team opted out of the race after the tragedy, leaving a hole in the Formula 1 grid and reinforcing the need for safety.
The 1970 Belgian Grand Prix
Qualifying had been fast and Jackie Stewart took well to the changes he had instigated at the track, putting his Tyrrell March car on the pole. Next to him was Jochen Rindt in a Lotus and Chris Amon in his March car. Jackie Ickx, Jack Brabham, and Pedro Rodriguez composed the second row and set the stage for a spectacular race to unfold.
The race began in a fervor of position changes as Rindt propelled his Lotus to the front. It wasn’t long before Amon and his March car had wrestled the lead from Rindt with Stewart close on his heels. By the second lap Stewart had charged his way to the front and was leading with his customary smooth precision. Amon and Stewart battled back and forth, switching ownership of the lead and allowing Rodriguez to quietly stalk them from behind. By the fifth lap Rodriguez had snatched the lead with great style. Amon fought back, pushing his March car to the limit but the car had nothing left to give and he fell behind. The lead was not the only place in which battles were occurring. Behind Rodriguez and Amon, Stewart and Brabham engaged each other, swapping position time and time again. Brabham had a problem with his control, which turned out to be a misplaced oil rag causing him to come into the pits. Once that issue was addressed Brabham returned to the race and passed Stewart and Rindt, both of which soon after retired from the race. Brabham’s luck didn’t hold, however, and his clutch went out forcing him to also pull his car into the pits for the last time that day.
Rodriguez went on to capture the victory with Amon behind him. The loss of Brabham, Stewart, and Rindt handed Jean-Pierre Beltoise in his Matra third place. The return to Spa, after significant changes in safety and design, had presented an exciting race and ushered in a new era in driver and circuit safety, forever changing the face of Formula 1.
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