Wookey F1 Challenge story only

On Sunday September 17, no race is scheduled, we welcome in our house in La Panouse, above Marseille, our closest friends for a sober celebration of the title. For the official celebrations, with the sponsors, we will wait until the end of the season. I notably see Pierre Sheller, who has disappeared from the F1 circuits. The previous week, he took part in the Ronde Cévenole, and for the occasion "borrowed" Henri Bondurand, my chief engine mechanic, who knows the roads of the Cévennes like the back of his hand.
His uncle Paul, who does us the honor of his presence, seems to be very close to the "Grand Riquet" family.
"It happened to Mimi to render services to" the cause "" Pierre slips me with the air of conspirators ...
"Exactly ten years ago?" I reply in the same tone.
"Shhhhhh!" replies the future dad.
Sitting by the pool, Anne-Marie is doing well with her pregnancy. Pierre wants to join her, I hold him back.
"So? Did you like the rally?"
"Listen, I wanted to try ... And then we had to mark the occasion for the Vyasa Ebro brand. Our copies of Alfa are selling well in South America, and the group is counting on the competition to support the market. . But it's really a special thing. I'm going to leave it to the specialists. Anne Marie doesn't want to see me in a single-seater any more. So, next year, we will focus on Sports Prototypes and Le Mans. "
"Do you know that Matra is going to do the same thing? Lagardère announced it to Beltoise who told me"
"Too bad, it'll be a good duel ... On the other hand, I'm looking for a team to keep our engines running in F1. It's important in Argentina and Brazil, two big markets for us. But I can't anymore. get involved every day. And the little "Moro" deserves to continue in F1. "
"Let me think ... I'm having trouble with Citroën at the moment. Michelin wants to sell and is looking for a buyer, they are reluctant to invest in the evolution of the V12. I can't promise you anything today, but we will. speak again. "

The Italian Grand Prix saw me win the title of world driver's champion, but the constructors' title and the places of honor remain to be filled.
The pilots' association did not want to race in Canada because the two circuits which organize the Grand Prix alternately, Saint-Jovite and Mosport, are both obsolete in terms of safety. But the Mosport circuit has recently had new owners who have promised the CSI to carry out work to improve the infrastructure. The GPDA is therefore indulgent and accepts to compete in the Canadian Grand Prix in Ontario. On the other hand, the Mont-Tremblant track is abandoned for good by Formula 1.
Colin Chapman and Peter Warr told Dave Walker that he would be replaced by Ronnie Peterson in 1973. The Australian has already searched for a new steering wheel and tested for a competing brand. Chapman does not like this approach and decides to lay off his pilot for a race. He replaced it with Reine Wisell who had already driven for Lotus in 1970 and 1971 and therefore knew the 72 very well.
At Tyrrell, François Cevert released the 006, a second version of the 005 assigned to Jackie Stewart, to replace his old model 002 damaged after more than a year of service. Chiachierini is still there with his 002 Aston.
Matra starts these last two rounds of the season without enthusiasm. Indeed, while the French brand won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Formula 1 team scored just six points that season. Jean-Luc Lagardère has decided to stop the costs and focus his company's efforts on the world championship for brands. Besides, the atmosphere within the team is bad. Bruno Morin believes that Chris Amon did not live up to his reputation as a good tune-up and took no interest in tuning the car, leaving the engineers in suspense.
BRM lines up four cars: two P160C for Peter Gethin and Howden Ganley and two P180 for Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Bill Brack, Canadian driver already seen during his national event in 1968 and 1969. Derek Bell drives the Tecno 123/3 for both last events of the season. After more than a year of absence, the American Skip Barber is back behind the wheel of his private March 711.
Mike Hailwood is absent because he is competing in the Formula 2 Albi Grand Prix on September 24, after which he also won the European Championship despite the victory of his runner-up Jean-Pierre Jaussaud. John Surtees has given up driving the new TS14, and therefore only Tim Schenken and Andrea de Adamich drive the TS9Bs.
At the end of the season, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud is focusing on the battle for the title in F2. My second car easily finds a taker, in the person of Eppie Wietzes, a Canadian driver already seen in 1967 on Lotus and who has since proved his worth in North American F5000.
I am delighted to see Bob Bondurant again, who brought his Shasta out of the closet. Bob has spent long hours of testing on his California circuit in Ontario, but in the homonymous province, the progress he thought he made is hardly visible. The support generated by the pontoons seems to vary according to the turns, without any specific reason appearing to explain it.

The weekend is flown by Fittipaldi who cumulates pole position, victory and lap record. But the one who impresses is the Argentinian Carlos Reutemann, qualified in the middle of the grid, he makes, in the rain, a sumptuous race and finishes second in front of Luigi Mennella whose SCS finally seems reliable. Already champion, I am doing wise tests, qualified on the third row, I spend a large part of the race in the first place before feeling my engine losing laps. Inexorably, I have to give in to my pursuers, and I rally the finish to a poor 14th place. Eppie Wietzes arrives at an honorable 7th place, and therefore Wookey does not score any points. Neither Cevert nor Stewart score either, but it's Paul Chiachierini who scores for Tyrrell, and suddenly, in the Constructors' Cup I am overtaken by Tyrrell

Between the Grand Prix of Canada and the United States, at Watkins Glen, many teams go at the invitation of Bob Bondurant for the GP of California. Following on from the success of the Questor GP last year, the race was originally scheduled for the Ontario circuit. But the Questor consortium having its sights set on the Laguna Seca circuit, it is on the latter that the race finally takes place.
This circuit laid out in the middle of the desert has a particularly mythical turn, the "corkscrew", literally the corkscrew, a right-angled turn which opens onto a vertiginous slope and requires special training.

In addition to the competitors seen in Canada, we see the reappearance of Frank Williams' Politoys, this time in the hands of American F5000 pilot Brett Lunger. Today he wears the colors of the chemical giant "DuPont", and rumors are rife that he fought in Vietnam, and saved the life of the heir to the empire there. A very beautiful story that none of the protagonists intends to confirm.

McLeod, which we see less in the World Championship, has managed to combine the Chapparall which runs in F5000 with Frank Weiss, and a Cosworth engine which he sublets to a discreet preparer and which travels in the boxes of the 'Tyrrell team. A lick of paint, a few stickers, and you can't see the difference! He can run practically without having paid for the trip of his car! Always so smart the Scoto-Breton!

Eppie Wietzes made a great impression with his 7th place at Mosport, so I offer him the wheel of my second car once again. Other than Stewart's forfeit, there isn't much to say about the rest of the set.

Fittipaldi and Peterson share the front row once again. The SCS are just behind, with the Vaillantes and ahead of the McLarens. I share the 5th row with McLeod and ahead of the Tyrrells.

At the start, I get burned by Cevert who does not hesitate to go through the sandy part of the track. The race is long and it is a cascade of abandonment and mechanical problems that decides the hierarchy. A hierarchy with a strong Italian accent with a great victory for my friend Luigi Mennella, ahead of the discreet Grazia de Lacrowe, Paul Chiachierini and Riccardo Priori.

Depailler showed a particularly clean driving and finished fifth ahead of Redman, McLeod, Beltoise, Hailwood and Mike Beuttler grab the last point.

In the Auto-Sprint Trophy, McLeod's 7th place was enough for him to take command of a small point ahead of Priori and Warson. Vaillanty, Ethuin and I are still mathematically capable of winning, and it will all come down to the Victory Race at the end of October.

At the end of the race, Bob Bondurant is approached by Guido Palma. This outstanding mechanic was at the origin of Pierre Scheller's success in Spain and elsewhere with the engine manufacturer Carl Hermann. As he grew older, he became the workshop director of Vulkan Course. He offers Bob to use Vulkan's resources to study his handling problems. In exchange, he would give them the benefit of his contacts with the racing world in the United States, where Vulkan plans to participate next year.
At the same dinner, I offer Bob the wheel of my second car for his national GP.

The 1972 world championship ended with the United States Grand Prix on the Watkins-Glen circuit, a still very attractive event thanks to the record premium of $ 62,000 promised to the winner.

The only stakes are the places of vice-world champions of the pilots and the title of the constructors. For the first Emerson Fittipaldi, 31 points, competes with Peterson, 24 points. In business, my Wookey is only a point behind Tyrrell. Lotus, McLaren and March are much further and even a double would not allow them to come back to the top

Before this race, Firestone announces the closure of its European sports division, which more clearly means its withdrawal from Formula 1. It is a serious blow for the teams equipped by the Akron firm, which nevertheless won several of the eleven events of the world championship. Above all, Firestone only supplies Watkins-Glen with tires poorly suited to the track, designed for other tracks. Thus Surtees must for example use the tires of the Austrian Grand Prix, contested in August by 35 degrees, while it is very cool in the north of the United States ...

Fortunately, at the end of the weekend, Firestone announced that it had reversed its decision to withdraw following protests from its client teams.

Enzo Ferrari has decided to sanction Mauro Forghieri, found guilty of not having been able to develop the new 312 B3 in time. The Italian engineer is dismissed from the post of technical director. Ferrari could also part with Clay Regazzoni who was especially noticed by his escapades off and on the track. Bernie Ecclestone offered him a contract to join Brabham.

In the transfer section, the young Brazilian Carlos Pace, author of a very good season with Williams, signed a contract with Surtees. He will replace Tim Schenken who did not give satisfaction.

After a run-off, Dave Walker was allowed to get back behind the wheel of the second Lotus 72D, but Reine Wisell remained with the team and drove the reserve car. As in Charade, Tyrrell enters the 004 for the young Frenchman Patrick Depailler, supported by Elf. Mario Andretti returns in the third Ferrari for his home Grand Prix which he still dreams of winning. McLaren enters a third car, an M19A entrusted to Jody Scheckter, a 22-year-old South African who has managed to shine in Formula 2 behind the wheel of a bad McLaren. Colin Chapman offered him a contract for 1973, but Teddy Mayer wants to keep this young prodigy.

There are again four BRMs entered, and this time it is Brian Redman who gets behind the wheel of the second P180.

Skip Barber is still at the wheel of his private March, while Sam Posey drives a Surtees like the previous year, but this time a TS9B. John Surtees is also at the start with his new TS14 already seen at Monza.

Bob Bondurant takes his place in my second Wookey, with the mission of securing a few points for the constructor title. The Shasta therefore remains in the garage. Vaillante, SCS, Lola, Vulkan return with the same cars as in Canada, as well, among the private Tyrrell-Aston, the GRD of Briot and the BRM of Priori.

Assured of the individual title, I come to this race with the double stake of not hurting myself, and of securing the constructors' crown. I spend quite a bit of testing helping Bob Bondurant adjust to the machine. But the old man doesn't really need it. And if he is satisfied with a modest 15th place on the grid, he seems happy and serene. He also made a 4th fastest time in the warm up on Sunday morning, which says a lot about his motivation. I am 5th at the end of the tests alongside Hulme and behind Fittipaldi, Peterson Warson and Mennella.

Unfortunately, after a few laps, I broke my suspension in a collision with Derek Bell's Tecno on whom I took a turn. Almost on 3 wheels I go back to the garage to give up. I'm not the only leader in trouble. I hear Peterson's box creaking terribly at times. She will eventually give up the ghost in the last laps. At Fittipaldi, it's the Cosworth that has air holes when accelerating from halfway. Inexorably he lets Luigi Mennella pass, who finally wins in the World Championship this season. On the podium, we find the unexpected Scheckter who enters through the front door into the big leagues. Then the two Lola-BRMs who will make Eric Broadley regret having started so late, and look like scarecrows for next year.

Finally, the last points are awarded to the locals: Steve Warson and Bob Bondurant. The incredible American for his only race on Wookey thus assures me the constructor title! Indeed, at Tyrrell we look gloomy. The cars experienced intermittent electrical problems, and none could scratch a spot.

It is therefore on a double of pilots and constructors championships that the official season ends for me!
Out of loyalty to my sponsors, I would still celebrate my title in Great Britain for the traditional Victory race, the last meeting of the year which will also count for the Auto-Sprint Trophy.

My victory at the world championship, behind the wheel of a French car, made people react in high places, and President Pompidou called me personally to congratulate me. Despite his jovial tone, I sense a weariness in his voice. I don't know yet, but the President has only a few months to live.
So, he who has always loved cars wants to treat himself to a pleasure: a celebratory race! There is no question that the Victory Race will be run in Great Britain, he would like it to be done in Charade, on his land in Auvergne.

The British organizers look grimly: a Victory race, without the World Champion, it looks like nothing. The proposal of Player's cigarettes to guarantee a possible deficit by advertising does not help matters: the BBC threatens not to broadcast the race for public health reasons!

Eventually an arrangement is made, several UK F1 cars will go for a demonstration lap in the F5000 race which is maintained and the Victory Race, renamed "World Champion's Cup" is relocated to France. But not at Charade! Located in Altitude, the circuit sometimes experiences frosts at the end of October, and the GP of France has already left chills to the GPDA (the association of pilots) which no longer wants to hear about the Clermont track.

Never mind, my friend Jean-Pierre Bondurand, the (real) cousin of my chief mechanic Henri, welcomes us to his track in Lédenon. Meanwhile, Bob Bondurant is happy to return to the land of his distant ancestors. I gave him my second car again.

The sun of the Nîmes garrigue attracts more people than Brands Hatch or Charade would have done, and 42 cars came to the start.



As you can see the French participation is very important, but the English sent at least one car each. There are also some more surprising participants, like the American Cannon, who rents an old March 711. At Williams, we called on Chris Amon, angry with Matra. Frank Williams is hoping that this renowned developer will advance the Politoys, which is about to change its name for 1973.

Consequently, it is Jean-Pierre Jarier who inherits the Matra. Lagardère seems ready to give up F1 to focus on Le Mans, but nothing seems to have happened yet as the authorities hope to keep two official teams in F1. Only two, because it's official, Vulkan stops. The Franco-South American team wants to turn to the Rallies, very popular in Argentina where it has its main markets. "Moro" shows up anyway to do a "lap of honor" on the Gard toboggan. The other car is rented by David Purley, a colorful English driver whose family made a fortune in refrigerators.

Another unknown called to become famous later: John Watson aligns the old Eifelland of Stommelen, reconditioned in March 721 more "classic". Steve McQueen has had a hard time shaking up his schedule and his shoots, but he is present alongside Luigi Mennella for Scuderia Centro Sud. Unfortunately for the Italian, he announces that the price of insurance requested by filmmakers is becoming prohibitive and that he must give up competition after this race.

Finally, I am very happy to see my old friend Nicholas Cole again. The same one that built my first Wookey. He has now joined in a few young engineers and on an inspiration from Brabham, he has built his own monohull for next season.