Monaco Grand Prix Formula 3 Race

Monte Carlo, 13 May 1972

All cars are 1.6-litre F3 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. GRD 372 (Andy Sutcliffe): Andy Sutcliffe drove so many GRD 372s in the early part of 1972, it will be very hard to be sure what he was driving without examining pictures from every race. He started the season in chassis 011-F3, but moved to a new car, chassis 024, in mid-April. After that car was reassigned to Jorge Pinhol, Sutcliffe had a third car at Thruxton on 30 April, and there is good reason to believe he had a fourth car in time for the Monaco GP. He is believed to have retained this latter car for the remainder of the season. It is likely that this is the "ex-Sutcliffe" GRD raced by Alan Jones at the Boxing Day Brands Hatch meeting, where it was fitted with a Vegantune. Dave Walker was on hand as team manager. Subsequent history unknown.
2. Brabham BT38C [18] (Allan McCully): New to Allan McCully and raced as part of the Australian International Racing Organisation (AIRO) in British F3 and some European events in 1972. The car was owned by Larry Sevitt's Tiran Auto Centre, which ran the AIRO F3 operation in the UK. Badly damaged on its debut at Silverstone in April but presumably repaired and the car driven by McCully at Monaco in mid-May. Then raced by Bill McGovern at Brands Hatch two weeks later, and crashed again, after which AIRO split up and McCully flew back to New Zealand. Irishman Damien Magee took over the drive, now entered by Tiran Auto Centre, and finished second at Brands Hatch and third at Thruxton in August. Sevitt was planning to test Ian Taylor and Barrie Maskell in August, but Magee retained the drive until the end of October. The "ex-Magee" car was advertised with Novamotor engine from a Tunbridge Wells number in January 1973. This would presumably be the "ex Magee" BT38C of Leif Spalding in Swedish F3 in 1973. Then with Thorbjörn Carlsson in 1975 and 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
3. GRD 372 [021-F3] (Pierre-François Rousselot): Entered by GRS International for Pierre-François Rousselot and raced extensively in British F3 in 1972, using Novamotor and later Holbay engines, and sponsored by Gitanes. Raced by Neil Ginn at one early-1973 race, then entered by DART Racing with GRD for Pedro Passadore, who raced it in Britain from April to June 1973, when he moved to a newer GRD 373. The subsequent history of the 372 is unknown. This car was next seen when it was restored by Peter Denty in 1995. It was owned at that time by Kevin Buley, who had acquired the car from Chris Alford in 1994. Its FIA HTP gives its later owners as: Rolf Spiekermann (Germany ) 1997, Immo Nestrowitz (Germany) 1998, Dave Brien and Mark de Paola (California) 2002, Earl Roberts (Virgina) 2004, and Mike Knittel (Pennsylvania) 2021. It was then sold in 2023 to Matthew Christ (Amherst, NH).
4. GRD 372 (Roger Williamson): After struggling with his March 723 in British F3 early in 1973, Roger Williamson swapped to a GRD 372 in mid-April. The car was provided by his sponsor Tom Wheatcroft, and the car he first raced was described as the development model when Williamson tested it briefly at Snetterton. Autosport said he drove the development car on his GRD debut at Silverstone's International Trophy, but Motoring News noticed that GRD had managed to produce his new car ahead of schedule. With mechanics Eric Hassel and Nick Jordan, and using Holbay engines, Williamson won on his debut in the car. He also raced the new car at Monaco, but flew back to race the "original GRD prototype previously raced by Sutcliffe" at Silverstone the next day. At Oulton Park in August he had a huge accident in practice, so the team built up the ex-Sutcliffe prototype for him to race. Presumably he raced the prototype at the next two races, over that same Bank Holiday weekend, before returning to his regular car for the races in September and October. He won ten races in total to take the BRSCC/Shell F3 title. The car was then sold to Norman Moffett (Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland) who raced it in British F3 through 1973. It was advertised by Moffets Car Sales (Belfast, Northern Ireland) in December 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
5. Brabham BT38C [14] (Ulf Svensson): New to Ulf Svensson for European F3 in 1972, using Holbay engines and sponsored by Team Mum for Men. According to Magnus Haggstam, this car went to Lasse Karlsson for 1973 and raced by him in F3 until at least 1975. Then to Kaal Wirgin in 1976, and raced by him Swedish Formula 3 Championship races in 1977 and 1978, before he acquired a newer Argo. The car was next seen in 2000, when it was acquired by Carsten Frimodt (Denmark). It was restored to F2 specification with an 1860cc engine and was raced by Frimodt in Sweden in 2006 and 2007. Frimodt sold it to another Dane who sold it to Dr Sami Hamid (Vienna, Austria) in 2010. It was restored for him by Marcel Biehl of Biehl Racing (Moenchengladbach, Germany) to proper F3 specification. It was sold to John Albiston (Elgin, Scotland) in 2018, who modified it to Formula Atlantic specification and used to win the Scottish Historic Hillclimb and Sprint Championship in 2019 and 2020.
6. March 713M (James Hunt): An unidentified March 713M run in F3 in 1972 by Chris Marshall of Sloan Marshall Garage as Equipe La Vie Claire Internationale. Raced at first by Jean-Claude Alzérat, but taken over at the Monaco GP by James Hunt, who had fallen out with the March F3 team. Raced by Jean-Pierre Jarier later in the season, and also by Dave Brodie at a couple of races. Sold to David Jackson for 1973, and fitted with a 1-litre Novamotor engine for Formula 4. Then likely to be the "ex-Hunt" 713M raced by Ronnie Griffiths in Formula 4 in 1974.
7. GRD 372 [024-F3] (Jorge Pinhol): Entered by GRS International for Andy Sutcliffe for a few races in British F3 in April 1972, using Holbay engines. Then entered for young Portuguese driver Jorge Pinhol for the rest of the season, but he often failed to appear and may have only been at eight races, starting as few as three. Pinhol's car had been announced in early February, but he did not appear until the end of April. His last definite appearance was at Thruxon on 6 August but his entries continued until the start of October. The car was then run for Formula Ford star Johnny Gerber as an Ippokampos Racing entry but run by GRS International at Brands Hatch on 22 October 1972. The ex-Pinhol car went to Roger Craven (Lincoln) for British F3 in 1973, using RES and Vegantune engines. Also used by Craven very successfully in libre racing that season. It was advertised by Craven's entrant, L & K Racing Team (Lincoln) with a Neil Brown engine in November 1973 and from the same Lincoln telephone numbers in February 1974. Subsequent history unknown.
8. Brabham BT38C [12] (Alan Jones): New to Alan Jones and raced as part of the Australian International Racing Organisation in British F3 and some European events in 1972. Although entered by AIRO, Jones' Brabham was owned by Larry Sevitt and all three AIRO cars were run by Sevitt's Tiran Auto Centre. The AIRO deal collapsed in June and Jones bought a GRD instead. In October, Jones' BT38C reappeared entered by Sevitt and raced a couple of times by London wheeler-dealer John MacDonald. Subsequent history unknown.
9. Lotus 69 [71/69.10.F3] (Lella Lombardi): New to Manizio Levi and raced in Italian F3 in 1971, using Ford engines and entered by Scuderia Meneghina. To Lella Lombardi for Italian F3 in 1972, using Novamotor engines and entered by Jolly Club Milano. Subsequent history unknown.
10. March 723 [15] (Patrice Compain): To Hugues de Chaunac (Paris) and entered for Patrice Compain in F3 in 1972. Advertised by de Chaunac in November and December 1972. Subsequent history unknown.
11. Brabham BT38C (Tony Brise): New to Tony Brise (Dartford, Kent) and raced in British F3 in 1972 using Holbay engines. Crashed in testing after just one race, and rebuilt on a Formula 2 monocoque. Won at Oulton Park in April, and at Brands Hatch in August, before Brise replaced it with a GRD 372. It was noted to be not wearing a chassis plate, but its very early appearance suggests it was BT38C/13. The car was sold to Edgar Richoz in Switzerland in time for the 1973 season, and fitted with an 1000cc engine for the 1000cc class of the Swiss national championship. After just a few races, Richoz retired from racing to take over the family business. It would appear that the car was run for other drivers over the next few seasons, as Chris Townsend's research shows Florian Arlettaz of Orsières driving a 1-litre Brabham BT38 from 1974 to 1976, then Serge Favez, also of Orsières, driving a BT38 in 1977 and later Gaston Zen-Ruffinen with a BT38 in 1981. The BT38C evidently remained with Richoz, as it was offered at auction "from the Richoz Collection" by RM Sothebys in July 2020. At the time of the auction, the car was fitted with a 1000cc "Ford Anglia" engine with single downdraft Weber carburetor, implying an ex-F3 MAE engine.
12. March 723 (Stan Mathews): New to Stan Mathews for F3 in 1972 but Mathews almost immediately ordered an Ensign instead. The March 723 was sold in September to F4 driver Nick Crossley who used it in F3 at the end of the 1972 season. Then retained by Crossley as a spare car for his team of new March 733s in 1973, and retained again for 1974. Crossley recalls converting it to take a BDA engine for libre racing at some point, and he kept it again for 1975. Sold for 1976 to John Day to use in libre racing.
13. Royale RP11 [1] (Tom Pryce): Works F3 car entered by D.J. Bond Engineering for Tom Pryce and for Bev Bond at several races very late in the 1971 British F3 season. Raced by Tom Pryce in 1972 but wrecked at Monaco, which left Pryce with a broken leg. A new car was built up for Pryce but this prototype was evidently rebuilt because David Betts was racing this car in hillclimbs in 1973 and 1974. It next appeared in June 1977 when Don Manley (Brighton, Sussex) was having it converted to F4 specification, then a couple of years later with Rupert West in 1979, and when advertised by Bobby Howlings' AMCO in 1980. In May 1987, the prototype was with M J Youles (Smallfield, Surrey) who had almost completed its restoration, with the intention of racing it in the BRSCC Libre Championship. It was sold to Georges Blatter (Switzerland) in 1988, then to Jurgen Schemel (Germany) in 1990. In October 2015, the car was sold to Martin Feldmann (Germany).
14. Merlyn Mk 21 [318/F3/71?] (Peter Lamplough): Built for Jean-Pierre Cassegrain to race as a works entry in Formula 3 in 1971 but his finance fell through, and Jody Scheckter took over the drive. Scheckter won at Oulton Park in August, Thruxton in September, and Mallory Park in October. The car was retained by the works for 1972, when Peter Lamplough took over the drive, but exactly how he used the factory's new "Mk 22" and the older ex-Scheckter Mk 21 is unclear. This is believed to be the car badly damaged in Lamplough's accident at Monaco in May 1972.
15. Brabham BT38C [11] (Peter Hull): New to Peter Hull for British F3 and selected European events in 1972, using Vegantune engines and sponsored by The Motor Auctions London and Derby. Its history after 1972 is a puzzle as Hull recalls selling it to Jimmy Fuller but Fuller's car in 1973 was described as being the former Chris O'Brien car. Subsequent history unknown.
16. March 713M [9] (Philippe de Henning): New to Brendan McInerney as part of the new Team Rose Bearings with Baty Group team run by Chris Marshall. Also raced once by teammate James Hunt when his own car was being repaired. Retained by Marshall's Sloan Marshall Garages for 1972 and run under the Equipe La Vie Claire Internationale banner for French drivers. Identified by the Formula One Register as the car raced by Philippe de Henning. This car is unknown after October 1972 until early 1975, when it was in Falconer bodywork and being raced in Formula 4 by Jim Burrows (Ilford, Greater London). He sold it to Lew Wright (Godalming, Surrey) for 1976 and 1977. Wright sold it to Paul Tickner, who raced it for some years until it was sold in to the historic racing fraternity and consumed in the construction of a new March 712M.
17. Brabham BT38C (Brian McGuire): New to Australian International Racing Organisation (AIRO) and raced by Brian McGuire in British F3 in 1972 using Vegantune and later RES engines. AIRO went their separate ways in June, and McGuire continued running his own car with support from Tiran Auto Centre. Clive Santo raced the car once at Brands Hatch in July, as McGuire was getting married in Norway, Jody Scheckter have passed up on the drive after testing the car at Brands. In September, McGuire ran out of budget and put the BT38C up for sale. To Geoff Lambert (Burnley, Lancashire) for 1973 and used in libre events in the north of England, and in a single F3 race at Croft in August 1973. Lambert returned with the car at the start of 1974, winning the 1600cc racing class in a sprint at Longridge in April 1974, but was not seen again after that. The car was orange during Lambert's ownership.
18. Brabham BT35 ["30"] (Adelmo Bignami): Adelmo Bignami (Italy) raced a Brabham BT35 in Italian F3 in 1972, entered by Scuderia Italia. This is presumably the car raced by Piergiovanni Tenani for Scuderia Italia once at Monza at the end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
19. GRD 372 [026-F3] (Adelmo Fossati): New to Marcello Gallo for Italian F3 in 1972, but raced by various drivers that season, usually entered by Scuderia Delta Corse. It appeared again in 1973, again for various drivers. It was next seen in 1975 when it was described as a 373 and entered by Comete Racing Team for Giancarlo Comazzi to drive. Raced by Duilio Ghislotti in 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
20. GRD 372 [017-F3] (Hans-Peter Hoffmann): New to Hans-Peter Hoffmann (Burgdorf, Switzerland) and raced in Swiss, German and French F3 races in 1972. Retained for 1973, when he raced it in F3 events in Germany, Britain, Italy and France. Subsequent history unknown.
21. Chevron B17 [17.70.09] (Carlo Scarambone): New to Carlo Scarambone (Italy) and raced in Italian F3 in 1971, initially with a Novamotor Ford twin cam and later using an Alfa Romeo engine. Retained for 1972 but Scarambone was rarely able to qualify for race finals that season. Subsequent history unknown.
22. Royale RP11 [2] (Val Musetti): New for Val Musetti (Twickenham) and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973 until "written off" in an accident the week before the race at Oulton Park 20 April 1973. Musetti then took over the Reystan Racing Royale RP11A from Andy Sutcliffe, and future references to an ex-Musetti Royale would be to that car.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.