Formula 2 1974

The combination of the fuel crisis and the dominance of the 1973 season by the March-BMW combination led to a major turnover of teams and constructors in 1974.

March sold 18 of the new March 742s and ran another two in a works team of Patrick Depailler and Hans Stuck. However, the gap between the specification of the 742s used works team and that made available to customers caused friction. The most effective of the March customers was Jacques Laffite, whose car was engineered by Tico Martini. The closest competitors to March were the Alpine A367 (known as the Elf 2) from France, and the Chevron B27 and Surtees TS15A from Britain, both of which were only minor upgrades to the previous season's cars. Rondel, Brabham, Lotus, Pygmée and Royale all dropped out of F2. Although GRD produced a car, it turned out to be a one-off and the customer was left largely to his own devices in terms of development.

All the March 742s came equipped with exclusive works BMW engines but Schnitzer also had very effective BMW powerplans, and these were used by Alpine, Ron Dennis's Ecuador Marlboro Team Surtees TS15As, Team Baty in a works-assisted Chevron B27, and Team Pierre Robert in an old GRD 273. Team Harper transplanted the works BMW engines from their March 742s into Chevron B27s, and the works Surtees team also acquired a supply of works BMWs. The alloy Hart engine was in full retreat, the only notable users being Surtees at the start of the season, Bertil Roos in a Chevron B27 owned by Fred Opert, and the GRD 274.

The races

24 Mar 1974 > Gran Premio de Barcelona at Montjuich Park

07 Apr 1974 > Jim Clark Memorial Trophäe at Hockenheim

05 May 1974 > Grand Prix de Pau

02 Jun 1974 > Preis von Salzburg at Salzburgring

09 Jun 1974 > Rhein-Pokalrennen at Hockenheim

30 Jun 1974 > Grand Prix de Rouen at Rouen-les-Essarts

14 Jul 1974 > Gran Premio di Mugello

11 Aug 1974 > Kanonloppet at Karlskoga

25 Aug 1974 > Gran Premio del Mediterraneo at Enna-Pergusa

22 Sep 1974 > Grand Prix de Nogaro

29 Sep 1974 > Preis von Baden-Wurttemberg at Hockenheim

13 Oct 1974 > Gran Premio di Roma at Vallelunga

European F2 Championship events shown in bold

1974 European F2 Championship table

Previous: the 1973 season