Salutations All,
  The Italian Grand Prix 1971.
  ----------------------------
  Monza, September 5.
  It was effectively five corners joined by straights, and that rendered 
it almost impossible for a driver to make a break.
It was not rare to see ten cars battling for the lead. But of all the 
slipstreaming battles, the one that has passed into history as the most 
thrilling was that won by Peter Gethin in 1971. It was to be his only 
Grand Prix win.
  He had qualified 11th, the sort of grid position from which it is all
but impossible to win a race these days. But the field at Monza was so close:
he was just over a second from pole, which was occupied by Chris Amon's 
atra.
  Clay Regazzoni's Ferrari blasted through from the fourth row to lead at the 
end of the first lap. But there were no fewer than 15 cars nose-to-tail at 
the 
head of the field. Lap four saw the race gain its second leader, 
Ronnie Peterson's March drafting past the Ferrari around the back of the 
circuit. By the end of that lap Regazzoni was fourth, as Jackie Stewart's 
Tyrell and Jo Siffert's B.R.M. folowed Peterson through.
  Ronnie held the lead for four laps, but Stewart's team-mate Francois Cevert
had moved from tenth to fifth, helped by a multi-car tow. He headed 
Jacky Ickx's Ferrari, the B.R.M.'s of Howden Ganley and Gethin, and Amon now
back in ninth and with tyre trouble and rising engine temperatures. Still the
lead continued to change. Peterson took it back from Stewart who had been
displaced from second, first by Regazzoni, then by Cevert. There was nothing 
to chose between the first dozen, and whoever led at the back of the circuit 
never seemed to be in front when the cars reached the pits.
  Within two laps at quarter-distance, the race lost both Ferraris and
Stewart's Tyrell, all with engine problems. This caused the race to split
up. Peterson, Cevert and Mike Hailwood - up from 17th! - led, eight seconds
ahead of Ganley, Siffert and Amon, who were a small distance ahead of 
Jack Oliver and Gethin. Before long the pack began to close up. Hailwood led,
them Siffert at half-distance. Then Amon decided to make his move. After
sitting behind the first three - Peterson, Cevert and Hailwood - he
suddenly flew past them all into the lead on lap 27, with 18 to go. With
the Matra clearly fastest in a straight line, this looked as if it could be 
the race in which the New Zealander finally broke his duck.
  He still led with just seven laps to go, but then fate thwarted him
again. Trying to remove one of his tear-off visors, the whole visor came 
away. With his eyes unprotected, he had to drop back.
Gethin had closed on the tail of the leading pack. The crowd was on its feet
as Peterson led Cevert, Hailwood and Gethin into the last lap. Cevert took 
the lead at Lesmo, Gethin moved into third and then, approaching the looping 
Parabolica, made his final attempt passing Peterson on the grass and arriving 
at the corner too fast, with wheels locked up and smoking between an alarmed 
Peterson and Cevert, who moved over fearing contact. As they crossed 
the line, Gethin led Peterson, Cevert, Hailwood and Ganley, with all five 
covered by  0.61 sec., with Gethin winning by just 0.01 sec. It was the 
fastest Grand Prix in history.
Regards,                                    O  o//,.  /
Mark,                                         >;;;;;;<
Internet tallis@theclan.demon.co.uk  .....     '\\\'  \ 
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