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6th of March – Mario Andretti wins the 1971 South African Grand Prix at the wheel of a Ferrari, scoring his 1st victory in the Formula 1 World Championship. Andretti had been called in to replace the late Ignazio Giunti, who was killed in a horrible accident in the 1000 km race in Buenos Aires. The Italo-American qualified fourth on the grid and ran in the top six for the first half of the race. As the race was winding down, Andretti began to make his move on the leading McLaren of Denny Hulme. The New-Zealander was struggling with a problem and, with four laps to go, Andretti closed in on the leader and grabbed the lead. Question: Which problem cost Denny Hulme the almost certain race win?

2 thoughts on “40 years ago: Andretti’s first GP win

  1. Mario, I think I know the answer. With four laps to go, Hulme’s McLaren suffered a rear suspension issue, when a radius rod pulled out, forcing the 1967 World Champion to fall down to sixth in the final classification.
    BTW, I’ve got a question, too. Are P1 Mag’s staff members allowed to compete in these quizzes? If not, then just delete this comment.

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