The story of the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, marked by Lella Lombardi’s historic achievement as the first woman to score points in Formula 1 and the tragedy that led to the death of four spectators.
April 27, 1975.
Does this date ring a bell? It’s challenging, but undoubtedly one of the most historic dates in the world of Formula 1. On one hand, there was joy, and on the other, tragedy: this is the paradox that afflicts the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, the last race held at the Montjuïc Circuit, in the eponymous park of the city of Barcelona.
A circuit that, being a street circuit, was certainly not known for its safety standards. As early as Wednesday, the drivers complained about the lack of safety of the guard rails: the protest was so intense that it led to a general strike, with the decision to boycott and not take part in the practice sessions. Only Jacky Ickx and Vittorio Brambilla decided to do a few laps: the organizers, with the help of the team mechanics, reassembled the guard rails to ensure the necessary safety.
Qualifying: Between Protests and Threats
On Saturday, some drivers, including Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Graham Hill, and Jean-Pierre Jarier, inspected the track on foot, still expressing concerns about safety. Despite a GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) meeting that announced their refusal to participate in the sessions, the CSI (Commission Sportive Internationale) managed to pressure the drivers into going on track. The threat of the Guardia Civil seizing the cars forced the drivers to participate in the sessions, which began at 4:00 PM. Niki Lauda took pole position, with Clay Regazzoni alongside him on the front row, while Emerson Fittipaldi chose to slowly complete the required three laps, then withdrew from the race.
The race, from tragedy to historic “pink” moments
The race immediately began with an incident involving the two Ferrari drivers, Lauda and Regazzoni, eliminating them from the competition: Mario Andretti hit Lauda’s car, which then crashed into Regazzoni’s, with both Ferraris out after just a few corners. James Hunt took advantage, leading ahead of Andretti and John Watson.
The chaos increased on the fourth lap when Jody Scheckter’s Tyrrell lost oil on the track, causing accidents for Alan Jones and Mark Donohue. Shortly after, Hunt also went off track on an oil slick, putting Andretti in the lead, followed by Watson and Rolf Stommelen. Andretti retired due to suspension problems, leaving Stommelen in the lead.
On lap 24, Ronnie Peterson had an accident during an overtaking maneuver, followed by tragedy two laps later: Stommelen’s car’s rear wing detached, causing a violent crash into the barriers. The accident resulted in the deaths of four spectators and injuries to Stommelen and six others off the track.
Lella Lombardi: A Moment of History
Amidst the tragedy, however, there was room for history. The race continued for another four laps before being definitively halted (becoming the shortest Formula 1 race in history, later surpassed by the 1991 Australian GP, with a total duration of 42 minutes, 53 seconds, and 700 milliseconds) and the final results were declared: Jochen Mass, starting from 11th, won,followed by Jacky Ickx and Carlos Reutemann on the podium.
The historic moment was a few positions back: Lella Lombardi finished in sixth place (starting from 24th), earning 0.5 points (instead of 1, due to not reaching 75% of the race distance) and becoming the only woman in Formula 1 history to have finished a race in the points..
Until 2003, Formula 1 awarded points only to the top six finishers, making it even more challenging for drivers from the back of the grid to score points.
The last record of the 1975 Spanish GP (still active today) is related to the podium: all top three finishers started outside the top 10, with Jochen Mass 11th (his only career victory), Jacky Ickx 16th, and Carlos Reutemann 15th.
A Grand Prix marked by history, tragedy, and heroism, with anecdotes and records still alive and a wound that remains difficult to heal for Spanish motorsport.
Final Results of the 1975 Spanish GP
- Jochen Mass (McLaren-Ford Cosworth)
- Jacky Ickx (Lotus-Ford Cosworth)
- Carlos Reutemann (Brabham-Ford Cosworth)
- Jean-Pierre Jarier (Shadow-Ford Cosworth)
- Vittorio Brambilla (March-Ford Cosworth)
- Lella Lombardi (March-Ford Cosworth)
Photo: X.com, P300, F1-photo.com