Jochen Rindt made it four wins in a row after a close contest with Jacky Ickx at Hockenheim. Ferrari supplied a serious challenge, but the Lotus 72 had just enough speed to prevail by seven-tenths of a second, with Denny Hulme completing the podium.
Race Guide
Season: 1970 F1 World Championship
Race date: 2 August 1970
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Hockenheimring
Laps: 50 laps
Circuit length: 6.790 km
1969 winner: Jacky Ickx
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 1:59.5 | |
| Fastest lap | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 2:00.500 on lap 49 | |
| First | Jochen Rindt | Lotus |
| Second | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari |
| Third | Denny Hulme | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 31 July 1970 | Friday timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 1 August 1970 | Saturday first timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 1 August 1970 | Saturday final qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 2 August 1970 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Jochen Rindt arrived at round 8 leading the 1970 F1 World Championship on 36 points, with Jack Brabham on 25. Lotus – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 41 points.
Race entries
The German Grand Prix moved to Hockenheim after the drivers demanded safety improvements at the Nürburgring. Ferrari paired Ickx with Regazzoni, Lotus brought a new 72 for Miles, and Fittipaldi continued in the older 49. Gethin joined Hulme at McLaren, while local entrant Hahne attempted to qualify a March.
Friday timed practice
Regazzoni established the first serious benchmark on a circuit new to the championship. His 1:59.8 suggested that the two-minute barrier would separate the front-runners from the rest. Ferrari had brought three cars, but engine and gearbox problems complicated its preparations. The long straights rewarded the twelve-cylinder cars and the efficient Lotus 72, giving the more conventional Cosworth-powered opposition a difficult target.
Saturday first timed practice
Rindt responded with a 1:59.7, moving the Lotus ahead of Regazzoni’s Friday time. With no previous Formula One race at Hockenheim to provide a direct comparison, each improvement helped define the new circuit’s competitive level. Ferrari remained the principal threat, while Stewart’s March was unable to join the fight for the front row.
Saturday final qualifying
Ickx improved to 1:59.5 to claim pole ahead of Rindt and Regazzoni. They were the only three drivers below two minutes. Siffert was credited with 2:00.0, although contemporary observers questioned that timing. Stewart qualified seventh, and Hahne missed the race. Ferrari’s speed set up the prospect of another close contest with the championship-leading Lotus.
Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s best eligible practice lap determined the qualifying order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 1:59.5 |
| 2 | 2 | Jochen Rindt | Lotus | 1:59.7 |
| 3 | 15 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 1:59.8 |
| 4 | 12 | Jo Siffert | March | 2:00.0 |
| 5 | 14 | Henri Pescarolo | Matra | 2:00.5 |
| 6 | 5 | Chris Amon | March | 2:00.9 |
| 7 | 1 | Jackie Stewart | March | 2:01.0 |
| 8 | 6 | Pedro Rodríguez | BRM | 2:01.1 |
| 9 | 11 | Mario Andretti | March | 2:01.5 |
| 10 | 16 | John Miles | Lotus | 2:01.6 |
| 11 | 21 | Rolf Stommelen | Brabham | 2:01.6 |
| 12 | 3 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 2:02.0 |
| 13 | 17 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus | 2:02.0 |
| 14 | 23 | François Cevert | March | 2:02.1 |
| 15 | 7 | John Surtees | Surtees | 2:02.1 |
| 16 | 4 | Denny Hulme | McLaren | 2:02.1 |
| 17 | 24 | Peter Gethin | McLaren | 2:02.2 |
| 18 | 18 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 2:02.3 |
| 19 | 22 | Ronnie Peterson | March | 2:02.4 |
| DNQ | 25 | Brian Redman | De Tomaso | 2:02.7 |
| 21 | 9 | Graham Hill | Lotus | 2:03.0 |
| DNQ | 20 | Andrea de Adamich | McLaren | 2:03.0 |
| 23 | 8 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 2:05.2 |
| DNQ | 27 | Silvio Moser | Bellasi | 2:06.2 |
| DNQ | 26 | Hubert Hahne | March | 2:07.1 |
What happened in the 1970 German Grand Prix?
Ickx and Rindt exchanged the lead as the race developed into a high-speed contest. Regazzoni joined the battle and briefly led himself, underlining Ferrari’s strength. A gearbox problem then caused him to spin out, leaving his team-mate to carry the challenge.
Rindt was able to use the Lotus’s straight-line speed to answer Ickx’s attacks. Their duel continued to the finish, where the Austrian won by just 0.7 seconds. Hulme took third, while Fittipaldi drove steadily through the attrition to finish fourth ahead of Pescarolo and Stommelen.
Stewart’s difficult weekend ended with engine trouble after an earlier gear-selection problem had sent him beyond one of the chicanes. Rindt’s fourth consecutive victory with the Lotus 72 strengthened his championship lead. It would also prove to be the final victory of his career.
After the race, Jochen Rindt headed the drivers’ standings with 45 points, followed by Jack Brabham on 25. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 50, with March – Ford on 33.
1970 German Grand Prix race results
The 1970 German Grand Prix was held on 2 August 1970.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Jochen Rindt | Lotus | 50 | 1:42:00.3 | 9 |
| 2 | 10 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 50 | + 0.7 | 6 |
| 3 | 4 | Denny Hulme | McLaren | 50 | + 1:21.8 | 4 |
| 4 | 17 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus | 50 | + 1:55.1 | 3 |
| 5 | 21 | Rolf Stommelen | Brabham | 49 | + 1 Lap | 2 |
| 6 | 14 | Henri Pescarolo | Matra | 49 | + 1 Lap | 1 |
| 7 | 23 | François Cevert | March | 49 | + 1 Lap | 0 |
| 8 | 12 | Jo Siffert | March | 47 | Ignition | 0 |
| 9 | 7 | John Surtees | Surtees | 46 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 9 | Graham Hill | Lotus | 37 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 5 | Chris Amon | March | 34 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 30 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | John Miles | Lotus | 24 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 1 | Jackie Stewart | March | 20 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 11 | Mario Andretti | March | 15 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Ronnie Peterson | March | 11 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 6 | Pedro Rodriguez | BRM | 7 | Ignition | 0 |
| Ret | 18 | Jackie Oliver | BRM | 5 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 3 | Jack Brabham | Brabham | 4 | Oil Leak | 0 |
| Ret | 8 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 4 | Suspension | 0 |
| Ret | 24 | Peter Gethin | McLaren | 3 | Throttle | 0 |
| DNQ | 25 | Brian Redman | De Tomaso | 0 | ||
| DNQ | 20 | Andrea de Adamich | McLaren | 0 | ||
| DNQ | 27 | Silvio Moser | Bellasi | 0 | ||
| DNQ | 26 | Hubert Hahne | March | 0 |
1970 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 49 | 2:00.500 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1970 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1970 German Grand Prix.
1970 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1970 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Ford | 50 |
| 2 | March – Ford | 33 |
| 3 | Brabham – Ford | 29 |
| 4 | McLaren – Ford | 27 |
| 5 | Ferrari | 16 |
| 6 | Matra | 16 |
| 7 | BRM | 10 |
| — | Surtees – Ford | 0 |
| — | De Tomaso – Ford | 0 |
| — | McLaren – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Bellasi – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best 6 results from rounds 1–7 and their best 5 from rounds 8–13. Only the highest-placed car for each constructor could score constructor points, with the same dropped-results limits applying.
1970 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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