1972 Italian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Emerson Fittipaldi became Formula One’s youngest World Champion with victory at Monza. The Brazilian’s fifth win of the season also secured the manufacturers’ crown for Lotus, while Mike Hailwood earned his first Formula One podium ahead of Denny Hulme.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari
Pole time	1:35.65
Fastest lap	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:36.300 on lap 44
First	Emerson Fittipaldi	Lotus
Second	Mike Hailwood	Surtees
Third	Denny Hulme	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
8 September 1972	Friday first timed practice	Afternoon
8 September 1972	Friday second timed practice	After the break; until early evening
9 September 1972	Saturday first timed practice	Afternoon
9 September 1972	Saturday final qualifying	Start time unconfirmed
10 September 1972	Sunday untimed practice	One hour; mid-morning
10 September 1972	Race	Start time unconfirmed

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Emerson Fittipaldi arrived at round 10 leading the 1972 F1 World Championship on 52 points, with Jackie Stewart on 27. Lotus – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 52 points.

Two new chicanes transformed Monza’s rhythm. Hard braking replaced some of its famous flat-out slipstreaming, making brake wear and acceleration particularly important. The first chicane was bypassed at the start to avoid sending the full field into its narrow opening together.

Race entries

Lotus ran only Fittipaldi after transport damage disrupted its preparations. Ferrari brought Ickx, Regazzoni and Andretti, while John Surtees returned to the cockpit to race the new TS14. Tecno entered Galli and Bell, but Bell and Pescarolo ultimately failed to qualify for the 25-car grid.

Friday first timed practice

Drivers explored the new braking limits, with frequent visits to the first chicane’s escape road. Andretti spun after clipping a kerb, Gethin rotated through the opening without contact and Fittipaldi repeatedly tested how late he could brake. Surtees liked the feel of the TS14, although its fuel system prevented consistent running.

Friday second timed practice

Falling temperatures helped lap times improve. Stewart led Hulme, with Ickx and Fittipaldi next, as drivers grew more familiar with the revised layout. Galli damaged the rear of the new Tecno, while Pace’s engine problems, Beuttler’s limited running and Bell’s handling difficulties left them near the bottom of the order.

Saturday first timed practice

Heat initially restricted improvements. Peterson crashed at the second chicane, leaving March with a major overnight repair, while Ganley’s weak engine frustrated otherwise committed driving. Hailwood showed encouraging speed, keeping close to leading rivals as Surtees sought a strong result.

Saturday final qualifying

Ickx and Amon claimed the front row as conditions cooled, displacing Stewart from pole. Revson escaped damage when a brake-system mounting failed and he used the escape road. The final running included several attempts to rehearse overtaking under braking, underlining how different racing through the new chicanes would be.

Qualifying Classification

Each driver’s best eligible practice lap determined the qualifying order.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Best Time
1	4	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	1:35.65
2	20	Chris Amon	Matra	1:35.690
3	1	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell	1:35.790
4	5	Clay Regazzoni	Ferrari	1:35.830
5	14	Denny Hulme	McLaren	1:35.970
6	6	Emerson Fittipaldi	Lotus	1:36.290
7	3	Mario Andretti	Ferrari	1:36.320
8	15	Peter Revson	McLaren	1:36.420
9	10	Mike Hailwood	Surtees	1:36.500
10	24	Reine Wisell	BRM	1:36.680
11	30	Carlos Reutemann	Brabham	1:37.120
12	23	Peter Gethin	BRM	1:37.210
13	28	Graham Hill	Brabham	1:37.610
14	2	François Cevert	Tyrrell	1:37.790
15	29	Wilson Fittipaldi	Brabham	1:37.820
16	21	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	BRM	1:37.860
17	22	Howden Ganley	BRM	1:37.910
18	26	Carlos Pace	March	1:37.980
19	7	John Surtees	Surtees	1:38.310
20	18	Niki Lauda	March	1:38.520
21	9	Andrea de Adamich	Surtees	1:38.600
22	8	Tim Schenken	Surtees	1:38.610
23	11	Nanni Galli	Tecno	1:38.640
24	19	Ronnie Peterson	March	1:38.700
25	16	Mike Beuttler	March	1:39.730
26	25	Henri Pescarolo	March	1:40.210
27	12	Derek Bell	Tecno	1:42.070

Sunday untimed practice

Overnight rain left damp patches around the circuit. Pace damaged his March at Lesmo, requiring parts from Pescarolo’s non-qualifying car. Peterson’s rebuilt March was ready but still handled imperfectly, and Lotus later had to replace a leaking fuel bag shortly before the start.

What happened in the 1972 Italian Grand Prix?

Stewart’s Tyrrell failed almost immediately, while Ickx led a Ferrari challenge that initially included Regazzoni and Andretti. Regazzoni briefly took over before colliding with Pace at the second chicane and retiring. Fittipaldi stayed close to Ickx, with Amon and Hailwood also in contention.

Amon’s brakes failed after heavy pad wear, removing the Matra from the leading battle. Hailwood continued strongly despite losing his engine airbox. Ickx then suffered an electrical failure, allowing Fittipaldi to take the lead with the championship within reach.

Fittipaldi managed the final laps to secure victory and the title at 25. Hailwood finished second for Surtees, followed by Hulme, Revson, Hill and Gethin. John Surtees retired from what proved to be his final World Championship start, while Lotus celebrated both championships.

After the race, Emerson Fittipaldi headed the drivers’ standings with 61 points, followed by Denny Hulme on 31. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 61, with McLaren – Ford on 39.

1972 Italian Grand Prix race results

The 1972 Italian Grand Prix was held on 10 September 1972.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	6	Emerson Fittipaldi	Lotus	55	1:29:58.4	9
2	10	Mike Hailwood	Surtees	55	+ 14.5	6
3	14	Denny Hulme	McLaren	55	+ 23.8	4
4	15	Peter Revson	McLaren	55	+ 35.7	3
5	28	Graham Hill	Brabham	55	+ 1:05.6	2
6	23	Peter Gethin	BRM	55	+ 1:21.9	1
7	3	Mario Andretti	Ferrari	54	+ 1 Lap	0
8	21	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	BRM	54	+ 1 Lap	0
9	19	Ronnie Peterson	March	54	+ 1 Lap	0
10	16	Mike Beuttler	March	54	+ 1 Lap	0
11	22	Howden Ganley	BRM	52	+ 3 Laps	0
12	24	Reine Wisell	BRM	51	+ 4 Laps	0
13	18	Niki Lauda	March	50	+ 5 Laps	0
Ret	4	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	46	Electrical	0
Ret	20	Chris Amon	Matra	38	Brakes	0
Ret	9	Andrea de Adamich	Surtees	33	Brakes	0
Ret	29	Wilson Fittipaldi	Brabham	20	Suspension	0
Ret	7	John Surtees	Surtees	20	Fuel System	0
Ret	8	Tim Schenken	Surtees	20	Spun Off	0
Ret	5	Clay Regazzoni	Ferrari	16	Collision	0
Ret	26	Carlos Pace	March	15	Collision	0
Ret	30	Carlos Reutemann	Brabham	14	Suspension	0
Ret	2	François Cevert	Tyrrell	14	Engine	0
Ret	11	Nanni Galli	Tecno	6	Engine	0
Ret	1	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell	0	Clutch	0
DNQ	25	Henri Pescarolo	March			0
DNQ	12	Derek Bell	Tecno			0

1972 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	4	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	44	1:36.300

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

1972 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1972 Italian Grand Prix.

1972 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Emerson Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Lotus	61
2	Denny Hulme	New Zealander	McLaren	31
3	Jackie Stewart	British	Tyrrell	27
4	Jacky Ickx	Belgian	Ferrari	25
5	Peter Revson	American	McLaren	17
6	Clay Regazzoni	Swiss	Ferrari	13
7	Mike Hailwood	British	Surtees	13
8	Chris Amon	New Zealander	Matra	11
9	Jean-Pierre Beltoise	French	BRM	9
10	François Cevert	French	Tyrrell	9
11	Ronnie Peterson	Swedish	March	9
12	Howden Ganley	New Zealander	BRM	4
13	Brian Redman	British	McLaren	4
14	Graham Hill	British	Brabham	4
15	Andrea de Adamich	Italian	Surtees	3
16	Mario Andretti	American	Ferrari	3
17	Carlos Pace	Brazilian	March	3
18	Tim Schenken	Australian	Surtees	2
19	Arturo Merzario	Italian	Ferrari	1
20	Peter Gethin	British	BRM	1
–	Wilson Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Brabham	0
–	Carlos Reutemann	Argentine	Brabham	0
–	Niki Lauda	Austrian	March	0
–	Helmut Marko	Austrian	BRM	0
–	Mike Beuttler	British	March	0
–	Henri Pescarolo	French	March / Politoys	0
–	David Walker	Australian	Lotus	0
–	Rolf Stommelen	German	March	0
–	Reine Wisell	Swedish	BRM	0
–	Nanni Galli	Italian	Tecno / Ferrari	0
–	John Love	Rhodesian	Surtees	0
–	John Surtees	British	Surtees	0
–	Patrick Depailler	French	Tyrrell	0
–	Jackie Oliver	British	BRM	0
–	Alex Soler-Roig	Spanish	BRM	0
–	François Migault	French	Connew	0
–	Dave Charlton	South African	Lotus	0
–	Derek Bell	British	Tecno	0

1972 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Lotus – Ford	61
2	McLaren – Ford	39
3	Tyrrell – Ford	33
4	Ferrari	29
5	Surtees – Ford	18
6	BRM	14
7	March – Ford	12
8	Matra	11
9	Brabham – Ford	4
—	Eifelland – Ford	0
—	Tecno	0
—	Politoys – Ford	0
—	Connew – Ford	0

Drivers counted their best 5 results from rounds 1–6 and their best 5 from rounds 7–12. Only the highest-placed car for each constructor could score constructor points, with the same dropped-results limits applying.

1972 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1972 Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires	23 January
2	1972 South African Grand Prix	Kyalami, Midrand	4 March
3	1972 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuito del Jarama, San Sebastián de los Reyes	1 May
4	1972 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	14 May
5	1972 Belgian Grand Prix	Nivelles-Baulers, Nivelles	4 June
6	1972 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Charade, Clermont-Ferrand	2 July
7	1972 British Grand Prix	Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown	15 July
8	1972 German Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	30 July
9	1972 Austrian Grand Prix	Österreichring, Spielberg	13 August
10	1972 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	10 September
11	1972 Canadian Grand Prix	Mosport Park, Bowmanville	24 September
12	1972 United States Grand Prix	Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York	8 October