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This year, Alfa Romeo entered Formula 1 supplying the twelve-cylinder boxer engines from its World Championship-winning 33 TT12 to the British team Brabham. Sponsored by Martini and Rossi with substantial financial support, the operation was primarily driven by advertising and commercial purposes. This meant that the Milanese team had to abandon its rally and sportscar program. Following four races in Brazil, South Africa, the United States, and Spain, the initiative's outcome was decidedly disappointing, failing both in terms of results and the Brabham-Alfa Romeo agreement itself. The double placing of Reutemann and Pace at Jarama should not be misleading: the cars of the Argentinean and the Brazilian compete at a pace far inferior to that of Ferrari, McLaren or Nilsson's Lotus, and only the gradual withdrawal of numerous drivers allowed the two Brabham-Alfa Romeo drivers to collect their first points of the season. A solid performance, but still far from an adequate level of competitiveness - too far to challenge Ferrari or secure a win, a feat that Alfa Romeo President Cortesi had already anticipated with reckless optimism in South Africa. Despite official denials, relations between Alfa Romeo and Brabham continue to be strained. Ecclestone, who had provided numerous services to Alfa, allegedly suggested that the cars’ modest performance was entirely the engine's fault. He claimed the Italian technicians were utterly confused and, furthermore, that the supplied twelve-cylinder boxer engine failed to meet the required three-liter displacement. It was an amenity, but it was also very harmful, providing Alfa and Martini with a positive advertising image. A rumour surfaced in Spain, confirming the existing tension and mistrust between Alfa Romeo and Brabham. Autodelta's president reportedly ordered Ecclestone to immediately pay 180 million in invoices for engine supplies and revisions. However, the British manager attempted to take time, claiming that the Grand Prix earnings to date had been insufficient.
It is a painful situation, to say the least, which Martini may yet resolve. Therefore, on Friday, May 7, 1976, a meeting is held in Milan, bringing together Vincenzo Moro and Mazzi (Alfa Romeo), Carlo Chiti (Autodelta), Bernie Ecclestone (Brabham), and Nicolò di Suni (Martini & Rossi). Moro is the first to speak, informing Ecclestone that the Brabham-Autodelta partnership can continue only if the British manager retracts his letter of April 15, 1976. Moro further states that he will not tolerate any suggestion that Autodelta’s actions have been misleading. Ecclestone therefore apologizes but notes that the content of his letter absolutely does not carry the meaning being attributed to it. Having secured the clarification, Ecclestone immediately points out that the terms of the collaboration have to be revised, demanding further financial aid. Moro and Chiti do not commit to the British manager but take note of his requests. The same evening, upon returning to London, Ecclestone writes a second letter of apology. Thus, on May 10, 1976, Suni informs Moro and Chiti that the Martini & Rossi sponsorship will continue in 1977, immediately paying the 100,000 dollar prize to facilitate the Brabham-Autodelta relationship. On Wednesday, May 12, 1976, at 10:00 a.m., Bernie Ecclestone calls Vincenzo Moro from London. The British manager states that he has to write a letter detailing the reasons behind his April 15, 1975, letter. However, he adds that he prefers not to send it in order to foster the new climate of harmony, particularly given Alfa Romeo's and Autodelta's efforts in dealing with financial difficulties. Afterwards, Ecclestone’s attempts to revise the May 7, 1976 agreement are rejected by Moro. This leads the British manager to immediately write a letter where he emphasizes the following:
"Had I believed we were merely customers buying racing engines, in the same way we might have bought a Ford DFV, I would have strongly disapproved... I had no doubt that our relationship was different from that between normal customers and was truly collaborative".
After this further letter, there will be a new confrontation, but however the season ends, one basic observation remains: in Milan there is no one who really knows how to set a wise sports policy. For Alfa Romeo and its fans this is a great problem. No change in the current situation is foreseen ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday, May 16, 1976. The race will be held at the winding Zolder circuit, which is particularly suited to the Ferrari 312 T2's characteristics. It is a 'global car,' as Enzo Ferrari terms it - valid on every type of track, but certainly more competitive on winding circuits.
An additional advantage for Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni, who will participate in this fifth race of the season with slightly different intentions. The reigning World Champion is first in the standings with thirty-three points, against Depailler's ten and Regazzoni's nine. Lauda, who may not yet be at his peak, only needs to drive a defensive race. His goal should be securing a positive result, not necessarily striving for success. The Swiss driver, who still holds onto hope in the title fight, must attack and aim for a repeat of his United States Grand Prix feat. Lauda returns after two weeks of care and rest, having foregone the usual Fiorano tests on the cars destined for the Belgian Grand Prix. This rest was crucial for him to recover from the physical strain of the previous Grand Prix at Jarama. On the Madrid circuit, the Austrian displayed a combination of intelligence and a Tazio Nuvolari-like heart and courage. However, this performance subjected his body to terrible stress. The latest news is comforting: Niki is doing well, and his ribs are fine. However, he still experiences some numbness in his right arm. In essence, Lauda is not yet fully recovered. One thing is for sure: Niki's commitment and determination will be absolute. Niki Lauda has not given up the fight for the 1976 World Championship, and neither has Ferrari.
"For heaven's sake, it is necessary to work as much and more than before. There are still too many races left to run, resting on our laurels would be the most serious mistake".
Even other drivers do not believe that Lauda has already won the world title; for example, Emerson Fittipaldi says that Niki has a good advantage, but that in a Grand Prix, as in all races, nothing is ever settled in advance.
"In 1973, at this same point in the year, I was more or less in Lauda's position. I had a great margin over Stewart, as Niki has over Depailler and Regazzoni, and I could consider myself quite comfortable. Then everything changed: three or four races went badly, and ultimately, the victory went to Jackie".
The World Championship standings is affected by the events in Madrid. In Spain James Hunt, with his McLaren, preceded Lauda's Ferrari, but was disqualified for technical irregularities. The Spanish court, composed of racing technicians and Spanish motorsport authorities, confirmed the decision to exclude James Hunt and his McLaren from the Spanish Grand Prix results. Despite the hard work of Spanish lawyer Garrigues, the case was lost from the outset. Garrigues, Hunt, and Mayer were unable to provide any evidence other than a simple declaration that the eighteen extra millimeters found in the car's maximum width had no influence on performance. Also heard during the debate were engineer Harvey Postlethwaite (Walter Wolf Racing); Peter Jowett (F.1.C.A.); Alex Soler Roig, a former Spanish Formula 1 driver; and one of the engineers from the Real Automóvil Club de España who was present during the measurements. The authorities and stewards present included Count Villapadierna (President of the Spanish Automobile Sports Federation), Miguel Arnaun (Vice-President), and Rafael Varcarcel (Secretary). In the end, recognizing the lost cause, the lawyer, in agreement with Teddy Mayer, withdrew the lawsuit. At this point, if the British sporting authorities grant consent, Mayer can still turn to the Court of Appeal in Paris and appeal to the International Automobile Federation. However, given that Mayer himself admitted the car’s illegality, it is unclear how he can hope for a reversal of the situation. There remains one hypothesis: that all drivers who finished behind Hunt will be assigned only the points obtained from their original placement, without factoring in the Englishman's disqualification. Mayer, though disappointed by the disqualification, is meticulous about the details and immediately instructs his mechanics to refit the car. Therefore, the oil radiator - which was relocated next to the water radiator on the car's right side following the new Spanish Grand Prix rules - is moved back to its original position under the rear wing. This modification takes place on Friday, between the first and second practice session. This, however, creates a huge difference compared to the previous setup, as the rear wing is now only 2.54 centimeters from the oil radiator. The resulting imbalances are complex and will not be fully understood by the McLaren mechanics in the short term.
In the meantime, Ferrari has been winning Grand Prix races one after the other since last September, including the Italian and U.S. Grands Prix in 1975, followed by Brazil, South Africa, US West, and Spain in 1976. It's been a sensational run, with Niki Lauda, Clay Regazzoni and the Maranello cars - first the 312 T and now the 312 T2 - as protagonists. Lauda won in Brazil, South Africa, and Spain, while Regazzoni took the victory in the US West Grand Prix. Which of the two will win on Sunday in the Belgian Grand Prix on the Zolder track? Lauda is recovering from the injuries sustained in the now famous accident with the tractor and from the terrible effort he underwent to race in Madrid, and is now close to his best physical form. He will run to win, as always, but without worries and with the serenity of those who can be satisfied with a solid placing. Regazzoni, on the other hand, needs a win: the Swiss driver alternates highs and lows, and who knows, in Zolder he may find himself again. The foundation for both drivers' chances rests on the team's organization and the 312 T2. At the Jarama circuit, this car proved it could continue the winning tradition of its predecessor. The T2, as is well known, fully complies with the rules of the Formula 1 regulations that came into force in Spain, preserving the winning characteristics of the T. However, Lauda and Regazzoni definitely aren't taking it easy. They know very well that the British teams want to do anything to impose themselves and break this magical run. Mauro Forghieri is notably absent from Zolder; the head of Ferrari’s experimental department has traveled to Nardò in Apulia, Italy. There, Ferrari is conducting tests to fine-tune the 312 T2. The goal is to make the De Dion bridge system usable on the front of the car, not just the rear. If Goodyear delivers the promised special tyres, it's not impossible that the T2 with the integral De Dion system could debut soon. The most prominent rivals are Hunt, Depailler in the six-wheel Tyrrell, and Brambilla with the March, but also Lotus, Ligier and Brabham-Alfa Romeo. Following the Madrid controversy and the disqualification of Hunt and McLaren, the likelihood of cheating or judgment errors should be significantly reduced. On Friday, May 14, 1976, the technical checks are scheduled, followed by the first two and a half hours of official practice for the Grand Prix. The stewards of the International Sporting Commission are promising severe controls, aiming to regain authority over a sector they felt is heading down a dangerous path - a sector where only Ferrari continues to set an example of integrity. Meanwhile, Clay Regazzoni tops the first day of practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, the fifth round of the World Championship, setting a lap time of 1'26"60, just ahead of Niki Lauda's 1'26"73. He is followed by Hunt with the McLaren, who set the third fastest time in 1'26"74, Depailler - with the increasingly competitive six-wheel Tyrrel - with a time of 1'26"91, and Brambilla, the best of the March cars, in fifth position with 1'26"93. Regazzoni finds his smile again: he likes the circuit, the car is running well and everything seems to be going in the right direction.
"My goal is to repeat my Long Beach success this Sunday".
Mutters the Swiss driver, who in his heart has some hope for the world title.
"I also showed Mr. Hunt how to take the turn after the pit straight. I passed him under braking, and he just stood there and watched me".
Lauda’s day was more challenging from all perspectives. Although he feels better than he did at the Spanish Grand Prix, he has not yet fully recovered from the lingering consequences of his accident with the tractor.
"Let's say that in Madrid I was at seventy percent, while here I'm at eighty-five percent. I hope to finally be okay for Monte Carlo, where you need to be in perfect physical shape to withstand the strain imposed by the circuit. I still feel some pain in my ribs in the left-hand turns. Tomorrow my friend Willy Dungl will arrive from Vienna for the usual massages. If everything goes well, on Sunday I'll race for the win; otherwise, the goal will be to bring home some points. Many people say that the World Championship is already over, that I have no more rivals. That's incorrect. Mathematical proof is required; the rest is mere speculation".
With his usual meticulousness, Lauda starts the session by fine-tuning his Ferrari's setup, aerodynamics, and tyres. However, after just forty-five minutes, he runs into a bitter surprise. The engine begins to run irregularly, forcing the reigning World Champion to switch to the spare car. As a result, Lauda has to completely redo all the setup work he had just completed. What's worse, this mule - an adapted old 312 T - proves truly recalcitrant. Lauda and the Maranello technicians must work miracles to tame it, primarily by eliminating an excess of oversteer. They ultimately succeed, allowing Niki to secure his fastest lap only in the closing five minutes of practice. Although Lauda is clearly going to take back his original car, which the mechanics are in the process of fitting with a new engine, Ferrari's Sporting Director Daniele Audetto admits that the Austrian's performance is remarkable and needs to be highlighted:
"Niki is a true champion. We are also doubly pleased to note Regazzoni's strong performance. The problem with the twelve-cylinder engine of Lauda's car arose for a trivial reason. The protective mesh on one of the air horns failed, and this allowed dirt particles to get into one of the cylinders".
Hunt also struggles with gearbox and ratio problems and consequently completes very few laps. Meanwhile, his teammate Mass retires almost immediately from the session due to an engine failure. Depailler runs long and well, primarily testing the braking system, which is Tyrrell's weak point (and Zolder is a circuit that heavily exploits the brakes). Meanwhile, Scheckter makes his debut in the six-wheel Tyrrell, securing a respectable eighth fastest time. The performance of the Brabham-Alfa Romeo cars, driven by Reutemann and Pace, is hardly decent. Worse still, Pace runs out of fuel, goes off track, and his car is utterly destroyed, yet the driver miraculously escapes unharmed. Before the session begins, local marshals inspect the cars, albeit hastily, and find them all to be compliant. Crucially, this includes the McLaren, which has been quickly modified to meet the new post-Spain regulations, with the guidance of Csai delegate and engineer Pandolfo. Thanks to strict new Belgian environmental regulations, the pits are surprisingly silent on the nights between Friday and Sunday. The law, enforced by precise police directives, strictly forbids any noise between 6:00 pm and 9:00 am. Consequently, around 7:00 pm on Friday evening, the Ferrari mechanics - unaware of the new rule - start the engine to check for potential leaks. Two minutes later, however, they are surrounded by four marshals and a policeman, who immediately order them to turn the engine off.
Ferrari's dominance extends into Saturday, as the two Maranello cars successfully lock up the front row of the grid at the end of Belgian Grand Prix qualifying. However, there is a surprise: Niki Lauda, following a superb performance, overtakes Clay Regazzoni and claims pole position. It is the Austrian's first pole position of the season, a feat that provides clear evidence of his full physical recovery. In the single qualifying hour available, Lauda runs on the Zolder circuit, steadily improving his lap times until he records an exceptional 1'26"55. After returning to his main race car from driving the mule, Niki successfully completes the car’s setup during the hour and a half of free practice that morning. Regazzoni, on the other hand, stops practicing almost immediately to allow the mechanics to replace an overused engine. Giulio Borsari's team completes the operation in a record time of just ninety minutes. Consequently, in the decisive sixty-minute session, Regazzoni finds himself with a somewhat capricious 312 T2 - possibly due to the tyres or the circuit's dirty, oily surface. Ultimately, the Swiss driver has to settle for the time he set on the first day. However, none of the Maranello duo's strongest rivals manages any significant feat. Hunt has setup issues and goes off the track, remaining unharmed but slightly damaging his McLaren. Depailler, in the six-wheel Tyrrell, struggles to make an impact, and Brambilla cannot push his March to the limit due to erratic engine performance.
"Now I'm really well and tomorrow I'm racing to win. It's certain. Ferrari, after all, pays me for this".
Says Lauda, who then adds, with a smirk on his face:
"My masseur, Dungl, arrived from Vienna and immediately set me straight with electrotherapy. After a single application, I don't feel the slightest pain for at least five hours. My only concern is the heat. My most dangerous opponents should be Regazzoni and Depailler. The start will be remarkably important, as overtaking is not easy on this circuit".
Regazzoni agrees.
"The start will decide the entire race. The important thing, for me, is to be on the front row. I swear that at the first curve I have an advantage of fifty meters. I'm happy with the results we got in practice: I'd say we have something more than the others. Look at Hunt: in the practice sessions for the other Grands Prix, he was nearly always ahead of Niki and me. Then we beat him in the race. If that’s the case, tomorrow...".
Clay doesn't conclude the speech, but the meaning is clear. A single shadow clouds Ferrari's prospects: Lauda ends the tests five minutes early due to an engine issue similar to the one encountered on Friday. It is therefore assumed that the recurring trouble originates within the twelve-cylinder engine itself and is not caused by external factors. It must also be noted that the engines Lauda uses for practice are optimized for speed, while those for the race are less powerful but prove more durable in the long run. In the race, the two Ferrari drivers should dominate the Belgian Grand Prix. In light of this, a familiar concern arises: will Lauda and Regazzoni go to war with each other and risk jeopardizing a success for the team of Maranello? Will some strategy be adopted? Daniele Audetto, after a phone call with Enzo Ferrari, says:
"I told the drivers not to forget who they are racing for. Ferrari asked me to give them that reminder, and I did. Tomorrow, above all, a Ferrari must win. After all, Niki and Clay are too intelligent to forget that. It will be the start, the first moments of the race, to establish a ranking between the two. For sure, Lauda and Regazzoni will not hinder each other".
The reigning World Champion concludes:
"If I take the lead and then I realize that Clay is faster than me, no problem: I'll let him pass. So if he goes in front, and then I have a higher pace, I'll try to overtake him. It seems logical to me. We both want to win, and we both have a competitive car".
The English watch and hope, of course; those who can no longer hope are Emerson Fittipaldi and Jacky Ickx, who didn't even manage to qualify, along with the almost unknown Edward. A melancholic sunset for two champions, relegated to drive very modest cars such as the Coupersucar and the Williams. On the other hand, the Belgian Patrick Nève qualified, making his debut in Formula 1 with a Brabham-Ford Cosworth of the RAM Racing team, replacing Emilio de Villota. Also qualified is Guy Edwards, who is returning to F1 after being absent since the 1974 German Grand Prix. He drives the second Hesketh - a car already famous for its curious, highly visible sponsor: a men's club logo featuring a girl. Meanwhile, Swiss driver Antonio Bernardo, entered by Ensign, does not take part in the practice sessions. Ferrari’s prestige is also indirectly boosted when the team stuns everyone at Zolder by unveiling a gigantic new Fiat 170 articulated lorry for transporting their single-seaters. For the race on Sunday, May 16, 1976, once the frenzy of qualifying subsides and the timekeepers finalize their figures, the grid is set. Lauda and Regazzoni are on the front row, with the reigning World Champion on pole position, followed immediately by Hunt and Depailler. Since Hunt’s original car, the M23/8, is slightly damaged, the team fits a new engine to the M23/6 to prepare it for the race. The replacement car takes the M23/8's second-row grid spot, thanks to the qualifying time set by the original chassis.
The hard-trying Depailler is alongside in the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34/2 and in row three are Laffite with the Ligier-Matra V12 and Brambilla with the orange March. It's beginning to look as if the orthodox British kit-car is finished. Nowadays, if you don’t have 12 cylinders, you need an innovation to make your Cosworth-Hewland kit-car competitive, such as six wheels or six gearbox speeds. Ecclestone's Brabham team is giving the others encouragement by showing that even with 12 cylinders, competitiveness isn't guaranteed. On the fourth row of the grid is Amon with the neat and unobtrusive Ensign. This placement illustrates that if all the factors are above average - with no weak points and, equally, no strong points - you can be well placed without too much drama or expense. In contrast, the Walter Wolf-financed Williams team is showing that sheer expense is no shortcut to success. They manage to scrape one car onto the last row of the grid, driven by Leclère, while Ickx fails to qualify. A very dejected Emerson Fittipaldi also fails to qualify, which is surprising. However, this is understandable if you've been watching the car's handling in practice, as it never seems to follow the driver's intended line or even his expectations. The other non-qualifier is Guy Edwards with the Rent-a-Drive Hesketh, but that comes as no surprise to anyone - except perhaps the people who paid for the car. The race isn't due to start until 3 p.m. on Sunday, so a quick 20-minute whiz-round in the morning gives everyone time for lunch before the serious business begins. Behind the main grandstands, some 70 road-going Ferraris are arriving from a Ferrari Clubs gathering. All the owners are smiling happily upon seeing the starting order for the race, with Lauda and Regazzoni on the front row. An equally large number of First National City Bank Travellers Cheques guests are also arriving. The Penske team is relieved that their car made the grid, even if it's difficult to spot down in row nine. The Brazilian media men are sitting around gloomily, wondering how they are going to explain the demise of the Copersucar-backed former World Champion, who has packed up and gone home in despair. Jacky Ickx is in the paddock, trying to keep a brave face in front of newshounds who can't understand why he isn't competing in his own National Grand Prix. As 3:00 p.m. approaches, the sky is clear, a breeze is blowing as a headwind on the pits straight, and all is set for a great race - provided you're a Ferrari enthusiast.
The distance is 70 laps, which sounds like a lot, but in fact will only represent an hour and a half of racing. Well on schedule, Lauda and Regazzoni led the field forward to the grid. The starter waits for the tail-enders to sort themselves out, then presses his button! A rather undramatic set of red lights glows on the bridge ahead of the starting line. After ten seconds, they disappear and a green set glows - Lauda is gone. Hunt gets a good start from the second row and pulls alongside Regazzoni as they race toward the first corner. Taking the corner from the inside, Hunt snatches second place behind the World Champion. All 26 cars get away well. They string out around the big loop before reappearing up the back straight in this order: Lauda, Hunt, Regazzoni, Laffite, Brambilla, Depailler, and Amon, with a jostling crowd right behind them. To the joy of the Ferrari enthusiasts, Niki Lauda waits for no one. Before the dust of the start has settled, he is already pulling out a visible gap. From his pole position, he has only one objective: to win the race. That victory would be for himself and for Ferrari, a tribute to Enzo Ferrari, chief designer Mauro Forghieri, his chief mechanic Ermano Cuoghi, all the team members at the race, and everyone back in Maranello who keeps the team running. As he draws steadily away, driving smoothly and without flurry, one is reminded of the great Ferrari era of Alberto Ascari: the opposition simply melts away in his rearview mirrors. If anyone is thinking that Lauda is unfit and would not stand the pace, they would have to think again. He may still be uncomfortable, but he is not unfit, physically or mentally. Behind Lauda, Hunt is doing a good job leading Regazzoni in the second Ferrari. Laffite follows in the screaming Ligier-Matra, ahead of Depailler and Scheckter in their similar six-wheeled Tyrrells, and Amon in the works Ensign. The pack then consists of the two Brabham-Alfas of Pace and Reutemann, Peterson in the blue and yellow March, Jarier in the black Shadow, Andretti in the black and gold Lotus, and the Marches of Stuck (white) and Brambilla (orange). The Italian has been in fifth place in the first laps but he gets crossed-up on lap 4 and drops back to fourteenth place. Two-and-a-half laps later, a rear hub shaft shears as he enters the chicane behind the paddock, sending him off the track in a cloud of sand and out of the race. A short while later, Nilsson stops just before the pits. His throttle slides are jammed shut with dirt after an excursion off the track, and unfortunately, he parks the car on the opposite side of the track, out of reach of his mechanics.
Regazzoni decides to support the flying Lauda and takes second place from Hunt. With that move, the race for the lead is over: the two Ferraris power away to establish an unassailable lead. Hunt is struggling because his car is out of form. He is now having trouble staying ahead of Depailler, who has already gotten past the Ligier. On lap 10, the order is: Lauda, Regazzoni, Hunt, Depailler, Laffite, Scheckter and Amon. The fight for third place is tight, with a nose-to-tail queue forming right behind the McLaren. Then comes Andretti, having passed Peterson, Reutemann, and Pace. Moving up into this group are Alan Jones and Jochen Mass. The Lotus disappears into the pits five laps later with dust and dirt in the fuel injection. Just two laps later, Reutemann's Alfa Romeo engine loses all its oil pressure. As he slows violently, Peterson dodges to the wrong side and has an accident among the catch-fences. The March A-team is now two cars down and the B-team has only one car left, as Merzario is on his way out with a sick engine. Laffite forces his way past Hunt on lap 17, collecting a big black tyre mark on the right of the Ligier cockpit from the McLaren’s front wheel - clearly, Hunt isn't going to let a 'frog' pass that easily. Nevertheless, on the very next lap, Depailler gets his six-wheeler past the McLaren. We now have a flat-12 Italian car in the lead, another in second place, a V12 French car in third, and a six-wheeled British car in fourth. As Depailler goes by the pits to start lap 29, his engine makes an awful noise. That's the last we see of him; the Cosworth V8 rout is complete. The two Ferraris and the Ligier-Matra sing their 12-cylindered way around the circuit, reeling off the laps with complete reliability. Behind them, the British cars are either falling apart or failing to keep up. Hunt's gearbox is losing oil, and it's only a matter of time before his race is over. Meanwhile, Scheckter's rear suspension breaks a link-mounting, likely due to a hit from a kerb or a passing car. Amon holds a worthy fifth place with the Ensign until lap 52, when the left-rear wheel comes adrift. He crashes spectacularly, but the strong roll-over bar saves him from serious injury. Andretti rejoins the race for a while, until a drive-shaft joint breaks. Stuck goes out with damaged rear suspension, and Ertl's Cosworth engine breaks in the white Hesketh. Pace retires when his Alfa Romeo engine fails due to electrical issues as he drives past the pits. Moments later, Lunger's Surtees catches fire after the ignition rotor breaks and ignites a fuel leak in the injection system.
All this time, Jones has been circulating regularly, moving up into fifth place. Mass has worked his way up to sixth, and Perkins has battled past both Shadows to take eighth place behind Watson. Although the gaps between the first three cars vary due to backmarkers holding things up as they are lapped, the three 12-cylinder cars never miss a beat. Had the race lasted just a couple of laps longer, the Cosworth Kit-Car annihilation would have been complete: Lauda would have lapped Scheckter’s Tyrrell. Scheckter ultimately finishes a lap behind the Ferraris, his pace hindered by the excessive lean-in of his right-rear wheel. Scheckter has done well to finish. Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni dominate the Belgian Grand Prix, repeating their Long Beach 1-2 in the United States, though with inverted positions: Niki first and Clay second. A Ferrari win would be enough, but instead, the success turns into a triumph. The English teams are annihilated, with Hunt eliminated by gearbox failure and Depailler eliminated by engine failure. Third place goes to Laffite with the Ligier-Matra, while the Brabham-Alfa Romeo team is completely missing from the party. The cars driven by Reutemann and Pace are still disappointing, and both are retiring without ever having offered any particular point of interest. It's important to underline how the minor doubts before the race quickly vanished. The engines in crisis on Lauda's Ferrari and questions about the driving of Lauda and Regazzoni, who started side by side on the front row, are immediately swept away by the electrifying Grand Prix climate for Ferrari. Niki jumped in the lead with a superb start, pushing Regazzoni away, who was also surprised by Hunt. The Swiss driver, however, recovered with lightning speed and overtook the Englishman during the seventh lap. From this moment on, the race never changed character. The two Maranello single-seaters in the lead, unreachable, leaving the others behind, hopeless. In these cases, the success belongs not only to the one who crosses the finish line first, but to the entire team. Every element worked to perfection. Lauda, despite being slightly sore, withstood the stress of the race and never lost control of the situation. Regazzoni followed team orders, refraining from attacking his teammate. Managers and technicians alike - especially during the delicate moment of signaling to the two drivers - did their jobs well. As a result, the two 312 T2s raced flawlessly on the Zolder track.
It was a wonderful demonstration of both competitiveness and sturdiness, offering a welcome confirmation of a technical school that is inflicting humiliating defeats on its British rivals. For example, Scheckter, fourth with the Tyrrell, finished the race with a broken chassis, while Vittorio Brambilla left the track with the March because of a broken driveshaft. Only Jacques Laffite, in the Ligier-Matra, created a moment of suspense when he managed to close the gap on Regazzoni to four seconds on lap 38. The Frenchman, however, paid for his impetuous attack with a frightening spin at the exit of the variant that leads onto the main straight. The Ligier darted across the track, miraculously remaining on course. Jacques lost eight seconds and all ambition, settling for a third place that nevertheless deservedly rewards the French team's progress.
"I had to drive for half the race with the steering wheel crooked because of the collision with Hunt, which unbalanced my front wheel. Then, as I was approaching Regazzoni, Andretti lapped in front of me, forcing me to spin to avoid a collision. At that point, the team at the pits preferred that I settle for third place and simply get to the finish line".
Guy Ligier says:
"Of course, throwing away a finish like that - in only our fourth or fifth race - was not something I was willing to risk. I preferred Jacques to stay where he was because we knew about his problems at the wheel, and sending him to attack Regazzoni could have meant taking unnecessary risks. But think about this: with the little money we are forced to spend, we are only a few months behind Ferrari, which is second to none in terms of budget and experience".
In the meantime, Laffite interrupts him:
"Don't worry, if we keep going like this, we'll be ahead of Ferrari before the end of the year".
Among the many retired drivers, Peterson is the only one curious enough to see the end of the race, without immediately fleeing to his hotel like the others (Brambilla, Merzario, Hunt, Pace, and Reutemann).
"I was going quite well when Reutemann suddenly slowed down in front of me on the fast curve after the straight. To avoid him, I had to jump onto the grass. That damaged the front end of my March, and I had to retire".
Chris Amon was having a thrilling race, climbing back up the classification with his Ensign, until he crashed off the track at over 200 km/h.
"I don't know what happened. I was taking the fast turn at the end of the circuit when the car suddenly turned violently and spun out, destroying itself completely. It's a pity, because I was having a good race. Without that accident, I had a very good chance of overtaking Scheckter, who was running ahead of me".
The New Zealand driver says this, confirming he has a sore right hand due to a blow taken in the accident. The South African driver confirms his words.
"I had a problem with the rear suspension at the end of the race, which meant I could hardly keep up with Chris for much longer. However, apart from that, I'm satisfied with the behaviour of my six-wheeler. I had some brake problems but they weren't as worrying as I feared. However, with the late braking I did to get past Hunt, it was logical for the brakes to suffer. James really went out of his way today to keep me from passing".
Lauda gave the Ferrari team a fright on lap 50: he held a ten-second lead over Clay, but the margin shrank to just over five seconds by the following lap. Was there a problem with the car? Did Lauda suffer a physical decline? No, the reigning World Champion ran into an oil slick and his 312 T2 suddenly oversteered. Lauda feared something had happened and slowed down, then resumed full throttle and lapped at a pace of 1'25"0. With this success - the fourth in five races and the seventh consecutive for Ferrari - Lauda is more than ever at the top of the Formula 1 World Championship. Meanwhile, Regazzoni has moved into second place. Niki now has 42 points to Clay's 15, a significant 27-point difference. Despite this, the Austrian insists he'll only be certain of the title once he has a mathematically unbridgeable advantage. Meanwhile, the Swiss driver expresses some hope, while all other competitors are behind the Maranello duo. Depailler, for example, remains on 10 points and is now a full thirty-two points behind Niki.
"Everything went very well. My friend Dungl gave me a massage before starting the race, and I hardly felt any pain. The car never gave me the slightest problem, and I never saw any opponents in my mirrors. It seems to me that Ligier is starting to go well, but we always have something more than everyone else. Tomorrow, Ferrari heads to Brands Hatch for tyre tests ahead of the British Grand Prix, but I prefer to go to Salzburg and rest. I want to be in top form for Monte Carlo. I intend to win more races, perhaps even breaking the record for Grand Prix wins in a season".
Niki Lauda admits, while Clay Regazzoni explains what happened at the start:
"I skated a little bit at the start, and Lauda got away clean. It's a pity. With a better start, I might have been able to win. I respected the team's orders: maintain position. Of course, if Lauda hadn't been in front, I would have risked trying to catch and overtake the leader, but it wasn't worth the risk. Besides, my car was slightly understeering. Before the race, we realized that one of the front tyres was dechapping: we replaced both of them and I didn't have time to adjust the car properly. Anyway, I'm very happy and already thinking about the Monaco Grand Prix. I've been hoping to win it for years, and this time could be my chance".
Among the things to remember from this Grand Prix is the very modest performance of McLaren. It was likely influenced by the necessary changes made to the rear axle to comply with the International Sports Commission regulations, which they had violated in Spain. The race was also marked by Hunt's impetuous driving (which included contact with Laffite), the terrible high-speed crash of Chris Amon (caused by suspension failure on the Ensign), and the disappointing retirement of both Brabhams (Reutemann with an oil pump failure and Pace with electrical issues), demonstrating they are still too far from being competitive. At the end of the Belgian Grand Prix, technical checks were once again carried out for all competitors. This time, the checks were accurate, covering weight, dimensions, and all limit measurements of the cars. Every single car was found to be in order, setting an example of sportsmanship and loyalty that illuminates the Formula 1 circus.