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Belgian GP 1972
Belgian GP, 1972
With Spa being considered too dangerous for Formula 1 machinery, the Belgians decided to hold their Grand Prix at a new track near Brussels called Nivelles. It was safe but inspired little enthusiasm. The World Championship was still very open with four different winner in the first four races (Jackie Stewart in Argentina, Denny Hulme in South Africa, Emerson Fittipaldi in Spain and Jean-Pierre Beltoise in Monaco). Although Fittipaldi looked to be quickest a few days before the Belgian race Hulme beat him in the Gold Cup at Oulton Park.
When the field gathered at Nivelles Stewart was missing, having been ordered by doctors to rest because of an stomach ulcer. Reine Wisell was out of action as well, having injured his hand in the Gold Cup and his place in the five-car team was taken by Vern Schuppan (although he failed to make the start because Peter Gethin damaged his car and so took over Helmut Marko's car and the Austrian took Schuppan's. Ferrari still had two cars as Mario Andretti was elsewhere but Peter Revson was back in action of McLaren. Carlos Reutemann was also back in action after his ankle injury and so Brabham had increased to three cars, with Wilson Fittipaldi running an older BT34 while Reutemann and Graham Hill used the new BT37.
The Martini Tecno team made its first appearance with one car for Nanni Galli but it was not very competitive.
Emerson Fittipaldi took pole position with Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari) and Hulme alongside him on the front row. Jacky Ickx (Ferrari) shared the second row with Francois Cevert's Tyrrell, while Beltoise (BRM), Revson (McLaren) and Mike Hailwood (Surtees) on the third. The top 10 was completed by Reutemann and Andrea de Adamich (Surtees).
In the race Regazzoni made the best start and took the lead with Fittipaldi and Ickx chasing him. Then came Hulme, Cevert, Hailwood and Beltoise. There was then a gap because De Adamich had collided with Revson and caused some considerable confusion. Reutemann was also in trouble with a gear lever problem.
Regazzoni stayed ahead until the ninth lap but then Fittipaldi overtook him and began to move away. Cevert moved ahead of Hulme on the 12th lap and so when Ickx stopped with a throttle problem on lap 26, Cevert was third and in a position to challenge Regazzoni for second place. He moved ahead on lap 31. Regazzoni remained third until lap 58 when he stumbled while lapping Galli's Tecno and crashed. This put Amon third but as usual the New Zealander had no luck at all and on lap 77 he had to pit for more fuel because his fuel pumps were playing up. This promoted Hulme to third with Hailwood fourth, Carlos Pace again impressive in the Williams March in fifth and the recovering Amon in sixth.
| POS | NO | DRIVER | ENTRANT | LAPS | TIME/RETIREMENT | QUAL POS |
| 1 | 32 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Cosworth 72D | 85 | 1h44m06.700s | 1 |
| 2 | 8 | Francois Cevert | Tyrrell-Cosworth 002 | 85 | 1h44m33.300s | 5 |
| 3 | 9 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-Cosworth M19C | 85 | 1h45m04.800s | 3 |
| 4 | 34 | Mike Hailwood | Surtees-Cosworth TS9B | 85 | 1h45m18.700s | 8 |
| 5 | 16 | Carlos Pace | March-Cosworth 711 | 84 | 11 | |
| 6 | 5 | Chris Amon | Matra Simca-Matra MS120C | 84 | 13 | |
| 7 | 10 | Peter Revson | McLaren-Cosworth M19A | 83 | 7 | |
| 8 | 25 | Howden Ganley | BRM P160B | 83 | 15 | |
| 9 | 11 | Ronnie Peterson | March-Cosworth 721X | 83 | 14 | |
| 10 | 27 | Helmut Marko | BRM P153B | 83 | 23 | |
| 11 | 6 | Rolf Stommelen | Eifelland March-Cosworth 721 | 83 | 20 | |
| 12 | 12 | Niki Lauda | March-Cosworth 721X | 82 | 25 | |
| 13 | 19 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham-Cosworth BT37 | 81 | 9 | |
| 14 | 33 | David Walker | Lotus-Cosworth 72D | 79 | 12 | |
| r | 17 | Graham Hill | Brabham-Cosworth BT37 | 73 | Suspension | 16 |
| nc | 15 | Henri Pescarolo | March-Cosworth 721 | 59 | 19 | |
| r | 30 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari 312B2 | 57 | Accident | 2 |
| r | 36 | Andrea de Adamich | Surtees-Cosworth TS9B | 55 | Engine | 10 |
| r | 22 | Giovanni Galli | Tecno PA123 | 54 | Suspension/ Accident | 24 |
| r | 29 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari 312B2 | 47 | Fuel Injection | 4 |
| r | 14 | Mike Beuttler | March-Cosworth 721G | 31 | Drive Shaft | 22 |
| r | 18 | Wilson Fittipaldi | Brabham-Cosworth BT34 | 28 | Gearbox | 18 |
| r | 24 | Peter Gethin | BRM P160B | 27 | Fuel Pump | 17 |
| r | 23 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | BRM P160B | 15 | Overheating | 6 |
| r | 35 | Tim Schenken | Surtees-Cosworth TS9B | 11 | Overheating | 21 |
| ns | 26 | Vern Schuppan | BRM P153B | Car Raced By Marko | 26 |