1975 British Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 10 of 14 in the 1975 Formula One season | |||
 |
|||
| Date | 19 July 1975 | ||
| Official name | XXVIII British Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, Great Britain | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.719 km (2.932 mi) | ||
| Distance | 56 laps, 264.264 km (164.192 mi) | ||
| Weather | Sunny, then overcast, then heavy rain | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Shadow-Ford | ||
| Time | 1:19.36 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Clay Regazzoni
|
Ferrari | |
| Time | 1:20.9 on lap 16 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Ford | ||
| Second | Brabham-Ford | ||
| Third | Tyrrell-Ford | ||
The 1975 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 19 July 1975. It was the 30th British Grand Prix to be held since the race was first held in 1926 and the 17th time the race had been held at Silverstone. The race was held over 56 of the scheduled 67 laps of the four kilometre venue for a race distance of 264 kilometres.
The results were overshadowed by a heavy hail storm from Lap 53, which caused three out of the top four cars (Jody Scheckter, James Hunt, and Mark Donohue), to aquaplane and crash in the same corner, bringing an early finish to the race, and a significant absence on the podium. A number of other cars crashed at the same corner as well, including Wilson Fittipaldi, Jochen Mass, and John Watson. The race results were finalised the lap after the lap most cars crashed, giving Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, who had been the race leader prior to the storm, a one lap win in his McLaren M23. Carlos Pace, who was one of the crashers in his Brabham BT44B was classified in second position with another of the crashers, Tyrrell 007 driver Jody Scheckter classified third.
The win was the 14th and final win of Fittipaldi's career which had included two world championships. He would continue racing in Formula One until 1980. The win also vaulted Fittpaldi past Carlos Reutemann into second place in the championship, 14 points behind Lauda.
A new chicane had been installed at Woodcote Corner, bringing complaints from the purists but also arguments that it was necessary in the interests of safety. Tom Pryce gained his only career pole position in his home race, whilst the Ferraris were on the second row, with James Hunt languishing on the fifth row.
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