Ronnie Peterson

The story of how Formula 1 came to Anderstorp and Sweden between 1973 and 1978.

Ronnie Peterson nicknamed “Superswede” was the fastest formula 1-driver in the 70s who never became a world champion.

1976 saw reigning Champion Niki Lauda start as the favourite in his Ferrari, as nearest rival Emerson Fittipaldi made the patriotic switch from McLaren to the Brazilian-funded Copersucar team. This left a hole at McLaren, filled by the ambitious, British hopeful, James Hunt, to set the scene for a dramatic season of racing. 1976 will probably be best remembered for Lauda's horrific accident at the Nurburgring that nearly ended his life and saw him rushed to hospital with major burns. His resilience and dedication to racing saw him make a remarkable recovery, returning six weeks later to ensure a thrilling climax to a season that ended with only one point separating 1st and 2nd place in the championship. Again it was the last eventful race in Japan that decided the title.

1977 saw Niki Lauda start the season, scarred but fit. And determined to put his horrific accident in '76 behind him. Despite Lauda's poor start and total of only 3 wins for the season, he picked up points at all but three GPs, and was rewarded for his consistency with his second championship victory. Lauda chose not to complete the season, and instead, Ferrari gave the drive to a young and ambitious Gilles Villeneuve.

A tribute to F1 pilot Patrick Depailler.

1978 Ferrari and Lauda had now gone their separate ways despite winning the championship together in ‘77. Lauda moved to Brabham and Ferrari took on the young Gilles Villeneuve. Frank Williams and Patrick Head formed Williams Grand Prix Engineering, mounting their first title challenge with Alan Jones in the driving seat. Tyrrell had reverted back to four wheels from their radical six-wheeled P34, and this year it was Brabham who turned heads with the introduction of their BT-46B ‘fan car’. On its first Grand Prix in Sweden it took first place only to be banned from future competition by the FIA.

Documentary about race car driver Emerson Fittipaldi

Classic Team Lotus celebrates the story of the 1973 John Player team and its Grand Prix World Championship season.

Formula One 1973 Review - Reign of Stewart is the DVD review of the 1973 Formula 1 season. This was the year when the legendary Jackie Stewart was crowned as F1 champion for the third and final time. Jackie Stewart had won the Formula One championship in 1971 but Emerson Fittipaldi was the reigning champion. At the start of the 1973 F1 season there was no question regarding his intention, Jackie Stewart wanted his title back. It was Fittipaldi who laid down the gauntlet, winning three out of the first four races. However, Stewart refused to buckle under pressure, and consistent displays of driving genius with the Tyrrell wondercar brought him right back into contention. By the halfway point of the season, Stewart led the Championship by a single point.

1972. All eyes were on the defending champion Jackie Stewart and expectations were high that he would repeat the total domination of the previous year. He made his intentions clear with an emphatic win in the 1st GP – cruising home half a minute ahead of the chasing pack. However, there was another driver intent on stealing his crown: Emerson Fittipaldi, a whirlwind of talent and youthful arrogance in his iconic black and gold Lotus 72. And it turned out to be a thrilling season of on-the-limit action that climaxed at Monza – Fittipaldi’s spiritual home. Stewart’s broken clutch put him out of the race, ensuring Fittipaldi’s place in the record books: at just 25 years of age, ‘Emmo’ became the youngest-ever World Champion.