HISTORY // THE 1967 FRENCH GRAND PRIX @ CIRCUIT BUGATTI

Held on July 2nd, the 1967 French Grand Prix was the first to be held on the new Circuit Bugatti. Utilizing the main pit straight at Le Mans, the new circuit featured a number of second and third gear corners and quickly became unpopular with both drivers and spectators alike... [read more]

Graham Hill, who had started on pole, lead the race until lap 7 when Jim Clark took the lead, with Hill falling in behind to make it a Lotus 1-2. Hill then retook the lead, however his crown-wheel and pinion failed on lap 14 and forced him to retire. Shortly thereafter, on lap 23, the same prblem afflicted Clark’s Lotus and Jack Brabham took the lead followed by Dan Gurney, Chris Amon and Denny Hulme.

On lap 41, a fuel line snapped on Gurney’s car which forced him to retire, followed shortly thereafter by a broken throttle cable on Amon’s car. Reclaiming the lead, Jack Brabham, the regining World Champion, drove across the line with a one minute lead over Hulme and a one lap lead over the third place car of Jackie Stewart.

Of the 11 cars that started the race, only six managed to finish.

Video: The Chicane via Juha
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey