1971 Australian Grand Prix
The 1971 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Warwick Farm Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 21 November 1971. It was open to Racing Cars complying with either Australian Formula 1 or Australian Formula 2 regulations.
The race was the thirty sixth running of the Australian Grand Prix. Frank Matich won his second straight AGP and, as in 1970, he started the race on pole and also set the fastest race lap. The race marked the debut of Matich's self designed and built Matich A50 which was powered by a Repco Holden V8 engine. Matich won the race by 58.7 seconds from Kevin Bartlett driving a McLaren M10B-Chevrolet, with Alan Hamilton, also driving McLaren M10B-Chevrolet, 1.1 seconds behind Bartlett in third place.
Other than two New Zealanders, the only international driver in the event was Formula One World Drivers' Champion John Surtees. The Englishman started ninth in his Surtees TS8-Chevrolet, and battled with Bartlett, Hamilton, and, until his retirement, Colin Bond in the McLaren M10B in which Matich had won the 1970 Australian Grand Prix. Surtees ultimately placed 14th after suffering two punctures late in the race. 1971 Rothmans F5000 European Championship winner Frank Gardner was unable to start the race after damaging his Lola T300 in the first practice session on the Saturday.
Classification
Results as follows:Official practice
Grid positions for the race were determined during "official practice".Pos | No | Driver | Car/Engine | Time | Gap |
1 | 1 | ![]() | Matich A50 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | 1:24.3 | — |
2 | 8 | ![]() | Mildren Mono / Waggott TC 4V 2.0L I4 | 1:25.4 | +0.9 |
3 | 7 | ![]() | Brabham BT36 / Waggott TC 4V 2.0L I4 | 1:25.6 | +1.3 |
4 | 6 | ![]() | Mildren / Waggott TC 4V 2.0L I4 | 1:25.8 | +1.5 |
5 | 14 | ![]() | Brabham BT30 / Cosworth FVC 1.8L I4 | 1:26.0 | +1.7 |
6 | 9 | ![]() | McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | 1:26.3 | +2.0 |
7 | 2 | ![]() | McLaren M10B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | 1:26.4 | +2.1 |
8 | 5 | ![]() | McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | 1:26.8 | +2.5 |
9 | 3 | ![]() | Surtees TS8 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | 1:27.2 | +2.9 |
10 | 11 | ![]() | Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | 1:27.6 | +3.3 |
11 | 12 | ![]() | McLaren M4A / Cosworth FVC 1.9L I4 | 1:29.3 | +5.0 |
12 | 26 | ![]() | Elfin 600B / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:29.7 | +5.4 |
13 | 15 | ![]() | McLaren M18 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 | 1:29.7 | +5.4 |
14 | 17 | ![]() | Elfin 600B / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:30.1 | +5.8 |
15 | 20 | ![]() | Elfin AC1 / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:30.1 | +5.8 |
16 | 16 | ![]() | Elfin 600C / Waggott T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:31.2 | +6.9 |
17 | 10 | ![]() | Lola T192 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | 1:31.4 | +7.1 |
18 | 19 | ![]() | Lotus 32B / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:31.8 | +7.5 |
19 | 25 | ![]() | Bowin P3A / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:33.0 | +8.7 |
20 | 21 | ![]() | Devione LC2 / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:33.8 | +9.5 |
21 | 24 | ![]() | Elfin 600B / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:34.2 | +9.9 |
22 | 18 | ![]() | Elfin 600B / Ford T/C 1.6L I4 | 1:34.8 | +10.5 |
23 | 23 | ![]() | Brabham BT6 / BRM Ford T/C 1.6L 4cyl | DNP | |
- | 4 | ![]() | Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 | DNP | - |
Race
- indicates Australian Formula 2 car