1970 Season

Driver changes

The biggest restructuring comes from the Matra–Tyrrell split. Matra will run under French licence with their own V12 engine in the new MS120; Ken Tyrrell now operates independently, entering two March 701s. Reigning champion Jackie Stewart and his 1969 teammate Johnny Servoz-Gavin both move to Tyrrell, while Jean-Pierre Beltoise stays with Matra, joined by Henri Pescarolo for his first full-time drive.

Colin Chapman has moved 1968 champion Graham Hill out of Team Lotus; Hill joins Rob Walker Racing. Walker’s 1969 driver Jo Siffert finds a new home at March, alongside Chris Amon, who left Ferrari mid-1969.

Jacky Ickx returns to Ferrari after one season at Brabham. Ferrari’s switch from a V12 to a flat-12 engine gives the Belgian renewed hopes of success. His Brabham seat goes to debutant Rolf Stommelen. Pedro Rodríguez is signed by BRM. John Surtees has left BRM to set up his own team, entering a McLaren M7C while his self-designed Surtees TS7 is developed.

Andrea de Adamich is signed by McLaren for a third car powered by an Alfa Romeo V8. Frank Williams is no longer running a privatised Brabham; instead he has collaborated with Italian manufacturer De Tomaso, resulting in the De Tomaso 505/38 for Piers Courage.

Team changes

March Engineering enters Formula One as a constructor for the first time, supplying cars to the Tyrrell team and running its own works entry with Amon as the lead driver.

Calendar

Thirteen rounds are scheduled between 7 March and 25 October.

The Belgian Grand Prix returns to Spa-Francorchamps after drivers boycotted the 1969 race over safety concerns. Major improvements have been made: Armco barriers line the full circuit and a slow chicane has been added at Malmedy.

The Austrian Grand Prix returns for the first time since a one-off in 1964, now held at the newly built Österreichring, constructed to replace the bumpy Zeltweg Airfield.

The Spanish Grand Prix moves from Montjuïc to Jarama, the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to Brands Hatch, and the Canadian Grand Prix from Mosport Park to Circuit Mont-Tremblant — all in keeping with established event-sharing arrangements between circuits.

The German Grand Prix was originally scheduled for the Nürburgring. Drivers refused to race there unless major safety improvements were made, and the Nürburgring’s owners declined the list of changes requested. The race has been moved to the Hockenheimring, which has already been fitted with Armco barriers.

Regulation changes

A safety bladder is introduced around fuel tanks to reduce the risk of fire. The minimum car weight is raised from 500 kg to 530 kg. The maximum displacement for turbocharged or supercharged engines is cut from 1,500 cc to 500 cc; the 3,000 cc limit for naturally aspirated engines is unchanged.

New circuit safety standards are mandated by the FIA: run-off areas must be at least 3 m wide, double guardrails become the standard with strawbales banned, spectators must be positioned at least 3 m behind the fencing, and the pit lane must be separated from the track by a barrier.

A new qualifying format is also planned: ten “chosen” drivers will be guaranteed grid places based on their best practice time, with the remaining drivers required to earn their starting positions in a separate 30-minute qualifying session.