1971 German Grand Prix

Championship standings

Stewart leads the championship after five wins from six rounds, with a commanding advantage over the rest of the field.

Previous race

Britain: Stewart won at Silverstone, lapping every car except Peterson (second) and Fittipaldi (third). A bungled flag drop at the start caused a collision between Jackie Oliver and Graham Hill, for which Oliver was fined £50. Stewart extended his championship lead to 23 points.

Between-race developments

Vic Elford has been entered in place of Pedro Rodríguez at BRM. Rodríguez was killed at the Norisring on 11 July.

Track changes

The German Grand Prix returns to the Nürburgring after a year at the Hockenheimring, where it moved in 1970 following drivers’ safety concerns about the old layout. The circuit has been resurfaced and lined with Armco barriers; the worst bumps have been smoothed over and some corners tightened. At 14.2 miles, it remains the longest and most demanding circuit on the calendar. The race distance is reduced to 12 laps.

Entrants

Helmut Marko, the Austrian driver who won this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, makes his Formula One debut. Graham Hill has problems before the start; only 20 cars line up on the grid.

Milestones

This is Tyrrell’s 10th championship race as a constructor.