1972 Italian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Fittipaldi holds a commanding lead of 30 points over his nearest rival heading into Monza.

Previous race

At the Österreichring, Fittipaldi, Regazzoni and Stewart went three-wide into the first corner; Stewart briefly took the lead but Fittipaldi passed Regazzoni and gradually closed on the Tyrrell. The lead changed hands on lap 23; Stewart’s car struggled with its rear suspension and he eventually finished seventh. Fittipaldi crossed the line just over a second clear of Hulme; Revson completed the podium for McLaren.

Track changes

The Monza circuit has been modified with the addition of two chicanes — one before the Curva Grande and one at the old Curva Vialone — to reduce speeds.

Entrants

Fittipaldi’s Lotus 72D was seriously damaged during transport to Monza. He races a second chassis but with specifications close to the 1970 model rather than the current spec. Team Lotus fields only one car as a result. Ickx takes pole, 0.04 seconds ahead of Amon’s Matra; Stewart starts third, Fittipaldi sixth.