STORY OF THE DAY: A front-row start fades into twelfth at Kyalami

Clay Regazzoni finished twelfth in the 1972 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami with Ferrari number 6. He had qualified second, placing the 312 B2 on the front row, but a poor start immediately removed him from the leading contest. Denny Hulme won for McLaren after Jackie Stewart and Mike Hailwood retired and Emerson Fittipaldi developed handling problems.

Regazzoni’s race became an extended recovery attempt rather than the challenge suggested by his qualifying position. Unable to regain the pace or track position needed to score, he completed the 79 laps well outside the points. The contrast between Saturday speed and Sunday result reflected the inconsistency that troubled Ferrari during the season.

The Ferrari 312 B2 retained Mauro Forghieri’s three-litre flat-twelve engine while revising the suspension, bodywork and aerodynamic treatment of the original 312 B. Ferrari experimented with nose and wing configurations as it sought better balance and tyre behaviour. The car could be very fast over a single lap, but its handling and reliability were not consistently competitive over a Grand Prix distance.

Clay Regazzoni was a Swiss driver of Italian heritage who joined Ferrari’s Formula One team in 1970 after a successful Formula Two career. He won the Italian Grand Prix during his debut season and became known for his forceful, committed racing style. His front-row performance at Kyalami displayed his speed, even though the race produced none of the reward it had promised.