STORY OF THE DAY: Ferrari’s Flat-Twelve Rules at Monza

On 25 April 1972, Jackie Ickx and Clay Regazzoni won at Monza in the number 1 Ferrari 312 PB. The result continued Ferrari’s unbeaten World Championship for Makes campaign and confirmed the prototype’s effectiveness on one of the calendar’s fastest circuits.

Monza required disciplined slipstreaming, precise braking and careful management of traffic and fuel. Ickx and Regazzoni maintained the necessary speed without compromising the car through the long race, converting the Ferrari’s acceleration and aerodynamic efficiency into another strategically important championship victory.

The 312 PB was a three-litre open prototype powered by a horizontally opposed twelve-cylinder engine related to Ferrari’s contemporary Formula One unit. Its light semi-monocoque chassis, low frontal area and balanced weight distribution provided both high-speed efficiency and responsive handling.

Ickx was a Belgian Grand Prix winner and accomplished endurance specialist with exceptional strategic judgment. Regazzoni was a Swiss Ferrari Formula One star known for forceful driving and mechanical awareness. Their Monza partnership brought together two leading works drivers already familiar with the distinctive flat-twelve engine.