STORY OF THE DAY: Lauda’s First Grand Prix Victory

On 28 April 1974, Niki Lauda drove Ferrari 312 B3-74 number 12 to victory in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama. The result was his first Formula One World Championship win and Ferrari’s first Grand Prix triumph since Jacky Ickx had won in Germany in 1972, confirming the Scuderia’s return to competitiveness.

Starting from pole position, Lauda controlled a rain-affected race that was stopped before its scheduled distance. He led ahead of teammate Clay Regazzoni, whose second place completed a decisive Ferrari one-two. The performance rewarded the team’s extensive reorganization and Lauda’s rigorous approach to testing and preparation.

The 312 B3-74 was a substantially revised version of Ferrari’s earlier B3, developed under Mauro Forghieri. Its flat-12 engine combined a low centre of gravity with strong power, while the cleaner chassis and revised suspension made the car a genuine front-runner during 1974.

Born in Vienna in 1949, Lauda reached Formula One despite opposition from his family and financial difficulties early in his career. After showing promise with BRM, he joined Ferrari for 1974 and immediately became central to its revival. Jarama supplied the first victory of a partnership that would produce two of his three World Championships.