STORY OF THE DAY— Pole Position with Ferrari’s Delta Wings: Clay Regazzoni put this Ferrari 312 B2 on pole position for the 1971 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, beating Jackie Stewart’s Tyrrell on one of the fastest circuits of the Formula One calendar. Regazzoni led at the start, but Stewart passed him on lap four and eventually dominated his home Grand Prix. Regazzoni later encountered tyre trouble and, after stopping at the pits, retired when the Ferrari lost oil pressure.

What makes this particular 312 B2 especially interesting is its unusual front aerodynamic configuration. At each end of the front spoiler Ferrari fitted distinctive delta-shaped wing elements, giving this Silverstone version a very different appearance from other 312 B2s of the period. It is exactly the kind of small technical variation that makes individual Grand Prix cars worth documenting separately.

Gianclaudio “Clay” Regazzoni had joined Ferrari in 1970 and immediately established himself by winning the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. He would later return to Ferrari alongside Niki Lauda and challenge Emerson Fittipaldi for the 1974 World Championship, finishing runner-up by only three points.

There is also a wonderful Silverstone connection to his later career: eight years after this pole position, Regazzoni returned in a Williams and gave the young team its first Formula One victory.