A dangerous Formula One race at Circuit de Charade where volcanic rocks caused ten punctures and blinded driver Helmut Marko, prompting the French GP's move to Circuit Paul Ricard.
Key Facts
- Race number in 1972 season
- 6 of 12
- Winner
- Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell-Ford)
- Pole position
- Chris Amon (5th and final career pole)
- Competitors with punctures
- 10
- Helmut Marko injury
- Blinded in left eye by stone through visor
- Circuit
- Circuit de Charade, built around extinct volcano
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Circuit de Charade was built around the base of an extinct volcano, leaving dark volcanic rocks on both sides of the track. Drivers running wide would scatter stones onto the racing surface, creating persistent hazards for following competitors and leading to frequent tyre punctures throughout race history at the venue.
On 2 July 1972, Jackie Stewart won the French Grand Prix in his Tyrrell-Ford after leader Chris Amon was forced to pit with a puncture. Emerson Fittipaldi finished second, with Amon charging back to third while setting a new lap record. Ten competitors suffered punctures during the race, and Helmut Marko was permanently blinded in his left eye when a stone from Ronnie Peterson's March penetrated his helmet visor.
Marko's career-ending injury and the widespread tyre failures underscored the unacceptable safety conditions at Circuit de Charade. Organizers relocated the French Grand Prix to the newly built Circuit Paul Ricard for the 1973 season, ending Charade's place on the Formula One calendar.
Result
at Circuit de Charade, Clermont-Ferrand, France