Jackie Stewart won the 1973 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, a race notable for a last-minute full track resurface and Niki Lauda scoring his first Formula One championship points.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell 006)
- Race number in season
- 5 of 15
- Track resurfaced before race
- One week before the Grand Prix
- Niki Lauda career milestone
- First ever championship points (5th place, BRM)
- Race date
- 20 May 1973
- Stable team numbers from
- Zolder onward through end of 1973 season
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A previous race at Zolder had caused the track surface to break up. Drivers Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, and François Cevert inspected the circuit on foot, found it dangerously deteriorated, and refused to race unless repairs were made. Cevert warned the FIA the race would be cancelled if the owners failed to carry out adequate work.
The entire Zolder circuit was resurfaced just one week before the Grand Prix. The race on 20 May 1973 proceeded as scheduled, with Jackie Stewart winning in a Tyrrell 006. It was the fifth round of the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.
Niki Lauda scored his first career Formula One championship points by finishing fifth in a BRM. The race also marked the end of teams changing their car numbers between rounds; numbers assigned at Zolder remained fixed for the rest of the season, establishing a practice that influenced number allocation into the 1974 season and beyond.
Result
at Circuit Zolder, Belgium