Ronnie Peterson won the 1974 French Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois, the only World Championship race before 2020 where 12 drivers set sub-minute lap times in qualifying.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- Ronnie Peterson (Lotus-Ford)
- Pole position
- Niki Lauda (Ferrari)
- Race length
- 80 laps
- Championship round
- Race 9 of 15
- Drivers with sub-1-min laps
- 12 (qualifying)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1974 Formula One season's ninth round was scheduled at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, a relatively short and fast track near Dijon, France. Ferrari's Niki Lauda secured pole position, with the circuit's compact layout producing unusually fast lap times during qualifying.
On 7 July 1974, Ronnie Peterson drove his Lotus-Ford to victory over 80 laps at Dijon-Prenois. Niki Lauda finished second and teammate Clay Regazzoni third. Twelve drivers posted sub-one-minute lap times in qualifying, a feat unique to this race among World Championship Grands Prix until the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.
Peterson's victory added to the Lotus team's points tally in the 1974 constructors' competition. The race's historic qualifying lap times established Dijon-Prenois as one of the fastest circuits in Formula One history, and the sub-one-minute qualifying benchmark stood as unique in the championship for 46 years.