Race: 1973 Italian Grand Prix, Monza
Automobile: Tyrrell 006
“We would had an excellent season at Tyrrell and I used to be main the world championship going into Monza, which was the final grand prix in Europe. I knew I may safe the title earlier than flying away, however then one of many rear tyres started to deflate in the course of the race…
“Though I did not win the race it meant one thing to me that was extra than simply successful as a result of I got here from to this point again to complete fourth and I broke the lap report many occasions in that race. I believe I had a superb day!
“I all the time had my mirrors targeted on the rear tyres as a result of in these days we had much more punctures, so I noticed it trying concave and I got here in.
“It wasn’t like as we speak after they do a 2.6- or a 4.6-second pitstop, we have been in there for ages altering the tyre. We began with one set of tyres and full tanks and we did not have the tools to do any kind of quick cease.
“As a result of it was the start of the race it meant that we have been vastly behind, and I imply correctly behind. There was no person in sight on the longest straight, it will need to have been a few 30-second pitstop and I misplaced time on the in-lap, though the tyre wasn’t falling aside as I had caught it early.
Stewart doggedly fought again from an early puncture to clinch his ultimate F1 crown at Monza
Picture by: Motorsport Images
“I believe Ken [Tyrrell] thought that from that time on I used to be going to lose curiosity. We knew we had a little bit of velocity and we have been catching all people and I began doing a little excellent lap occasions, however I believe he thought I would begin becoming bored so he began giving me pit alerts like ‘-45 Fangio!’ It was all fairly humorous.
“I used to be choosing individuals off lap-by-lap and breaking the lap report time after time, and I stored on passing individuals. The final particular person I handed was my team-mate Francois [Cevert] and I ended up in fourth. I even thought I would get on the rostrum.
PLUS: Autosport ranks Stewart’s greatest races
“Everybody was leaping up and down once I got here in however I wasn’t certain if we had received the championship. I mentioned thrice ‘are you certain?’ Then the gang got here flowing in and since I wasn’t on the rostrum they mobbed me.
“Though I did not win the race it meant one thing to me that was extra than simply successful as a result of I got here from to this point again to complete fourth and I broke the lap report many occasions in that race” Jackie Stewart
“I ended up going into a bathroom with my spouse Helen and everybody was thrashing on the door so we opened the window and climbed out and into the paddock, however they discovered us there, too.
“My first grand prix win had come at Monza in ’65 so it was someplace I acquired an enormous quantity of satisfaction from.The group are such aficionados and the PA system is nice too, the place is so alive.
“The automotive felt good that day and so did I. It’s doable to even win a race typically even when you have not pushed your easiest and you recognize that you have made just a few errors. Monza ’73 was a kind of days the place I felt actually glad with my very own driving.”
