Race Report: Rouen, 24 June 1973

Another round of the French F3 Championship, this was a supporting race for the European F2 Championship event. Originally due to be held over 25 laps on the Saturday it was moved to the Sunday and reduced to 20 laps (due to failing light).

Larry Perkins made the best getaway and lead the opening couple of laps from Jean-Pierre Paoli and Jacques Lafitte. Michel Leclere in the works Alpine-Renault then moved through to the front and led until Perkins locked up on oil dropped at Nouveau Monde and T-boned Leclere putting them both out. Shortly after the second works Alpine of Alain Serpaggi had its throttle stick open at the silly new chicane just down from the start, the Alpine was launched into the air and in the ensuing melee both Lucien Guitteny (Alpine) and Bernard Beguin (Martini) were eliminated.

The Martini of Lafitte now led from the March of Masami Kuwashima, Paoli was next closely followed by Christian Ethuin (Martini) with a gap back to Alain Cudini (Martini), Brian Henton (GRD) and Johnny Gerber (Brabham). Paoli was soon to retire when his Holbay expired leaving Lafitte and Kuwashima to do battle for the lead. Kuwashima took over first place and seemed to have the race won but on the last corner the March got a little crossed up allowing Lafitte to retake the lead and win the race. Third looked to be between Ethuin and Henton as the Frenchman fell away from the two leaders, Henton took the position on the last lap but entering the last corner there was contact and the following Cudini took advantage to pass both of them. Next up came Johnny Gerber who had fallen well back followed by Mike Tyrrell who was amazed to have finished as he hadn’t expected his engine to go the distance.

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