Jochen on a charge, hunting down his friend Jack Brabham… and what followed became one of Formula 1’s most dramatic victories. #rindt #monaco #formula1
Jochen Rindt wasn’t in the best mood that weekend in Monaco, and for good reason. Team Lotus had introduced their futuristic new car, the Lotus 72, at the Spanish Grand Prix just a month earlier, on April 19. While the machine looked revolutionary, it wasn’t delivering results straight out of the box. By the time they reached the streets of Monte Carlo, the 72 was already updated to a B-spec, but it still lacked pace and reliability. At this stage, Lotus hadn’t yet unlocked its true potential — that would come later, with Rindt’s dominant win in Holland on June 21, driving the refined Lotus 72C.
But in Monaco, Jochen wasn’t happy. He had to fall back on the trusty but aging Lotus 49C, a machine that had made its debut way back at Zandvoort in 1967. Even though it had been tweaked for 1970 — including updated suspension geometry and rear wings inspired by the new 72 — it was no match for the front-runners. Starting from eighth on the grid, Rindt’s expectations were modest. He’d slept poorly on a yacht he shared with his manager, Bernie Ecclestone, and approached the race with a “cruise-and-collect” mentality.
Up front, Jackie Stewart in the March 701 led the field, pursued by Chris Amon in another March, Jacky Ickx in the Ferrari 312B, and Denny Hulme in the yellow McLaren M14A. Behind them was a tight pack, including Brabham’s BT33, Jean-Pierre Beltoise’s Matra MS120, and Jochen’s own Lotus 49C, among others.
Stewart controlled the early part of the race, leading confidently until an issue with his car’s electronic systems forced him to retire after about a third of the race. That promoted Brabham and Amon to first and second. Rindt, who had been stuck back in seventh, began moving up the order as Monaco's brutal attrition took its toll. Beltoise and Ickx were both forced to retire. Sensing opportunity, Jochen ignited his charge — first picking off Pescarolo, then Hulme.
By lap 61, Amon was also out, leaving only Jack Brabham ahead. With the laps winding down, Jochen was flying. He was now lapping in 1:23s, while Jack, still leading, was managing 1:24s. With just four laps to go, Brabham held a nine-second lead — still a comfortable cushion, but under real threat.
Then, on lap 77, everything began to unravel. Brabham was held up by Jo Siffert’s March 701, which was limping with fuel feed problems. The delay cost Jack five critical seconds. Rindt, closing relentlessly, smelled blood. The streets of Monaco, always tight and unforgiving, offered no margin for error.
On the final lap, at the Tabac corner, Brabham encountered three backmarkers in rapid succession. Still under pressure, he approached the hairpin only to find Piers Courage ahead — driving the clumsy De Tomaso 505, a far cry from the competitive Brabhams Courage had driven the year before. Brabham moved off the racing line onto the marbles to pass him, hit the brakes... and slid straight into the barrier.
As Jack’s car sat momentarily stunned against the fence, Jochen Rindt swept by, shaking his head in disbelief. He’d been gifted victory on the final corner of the final lap. A win that had seemed impossible just an hour earlier was now his. Brabham recovered and crossed the line in second place, with Henri Pescarolo rounding out the podium in third.
Jochen’s average lap time in the first half of the race was a steady 1:27, but in the final 40 laps, he clocked in at an average of 1:24.9 — a full second faster than his qualifying pace. It was a relentless, precision-driven chase, and one of the most iconic come-from-behind victories in Formula 1 history. A testament to his will, his bravery… and just a touch of Monaco magic.
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👉Watch the other races from this incredible 1970 season:
Round 1 - South African GP: • Formula 1 1970 - Brabham’s Last Victory | ...
Round 2 - Spanish GP: • Formula 1 1970 Spanish GP | Stewart Domina...
Spanish GP Race Report: • Formula 1 1970 Spanish GP - Fire and Drama...
Round 3 - Monaco GP: • Formula 1 1970 Monaco GP | Brabham Crashes...
Round 4 - Belgian GP: • Formula 1 1970 - Belgium GP F1 Highlights ...
Round 5 - Dutch GP: • Formula 1 1970 Dutch Grand Prix - Highligh...
Round 6 - French GP: • Formula1 1970 - French Grand Prix - Rindt´...
Round 7 - British GP: • Formula 1 1970 British GP - Extended Highl...
Round 8 - German GP: • Formula 1 1970 German Grand Prix | Rindt v...
Round 10 - Italian GP: • Formula 1 1970 - Italian GP - Jochen Rindt...
📌 Discover How Jackie Stewart Transformed F1: • The Invention of the Modern Driver: How Ja...
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