312 B3-74

In fact, the new Racing Director Luca di Montezemolo went so far as to remark that it was better not to race cars like that at all! It was a cruel swipe but it showed what the future Ferrari President was made of. Forghieri had been recalled to the fold and although he kept the English-built monocoque, he had changed almost everything else. The wheel base was now shorter, the weight distribution different, the radiators were in the flanks, and the periscope-style air intake remained. The cars were tested thoroughly and at length to improve their reliability and with this in mind, Ferrari decided to abandon its sports car racing interests and concentrate solely on F1.

In 1974, Clay Regazzoni was joined by a young Austrian who immediately hit the spotlight. The season also saw Ferrari return to top form. Clay Regazzoni just missed out on the Drivers’ title which went to Emerson Fittipaldi, while the team came second in the Constructors’. The 312 B3-74 was a highly competitive car, as its 10 pole positions clearly demonstrated. Sadly, however, it wasn’t nearly as reliable. It scored three wins (Lauda in Spain and Holland, Regazzoni in Germany), but the feeling remained that a big chance had been lost.