Official weighing

The Tyrrell 006-Ford of Patrick Depailler is presented for the official weighing ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix held at Interlagos on 27 January 1974. Notice, it’s famous mechanic Jo Ramirez who’s pushing the car on the beautiful orange scales (picture-above), long before the digital ones were introduced. Wonderful times.

The young French driver has been signed by Ken Tyrrell alongside Jody Scheckter for the 1974 F1 season and beyond. Both drivers replace Jackie Stewart, who had decided to retire end of 1973 after his third world drivers’ title, and François Cevert who sadly lost his life at Watkins Glen in October 1973.

Both Tyrrell drivers qualified well down the field in 14th and 16th and finished outside the points: Depailler in 8th and Scheckter in 13th, a lap down on winner Emerson Fittipaldi in his McLaren M23, who won on home soil (picture-below). The rest of the season will be much productive for the Tyrrell boys.