Paddock scenes

Niki Lauda is reflecting, relaxing and enjoying the late sunshine on his rented Opel, in the middle of the Anderstorp paddock, after qualifying for the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix (legendary Ferrari mechanic Ermanno Cuoghi is seen on the foreground).

These wonderful pictures, taken by one Lennart Bergsten capture the atmosphere of a Formula One paddock in the 70s, a time when the drivers and the teams were accessible for the public.

No impassable fences, no electronic badges, no heavyweight guards in front of pit entries and motorhome, no press agents denying contact with the drivers… just racing in its purest form.

The race was won by Jody Scheckter (Tyrrell) while Lauda (Ferrari) had to retire on lap 70 with gearbox problems.