Pedro Rodriguez flies at Spa

Pedro Rodriguez, Yardley-BRM P153, brakes on the very limit at the La Source hairpin, during the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix that he’s going to win, held on the mighty 14.100 km circuit at Spa-Francorchamps.

Race winner Pedro Rodriguez had set a 160 miles an hour lap in the sports car race, the 1000 km of Spa, at the wheel of a Porsche 917K, the week before the Grand Prix, but March driver Chris Amon set the new lap record during this race, at a speed of 152 miles an hour, and was set to finally win a Grand Prix, until Rodriguez passed him (picture-below) and crossed the finishing line with just one second advantage.

This was the second Formula One win ever for a Mexican driver (Rodriguez had won the 1967 South African Grand Prix in a Cooper-Maserati) and the last until the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix won by Sergio Pérez. The race also saw the debut of Ignazio Giunti, who finished fourth in a Ferrari 312B.