1974 Formula One Season Official

(Ferrari). Entering the final race at Watkins Glen, both drivers were tied on 52 points—a rare occurrence in F1 history.

| Driver | Team | Car | Role in Season | |--------|------|-----|----------------| | | McLaren | M23 | The cerebral Brazilian. Defending champion (1972) but had an off year in '73. Returned hungry. | | Niki Lauda | Ferrari | 312B3-74 | The rising Austrian. Second season. Crashing in practice then winning races. Arrogant, brilliant. | | Jody Scheckter | Tyrrell | 007 | The South African wild child. Overtaking king. Won three races. Equally likely to win or cause a pile-up. | | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 312B3-74 | The Swiss veteran. Steady, fast, but often unlucky. Finished 2nd in championship. | | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus | 72E / 76 | The "SuperSwede." Still the fastest driver on raw pace, but trapped in Lotus's decline. | | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham | BT44 | Argentine "Lole." Smooth as silk. Won in South Africa and Austria. |

Lauda brought a clinical, technical approach to testing. The Ferrari 312B3 became the fastest car on the grid, with Lauda taking nine pole positions. While reliability issues often hampered his race results, the pace of the Ferraris signaled that the Italian team was back at the forefront of the sport. Key Moments of the Championship