ARGENTINA: PREPARATIONS FOR GRAND PRIX - FIRST OF THE SEASON - AFTER FINANCIAL DISPUTES THREATENED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Record ID: 448973

  • Title: ARGENTINA: PREPARATIONS FOR GRAND PRIX - FIRST OF THE SEASON - AFTER FINANCIAL DISPUTES THREATENED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
  • Date: 5th January 1977
  • Summary: 1. GV EXTERIOR Aircraft on tarmac in Buenos Aires, Argentina 0.03 2. MV Malboro McLaren team manager, Alistaire Coldwell, steps down from aircraft 0.11 3. MV Austria's Niki Lauda of Ferrari walks across tarmac 0.18 4. MVs Britain's James Hunt of Malboro-McLaren, pushing trolley, leaves airport terminal (3 shots) 0.38 5. MV PAN Ferraris on transporter 0.45 6. MV ZOOM INTO CU Argentinian Carlos Reutemann's Ferrari 0.51 7. CU Launda's Ferrari 0.56 8. MV Worker covering cars 1.04 9. MVs Armed troops and police get into vehicles as escort convey moves off (2 shots) 1.26 10. GV Armed police and troops escort cars along motorway 1.49 11. MV PAN Convey drives into race track 1.58 12. MVs People look on as Ferrari cars are unloaded (2 shots) 2.06 Initials OS MOTOR RACING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th January 1977 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
  • Country: Argentina
  • Reuters ID: LVAA7OR3FP7IRD9GVXI19BQ0YIAL
  • Story Text: In Argentina, final preparations are underway for Sunday's Grand prix -- first in the 1977 World Motor-Racing Championships. It's the first held in the country for two years -- last year's was cancelled for financial reasons.

    SYNOPSIS: Among the favourites for the race is James Hunt of Britain, the current World Champion.

    Malborough-McLaren team manager, Alistaire Coldwell, is in Buenos Aires for the race.

    Austria's Niki Lauda, last year's leader through the season, lost the title to James Hunt in the last race of the series in Japan, when he withdrew in heavy rain. Hunt pushed on to take the title, leaving Launda's position as Ferrari's number one driver in some doubt. A Ferrari spokesman in Buenos Aires said this week that the Austrian -- who was badly burned in a crash in last year's West German Grand Prix -- could be replaced by Carlos Reutemann of Argentina if he doesn't perform better this year. Team Manager Alberto Nocetti said Reutemann has been performing well in recent tests -- and had all the qualities that pleased car millionaire Enzo Ferrari.

    Local police and army troops are co-operating in providing heavy security for the machines -- grand prix racing is, after all, a multi-million-pound business.

    The row which threatened to disrupt this year's season was all about money -- and it;s only recently been settled, just in time for Sunday's race. It involved three organisations -- the governing body, the car manufacturers' representatives. and a new company representing the race organisers. It arose when the car people wanted to fix their appearance fees directly with the organisers, not their representatives. The issue was temporarily settled with an uneasy compromise on the fees. The argument was one of the reasons Argentina could not afford to stage last year's race.

    While it seems likely Ferrari and McLaren will dominate the season, two outsiders are being tipped to do well. They're John Watson of Northern Ireland in Martini-Brabham's twelve-cylinder Alfa Romeo, and South African Jody Scheckter, driving for Canadian millionaire Walter Wolf.
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