I've taken this era as the time from Lotus' new sponsorship and the dawn of the freely DFV up until the retirement of Sir Jackie Stewart.
Considering the last kilometers lead graph from 1958-67 covered nearly double the amount of time, the fact that more constructors lead laps in this time period was instructive:
GRAPH: Kilometers lead 1969-73
Tyrrell, which was only a constructor for three of these six years, is in second place in the time lead stakes, with Lotus leading. Ferrari is down in third place. Matra's leads were down to Ken Tyrrell's time running it as a customer operation. These years were dominated by Jackie Stewart:
GRAPH: Drivers' wins: 1968-73
Stewart was a superb driver and became three-time Champion. Fittipaldi is halfway through his short top-level career here before he somewhat wasted his potential in his brother's car.
The era was one of sponsorship. Most of the top teams found themselves in cars painted after their sponsor's colours, with Lotus' red-white-gold cigarette deal the first of many - often, of course, with cigarette companies. But the Ford Cosworth DFV engine, available relatively cheaply and with no exclusivity, was even more dominant!
GRAPH: Best WCC position of teams using three best F1 engines 1968-73
It is worth noting that there are no other engine makers that beat these three in that era, all the gaps above the lowest line are filled in by Ford Cosworth DFV constructors. It was not just the Championships they dominated, but the races too...
GRAPH: Best three engines % race wins 1968-73
So a time with an engine that gave everyone a chance, regardless of budget. Ferrari not particularly strong, leaving the drivers' title to be won in alternate years - Chapman's Lotus challenger in even years, Jackie Stewart driving for Ken Tyrrell in the odd years. Soon, however, Lotus and a still young Tyrrell team would be challenged before being replaced by the ascendant giants: Ferrari and McLaren, followed by Williams.
Considering the last kilometers lead graph from 1958-67 covered nearly double the amount of time, the fact that more constructors lead laps in this time period was instructive:
GRAPH: Kilometers lead 1969-73
Tyrrell, which was only a constructor for three of these six years, is in second place in the time lead stakes, with Lotus leading. Ferrari is down in third place. Matra's leads were down to Ken Tyrrell's time running it as a customer operation. These years were dominated by Jackie Stewart:
GRAPH: Drivers' wins: 1968-73
Stewart was a superb driver and became three-time Champion. Fittipaldi is halfway through his short top-level career here before he somewhat wasted his potential in his brother's car.
The era was one of sponsorship. Most of the top teams found themselves in cars painted after their sponsor's colours, with Lotus' red-white-gold cigarette deal the first of many - often, of course, with cigarette companies. But the Ford Cosworth DFV engine, available relatively cheaply and with no exclusivity, was even more dominant!
GRAPH: Best WCC position of teams using three best F1 engines 1968-73
It is worth noting that there are no other engine makers that beat these three in that era, all the gaps above the lowest line are filled in by Ford Cosworth DFV constructors. It was not just the Championships they dominated, but the races too...
GRAPH: Best three engines % race wins 1968-73
So a time with an engine that gave everyone a chance, regardless of budget. Ferrari not particularly strong, leaving the drivers' title to be won in alternate years - Chapman's Lotus challenger in even years, Jackie Stewart driving for Ken Tyrrell in the odd years. Soon, however, Lotus and a still young Tyrrell team would be challenged before being replaced by the ascendant giants: Ferrari and McLaren, followed by Williams.
