Jacky Stewart won the 1969 British GP with one lap in front of the rest of the field and reset a few times the new lap record. But that is just statistics. His main rival that race, Jochen Rindt, battled with him nose to tail with numerous lead changes for 62 laps with Rindt leading from the start. Remember that in those days, aerodynamics were still primitive!
Then a bit of the rear wing came loose and Rindt needed a short pit stop. He would only finish fourth because he ran short on fuel. That was also the case for Jacky Ickx. He coasted his Brabham BT26A across the line second with a dead engine and dry tanks. Bruce McLaren took third with a smooth drive.
It was dry on race day. Poleman Rindt in his Lotus 49B was first off at the start. Jacky Stewart started beside him in the Matra MS80 from team-mate Beltoise. He had damaged his car at Woodcote curve during the last qualifying. John Surtees made a super start with his BRM and was up from the third row to third behind Rindt and Stewart. His race ended quickly: the new BRM P139, in its first race, had a wishbone collapse, damaging the suspension under braking at Stowe in lap 1.
When all cars went into Woodcote for the first time, it was Rindt in front, closely followed by the blue Matra. Then there was a gap to Denny Hulme in the McLaren M7A. After the New Zealander was a huge gaggle comprising Pedro Rodríguez (Ferrari 312/69), Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon (also Ferrari), Piers Courage (Brabham BT26), Graham Hill (Lotus 49B), Jo Siffert (Rob Walker Lotus 49B) and Ickx. The Belgian had made a poor start.
D.Hulme G.Hill
P.Rodriguez Jo Siffert
In the next lap the gap Rindt–Stewart to the rest increased to over a second. On Lap 4, McLaren dealt with Rodríguez. The Ferrari driver was falling back into the clutches of a battle for sixth between teammate Amon, the Lotuses of Hill and Siffert, and Ickx.
Ickx got by Siffert when Derek Bell went into a spin with his four-wheel-drive McLaren due to a suspension failure. Bonnier was also out with failing oil pressure.
The leading battle was tremendous, with the two fastest drivers in grand prix racing fighting wheel to wheel. On lap six, as they came out of Chapel Curve onto Hangar Straight, Jacky darted out of the slipstream, outbraked the Lotus, and snatched the lead. His clutch was now refusing to disengage, so he drove without it.
The McLaren boys followed next, and behind them a battle was developing. Rodríguez and Amon were pressed hard by Ickx.
Further down the field, John Miles was running well with the 4WD Lotus. Beltoise in his own 4WD Matra was far back—his job was simply to bring the car home safely.
Up front, Stewart took a small lead, but Rindt closed in every time. Stewart set a new lap record of 1:22.5 and then 1:22.3. Rindt responded with 1:22.1 and then 1:21.9. The crowd loved it. On lap 16, he forced his way back into the lead when Stewart muffed a gearchange.
Hulme remained third, 22 seconds behind. His engine was losing power, so McLaren closed in, followed closely by an irrepressible Ickx. Courage followed, ahead of Hill, Siffert, Rodríguez, and Amon.
Jackie Oliver (BRM P133) then retired with a transmission failure. Hulme came into the pits on lap 26; the mechanics changed the black box, but after a slow lap his race was over. Rodríguez also had engine issues.
Rindt looked masterful. By lap 27, he and Stewart had a 39.5?second lead over Ickx, who had brilliantly outbraked McLaren at Woodcote. Courage made a slight mistake, letting Siffert and Hill past. The order stabilized for several laps: Ickx ahead of McLaren, Siffert, Amon, Hill, Courage, and Rodríguez.
Both leaders caught Rodríguez again. They passed him easily but then encountered the battling group ahead—with Beltoise between them. Stewart lost time in the traffic. He responded with another lap record: 1:21.8 on lap 41.
Chris Amon retired soon after with gearbox issues.
Lap 50: Rindt was 3 seconds ahead of Stewart. Tyrrell signaled Jacky to push. By lap 54, the gap was back to 2.5 seconds. Stewart did laps 56 and 57 in 1:21.6, then lap 60 in 1:21.3—the fastest lap—and closed directly onto Rindt’s tail.
Now Rindt hit trouble. A sidepiece of his rear wing came loose, rubbing the left rear tire. On lap 62, Stewart passed him on Hangar Straight into Stowe. He even pointed at the loose wing as he went by. Rindt stopped to remove the piece, losing 34 seconds and the win.
Behind them, a fight for fifth raged between Rodríguez, Hill, and Courage. Rodríguez, with an overheating engine, retired on lap 61. Courage passed Hill and held him off for four laps before being repassed.
Rindt mounted a furious 12?lap chase and closed to within 2.5 seconds of Stewart, but his fuel was now low. The Lotus cut out at Stowe and spluttered back to life. He pitted for fuel and dropped to fourth, just ahead of Courage. Hill also needed fuel, and Siffert suffered the same on the next lap. This promoted Vic Elford in the McLaren 7A to sixth. Ickx, too, approached the finish with a coughing Brabham.
Fourth place brought drama: Courage, also short on fuel, passed Rindt thinking he was a lap down. Only on the final lap did Rindt realize the situation and retake fourth. Sixth over the line was Vic Elford in his McLaren M7C.
These late-race-fuel-crises reshaped the final standings, but none of it threatened Stewart’s triumph. It was his fifth win in six races—his first on home soil. It highlighted his brilliance, the precision of the Tyrrell mechanics who prepared his spare car, and the strength of the Dunlop team.
Stewart left Silverstone with a commanding lead in the championship.
Publication: 29/01/2026Back to overview
