1975 United States Grand Prix

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The 1975 United States Grand Prix was held on October 5 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in New York. It was the 14th and last race of the season. Niki Lauda, driving for Ferrari, won the race by about four seconds from Emerson Fittipaldi in a McLaren. Jochen Mass, also in a McLaren, finished third. Lauda had taken pole position, and Fittipaldi set the fastest lap.

Before the race there were some worries off the track. The Canadian Grand Prix had been cancelled, and there were disputes over prize money and driver wages. The Watkins Glen circuit also added a new chicane at the bottom of the hill to slow the corner after a dangerous crash two years earlier.

From the start, Lauda led, with Fittipaldi close behind. There were several incidents during the race. Pace and Depailler collided on lap 2 and retired. Massa (Mass) moved up but then briefly lost power by turning off his engine. Regazzoni hit the rear of a McLaren and lost a lot of time, later being warned and then withdrawn by Ferrari in protest.

Another notable moment came when Regazzoni was held up while leading the group, but Lauda eventually pulled away. Reutemann retired with a blown engine, and Andretti's suspension failed later. By the end, Lauda was comfortably ahead of Fittipaldi, with Mass in third.

This win made Lauda the world champion for 1975. It was also Ferrari’s season highlight, as the team had already wrapped up both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, and it marked the end of an era as the season closed with several retirements and team changes looming for 1976.

The race was the last for Wilson Fittipaldi, Tony Brise, and the Embassy Racing with Graham Hill. Later that year, on November 29, Graham Hill and four others were killed in a plane crash while traveling home after a test session for 1976. The incident led to the closure of Hill’s racing team.