With just three races left in the 1972 Formula 1 season, Emerson Fittipaldi had a 25 point lead in the World Championship. Second-place man, Denny Hulme, needed to win all three to snatch the title from the Brazilian.
Team Lotus was still coming under attack from Italian authorities as a result of the death of Jochen Rindt at Monza two years earlier. As a result, the team arrived under the banner of "World Wide Racing", bringing just a single car for Fittipaldi; teammate Dave Walker was left at home.
Having qualified on the third row alongside Hulme, Fittipaldi in the lone Lotus caught a lucky break off the start. Stewart, on the front row, suffered a transmission failure and Fittipaldi managed to squeeze through the ensuing traffic jam with ease and into third place. Three laps later, the Brazilian was just behind Ickx and the two were locked in a straight fight until just nine laps remained. The Ferrari's engine failed to the benefit of the Lotus driver. Fittipaldi scored the points necessary to capture his first F1 World Championship title, at the age of 25!
