1971 Australian Grand Prix

The 1971 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Warwick Farm Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 21 November 1971. It was open to Racing Cars complying with either Australian Formula 1 or Australian Formula 2 regulations.[1]

1971 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Formula 1 & Australian Formula 2 race
Race details
Date	21 November 1971
Official name	XXXVI Australian Grand Prix
Location	Warwick Farm Raceway, Sydney, New South Wales
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	3.621 km (2.25 mi)
Distance	45 laps, 162.945 km (101.25 mi)
Weather	Sunny
Pole position
Driver	Frank Matich	Matich-Repco Holden
Time	1'24.3
Fastest lap
Driver	Frank Matich	Matich-Repco Holden
Time	1'24.6
Podium
First	Frank Matich	Matich-Repco Holden
Second	Kevin Bartlett	McLaren-Chevrolet
Third	Alan Hamilton	McLaren-Chevrolet

The race was the thirty sixth running of the Australian Grand Prix. Frank Matich won his second straight AGP and, as in 1970, he started the race on pole and also set the fastest race lap. The race marked the debut of Matich's self designed and built Matich A50 which was powered by a Repco Holden V8 engine. Matich won the race by 58.7 seconds from Kevin Bartlett driving a McLaren M10B-Chevrolet, with Alan Hamilton, also driving McLaren M10B-Chevrolet, 1.1 seconds behind Bartlett in third place.

Other than two New Zealanders, the only international driver in the event was 1964 Formula One World Drivers' Champion John Surtees. The Englishman started ninth in his Surtees TS8-Chevrolet, and battled with Bartlett, Hamilton, and, until his retirement, Colin Bond in the McLaren M10B in which Matich had won the 1970 Australian Grand Prix. Surtees ultimately placed 14th after suffering two punctures late in the race.[2] 1971 Rothmans F5000 European Championship winner Frank Gardner was unable to start the race after damaging his Lola T300 in the first practice session on the Saturday.[3]