1971 is also the season of the "shadow champion." François Cevert, Stewart’s young, beautiful, brilliant teammate, finished third in the championship. He was faster than Stewart on his day. He was the future. The photos from 1971 show him laughing, leaning on the Tyrrell, hair in his eyes. Two years later, at the 1973 US GP, he would be cut in half by the Armco barriers at Watkins Glen. Stewart retired immediately, never to race again.

The season opened in South Africa with a surprise victory for Mario Andretti in the Ferrari 312B, marking the American's first and only Grand Prix win for over a decade. However, this was an outlier. The Ferrari engine was powerful but thirsty, and the Tyrrell was the class of the field.

Tracks like the Nürburgring Nordschleife (still in its 14-mile, 172-corner glory) and the old Spa (8.7 miles of public roads) were already terrifying. Put 500 horsepower in a 550kg tube of aluminum, on wet cobblestones and grass, and you have a recipe for gods or ghosts.

By season's end, the "Matra International" team that had won the title was gone, replaced firmly by the Tyrrell name. The sport was moving toward the aero-wars of the mid-70s, but in 1971, it was still a time where a well-built car and a wizard behind the wheel could conquer the world.

1971 was the year Ronnie Peterson established himself as a superstar. Driving for March, Peterson’s spectacular, sideways style earned him five podiums and second place in the championship, despite not winning a race that season. Innovation and Evolution