Ronnie Peterson just failed to win his home Grand Prix. The six-wheeled Tyrrell and Brabham fan-car both won at Anderstorp.
During the seventies Formula 1 visited the Scandinavian Raceway at Anderstorp six times. At the inaugural Grand Prix in 1973 Ronnie Peterson was the star, racing for Lotus in his home country. He duly delivered in qualifying by taking pole. In the race he was looking good for the win until tyre problems late on allowed Denny Hulme’s McLaren to close. Peterson was powerless to defend and eventually finished four seconds behind the New Zealander. In third place was the Tyrrell of François Cevert.
No-one could live with Tyrrell at Anderstorp in 1974. Patrick Depailler took pole and fastest lap but the race win went to his team-mate Jody Scheckter. Depailler was second with James Hunt in third for Hesketh.
Vittorio Brambilla was a surprise pole-sitter in 1975 but during the race his gearbox failed. Niki Lauda recorded the fastest lap on his way to victory for Ferrari. Carlos Reutemann’s Brabham was second and Lauda’s team-mate Clay Regazzoni third. In sixth place came Tony Brise, the promising young English driver who raced for Graham Hill’s team.
The 1976 Swedish Grand Prix provided Tyrrell with the only victory for their outlandish P34 six-wheeler. Scheckter won from pole, followed home by his team-mate Depailler. Lauda completed the podium in third for Ferrari. The Tyrrell's started the 1976 season strongly but dropped off the pace when the development of their small front tyres lagged behind.
The 1977 race saw three different manufacturers filling the top three places. Jacques Laffite won for Ligier with Jochen Mass second in a McLaren. Ferrari was again represented on the podium, but this time Reutemann was driving.
Another extraordinary car won at Anderstorp in 1978, with Lauda taking the Brabham fan-car to a convincing victory. In second was Riccardo Patrese’s Arrows although the young Italian was not universally popular following his tough defence from third-placed Peterson. Drivers following Lauda's Brabham complained about the giant fan mounted on the rear of the car, which kicked up stones and dirt from the track. By the time of the next race the car was banned. In, 'Formula 1, The Autobiography', published by Wiedenfeld & Nicolson in 2002 and edited by Gerald Donaldson, Lauda recalled the superiority of the fan-car:
"I tell you, it was the easiest win I have ever scored. You could do anything with that car!"
At the 1978 Italian Grand Prix Sweden's greatest Formula 1 driver, Ronnie Peterson, died following complications after a start-line crash. That year was also the last thime that the Swedish Grand Prix appeared on the Formula 1 calendar.
