(nominally an unsafe position), something that had been missed in the initial scrutineering. Mario was furious, after a start-line debacle that finished his Indianapolis 500 before it began in May. Although the mechanics could make the necessary modifications, the decision was final and Richard Lloyd, as first reserve, was given fifteen minutes' notice to get his car on the grid. Ickx and Mass took to the front from the start with a hot pace, chased hard by the Rondeaux of Migault and Jaussaud, Stuck's Sauber and Ludwig in the Ford. Both works Lancias were immediately in trouble with faulty fuel pumps and in the first two laps both cars stopped on-track for running repairs, taking an hour each to get back to the pits. They rejoined the race at the tail of the field, many laps down. The Dome and Brun's Sauber also pitted early, while Revson's Lola could not get started and was left on the grid. Pescarolo came in on lap 7 to spend 40 minutes tracking down an electrical issue in his Rondeau. The first retirement, within the first half-hour, was the Grid-Plaza with piston failure. After running well within the top-20, the Cougar broke its suspension (as had happened at the Nürburgring) and lost an hour in the pits. It had yet another suspension failure early on Sunday morning that led to its retirement. Mass led initially, pursued by the WM of Pignard. Ickx had dropped back to let the sprinters get away, until gradually picking them off and taking the lead on lap nine. The thirstier Nimrods and Porsches had to pit first, after only 47 minutes, so it was Migault credited with the lead at the first hour, ahead of Niedzwiedz, Rondeau and Stuck. Keegan, in the Ultramar Lola, was running a strong sixth, splitting the three Porsches, until he had to stop to have a loose door secured. Pignard had handed over to Raulet in the 9th-placed WM, but the sister car would lose over half an hour in the pits after Dorchy tangled with Bussi's spinning Rondeau while trying to lap him. Jean Rondeau put in the fastest lap of the race in the early evening as he kept up with the Porsches, trying to push their turbo-engine fuel consumption. The fuel limitations caused early issues as teams miscalculated their consumption. First victim was Bob Akin's high-powered Porsche 935. Then Ralph Kent-Cooke