The headline story is the dominance of the Tyrrell 003. Today, we are used to Constructor Championships being won by massive corporate entities like Mercedes or Ferrari. In 1971, however, Ken Tyrrell’s operation was essentially a glorified garage team that had just decided to build its own car.
While Stewart dominated the leaderboard, 1971 served as a launching pad for several future icons of the sport.
: The season saw the debut of future three-time champion Niki Lauda at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Tyrrell-Ford – 73 points (their first and only title).
One reason the 1971 F1 season feels "light" is that the sport's attention was divided. The Can-Am series in North America and the Trans-Am series were drawing massive crowds and offering massive prize money.