thumb|250px|right|[[Emerson Fittipaldi driving his Lotus during practice; he won the race using the team's spare car which carried the number 31.]]
The 1972 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on 13 August 1972. It was race 9 of 12 in both the 1972 World Championship of Drivers and the 1972 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 54-lap race was won by Lotus driver Emerson Fittipaldi after he started from pole position. Denny Hulme finished second for the McLaren team and his teammate Peter Revson came in third.
Qualifying
Qualifying classification
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Pos.
!No
!Driver
!Constructor
!Time
!Gap
!Grid
|-
!1
|31
| Emerson Fittipaldi
|Lotus-Ford
|1:35.97
|
|1
|-
!2
|19
| Clay Regazzoni
|Ferrari
|1:36.04
| + 0.07
|2
|-
!3
|1
| Jackie Stewart
|Tyrrell-Ford
|1:36.35
| + 0.38
|3
|-
!4
|14
| Peter Revson
|McLaren-Ford
|1:36.63
| + 0.66
|4
|-
!5
|17
| Carlos Reutemann
|Brabham–Ford
|1:37.15
| + 1.18
|5
|-
!6
|10
| Chris Amon
|Matra
|1:37.16
| + 1.19
|6
|-
!7
|12
| Denny Hulme
|McLaren-Ford
|1:37.20
| + 1.23
|7
|-
!8
|24
| Tim Schenken
|Surtees-Ford
|1:37.25
| + 1.28
|8
|-
!9
|18
| Jacky Ickx
|Ferrari
|1:37.33
| + 1.36
|9
|-
!10
|9
| Howden Ganley
|BRM
|1:37.55
| + 1.58
|10
|-
!11
|5
| Ronnie Peterson
|March-Ford
|1:37.58
| + 1.61
|11
|-
!12
|25
| Mike Hailwood
|Surtees-Ford
|1:37.77
| + 1.80
|12
|-
!13
|11
| Andrea de Adamich
|Surtees-Ford
|1:38.08
| + 2.11
|13
|-
!14
|16
| Graham Hill
|Brabham-Ford
|1:38.14
| + 2.17
|14
|-
!15
|28
| Wilson Fittipaldi
|Brabham-Ford
|1:38.25
| + 2.28
|15
|-
!16
|6
| Peter Gethin
|BRM
|1:38.48
| + 2.51
|16
|-
!17
|27
| Rolf Stommelen
|Eifelland-Ford
|1:38.62
| + 2.65
|17
|-
!18
|23
| Carlos Pace
|March-Ford
|1:38.62
| + 2.65
|18
|-
!19
|21
| David Walker
|Lotus-Ford
|1:38.81
| + 2.84
|19
|-
!20
|2
| François Cevert
|Tyrrell-Ford
|1:38.85
| + 2.88
|20
|-
!21
|7
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise
|BRM
|1:38.89
| + 2.92
|21
|-
!22
|4
| Niki Lauda
|March-Ford
|1:39.04
| + 3.07
|22
|-
!23
|15
| Nanni Galli
|Tecno
|1:39.13
| + 3.16
|23
|-
!24
|3
| Mike Beuttler
|March-Ford
|1:39.92
| + 3.95
|24
|-
!25
|22
| Henri Pescarolo
|March-Ford
|1:40.28
| + 4.31
|
|-
!26
|29
| François Migault
|Connew-Ford
|1:43.88
| + 7.91
|25
|}
Race
Classification
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Laps !! Time/Retired !! Grid !! Points
|-
! 1
| 31
| Emerson Fittipaldi
| Lotus-Ford
| 54
| 1:29:16.66
| 1
| 9
|-
! 2
| 12
| Denny Hulme
| McLaren-Ford
| 54
| + 1.18
| 7
| 6
|-
! 3
| 14
| Peter Revson
| McLaren-Ford
| 54
| + 36.53
| 4
| 4
|-
! 4
| 25
| Mike Hailwood
| Surtees-Ford
| 54
| + 44.76
| 12
| 3
|-
! 5
| 10
| Chris Amon
| Matra
| 54
| + 45.64
| 6
| 2
|-
! 6
| 9
| Howden Ganley
| BRM
| 54
| + 1:01.19
| 10
| 1
|-
! 7
| 1
| Jackie Stewart
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 54
| + 1:09.09
| 3
|
|-
! 8
| 7
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise
| BRM
| 54
| + 1:21.45
| 21
|
|-
! 9
| 2
| François Cevert
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 53
| + 1 lap
| 20
|
|-
! 10
| 4
| Niki Lauda
| March-Ford
| 53
| + 1 lap
| 22
|
|-
! 11
| 24
| Tim Schenken
| Surtees-Ford
| 52
| + 2 laps
| 8
|
|-
! 12
| 5
| Ronnie Peterson
| March-Ford
| 52
| + 2 laps
| 11
|
|-
! 13
| 6
| Peter Gethin
| BRM
| 51
| + 3 laps
| 16
|
|-
! 14
| 11
| Andrea de Adamich
| Surtees-Ford
| 51
| + 3 laps
| 13
|
|-
! 15
| 27
| Rolf Stommelen
| Eifelland-Ford
| 48
| Engine
| 17
|
|-
!
| 23
| Carlos Pace
| March-Ford
| 46
| + 8 laps
| 18
|
|-
!
| 15
| Nanni Galli
| Tecno
| 45
| Oil leak
| 23
|
|-
!
| 16
| Graham Hill
| Brabham-Ford
| 36
| Injection
| 14
|
|-
!
| 28
| Wilson Fittipaldi
| Brabham-Ford
| 31
| Brakes
| 15
|
|-
!
| 3
| Mike Beuttler
| March-Ford
| 24
| Fuel system
| 24
|
|-
!
| 29
| François Migault
| Connew-Ford
| 22
| Suspension
| 25
|
|-
!
| 18
| Jacky Ickx
| Ferrari
| 20
| Fuel system
| 9
|
|-
!
| 17
| Carlos Reutemann
| Brabham-Ford
| 14
| Injection
| 5
|
|-
!
| 19
| Clay Regazzoni
| Ferrari
| 13
| Fuel system
| 2
|
|-
!
| 21
| Dave Walker
| Lotus-Ford
| 6
| Engine
| 19
|
|-
!
| 22
| Henri Pescarolo
| March-Ford
|
| Accident
|
|
|-
!colspan="8"|
|}
Notes
- This was the 5th Grand Prix win for a Brazilian driver.
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
! Pos
! Driver
! Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Emerson Fittipaldi*
| align="left"| 52
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 2
| Jackie Stewart*
| align="left"| 27
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 3
| Denny Hulme*
| align="left"| 27
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 4
| Jacky Ickx*
| align="left"| 25
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 5
| Peter Revson
| align="left"| 14
|-
!colspan=4|Source:
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
! Pos
! Constructor
! Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Lotus-Ford*
| align="left"| 52
|-
|align="left"| 10px 2
|align="center"| 2
| McLaren-Ford*
| align="left"| 35
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 3
| Tyrrell-Ford*
| align="left"| 33
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 4
| Ferrari*
| align="left"| 29
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 5
| BRM
| align="left"| 13
|-
!colspan=4|Source: