Lauda only needed to finish 5th or higher to be champion; but Argentine Carlos Reutemann and Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi both needed to win with Lauda out of the points.
Lauda só necesitaba terminar quinto ou mellor para ser campión, pero o arxentino Carlos Reutemann e o brasileiro Emerson Fittipaldi necesitaban gañar e que Lauda quedara fóra dos puntos.