In 1973, Fiat's management changes led to Forghieri's temporary reassignment and the introduction of the 312 B3. However, the new car faced reliability and performance challenges, leading to Ferrari's absence from some races and Ickx's temporary switch to McLaren. Forghieri's return brought improvements to the B3. In 1974, with the heavily revised 312 B3-74 and the addition of drivers Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari embarked on a new competitive phase.