The 711 was powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV V8, the dominant customer engine of the period. Its most striking visual feature was the broad, flat front wing mounted ahead of the cockpit — a configuration that generated debate about aerodynamic philosophy and made the car highly distinctive in the field. An Alfa Romeo-engined variant was also run by the works team, though the Cosworth-powered cars were the principal entries.
The 711 was entered in 1971 primarily by the works STP March Racing Team. The driver lineup included Ronnie Peterson and Alex Soler-Roig in Cosworth-powered cars, alongside Andrea de Adamich in the Alfa Romeo-engined variant. Soler-Roig was eventually replaced during the season by Nanni Galli, and Niki Lauda made a single appearance at the Austrian Grand Prix with the team.
Peterson proved to be the revelation of the year. He finished second on four occasions — at Monaco, Great Britain, Italy, and Canada — and claimed fifth place on the grid at the British Grand Prix as his best qualifying result of the season. Despite the 711 never visiting the top step of the podium, Peterson's consistency across the year was enough to place him second in the Drivers' World Championship behind Jackie Stewart and ahead of François Cevert. It was a remarkable result for a privateer-scaled constructor against the establishment teams.
In the Constructors' Championship, March finished fourth, behind Tyrrell, BRM, and Ferrari, and ahead of Team Lotus.
Frank Williams Racing Cars entered a 711 for Henri Pescarolo during 1971. Pescarolo qualified as high as tenth in Germany and Italy, and scored his best result of fourth place at the British Grand Prix — the only points scored by a 711 driver other than Peterson that season. Skip Barber entered selected Grands Prix with Gene Mason Racing, qualifying no higher than twenty-fourth, and did not finish any races. Mike Beuttler also ran with Clarke-Mordaunt-Guthrie Racing, qualifying sixteenth in Italy but failing to finish.
By 1972, March had moved its full factory effort to the new 721 and 721X models, leaving the 711 in customer hands. The only full-season entry was Team Williams Motul, running Carlos Pace. Pace's best qualifying result was eleventh place in Belgium, France, and Germany, and his best race finish was fifth place in Belgium — sufficient for three championship points and eighteenth place in the Drivers' Championship.
Speed International entered Ray Allen at the British Grand Prix but the car was ultimately unavailable. Skip Barber returned with Gene Mason Racing for the United States and Canadian Grands Prix; his best weekend was Canada, where he qualified twentieth and finished sixteenth.
The March 711 is remembered as much for Ronnie Peterson's talent as for the car itself. It demonstrated that March — a constructor founded only in 1969 — could produce machinery capable of challenging at the very top of the world championship, and it gave Peterson the platform to announce himself as one of the most exciting drivers of his generation. The tea-tray front wing became an enduring visual symbol of early 1970s Formula One, and the 711 occupies a distinctive place in the short but action-packed history of March's involvement in the sport.