View source for 1978 Argentine Grand Prix

{{Infobox Race Report
|name               = {{ARG}} 1978 Argentine Grand Prix
|Race_No            = 1
|Season_No          = 16
|year               = 1978
|series             = Alternate Formula One
|Circuit            = 
|date               = 5 March 1978
|official name      = Gran Premio Austral Líneas Aéreas de Argentina
|location           = Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez
|course             = Road course<br />5.948 km (3.687 mi)
|distance           = 53 laps, 315.244 km (195.411 mi)
|weather            = Sunny
|pole driver        = {{CAN}} [[Gilles Villeneuve]]
|pole team          = [[Ferrari]]
|pole time          = 1:49.87
|fastest lap driver = {{RZA}} [[Jody Scheckter]]
|fastest lap team   = [[Ferrari]]
|fastest lap time   = 1:55.28
|first driver       = {{AUS}} [[Alan Jones]]
|first team         = [[Williams]]-[[Ford]]
|second driver      = {{FRA}} [[Patrick Depailler]]
|second team        = [[Williams]]-[[Ford]]
|third driver       = {{GBR}} [[John Watson]]
|third team         = [[Brabham]]-[[Ford]]
|}}

The '''1978 Argentine Grand Prix''' was a [[Formula One]] motor race held on 5 March 1978 at Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez in Buenos Aires. It was the first race of the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1978 International Cup for F1 Constructors. The 53-lap race was won by Australian driver [[Alan Jones]], driving a [[Williams]]-[[Ford]], earning his 1st career victory, with Frenchman [[Patrick Depailler]] second in the other Williams-Ford and Ulsterman [[John Watson]] third in a [[Brabham]]-Ford, scoring his 1st points and his 1st podium place.

This race also marked the Williams team's first ever 1-2 finish in a Formula One championship race.

==Classification==

===Pre-Qualifying===

====Individual Times====

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Pos
! No
! Driver
! Constructor
! Time
! Gap
|-
! 1
| 14
| [[File:Flag of France svg.png]] '''[[Jean-Pierre Jabouille]]'''
| [[Renault]]
| 1:53.87
| -.--
|-
! 2
| 15
| [[File:Flag of France svg.png]] '''[[René Arnoux]]'''
| [[Renault]]
| 1:53.90
| +0.03
|-
! 3
| 19
| [[File:Flag of Finland svg.png]] '''[[Keke Rosberg]]'''
| [[Arrows]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:54.11
| +0.24
|-
! 4
| 23
| {{ITA}} [[Riccardo Patrese]]
| [[Minardi]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:54.77
| +0.90
|-
! 5
| 16
|{{GER}} '''[[Rolf Stommelen]]'''
| [[ATS]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:54.97
| +1.10
|-
! 6
| 18
| {{ITA}} '''[[Gianfranco Brancatelli]]'''
| [[Arrows]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:55.58
| +1.71
|-
! 7
| 17
| {{GER}} '''[[Hans Heyer]]'''
| [[ATS]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:55.80
| +1.93
|-
! 8
| 37
|{{USA}} [[Mike Mosley]]
| [[Interscope]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:56.01
| +2.14
|-
! 9
| 38
|{{USA}} [[Danny Ongais]]
| [[Interscope]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:56.58
| +2.71
|-
! 10
| 66
| {{ARG}} [[Osvaldo López]]
| [[Hernandez]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:57.23
| +3.25
|-
! 11
| 24
| {{ITA}} [[Piercarlo Ghinzani]]
| [[Minardi]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:57.35
| +3.37
|-
! 12
| 65
| {{ARG}} [[Héctor Luis Gradassi]]
| [[Hernandez]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:57.96
| +4.09
|}
(Those in '''bold''' pre-qualified)

====Combined Times====

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Pos
! Entrant
! Constructor
! Time
! Gap
|-
! 1
| '''{{FRA}} [[Renault|Équipe Renault Elf]]'''
| {{FRA}} [[Renault]]
| 3:47.77
| -.---
|-
! 2
| {{GBR}} '''[[Arrows|Warsteiner Arrows Racing Team]]'''
| {{GBR}} [[Arrows]]-[[Ford]]
| 3:49.68
| +1.91
|-
! 3
| {{GER}} '''[[ATS|ATS Racing Team]]'''
| {{GER}} [[ATS]]-[[Ford]]
| 3:50.77
| +3.00
|-
! 4
| {{ITA}} [[Scuderia Everest]]
| {{ITA}} [[Minardi]]-[[Ford]]
| 3:52.18
| +4.35
|-
! 5
| {{USA}} [[Interscope Racing]]
| {{USA}} [[Interscope]]-[[Ford]]
| 3:52.58
| +4.81
|-
! 6
| {{ARG}} [[Escuderia Hernandez]]
| {{ARG}} [[Hernandez]]-[[Ford]]
| 3:55.18
| +7.41
|-
|}
(Those in '''bold''' pre-qualified)

=== Qualifying ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Q1 !! Q2 !! Gap
|-
! 1
| 12
| {{CAN}} [[Gilles Villeneuve]]
| [[Ferrari]]
| 1:49.97
| '''1:49.87'''
|align="center"| &mdash;
|-
! 2
| 28
| {{AUS}} [[Alan Jones]]
| [[Williams]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:49.91'''
| 1:50.37
| +0.04
|-
! 3
| 1
| {{USA}} [[Mario Andretti]]
| [[Lotus]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:50.32
| '''1:50.08'''
| +0.21
|-
! 4
| 11
| {{RZA}} [[Jody Scheckter]]
| [[Ferrari]]
| '''1:50.25'''
| 1:50.37
| +0.38
|-
! 5
| 27
| {{FRA}} [[Patrick Depailler]]
| [[Williams]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:51.10
| '''1:50.25'''
| +0.38
|-
! 6
| 2
| {{GBR}} [[Thomas Nurmester]]
| [[Lotus]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:50.50'''
| 1:50.53
| +0.63
|-
! 7
| 5
| {{GBR}} [[James Hunt]]
| [[Brabham]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:50.86'''
| 1:51.19
| +0.99
|-
! 8
| 3
| {{FRA}} [[Didier Pironi]]
| [[Tyrrell]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:51.35'''
| —
| +1.48
|-
! 9
| 6
| {{GBR}} [[John Watson]]
| [[Brabham]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:51.60
| 1:51.60
| +1.73
|-
! 10
| 31
| {{ITA}} [[Elio de Angelis]]
| [[Alfa Romeo]]
| 1:52.42
| '''1:51.88'''
| +2.01
|-
! 11
| 25
| {{FRA}} [[Jacques Laffite]]
| [[Ligier]]-[[Matra]]
| '''1:51.96'''
| 1:52.25
| +2.09
|-
! 12
| 7
| {{SUI}} [[Clay Regazzoni]]
| [[McLaren]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:52.09'''
| 1:53.18
| +2.12
|-
! 13
| 15
| {{FRA}} [[René Arnoux]]
| [[Renault]]
| '''1:52.53'''
| 1:53.93
| +2.66
|-
! 14
| 19
| {{FIN}} [[Keke Rosberg]]
| [[Arrows]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:52.86
| '''1:52.53'''
| +2.66
|-
! 15
| 4
| {{GBR}} [[Robert Kagan]]
| [[Tyrrell]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:52.54'''
| 1:53.63
| +2.67
|-
! 16
| 8
| {{USA}} [[Tom Sneva]]
| [[McLaren]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:52.75'''
| 1:52.83
| +2.88
|-
! 17
| 31
| {{FRA}} [[Jean-Pierre Jarier]]
| [[Alfa Romeo]]
| 1:55.80
| '''1:52.99'''
| +3.12
|-
! 18
| 26
| {{FRA}} [[François Migault]]
| [[Ligier]]-[[Matra]]
| '''1:53.05'''
| 1:53.34
| +3.18
|-
! 19
| 21
| {{SWE}} [[Ronnie Peterson]]
| [[Ensign]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:53.10'''
| 1:53.27
| +3.23
|-
! 20
| 22
| {{USA}} [[Bobby Rahal]]
| [[Ensign]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:53.35'''
| 1:54.01
| +3.48
|-
! 21
| 9
| {{GBR}} [[Tom Pryce]]
| [[March]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:54.74
| '''1:53.85'''
| +3.98
|-
! 22
| 33
| {{ITA}} [[Vittorio Brambilla]]
| [[Boro]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:54.41
| '''1:53.88'''
| +4.01
|-
! 23
| 16
| {{GER}} [[Rolf Stommelen]]
| [[ATS]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:54.17'''
| 1:56.32
| +4.30
|-
! 24
| 14
| {{FRA}} [[Jean-Pierre Jabouille]]
| [[Renault]]
| '''1:54.25'''
| 1:54.33
| +4.38
|-
! 25
| 32
| {{GER}} [[Leonhard von Gottorp]]
| [[Boro]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:54.45'''
| 1:54.75
| +4.58
|-
! 26
| 18
| {{ITA}} [[Gianfranco Brancatelli]]
| [[Arrows]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:54.46'''
| 1:55.10
| +4.59
|-
! 27
| 17
| {{GER}} '''[[Hans Heyer]]'''
| [[ATS]]-[[Ford]]
| 1:55.68
| '''1:55.51'''
| +5.64
|-
! 28
| 10
| {{BEL}} '''[[Patrick Nève]]'''
| [[March]]-[[Ford]]
| '''1:56.58'''
| 1:56.78
| +6.71

|}
(Cars in '''bold''' failed to qualify)

===Race===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Pos
!#
!Driver
!Constructor
!Laps
!Time/retired
!Grid
!Points
|-
! 1
|