The 1979 Formula One season was the 30th season of Formula One. Mario Andretti and Lotus entered the season as reigning champions; however, they would not enter the season together, as Andretti unexpectedly moved to Ferrari and swapped seats with his rival Jody Scheckter after one of the most chaotic off-seasons in Grand Prix history. The season would be remembered for tragedy and controversy. Formula One would suffer its first fatality since Niki Lauda in 1976, when Welshman Tom Pryce was killed in qualifying for the German Grand Prix. Furthermore, the tensions simmering between FISA and FOCA over control of Formula One escalated into full-blown conflict over the course of the year, to the point of the Dutch Grand Prix having to be cancelled and then hastily rearranged as a non-Championship event at the eleventh hour due to the late withdrawal of all FISA entrants owing to failed summit talks. Ultimately, Australian driver Alan Jones and the Williams team would prevail to take their first championships, wrapping up both titles with a race to spare at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Teams and drivers
| Team
|
Constructor
|
Chassis
|
Engine
|
Tyres
|
#
|
Driver
|
Rounds
|
 Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC [?]
|
Ferrari
|
Ferrari 312T4
|
Ferrari 015 3.0 F12
|
Template:Goodyear
|
1
|
Template:USA Mario Andretti
|
All
|
| 2
|
 Keke Rosberg
|
All
|
| Template:GBR Penthouse Team Tyrrell [?]
|
Tyrrell-Ford
|
Tyrrell 011
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Michelin
|
3
|
Template:GBR Tom Pryce
|
1-8, 11-12
|
 Ronnie Peterson
|
9-10
|
| Template:GBR John Watson
|
13-16
|
| 4
|
Template:GBR Robert Kagan
|
All
|
| Template:GBR Essex Team Lotus [?]
|
Lotus-Ford
|
Lotus 80
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Goodyear
|
5
|
 Jody Scheckter
|
1-12, 15-16
|
 Derek Daly
|
13-14
|
| 6
|
Template:GBR Thomas Nurmester
|
All
|
| Template:GBR Parmalat Racing Team [?]
|
Brabham-Ford
|
Brabham BT46C
Brabham BT47 [?]
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Goodyear
|
7
|
Template:GBR James Hunt
|
All
|
| 8
|
 Nelson Piquet
|
All
|
| Template:GBR March Engineering [?]
|
March-Ford
|
March 791
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
[?]
|
9
|
Template:FRA Guillaume Gauthier
|
All
|
| 10
|
Template:GBR Harvey Jones
|
All
|
| Template:GBR Marlboro Team McLaren [?]
|
McLaren-Ford
|
McLaren M28
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
11
|
Template:BEL Jacky Ickx
|
1-12
|
| Template:SUI Clay Regazzoni
|
13-16
|
| 12
|
 Masahiro Hasemi
|
All
|
| Template:FRA Équipe Renault Elf [?]
|
Renault
|
Renault RS10
|
Renault-Gordini EF1 1.5 V6t
|
Template:Michelin
|
14
|
Template:FRA Jean-Pierre Jabouille
|
1-11
|
| Ronnie Peterson
|
12-16
|
| 15
|
Template:FRA Didier Pironi
|
All
|
 ATS Kauhsen Racing Team [?]
|
ATS-Ford
|
ATS WK2
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Goodyear
|
16
|
Jochen Mass
|
1-12
|
| Hans-Joachim Stuck
|
13-16
|
| 17
|
Template:AUT Harald Ertl
|
All
|
| Template:GBR Warsteiner Arrows North Star Racing Team [?]
|
Arrows-Ford
|
Arrows A2
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Michelin
Template:Dunlop
[?]
|
18
|
Template:FRA René Arnoux
|
1-10
|
 Valentino Nicchi
|
11-16
|
| 19
|
Template:FRA Gabriel Château
|
All
|
| Template:GBR Team Ensign [?]
|
Ensign-Ford
|
Ensign N179
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Michelin
|
21
|
Ronnie Peterson
|
1-8, 11
|
| Template:BEL Silvio Bachot
|
9-10, 12-16
|
| 22
|
 Jan Lammers
|
1-2, 4-16
|
| Timo Fuchs
|
3
|
| Scuderia Everest [?]
|
Minardi-Ford
|
Minardi M179
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
23
|
Piercarlo Ghinzani
|
5-14
|
| 24
|
Template:USA Eddie Cheever
|
5-14
|
| Template:FRA Ligier Gitanes [?]
|
Ligier-Matra
|
Ligier JS11
|
Matra MS73 3.0 V12
|
Template:Goodyear
|
25
|
Template:FRA Jacques Laffite
|
All
|
| 26
|
 Ricardo Zunino
|
1-5, 8, 12-13
|
| Template:FRA Patrick Tambay
|
6-7, 11
|
| Andrea de Cesaris
|
9-10
|
| Template:FRA Alain Prost
|
15
|
| Template:USA Eddie Cheever
|
16
|
| Template:GBR Saudia Williams Racing Team [?]
|
Williams-Ford
|
Williams FW07
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Goodyear
|
27
|
 Gilles Villeneuve
|
All
|
| 28
|
Template:AUS Alan Jones
|
All
|
| Autodelta [?]
|
Alfa Romeo
|
Alfa Romeo 179
|
Alfa Romeo 115-12 3.0 F12
|
Template:Pirelli
|
30
|
Emerson Fittipaldi
|
All
|
| 31
|
Elio de Angelis
|
All
|
| HB Lola Bewaking Alarmsystemen [?]
|
Lola-Ford
|
Lola T400
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Pirelli
|
32
|
Michael Bleekemolen
|
5-9, 11-12
|
| Template:FRA Jean-Pierre Jarier
|
10
|
| Template:FRA René Arnoux
|
13-14
|
| 33
|
Vittorio Brambilla
|
5-13
|
| Huub Rothengatter
|
14
|
| Dywa [?]
|
Dywa-Renzo
|
Dywa-002
|
Renzo BI-2 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
35
|
Beppe Gabbiani
|
5-6
|
| Lena Troscchi
|
7
|
| Ottavia Cacciatori
|
7-9
|
| Enrico Uncini
|
11-13
|
| 36
|
Arsenio Matarazzo
|
5-8
|
| Teo Fabi
|
9
|
| Guido Dacco
|
11-13
|
| Renzo BI-3T 1.5 V8t
|
35
|
Renzo Zorzi
|
14
|
| 36
|
Ottavia Cacciatori
|
14
|
| Template:USA Interscope Racing [?]
|
Interscope-Ford
|
Interscope IR4
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
37
|
Template:USA Danny Ongais
|
All
|
| 38
|
Template:SUI Marc Surer
|
All
|
| Team Merzario [?]
|
Merzario-Ford
|
Merzario A1
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
39
|
Arturo Merzario
|
5-7, 9-14
|
| Freddy Kottulinsky
|
8
|
| 40
|
Renzo Zorzi
|
5-8
|
| Arsenio Matarazzo
|
9-14
|
 Madom Formula 1 [?]
|
March-Ford
|
March 771
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
41
|
Emilio de Villota
|
5, 8, 11
|
| 42
|
David Kennedy
|
5, 8, 11
|
| Template:GBR B&S Fabrications [?]
|
Spartec-Ford
|
Spartec G71A
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
43
|
Freddy Kottulinsky
|
5-7, 10-13
|
| Luciano Sighinolfi
|
9, 14
|
| Lella Lombardi
|
8
|
| 44
|
5-7, 9-10, 12-14
|
| Template:GBR Rupert Keegan
|
8, 11
|
| Template:GBR Hesketh Racing [?]
|
Hesketh-Ford
|
Hesketh 308F
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Pirelli
|
45
|
Riccardo Patrese
|
All
|
| 46
|
Bruno Giacomelli
|
All
|
| Template:BEL VDS Racing [?]
|
Martini-Ford
|
Martini MK24B
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
47
|
Template:BEL Teddy Pilette
|
6, 10-13
|
| 48
|
Template:BEL Bernard de Dryver
|
6
|
| Template:BEL Claude Bourgoignie
|
10
|
| Template:BEL Silvio Bachot
|
11
|
| Template:BEL Hervé Regout
|
12-13
|
| Template:BEL Pierre Dieudonné
|
14
|
 Team Rebaque [?]
|
Rebaque-Ford
|
Rebaque HR102
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Pirelli
|
49
|
Héctor Rebaque
|
5-14
|
| 50
|
Template:USA Brett Lunger
|
5-14
|
| Template:GBR British Formula One Racing Team [?]
|
March-Ford
|
March 781B
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
51
|
Template:GBR Divina Galica
|
8
|
| Template:GBR Stephen South
|
11
|
| 52
|
Template:GBR Hope Stever
|
8, 11
|
| Jesus Saves Racing [?]
|
March-Ford
|
March 771
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
53
|
Alex Ribeiro
|
2
|
| 54
|
 Duncan Idaho
|
2
|
| Template:USA Whittington Brothers Racing [?]
|
March
|
March 781
|
None
|
Template:Dunlop
|
53
|
Template:USA Don Whittington
|
4
|
| 54
|
Template:USA Bill Whittington
|
4
|
| Template:GBR Graham Eden Racing [?]
|
Chevron-Ford
|
Chevron B41
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
55
|
Template:GBR Tiff Needell
|
11
|
| 56
|
Luciano Sighinolfi
|
11
|
| Gilden Kölsch Sachs Racing [?]
|
Martini-Ford
|
Martini MK24B
|
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8
|
Template:Dunlop
|
57
|
Klaus Ludwig
|
12
|
| Peter Krieg
|
13
|
| 58
|
Timo Fuchs
|
12-13
|
Team Changes
Pre-season
- Arrows and North Star Racing combined their efforts ahead of the 1979 season - with North Star's Sir Blake Clayton joining the management board at the newly-named Arrows North Star Racing team.
- ATS merged with Kauhsen to form the ATS Kauhsen Racing Team.
- Hesketh took over the resources of Shadow in the pre season after the latter had collapsed financially midway through 1978.
Driver Changes
Pre-season
- Bobby Rahal and Tom Sneva both elected to leave Formula One and return to IndyCar for the 1979 season.
- Clay Regazzoni was let go at McLaren after one season and replaced by Belgian veteran Jacky Ickx, whom McLaren had coaxed out of retirement. Masahiro Hasemi was retained by the for 1979 after replacing René Arnoux for the final three races of 1978.
- Tom Pryce, having already done three races for Tyrrell in 1978 on loan from March to replace the injured Robert Kagan, signed full-time with Tyrrell for 1979 to replace Pironi. Pryce's seat at March would hence be taken by Harvey Jones, entering his first full season of Formula One after several bit parts in the previous three seasons.
- Rookie Dutchman Jan Lammers was signed by Ensign to replace Bobby Rahal after his return to North America.
- The revolving door that had characterised the #26 Ligier over the previous few seasons was now in the hands of well-funded Argentine driver Ricardo Zunino.
Mid-season
- Rolf Stommelen found himself ousted from ATS before he had even had a chance to recover from his season-ending smash at the Canadian Grand Prix the previous year.
- Jan Lammers was sacked by Ensign after the Brazilian Grand Prix for poor performance. He would be replaced by German driver Timo Fuchs at the South African Grand Prix. However, Fuchs' dismal qualifying performance at Kyalami, combined with Lammers' sacking causing title sponsor Samson to pull their funding led to Ensign promptly sacking Fuchs and bringing back Lammers for the next race at Long Beach. Fuchs later appeared in a privateer entry run by Sachs Racing, partnering Klaus Ludwig for three rounds.
- Beppe Gabbiani was sacked by Dywa after the Belgian Grand Prix, with no apparent reason. His seat was to be filled at the Monaco Grand Prix by Italian-Yugoslavian driver Lena Troscchi, on her comeback from grave injuries in a Dywa GP race at Rouen the year before, but before she could take part in pre-qualifying, the ACM intervened, saying that allowing a known communist to race at Monaco would be bad for their image, and Troscchi was withdrawn from the race. Procar driver Ottavia Cacciatori would be called up at short notice to replace Troscchi.
- The #25 Ligier once again became a revolving door, with Patrick Tambay, Andrea de Cesaris, Alain Prost and Eddie Cheever all driving it at some stage.
- Tom Pryce was injured in a crash at the European Grand Prix, and missed the following two races. Ronnie Peterson was loaned by Ensign to Tyrrell to replace him for those races.
- Silvio Bachot would stand in for Peterson while he was on loan to Tyrrell.
- Following heavy criticism of his driving from the rest of the paddock, René Arnoux was benched by Arrows for the San Marino Grand Prix. Vaticano Valentino Nicchi, the 1977 350cc World Champion, would make his Grand Prix debut as a substitute, though ultimately Arnoux would be permitted to race.
- Dywa replaced Arsenio Matarazzo with promising Italian youngster Teo Fabi for the San Marino Grand Prix; however, this would ultimately come to nought as the team was denied access to the paddock for that race. Ottavia Cacciatori, seeing no point in sticking around, promptly departed the team, and so did Fabi
- Team Merzario was 'coerced' into replacing Renzo Zorzi with Arsenio Matarazzo at the San Marino Grand Prix, following his sacking by Dywa. Zorzi and Matarazzo had been teammates at Dywa the previous season.
- Jean-Pierre Jarier, having performed admirably for Boro in his drives for the team in non-championship races, was given a drive by the team for his home Grand Prix at France, taking the place of Michael Bleekemolen for that one race.
- Despite being meant to drive for Ligier at the French Grand Prix, Patrick Tambay did not show up to the venue, and so Andrea de Cesaris got a second round in the car.
- Dywa, with nobody to drive their cars, skipped the French Grand Prix as they had no lineup. They returned for the British Grand Prix with an all-new lineup comprised of relative unknowns Enrico Uncini and Guido Dacco.
- Ronnie Peterson left Ensign following another failure to qualify at the British Grand Prix. He would be replaced by Silvo Bachot
- In spite of winning the British Grand Prix, Renault replaced Jean-Pierre Jabouille with Ronnie Peterson from the German Grand Prix onwards.
- Tom Pryce succumbed to his injuries following a qualifying crash at the German Grand Prix. He would be replaced by John Watson.
- The German Grand Prix saw many injuries. Jody Scheckter and Jacky Ickx were replaced respectively by Derek Daly and Clay Regazzoni, who was convinced to return to the team that failed to offer him a contract at the start of the year. McLaren would later appoint Regazzoni as their permanent driver, firing Ickx. ATS hired Hans-Joachim Stuck to replace the injured Jochen Mass for the rest of the season.
- Appalled by the team's lack of pace, Klaus Ludwig left Gilden-Sachs racing after the German Grand Prix.
- Dywa became the second team in Formula One history to enter a turbo engine car at the Italian Grand Prix. Renzo Zorzi and Ottavia Cacciatori returned to the team to drive the turbo-powered Dywa-002.
Calendar
Championship Grands Prix
1 Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi set the same time lap time during the race (1:19.567), but the fastest lap was awarded to the Canadian driver as he set the laptime first.
Non-Championship Events
- The Dutch Grand Prix was reclassified as a non-Championship event following the withdrawal of all FISA entries for the race. This followed the breakdown of summit talks that were being held at the event regarding ground-effect regulations and other issues.
Standings
FIA Formula One World Drivers Championship
|
|
Key
| Colour |
Result
|
| Gold |
Winner
|
| Silver |
2nd place
|
| Bronze |
3rd place
|
| Green |
Points finish
|
| Blue
|
Non-points finish
|
| Non-classified finish (NC)
|
| Purple |
Did not finish (Ret)
|
| Orange
|
Did not qualify (DNQ)
|
| Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
|
| Black |
Disqualified (DSQ)
|
| Pale Blue
|
Withdrawn (WD)
|
| Blank
|
Did Not Enter (No text)
|
| Excluded (EX)
|
| Did not Start (DNS)
|
| Did not Arrive (DNA)
|
| Event cancelled (C)
|
| Injured (INJ)
|
| Bold denotes pole position
|
| Italics denote fastest lap
|
| † Classification despite retirement
|
| ‡ Race not run to scheduled distance
|
|
International Cup for Formula One Constructors
Only a constructor's best placed two cars at each event counted for the championship. All results counted towards the championship
Argentine Grand Prix
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