1979 Alternate Formula One season

1979 Formula One season
Mario Andretti entered the season as a two-time World Champion, but driving for Ferrari instead of Lotus.
Season
Races	17
Start date	TBA
Start Event	TBA
End date	TBA
End Event	TBA
Awards
Driver's Champion	TBD
Constructor's Champion	TBD
Entrant's Champion	TBD
Seasons
Previous season	Next season
1978	1980
Regional Series
Tier 1	1979 British Formula One

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.

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	1-
					2	Keke Rosberg	1-
Template:GBR Penthouse Team Tyrrell [?]	Tyrrell-Ford	Tyrrell 011	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Michelin	3	Template:GBR Tom Pryce	1-
					4	Template:GBR Robert Kagan	1-
Template:GBR Essex Team Lotus [?]	Lotus-Ford	Lotus 80	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Goodyear	5	Jody Scheckter	1-
					6	Template:GBR Thomas Nurmester	1-
Template:GBR Parmalat Racing Team [?]	Brabham-Ford	Brabham BT46C	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Goodyear	7	Template:GBR James Hunt	1-
					8	Nelson Piquet	1-
Template:GBR March Engineering [?]	March-Ford	March 791	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop [?]	9	Template:FRA Guillaume Gauthier	1-
					10	Template:GBR Harvey Jones	1-
Template:GBR Marlboro Team McLaren [?]	McLaren-Ford	McLaren M28	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	11	Template:BEL Jacky Ickx	1-
					12	Masahiro Hasemi	1-
Template:FRA Équipe Renault Elf [?]	Renault	Renault RS10	Renault-Gordini EF1 1.5 V6t	Template:Michelin	14	Template:FRA Jean-Pierre Jabouille	1-
					15	Template:FRA Didier Pironi	1-
ATS Kauhsen Racing Team [?]	ATS-Ford	ATS WK2	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Goodyear	16	Jochen Mass	1-
					17	Template:AUT Harald Ertl	1-
Template:GBR Warsteiner Arrows North Star Racing Team [?]	Arrows-Ford	Arrows A2	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Michelin	18	Template:FRA René Arnoux	1-
					19	Template:FRA Gabriel Château	1-
Template:GBR Team Ensign [?]	Ensign-Ford	Ensign N179	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Michelin	21	Ronnie Peterson	1-
					22	Jan Lammers	1-2, 4-17
						Timo Fuchs	3
Scuderia Everest [?]	Minardi-Ford	Minardi M179	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	23	Piercarlo Ghinzani	5-
					24	Template:USA Eddie Cheever	5-
Template:FRA Ligier Gitanes [?]	Ligier-Matra	Ligier JS11	Matra MS73 3.0 V12	Template:Goodyear	25	Template:FRA Jacques Laffite	1-
					26	Ricardo Zunino	1-6, 8-9, 11-17
						Template:FRA Patrick Tambay	7, 10
Template:GBR Saudia Williams Racing Team [?]	Williams-Ford	Williams FW07	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Goodyear	27	Gilles Villeneuve	1-
					28	Template:AUS Alan Jones	1-7, 9-17
						Template:GBR John Watson	8
Autodelta [?]	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 179	Alfa Romeo 115-12 3.0 F12	Template:Pirelli	30	Emerson Fittipaldi	1-
					31	Elio de Angelis	1-
HB Lola Bewaking Alarmsystemen [?]	Lola-Ford	Lola T400	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Pirelli	32	Michael Bleekemolen	5-15
					33	Vittorio Brambilla	5-13, 15
						Huub Rothengatter	14
Dywa [?]	Dywa-Renzo	Dywa-002	Renzo BI-2 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	35	Beppe Gabbiani	5-15
					36	Arsenio Matarazzo	5-15
Template:USA Interscope Racing [?]	Interscope-Ford	Interscope IR4	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	37	Template:USA Danny Ongais	1-
					38	Template:SUI Marc Surer	1-
Team Merzario [?]	Merzario-Ford	Merzario A1	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	39	Arturo Merzario	5-7, 9-15
						Freddy Kottulinsky	8
					40	Renzo Zorzi	5-15
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, 10-14
						Luciano Sighinolfi	9, 15
						Lella Lombardi	8
					44		5-7, 9-10, 12-15
						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	1-
					46	Bruno Giacomelli	1-
Template:BEL VDS Racing [?]	Martini-Ford	Martini MK24B	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	47	Template:BEL Teddy Pilette	6, 10, 12-14
					48	Template:BEL Bernard de Dryver	6
						Template:BEL Claude Bourgoignie	10
						Template:BEL Hervé Regout	12
						Template:BEL Silvio Bachot	13
						Template:BEL Pierre Dieudonné	14
Team Rebaque [?]	Rebaque-Ford	Rebaque HR102	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Pirelli	49	Héctor Rebaque	5-15
					50	Template:USA Brett Lunger	5-15
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, 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

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.

• Emilio de Villota renamed his team from Centro Asegurador F1 to Madom Formula 1.

Driver Changes

Pre-season

• Bobby Rahal and Tom Sneva both elected to leave Formula One and return to IndyCar for the 1979 season.

• Other notable absentees from the grid at the beginning of 1979 were Patrick Depailler, John Watson and Patrick Tambay, none of whom were able to retain their seats at Williams, Brabham and Ligier respectively.

• Only a single team elected to retain an unchanged lineup: Alfa Romeo continued with their 1978 pairing of Emerson Fittipaldi and Elio de Angelis.

• Reigning champion Mario Andretti and runner-up Jody Scheckter would swap teams in the offseason; Scheckter would move to Lotus alongside their existing number 2 driver Thomas Nurmester, while Andretti would have a teammate just as new to the Scuderia- former Arrows driver Keke Rosberg, winner of the 1978 Tony Brise Memorial Trophy.

• Gilles Villeneuve, out of a seat at Ferrari, moved to Williams in the off-season, replacing Depailler and partnering returning lead driver Alan Jones.

• René Arnoux took Rosberg's seat at Arrows.

• James Hunt would stay at Brabham for a fourth season, but with his sixth teammate since joining the team; Nelson Piquet would step up to a frontrunning seat after a fractured 1978 spent at Arrows, Hesketh and March.

• 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.

• Didier Pironi was lured away from Tyrrell by Renault to replace the departing Tom Sneva.

• 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.

• Dywa driver Renzo Zorzi swapped seats with Merzario driver Beppe Gabbiani.

• Leonhard von Gottorp departed Formula One for ventures new. His seat at Boro was taken by Dutchman Michael Bleekemolen, whose sole F1 outing prior was a failure to pre-qualify at the French Grand Prix for B&S Fabrications in 1977.

• The rejuvenated Hesketh outfit would return for 1979 with an all-new lineup of Italians Riccardo Patrese and Bruno Giacomelli.

• Patrese's vacated seat at Scuderia Everest was taken by American driver Eddie Cheever.

• 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.

• Interscope's second car, which had been driven by Mike Mosley and Brett Lunger in 1978, was now driven by Swiss rookie Marc Surer.

• David Kennedy replaced Timo Fuchs in the second Madom car.

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.

Calendar

Championship Grands Prix

	Race	Track	Date	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Constructor	Entrant	Report
1	Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez	4 March	Template:AUS Alan Jones	Template:GBR Thomas Nurmester	Template:AUS Alan Jones	Template:GBR Williams-Ford	Template:GBR Saudia Williams Racing Team	Report
2	Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba	18 March	Template:FRA Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Jody Scheckter	Template:AUS Alan Jones	Template:GBR Williams-Ford	Template:GBR Saudia Williams Racing Team	Report
3	Simba South African Grand Prix	Kyalami	1 April	Gilles Villeneuve	Gilles Villeneuve	Template:GBR Thomas Nurmester	Template:GBR Lotus-Ford	Template:GBR Essex Team Lotus	Report
4	Template:USA Lubri Lon United States Grand Prix West	Long Beach	15 April	Template:AUS Alan Jones	Template:USA Mario Andretti	Template:USA Mario Andretti	Ferrari	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC	Report
5	RACE Spanish Grand Prix	Circuito del Jarama	29 April	Template:USA Mario Andretti	Gilles Villeneuve	Template:GBR Thomas Nurmester	Template:GBR Lotus-Ford	Template:GBR Essex Team Lotus	Report
6	Template:BEL Marlboro Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit Zolder	13 May						Report
7	Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco	27 May						Report
8	RAC European Grand Prix	Brands Hatch	10 June						Report
9	Agip San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Dino Ferrari	24 June						Report
10	Template:FRA FFSA French Grand Prix	Circuit Dijon-Prenois	8 July						Report
11	Template:GBR Marlboro British Grand Prix	Silverstone	15 July						Report
12	AvD German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring	29 July						Report
13	Template:AUT Citizen Austrian Grand Prix	Österreichring	12 August						Report
14	Autorensport Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Park Zandvoort	26 August						Report
15	Arexons Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale Monza	2 September						Report
16	Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Île Notre-Dame	30 September						Report
17	Template:USA Toyota United States Grand Prix	Watkins Glen	7 October						Report

Non-Championship Events

	Race	Track	Date	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning constructor	Winning entrant	Report
1	Template:GBR XXXI BRDC International Trophy	Silverstone	20 May						Report
2	Template:GBR Race of Champions	Brands Hatch	3 June						Report
3	Template:GBR Tony Brise Memorial Trophy	Silverstone	14 July						Report
4	Gunnar Nilsson Memorial Trophy	Anderstorp	22 July						Report

Standings

Drivers' Championship

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Points	9	6	4	3	2	1

Only a driver's best 12 finishes counted towards the championship

Pos Driver ARG BRA RZA USW Template:USA ESP BEL Template:BEL MON EUR SMR FRA Template:FRA GBR Template:GBR GER AUT Template:AUT NED ITA CAN USA Template:USA Pts 1 Template:GBR Thomas Nurmester 3 2 1 Ret 1 28 2 Template:AUS Alan Jones 1 1 Ret 2 4 27 3 Template:USA Mario Andretti 2 Ret 3 1 Ret 19 4 Jody Scheckter Ret 4 Ret 14† 2 9 5 Template:GBR James Hunt 5 6 9 3 12† 7 6 Keke Rosberg Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret 6 7 Template:BEL Jacky Ickx 8 Ret 4 4 Ret 6 8 Template:FRA Jean-Pierre Jabouille Ret 3 Ret 6 Ret 5 9 Template:GBR Robert Kagan 4 5 7 Ret Ret 5 10 Gilles Villeneuve Ret Ret Ret Ret 3 4 11 Template:GBR Tom Pryce Ret Ret 5 Ret 5 4 12 Jochen Mass Ret Ret Ret 5 9 2 13 Masahiro Hasemi 6 7 14 8 Ret 1 14 Template:GBR Harvey Jones 15† 9 6 9 8 1 15 Nelson Piquet Ret 15† 11 Ret 6 1 — Template:FRA Gabriel Château 7 Ret DNPQ 7 Ret 0 — Vittorio Brambilla 7 0 — Emerson Fittipaldi 10 12 8 Ret Ret 0 — Template:FRA Guillaume Gauthier 12 8 12 Ret Ret 0 — Template:FRA René Arnoux 9 10 DNPQ Ret 11 0 — Ricardo Zunino 14 Ret 15 10 Ret 0 — Riccardo Patrese 11 Ret Ret 11 10 0 — Template:FRA Jacques Laffite Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret 0 — Elio de Angelis Ret 11 13 Ret Ret 0 — Template:AUT Harald Ertl 13 13 17 12 Ret 0 — Template:FRA Didier Pironi Ret Ret Ret 13† Ret 0 — Ronnie Peterson DNQ 14 DNQ DNQ DNPQ 0 — Template:SUI Marc Surer DNPQ DNPQ 16 DNPQ DNPQ 0 — Bruno Giacomelli Ret DNQ Ret Ret DNQ 0 — Template:USA Danny Ongais DNPQ DNPQ Ret DNPQ DNPQ 0 — Jan Lammers DNQ DNQ DNQ DNPQ 0 — Timo Fuchs DNQ 0 — Michael Bleekemolen DNQ 0 — Alex Ribeiro DNPQ 0 — Duncan Idaho DNPQ 0 — Template:USA Eddie Cheever DNPQ 0 — Template:USA Brett Lunger DNPQ 0 — Héctor Rebaque DNPQ 0 — Piercarlo Ghinzani DNPQ 0 — Arturo Merzario DNPQ 0 — Renzo Zorzi DNPQ 0 — Emilio de Villota DNPQ 0 — Freddy Kottulinsky DNPQ 0 — David Kennedy DNPQ 0 — Lella Lombardi DNPQ 0 — Arsenio Matarazzo DNPQ 0 — Beppe Gabbiani DNPQ 0 — Template:USA Bill Whittington EX 0 — Template:USA Don Whittington EX 0 Constructor's Championship Only a constructor's best placed two cars at each event counted for the championship. All results counted towards the championship Pos Constructor # ARG BRA RZA USW Template:USA ESP BEL Template:BEL MON EUR SMR FRA Template:FRA GBR Template:GBR GER AUT Template:AUT NED ITA CAN USA Template:USA Pts 1 Ferrari 5 2 Ret 3 1 25 6 Ret Ret 2 Ret 2 Template:GBR Williams-Ford 27 Ret Ret Ret Ret 24 28 1 1 Ret 2 3 Template:GBR Lotus-Ford 27 Ret 4 Ret 14† 21 28 3 2 1 Ret 4 Template:GBR Brabham-Ford 7 5 6 9 3 7 8 Ret 15† 11 Ret 5 Template:GBR McLaren-Ford 11 8 Ret 4 4 7 12 6 7 14 8 6 Template:GBR Tyrrell-Ford 3 Ret Ret 5 Ret 7 4 4 5 7 Ret 7 Template:FRA Renault 21 Ret 3 Ret 6 5 22 Ret Ret Ret 13† 8 ATS-Ford 16 Ret Ret Ret 5 2 17 13 13 17 12 9 Template:GBR March-Ford 9 12 8 12 Ret 1 10 15† 9 6 9 53 DNPQ 54 DNPQ — Template:GBR Arrows-Ford 18 7 Ret DNPQ 7 0 19 9 10 DNPQ Ret — Alfa Romeo 30 10 12 8 Ret 0 31 Ret 11 13 Ret — Template:FRA Ligier-Matra 25 Ret Ret 10 Ret 0 26 14 Ret 15 10 — Template:GBR Hesketh-Ford 45 11 Ret Ret 11 0 46 Ret DNQ Ret Ret — Template:GBR Ensign-Ford 21 DNQ 14 DNQ DNQ 0 22 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ — Template:USA Interscope-Ford 37 DNPQ DNPQ Ret DNPQ 0 38 DNPQ DNPQ 16 DNPQ Formula One seasons 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029