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-
						Rolf Stommelen	TBA
					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-
Scuderia Everest [?]	Minardi-Ford	Minardi M179	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	23	Piercarlo Ghinzani	5-6
					24	Template:USA Eddie Cheever	5-6
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-
Template:GBR Saudia Williams Racing Team [?]	Williams-Ford	Williams FW07	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Goodyear	27	Template:AUS Alan Jones	1-7, 9-17
						Template:GBR John Watson	8
					28	Gilles Villeneuve	1-
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	5-15
					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	Template:GBR David Kennedy	5, 8, 11
Template:GBR B&S Fabrications [?]	Spartec-Ford	Spartec G71A	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	Template:Dunlop	43	Template:BEL Patrick Nève	5-8, 10-14
						Luciano Sighinolfi	9, 15
					44	Lella Lombardi	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 Stephen South	8, 11

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

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						Report
2	Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba	18 March						Report
3	Simba South African Grand Prix	Kyalami	1 April						Report
4	Template:USA Lubri Lon United States Grand Prix West	Long Beach	15 April						Report
5	RACE Spanish Grand Prix	Circuito del Jarama	29 April						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