1979 Race of Champions

1979 Race of Champions
Non-championship race in the 1979 Formula One season
Race details
Date	15 April 1979 (1979-04-15)
Location	Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, Fawkham, Kent, England
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.206 km (2.6136 miles)
Distance	40 laps, 168.24 km (104.544 miles)
Weather	Warm, dry
Pole position
Driver	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford
Time	1:17.52
Fastest lap
Driver	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Alfa Romeo
Time	1:17.46
Podium
First	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari
Second	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Alfa Romeo
Third	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford

The 1979 Race of Champions was a Formula One non-championship motor race held at Brands Hatch, United Kingdom on 15 April 1979. The field was made up of seven Formula One cars that competed in the World championship while the rest of the field usually competed in the Aurora series.

Race summary

Brabham had brought two brand new BT48s onto the circuit. Another new car introduced was the Lotus 80, but Mario Andretti only used it in qualifying. Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve drove a slightly modified 1978 Ferrari 312 T3 instead of the new 312 T4.

At the start Niki Lauda got away well from the front row and quickly pulled a lead of a few seconds, while the pole sitter Mario Andretti was dropped down to third. Gilles Villeneuve was second, followed closely by Andretti and Nelson Piquet. By lap eight the chasing three drivers had caught Lauda and they were going nose to tail. But that didn't last for long, as Lauda had to pit at the end of the eight lap, but he was able to rejoin rather quickly. Villeneuve took over the lead, only to lose it a few laps later as he ran wide at the exit of Hawthorn corner. Andretti moved into the lead in his Lotus 79. On lap 11 Piquet was also forced to pit in, so the leading battle was between Andretti and Villeneuve, while Jochen Mass in the Arrows had taken advantage of the pitstops and moved up to third place.

The positions in the front of the field remained the same for the next 12 laps. Andretti's lead was up to four seconds after Villeneuve's mistake, but the Canadian closed the gap slowly but surely. By lap 26 Villeneuve was all over the back of Andretti and a few laps later took the inside line into Paddock Hill bend and retook the lead. Andretti had no answer to Villeneuve's pace and the gap increased rapidly. Piquet had moved ahead of Mass into third and his team mate Lauda, who had pitted twice, was fifth. A few laps from the end Piquet overtook the slowing Andretti as well. But in the end it was Villeneuve who crossed the line first, lapping everyone up to the fourth place man.

Classification

Pos.	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid
1	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	40	53:17.12	3
2	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	40	+ 14.07	4
3	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	40	+ 23.17	1
4	Jochen Mass	Arrows-Ford	40	+ 40.76	5
5	Niki Lauda	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	39	+ 1 Lap	2
6	Elio de Angelis	Shadow-Ford	39	+ 1 Lap	6
7	Guy Edwards	Fittipaldi-Ford	39	+ 1 Lap	11
8	Bernard de Dryver	Fittipaldi-Ford	38	+ 2 Laps	18
9	Desiré Wilson	Tyrrell-Ford	38	+ 2 Laps	10
10	Gordon Smiley	Tyrrell-Ford	38	+ 2 Laps	17
11	Giacomo Agostini	Williams-Ford	38	+ 2 Laps	16
12	Val Musetti	March-Ford	36	+ 4 Laps	19
13	Robin Smith	Ensign-Ford	36	+ 4 Laps	20
Ret	Rupert Keegan	Arrows-Ford	35	Engine	9
Ret	Emilio de Villota	Lotus-Ford	34	Engine	12
Ret	Philip Bullman	Surtees-Ford	24	Spun off	14
Ret	John Watson	McLaren-Ford	18	Gearbox	7
Ret	Tiff Needell	Chevron-Ford	16	Accident	15
DNS	David Kennedy	Theodore-Ford		Gearbox	13
DNQ	Gerd Biechteler	March-Ford

Notes

• Pole position: Mario Andretti – 1:17.52
• Fastest lap: Nelson Piquet – 1:17.46

References

• "Formula One World". Retrieved 1 February 2008.