The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October 8 after sixteen races. Mario Andretti was the season Champion and the last American to date to win a Formula One race. There was also one non-Championship race in 1978, the XXX BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone, the last time that this formerly famous event was run to F1 rules. The race was won by future Champion Keke Rosberg, driving in only his second ever Formula 1 event. The season will also be remembered for the death of Ronnie Peterson, who would finish second in the Championship standings despite a fatal first lap accident at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix.

Drivers and constructors[link]

Entrant	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	No	Driver	Rounds
Parmalat Racing Team	Brabham	BT45C BT46 BT46B "fan car" BT46C	Alfa Romeo 115-12 3.0 F12	G	1	Niki Lauda	All
					2	John Watson	All
					66	Nelson Piquet	16
Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell	008	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	3	Didier Pironi	All
					4	Patrick Depailler	All
John Player Team Lotus	Lotus	78 79	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	5	Mario Andretti	All
					6	Ronnie Peterson	1-14
					55	Jean-Pierre Jarier	15-16
Marlboro|Team McLaren	McLaren	M26	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	7	James Hunt	All
					8	Patrick Tambay	1-5, 7-16
					33	Bruno Giacomelli	6, 9-10, 13-14
ATS Racing Team F&S Properties/ATS Racing Team	ATS	HS1 D1	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	9	Jochen Mass	1-13
						Michael Bleekemolen	14-16
					10	Jean-Pierre Jarier	1-5, 11
						Alberto Colombo	6-7
						Keke Rosberg	8-10, 15-16
						Hans Binder	12
						Michael Bleekemolen	13
						Harald Ertl	14
Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC	Ferrari	312T2 312T3	Ferrari 015 3.0 F12	M	11	Carlos Reutemann	All
					12	Gilles Villeneuve	All
Fittipaldi Automotive	Fittipaldi	F5A	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	14	Emerson Fittipaldi	All
Equipe Renault Elf	Renault	RS01	Renault-Gordini EF1 1.5 V6t	M	15	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	3-16
Shadow Racing Team	Shadow	DN8	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	16	Hans-Joachim Stuck	All
					17	Clay Regazzoni	All
Team Surtees Durex Team Surtees Beta Team Surtees	Surtees	TS19 TS20	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	18	Rupert Keegan	1-13
						Gimax	14
						René Arnoux	15-16
					19	Vittorio Brambilla	1-14
						Beppe Gabbiani	15-16
Walter Wolf Racing	Wolf	WR1 WR3 WR5 WR6	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	20	Jody Scheckter	All
					21	Bobby Rahal	15-16
Team Tissot Ensign	Ensign	N177	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	22	Danny Ongais	1-2
						Lamberto Leoni	4
						Jacky Ickx	5-8
						Derek Daly	9-10, 12-16
						Nelson Piquet	11
					23	Lamberto Leoni	1-3
						Brett Lunger	15
Mario Deliotti Racing	Ensign	N175	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	23	Geoff Lees	10
Sachs Racing	Ensign	N177	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	23	Harald Ertl	11-14
Olympus Cameras/Hesketh Racing	Hesketh	308E	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	24	Divina Galica	1-2
						Eddie Cheever	3
						Derek Daly	4-6
Team Rebaque	Lotus	78	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	25	Héctor Rebaque	All
Ligier Gitanes	Ligier	JS7 JS7/9 JS9	Matra MS76 3.0 V12 Matra MS78 3.0 V12	G	26	Jacques Laffite	All
Williams Grand Prix Engineering	Williams	FW06	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	27	Alan Jones	All
Centro Asegurador F1	McLaren	M23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	28	Emilio de Villota	7
BS Fabrications Liggett Group/BS Fabrications	McLaren	M23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	29	Nelson Piquet	12-14
					30	Brett Lunger	1-14
Automobiles Martini	Martini	MK23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	31	René Arnoux	3, 5-6, 9-13
Theodore Racing Theodore Racing Hong Kong	Theodore Wolf	TR1 WR3 WR4	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	32	Eddie Cheever	1-2
						Keke Rosberg	3-7, 11-14
Team Merzario	Merzario	A1	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	34	Alberto Colombo	14
					37	Arturo Merzario	All
Arrows Racing Team	Arrows	FA1 A1	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	35	Riccardo Patrese	2-14, 16
					36	Rolf Stommelen	3-16
Interscope Racing	Shadow	DN9	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	39	Danny Ongais	4, 13
Melchester Racing	McLaren	M23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G	40	Tony Trimmer	10

Race-by-Race[link]

[edit] Race One: Argentina

The 1978 season started in Argentina, where Mario Andretti took pole in his Lotus, with Carlos Reutemann's Ferrari joining him on the front row and Ronnie Peterson in the other Lotus third on the grid. The start was uneventful, with Andretti and Reutemann easily keeping first and second, with John Watson in the Brabham taking third from Peterson. Watson took second from Reutemann on the seventh lap, but Andretti was uncatchable. Reutemann ran third for a while, but then began to drop down the order, and so reigning world champion Niki Lauda took third in his Brabham, which became second with ten laps left when Watson's engine blew up. Andretti motored on to a crushing victory, with Lauda second and Patrick Depailler's Tyrrell taking the final spot on the podium.

[edit] Race Two: Brazil

Brazil was the country where the drivers traveled to for the second round of the season, and it was Peterson on pole with James Hunt driving for McLaren beating Andretti to second. At the start, it was Reutemann who beat the trio into the first corner, with Hunt and Andretti following, as Peterson got a bad start. Hunt ran second until he had to pit for tyres, as a result Andretti took the place until late in the race when he suffered gearbox issues. Reutemann was never headed at the front and went to win comfortably, with double world champion Emerson Fittipaldi in his brother's team finishing second, and Lauda third, with both overhauling an ailing Andretti towards the end.

[edit] Race Three: South Africa

After a long break, the season resumed in South Africa, where defending champion Lauda took his first pole for Brabham with Andretti alongside and Hunt next. Andretti took the lead at the start, and set about building a gap, whereas Lauda dropped behind Jody Scheckter's Wolf. Young Italian Riccardo Patrese was on a charge in the Arrows, passing Lauda for third after 20 laps. As the race went on, both Andretti and Scheckter began to suffer from tyre issues and were passed by Patrese. Depailler was up to second ahead of Lauda, but the latter's engine failed handing third to Andretti. Patrese however, seemed to have the race in his pocket until his engine failed, and Depailler took the lead but his Tyrrell began to trail smoke. Andretti was up to second but he had to pit for fuel, and thus his teammate Peterson took the place before catching and passing Depailler on the last lap to win after some wheel-banging. Watson completed the podium.

[edit] Race Four: United States West

The next race was in the famous Long Beach circuit in the US, and the Ferraris dominated qualifying, with Reutemann taking pole ahead of teammate Gilles Villeneuve, with defending champion Lauda and home hero Andretti on the second row. When the race started, Watson in fifth late-braked all into turn one, through he ran wide and Villeneuve took the lead, whereas Reutemann dropped down to fourth behind Lauda. The Ferraris, with the two Brabhams in between ran together until Watson's engine failed. Alan Jones's Williams was up to fourth and closed in on the now lead trio, which became a duo when Lauda went out with an electrical failure. Villeneuve and Reutemann ran 1-2 with Jones putting both under pressure, before Villeneuve also retired after colliding with a backmarker. Jones then suffered from fuel pressure problems and began to drop back, handing second to Andretti to the fans delight. The rest of the race passed without incident, and with all challengers out of contention, Reutemann won comfortably ahead of Andretti and Depailler.

[edit] Race Five: Monaco

Round five took place in Monaco, and once again Reutemann started on pole with the Brabham duo of Watson and Lauda second and third. Watson had a good start and led into the first corner, whereas Reutemann collided with Hunt and had to pit for repairs, which left Depailler and Lauda second and third. For the first half of the race, the top three remained the same until Watson had an off allowing Depailler and Lauda through, but the latter then suffered a puncture and had to pit for tyres before charging back up and retaking second from Watson towards the end of the race. At the front, Depailler took his first career victory with Lauda second, and Scheckter third after Watson made another mistake in the final laps.

[edit] Race Six: Belgium

The main news before the Belgian GP was that the new Lotus 79 is now ready to race, and immediately Andretti showed its pace by taking pole comfortably from Reutemann and Lauda. He converted it to a first-corner lead, whereas Reutemann had a bad start and got swamped by the field, causing a chain reaction in which Lauda was hit by Scheckter and had to retire. This left Villeneuve second and Peterson third but neither could keep pace with Andretti who was able to drive away.

The first 40 laps went without incident until Villeneuve suffered a puncture and had to pit which dropped him back down to fifth, and a few laps later Peterson also pitted for new tyres leaving the charging Reutemann second ahead of Jacques Laffite's Ligier. Peterson on the new tyres was much quicker and was able to pass them both in the closing stages, and Laffite made an attempt to pass Reutemann on the last lap but they collided and Laffite was out. Andretti cruised to an untroubled victory, with Peterson making it a Lotus 1-2, and Reutemann completing the podium.

[edit] Race Seven: Spain

The next race was in Spain and once again the new Lotus 79 demonstrated its speed, with Andretti on pole again with Peterson alongside, and Reutemann having to settle for the second row. It was Hunt who got a great start, and he led into the first corner from Andretti and Reutemann, with Peterson dropping all the way back to ninth. Hunt led for seven laps before Andretti passed him and pulled away. Reutemann ran third until he had to pit for tyres, and so Watson inherited third until he was passed by Laffite, but soon the recovering Peterson passed both of them. Hunt now suffered from tyre problems and he also began to drop back, and so Peterson was able to take second and Laffite third. That was how it stayed to the end, Andretti winning from Peterson in another Lotus 1-2, and Laffite getting the final spot on the podium.

[edit] Race Eight: Sweden

Before the Swedish GP, the Brabham team had developed a new "fan car" much to the indignancy of the other teams, but the FIA allowed it to race. However, it did not stop Andretti from continuing his run of poles, but it was able to get Watson to qualify second and Lauda third. When the race started, Andretti led into the first corner, with Lauda getting second from his teammate. Riccardo Patrese got up to third in his Arrows until he was passed by home driver Peterson, but by then Andretti and Lauda had escaped. Peterson began to struggle with a slow puncture, whereas Andretti and Lauda battled with Andretti making a mistake just after mid-distance allowing Lauda to take the lead. Lauda went on to win the race, his first for Brabham after Andretti's challenge ended due to an engine failure, which left Patrese and Peterson to take second and third.

After the race, the "fan car" was declared illegal, but since Brabham were allowed to race with it for Sweden, Lauda's win stood but they had to revert back to their previous car from the next race onwards.

[edit] Race Nine: France

Brabham were forced to revert back to their previous car again, but it did not deter them, with Watson on pole and Lauda starting third behind Andretti. At the start, Watson led into the first corner, with Andretti following, and Patrick Tambay putting his McLaren in third, but that order did not remain for long as Andretti took the lead from Watson on the first lap. Lauda and Peterson were on the move as well, as they passed Watson and Tambay to jump into second and third, but Lauda suffered another engine failure. This left the two Lotus cars running 1-2 and they finished like that with Andretti taking his third win in four races, and the podium was completed by Hunt who passed Watson mid-race.

[edit] Race Ten: Great Britain

The field went to Britain for the next round, and this time it was Peterson who beat Andretti to pole, as Lotus took the front row, with Scheckter next up on the second row. Andretti took the lead at the start from Peterson, and the two Lotus cars quickly pulled out a gap until Peterson retired with an engine failure. Andretti had a big lead to Scheckter and continued to extend it until he had to pit with a puncture, and he eventually retired when his engine also failed. Scheckter inherited the lead, but Lauda put him under pressure and took the lead before Scheckter went out with gearbox problems. This put Reutemann up to second, and he then closed down and passed Lauda in the late stages of the race to win. Lauda had to settle for second, and his teammate Watson took a podium in his home race.

[edit] Race Eleven: Germany

The West German race was next on the calender, and there were no surprises in qualifying, with Andretti on pole and Peterson alongside him, with Lauda third. At the start, Peterson got off better and took the lead from Andretti, but he held it for only four laps before Andretti retook it. Lauda ran third in the early stages but he was passed by Alan Jones, and the duo battled until Lauda's engine failed yet again. The two Lotus cars were cruising at the front and Jones ran third comfortably until he retired with a fuel vaporization problem. Lotus's hopes of a 1-2 ended when Peterson's gearbox failed, but Andretti was unaffected by that and cruised to his fifth win of the season, with Scheckter second and Laffite third.

[edit] Race Twelve: Austria

The crowds for the Austrian GP were full of Lauda fans; but however for them Lauda qualified only 12th as the Lotus cars again took the front row, with Peterson on pole. The surprise in qualifying was Jean-Pierre Jabouille who qualified his turbocharged Renault third. The start saw Peterson lead into the first corner, with Reutemann snatching second from Andretti. Andretti tried to get the place back later in the lap, but the two collided and Andretti retired after his car spun into the barriers while Reutemann lost a couple of places to Patrick Depailler and Scheckter. On the fourth lap, a heavy rainshower hit the track and Reutemann spun off and was beached but the marshals push-started his car as it was in a dangerous position, while Scheckter crashed out, and the race was stopped.

The race restarted after the rain relented, and once again Peterson led followed by Depailler and Lauda. As the track began to dry, Peterson started to pull away, and behind, Reutemann was on a charge and passed Lauda for third but he was black-flagged for receiving outside assistance, and Lauda crashed out soon after, leaving Gilles Villeneuve third. The drivers changed to slicks but the top 3 remained the same and stayed so till the end; Peterson winning ahead of Depailler, with Villeneuve taking his first ever podium.

[edit] Race Thirteen: Holland

The drivers went to the Netherlands for the next race, and qualifying was as expected, Andretti taking pole with Peterson alongside in the all-Lotus front row, and Lauda heading the second row. At the start, Andretti led with Peterson following, whereas Lauda was challenged by Jacques Laffite. The Lotus cars quickly built up a good gap, while Laffite challenged Lauda early on but then began to drop down the order with tyre issues. The race was quite uneventful, and Andretti went to take victory, with Peterson completing another Lotus 1-2 leaving Lauda to take third.

[edit] Race Fourteen: Italy

The Italian race was host to round fourteen, and as usual Andretti took pole with Gilles Villeneuve pleasing the Ferrari fans by qualifying second, ahead of Jabouille's turbocharged Renault. When the race started, Andretti and Villeneuve got away comfortably with Lauda and Jabouille following, but the rest of the field was bunched up.

Riccardo Patrese's Arrows was pushed to the grass, and as he rejoined, James Hunt veered left and hit Peterson, who spun off into the barriers, whereas up to seven other cars were collected, including Reutemann, Depailler, and Clay Regazzoni. Peterson's car broke in two on impact with the barriers and caught fire, and Vittorio Brambilla who was in the Surtees was hit on the head by a flying wheel. Peterson and Brambilla were taken to hospital, the former with a broken leg, and there was concern for the latter who was unconscious after being hit by the wheel. The rest of the drivers were uninjured, and most of them were able to take the restart.

The race restarted almost four hours after the original start. Again there was confusion as the front-row starters Andretti and Villeneue went too early, but the rest of the field did not follow and both Andretti and Villeneuve were handed one minute time penalties as a result. On the track, Villeneuve led ahead of Andretti and Jabouille, until Jabouille retired handing third place on the track to Lauda. His teammate Watson battled with Reutemann and Laffite, and eventually was able to pull away. The battle on the track was between Villeneuve and Andretti, with the Lotus driver passing Villeneuve with five laps left. Andretti crossed the line first, with Villeneuve close behind, but when their one-minute penalties were added, it was Lauda who emerged the victor ahead of Watson and Reutemann.

In hospital, Peterson had a clot forming in his blood stream after undergoing an operation on his legs, and slipped into a coma overnight, and died the next morning. This made Andretti the world champion, although he did not celebrate it, and mourned for Peterson along with his fellow drivers. Brambilla was able to recover from his injuries.

[edit] Race Fifteen: United States

The penultimate round of the season was in the US, and Lotus had hired Jean-Pierre Jarier to replace Peterson, and Patrese was unable to race because the Grand Prix Drivers Association had deemed him responsible for the accident which ultimately killed Peterson.

New World Champion and home hero Andretti was shaken up more than most drivers due to Peterson's death, but it did not stop him from romping to pole ahead of Reutemann, with Alan Jones's Williams heading the second row. Andretti kept the lead at the start, with Reutemann and Villeneuve following, ahead of Jones. Andretti however was suffering from an ill-handling car which also had brake troubles, and was soon passed by both Reutemann and Villeneuve, and later Jones. Reutemann and Villeneuve ran 1-2 for Ferrari, until Villeneuve's engine blew up. This left Jones second and Andretti third, but Andretti's engine blew up, handing third to Lauda until he too suffered the same fate, thus leaving Scheckter third before here was passed by a charging Jarier, however Jarier ran out of fuel with four laps left, giving the place back to Scheckter. Reutemann took a comfortable win from Jones, with Scheckter completing the podium.

[edit] Race Sixteen: Canada

The season finished off in Canada, and in qualifying it was Jarier who starred, by qualifying on pole ahead of Scheckter and home hero Villeneuve. Jarier was able to easily lead into the first corner, with Jones jumping up to second after a brilliant start, also dropping Scheckter down to third. As Jarier began to pull away, Jones suffered a slow puncture, and dropped down the field as the race progressed, promoting Scheckter to second and Villeneuve to third, and then Villeneuve passed Scheckter mid-race to take second. Jarier continued to dominate until he retired with an oil leak, leaving Villeneuve to take his first career win in his home race ahead of Scheckter, with Reutemann taking third.

Season review[link]

Rnd	Race	Date	Location	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Race Winner	Constructor	Report
1	Argentine Grand Prix	January 15	Oscar Gálvez	Mario Andretti	Gilles Villeneuve	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Report
2	Brazilian Grand Prix	January 29	Jacarepaguá	Ronnie Peterson	Carlos Reutemann	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	Report
3	South African Grand Prix	March 4	Kyalami	Niki Lauda	Mario Andretti	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Report
4	United States Grand Prix West	April 2	Long Beach	Carlos Reutemann	Alan Jones	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	Report
5	Monaco Grand Prix	May 7	Monaco	Carlos Reutemann	Niki Lauda	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell-Ford	Report
6	Belgian Grand Prix	May 21	Zolder	Mario Andretti	Ronnie Peterson	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Report
7	Spanish Grand Prix	June 4	Jarama	Mario Andretti	Mario Andretti	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Report
8	Swedish Grand Prix	June 17	Anderstorp	Mario Andretti	Niki Lauda	Niki Lauda	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	Report
9	French Grand Prix	July 2	Paul Ricard	John Watson	Carlos Reutemann	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Report
10	British Grand Prix	July 16	Brands Hatch	Ronnie Peterson	Niki Lauda	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	Report
11	German Grand Prix	July 30	Hockenheimring	Mario Andretti	Ronnie Peterson	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Report
12	Austrian Grand Prix	August 13	Österreichring	Ronnie Peterson	Ronnie Peterson	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Report
13	Dutch Grand Prix	August 27	Zandvoort	Mario Andretti	Niki Lauda	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Report
14	Italian Grand Prix	September 10	Monza	Mario Andretti	Mario Andretti	Niki Lauda	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	Report
15	United States Grand Prix	October 1	Watkins Glen	Mario Andretti	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	Report
16	Canadian Grand Prix	October 8	Île Notre-Dame	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Alan Jones	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	Report

1978 Drivers Championship final standings[link]

Pos Driver ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN Pts 1 Mario Andretti 1 4 7 2 11 1 1 Ret 1 Ret 1 Ret 1 6 Ret 10 64 2 Ronnie Peterson 5 Ret 1 4 Ret 2 2 3 2 Ret Ret 1 2 Ret 51 3 Carlos Reutemann 7 1 Ret 1 8 3 Ret 10 18 1 Ret DSQ 7 3 1 3 48 4 Niki Lauda 2 3 Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret 1 Ret 2 Ret Ret 3 1 Ret Ret 44 5 Patrick Depailler 3 Ret 2 3 1 Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 2 Ret 11 Ret 5 34 6 John Watson Ret 8 3 Ret 4 Ret 5 Ret 4 3 7 7 4 2 Ret Ret 25 7 Jody Scheckter 10 Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 4 Ret 6 Ret 2 Ret 12 12 3 2 24 8 Jacques Laffite 16 9 5 5 Ret 5 3 7 7 10 3 5 8 4 11 Ret 19 9 Gilles Villeneuve 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 10 9 12 Ret 8 3 6 7 Ret 1 17 10 Emerson Fittipaldi 9 2 Ret 8 9 Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 4 4 5 8 5 Ret 17 11 Alan Jones Ret 11 4 7 Ret 10 8 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret 13 2 9 11 12 Riccardo Patrese 10 Ret 6 6 Ret Ret 2 8 Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret 4 11 13 James Hunt 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 8 3 Ret DSQ Ret 10 Ret 7 Ret 8 14 Patrick Tambay 6 Ret Ret 12 7 Ret 4 9 6 Ret Ret 9 5 6 8 8 15 Didier Pironi 14 6 6 Ret 5 6 12 Ret 10 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 10 7 7 16 Clay Regazzoni 15 5 DNQ 10 DNQ Ret 15 5 Ret Ret DNQ NC DNQ NC 14 DNQ 4 17 Jean-Pierre Jabouille Ret Ret 10 NC 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 12 3 18 Hans-Joachim Stuck 17 Ret DNQ DNS Ret Ret Ret 11 11 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 2 19 Vittorio Brambilla 18 DNQ 12 Ret DNQ 13 7 Ret 17 9 Ret 6 DSQ Ret 1 20 Derek Daly DNPQ DNPQ DNQ DNQ Ret DSQ Ret 10 8 6 1 21 Hector Rebaque DNQ Ret 10 DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ Ret 12 DNQ Ret 6 Ret 11 DNQ Ret DNQ 1 — Brett Lunger 13 Ret 11 DNQ DNPQ 7 DNQ DNQ Ret 8 DNPQ 8 Ret Ret 13 0 — Bruno Giacomelli 8 Ret 7 Ret 14 0 — Jochen Mass 11 7 Ret Ret DNQ 11 9 13 13 NC Ret DNQ DNQ 0 — Jean-Pierre Jarier 12 DNS 8 11 DNQ DNQ 15 Ret 0 — René Arnoux DNQ DNPQ 9 14 DNPQ 9 Ret 9 Ret 0 — Rolf Stommelen 9 9 Ret Ret 14 14 15 DNQ DSQ DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ 16 DNPQ 0 — Nelson Piquet Ret Ret Ret 9 11 0 — Keke Rosberg Ret DNPQ DNPQ DNQ DNPQ 15 16 Ret 10 NC Ret DNPQ Ret NC 0 — Rupert Keegan Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret DNQ 11 DNQ Ret DNQ DNQ DNQ DNS 0 — Harald Ertl 11 Ret DNPQ DNQ 0 — Jacky Ickx Ret 12 Ret DNQ 0 — Bobby Rahal 12 Ret 0 — Arturo Merzario Ret DNQ Ret Ret DNPQ DNPQ DNQ NC DNQ Ret DNQ DNQ Ret Ret Ret DNQ 0 — Lamberto Leoni Ret DNS DNQ DNQ 0 — Danny Ongais Ret Ret DNPQ DNPQ 0 — Michael Bleekemolen DNQ DNQ Ret DNPQ 0 — Eddie Cheever DNQ DNQ Ret 0 — Alberto Colombo DNQ DNQ DNPQ 0 — Divina Galica DNQ DNQ 0 — Beppe Gabbiani DNQ DNQ 0 — Emilio de Villota DNQ 0 — Geoff Lees DNQ 0 — Tony Trimmer DNQ 0 — Hans Binder DNQ 0 — Gimax DNQ 0 Pos Driver ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN Pts

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) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Light blue Practiced only (PO) Friday test driver (TD) (from 2003 onwards) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrew entry before the event (WD)

Drivers Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the top six placegetters in each round. The best seven results from the first eight races and the best seven results from the remaining eight races were retained.^[1]

1978 Constructors Championship final standings[link]

Pos	Constructor	Car no.	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	MON	BEL	ESP	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN	Pts[2]
1	Lotus-Ford	5	1	4	7	2	11	1	1	Ret	1	Ret	1	Ret	1	6	Ret	10	86
		6	5	Ret	1	4	Ret	2	2	3	2	Ret	Ret	1	2	Ret
		55															15	Ret
		25	DNQ	Ret	10	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	Ret	12	DNQ	Ret	6	Ret	11	DNQ	Ret	DNQ
2	Ferrari	11	7	1	Ret	1	8	3	Ret	10	18	1	Ret	DSQ	7	3	1	3	58
		12	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	4	10	9	12	Ret	8	3	6	7	Ret	1
3	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	1	2	3	Ret	Ret	2	Ret	Ret	1	Ret	2	Ret	Ret	3	1	Ret	Ret	53
		2	Ret	8	3	Ret	4	Ret	5	Ret	4	3	7	7	4	2	Ret	Ret
4	Tyrrell-Ford	3	3	Ret	2	3	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	4	Ret	2	Ret	11	Ret	5	38
		4	14	6	6	Ret	5	6	12	Ret	10	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	7
5	Wolf-Ford	20	10	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	4	Ret	6	Ret	2	Ret	12	12	3	2	24
		21															12	Ret
		32											10	NC	Ret	DNPQ
6	Ligier-Matra	26	16	9	5	5	Ret	5	3	7	7	10	3	5	8	4	11	Ret	19
7	Fittipaldi-Ford	14	9	2	Ret	8	9	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	4	4	5	8	5	Ret	17
8	McLaren-Ford	7	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	8	3	Ret	DSQ	Ret	10	Ret	7	Ret	15
		8	6	Ret	Ret	12	7		Ret	4	9	6	Ret	Ret	9	5	6	8
		33						8		Ret	7			Ret	14
		28							DNQ
		29												Ret	Ret	9
		30	13	Ret	11	DNQ	DNPQ	7	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	8	DNPQ	8	Ret	Ret
		40										DNQ
9	Williams-Ford	27	Ret	11	4	7	Ret	10	8	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	13	2	9	11
10	Arrows-Ford	35		10	Ret	6	6	Ret	Ret	2	8	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret		4	11
		36			9	9	Ret	Ret	14	14	15	DNQ	DSQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNPQ	16	DNPQ
11	Shadow-Ford	16	17	Ret	DNQ	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	11	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6
		17	15	5	DNQ	10	DNQ	Ret	15	5	Ret	Ret	DNQ	NC	DNQ	NC	14	DNQ
		39				DNPQ									DNPQ
12	Renault	15			Ret	Ret	10	NC	13	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	4	12	3
13	Surtees-Ford	18	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNQ	11	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNS	DNQ	9	Ret	1
		19	18	DNQ	12	Ret	DNQ	13	7	Ret	17	9	Ret	6	DSQ	Ret	DNQ	DNQ
14	Ensign-Ford	22	Ret	Ret		DNQ	Ret	12	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DSQ	Ret	10	8	6	1
		23	Ret	DNS	DNQ							DNQ	11	Ret	DNPQ		13
—	ATS-Ford	9	11	7	Ret	Ret	DNQ	11	9	13	13	NC	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNPQ	0
		10	12	DNS	8	11	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	15	16	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	NC
—	Martini-Ford	31			DNQ		DNPQ	9	WD		14	WD	DNPQ	9	Ret				0
—	Merzario-Ford	37	Ret	DNQ	Ret	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNQ	NC	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	0
		34														DNPQ
—	Theodore-Ford	32	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNQ	DNPQ	DNQ	DNPQ										0
—	Hesketh-Ford	24	DNQ	DNQ	Ret	DNPQ	DNPQ	DNQ											0
Pos	Constructor	Car no.	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	MON	BEL	ESP	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN	Pts

Constructors points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the top six placegetters in each round with only the best placed car from each constructor eligible to score points. The best seven results from the first eight races and the best seven results from the remaining eight races were retained.^[3]

Non-Championship race results[link]

Another Formula One race was also held in 1978, which did not count towards the World Championship.

Race Name	Circuit	Date	Winning driver	Constructor	Report
XXX BRDC International Trophy	Silverstone	March 19	Keke Rosberg	Theodore-Cosworth	Report

References[link]

External links[link]

• 1978 World Championship race classifications and images at f1-facts.com
• Video F1-Season 1978 & Driver Portraits

Derek Daly

Born	(1953-03-11) 11 March 1953 (age 59)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Irish
Active years	1978 - 1982
Teams	Hesketh, Ensign, Tyrrell, March, Theodore, Williams
Races	64 (49 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	15
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1978 United States Grand Prix West
Last race	1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix

Derek Daly (born March 11, 1953 in Ballinteer, Dublin) is a former racing driver from Ireland. He won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship, and competed as a professional racing driver for 17 years participating in 64 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on April 2, 1978. He scored a total of 15 championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races. Daly later became a US citizen and now resides in Noblesville, Indiana with his third wife, Rhonda, and three children from his second marriage.

Racing history[link]

In 1982, Daly began driving in the CART series and continued through 1989. He started 66 CART races, including each Indianapolis 500 from 1983–1989, except for 1986. He finished in the top ten a total of 21 times, including one podium finish, 3rd position, at Milwaukee in 1987.

In 1990, Daly had the unusual result of finish both first and second at the 12 Hours of Sebring, driving for Nissan.^[1][2]

Daly is known in motor sports circles around the world as a driver, writer, broadcaster, racing advisor, and businessman. He runs a professional services company called MotorVation, and had been a commentator for American broadcasts of the Champ Car series, as well as a public speaker. One of the agencies that represents him is the National Speakers Bureau.^[3]

He was also part of the ESPN Speedworld Coverage of the Grand Prix of San Marino in 1994, and therefore called the race in which Ayrton Senna was killed.

Daly's son Conor Daly, is also a racing driver, and will be competing in GP3 driving for the Lotus GP team in 2012.^[4] .

Racing results[link]

Complete European Formula Two Championship results[link]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One World Championship results[link]

(key)

CART results[link]