1978 Belgian Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Belgium 1978 was held on May 21 at the Circuit Zolder Zolder - Terlaemen and was the sixth race of the Formula 1 season 1978.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
Two weeks after the Grand Prix of Monaco joined the Formula 1 for the sixth race of the season in the Belgian Zolder. Patrick Tambay was missing due to injury and was at McLaren by Bruno Giacomelli, who was originally scheduled as a guest in a third unit carriage, represented. It was also not present Jean -Pierre Jarier, whose place was taken at ATS by the Italian debutant Alberto Colombo.
The Team Surtees paid for the first time both factory riders from the new TS20. When Walter Wolf Racing, a new type cars WR5 was used. Also, the long-awaited Lotus 79 with advanced Wing Car- technology was now available, but only for Mario Andretti. Meanwhile team mate Ronnie Peterson had initially continue to compete with the Lotus 78, which, however, still was considered very competitive.
Training
In the course of the work on Friday morning pre-qualification and Héctor Arturo Merzario Rebaque retired from the competition. To determine from the 28 remaining pilots the maximum allowable 24 racers, the four slowest drivers were deleted during the regular training again.
Mario Andretti reached the pole position with close to eight tenths of a second ahead of the second placed Carlos Reutemann in the Ferrari 312T3 at the wheel of the new Lotus. Meanwhile, team-mate Gilles Villeneuve followed on the fourth place after the third-placed Niki Lauda at Brabham. The third row of the grid was formed by Jody Scheckter and James Hunt.
Race
While Andretti drove against a sovereign start-finish victory, it came in the squares behind immediately after the start to several collisions. Reutemann was due to a bad gear change is not fast enough from its starting square off, so it had to dodge all subsequent pilot. It collided on one side of the track Scheckter with Lauda, on the other hand, Riccardo Patrese with James Hunt. A little later collided with Emerson Fittipaldi Jacky Ickx and Didier Pironi with René Arnoux when trying to turn Lauda and Hunt dodge. For the former world champion Fittipaldi and Hunt as well as the reigning world champion Lauda, the race was due to excessive damage already completed on their vehicles at this point.
Andretti led before Villeneuve, Scheckter and Peterson. Through a required repair stop at the pits Scheckter had to leave the third place in the tenth round Peterson. This order at the top remained until the 40th round consist, as Villeneuve had to visit the pits due to a puncture. He left behind by a Lotus -two lead. However, as Peterson had to perform a tire change on lap 56 for his part, Carlos Reutemann and Jacques Laffite took over the second and third places. During the following ten rounds managed Peterson, however, again overtake two rivals and make a Lotus double victory perfectly. In the duel for third place collided Reutemann and Laffite, after the Frenchman retired, but due to its distance traveled in fifth behind Villeneuve was seen. Didier Pironi, who first earned his sixth Grand Prix, scored a points result as sixth -placed for the fourth time.
Message list
Classifications
Line-up
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).