1980 United States Grand Prix West
The Grand Prix of USA West 1980 took place on 30 March in Long Beach and was the fourth round of the Formula 1 season 1980.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
End of March 1980 was held for the sixth time the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Alain Prost and Marc Surer were missing due to injuries they had suffered at the beginning of the month while training for the Grand Prix of South Africa. Prost at McLaren was represented by the Grand Prix newcomer Stephen South, which thus came to his first and only Formula 1 appearance. When ATS Racing Team was abandoned, however, to the obligation of a replacement driver for Surer.
Training
Brabham driver Nelson Piquet secured the first pole position of his Formula 1 career with a shorter by almost one second lap time ago René Arnoux on Renault and Alfa Romeo works driver Patrick Depailler. However, provided the actual sensation of the training Jan Lammers, by qualifying with the new ATS D4 for the fourth place. Williams driver Alan Jones finished fifth in addition to Bruno Giacomelli in the second Alfa Romeo 179, which also seemed to be very competitive on the street circuit of Long Beach.
Side debutant Stephen South Shadow both pilots failed to qualify, making the already financially ailing team plunged ever deeper into crisis.
Race
Piquet defended its leading position throughout the race, also setting the fastest lap of the race and achieved his first victory thus directly in the form of a Grand Slam.
In the first round of Mario Andretti and Jean -Pierre Jarier collided. In this accident Ricardo Zunino also has been implicated. Only Jarier was initially able to continue the race. Jan Lammers however, had to give up due to damage to the drive shaft. Thus already eliminated in the first round of three of the 24 participants started.
In the fourth round, several pilots were involved in an accident, which was triggered by a spin by Bruno Giacomelli. For Jean -Pierre Jarier and Carlos Reutemann, the race was stopped by as well as for Elio de Angelis, who broke an ankle.
Piquet led before Depailler, Jones, Arnoux and Patrese. From lap 14 Gilles Villeneuve finished in fourth place, after he had Arnoux and Patrese outdated. In the 18th round Jones took over second place from Depailler.
Between the 40th and 47th round left with Depailler, Villeneuve and Jones of three lying in promising positions pilots. Riccardo Patrese came by to second place before René Arnoux and Clay Regazzoni. This has been the victim of a broken brake pedal in the 51st round. His Ensign bounced consequently almost unrestrained in the parked alongside the track Brabham Ricardo Zunino. In the accident the Swiss suffered such severe injuries that result in paraplegia was the result.
Nelson Piquet won in front of the impressive Riccardo Patrese and Emerson Fittipaldi, who had gone from 24th and last on the grid. The remaining championship points were awarded to John Watson, Jody Scheckter and Didier Pironi.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).