1978 French Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of France 1978 took place on 2 July at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet place and was the ninth race of the Formula 1 season 1978.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
As the FIA had decided that the fan technique used at the Grand Prix of Sweden Brabham at the cars of the type BT46B is incompatible with the current rules, the team now had to again resort to the conventional BT46.
One of the few changes in the existing out of 29 pilot participants was the return of René Arnoux with the Martini team and the use of a third factory McLaren for Bruno Giacomelli. In addition, Ensign Racing Jacky Ickx was replaced by Derek Daly.
Training
At five hundredths of a second was Brabham driver John Watson in training faster than Mario Andretti in the Lotus 79 The feared disadvantage by prohibiting the fan turned out to be in the face of the void. This seemed as Niki Lauda to confirm with the achievement of the third grid position. This was followed by James Hunt before Ronnie Peterson and Patrick Tambay.
Race
Watson maintained its top position first briefly defend against Andretti, but already at the end of the first revolution of the Americans was in the lead and began to settle. He was followed by Tambay before Lauda, Peterson and Hunt.
Lauda fought during the following rounds at Tambay and Watson past, but different in the tenth round due to an engine failure from. From now occupied Peterson, who was also escapes past Tambay and Watson, second place and earned the Team Lotus after the successes in Belgium and Spain, the third double win of the year. Watson was able to hold on third place up to the 16th round, but was then overtaken by Hunt. He was followed by Alan Jones in front of Jody Scheckter. This order of the first six remained of the 17th round to the finish unchanged.
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).