1979 United States Grand Prix
The 1979 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 7, 1979 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. It was the fifteenth and final race of the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors. This event was also referred to as the United States Grand Prix East in order to distinguish it from the United States Grand Prix West held on April 8, 1979 in Long Beach, California.
| 1979 United States Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 15 of 15 in the 1979 Formula One season | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | October 7, 1979 | ||
| Official name | XXII Toyota United States Grand Prix | ||
| Location |
Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course Watkins Glen, New York | ||
| Course | Permanent road course | ||
| Course length | 5.435 km (3.377 miles) | ||
| Distance | 59 laps, 320.67 km (199.24 miles) | ||
| Weather |
Rain with temperatures reaching a maximum of 15 °C (59 °F); Wind speeds up to 27.78 km/h (17.26 mph) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Williams-Ford | ||
| Time | 1:35.615 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-Ford | |
| Time | 1:40.054 on lap 51 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Ferrari | ||
| Second | Renault | ||
| Third | Tyrrell-Ford | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
The 59-lap race took place in wet conditions, and was won by Gilles Villeneuve, driving a Ferrari. René Arnoux finished second in a Renault, with Didier Pironi third in a Tyrrell-Ford. The win, Villeneuve's third of the season, enabled him to secure second place in the Drivers' Championship behind team-mate Jody Scheckter.
This was the final Formula One race for the 1969 and 1970 championship runner-up Jacky Ickx, Alex Ribeiro, Arturo Merzario and former Brabham driver Hans-Joachim Stuck, as well as the final race for the Wolf team. Villeneuve's win was also to be the final one for a car with a flat-12 engine and the three points scored by Elio de Angelis would be the last points scored by the Shadow team.