1979 British Formula One Championship

The 1979 British Formula One Championship (formally the 1979 Aurora AFX F1 Championship) was the second season of the British Formula One Championship. It commenced on 1 April 1979 and ended on 7 October after fifteen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Englishman Rupert Keegan who drove an Arrows A1 entered by Charles Clowes.[1]

Teams and drivers

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Entry List[2]
Team No. Driver Chassis Engine Rounds
Formula 1
  Melchester Racing 1   Desiré Wilson Tyrrell 008 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 All
2   Gordon Smiley 1-4
  Neil Bettridge 8-13
  Gordon Smiley McLaren M23 5-7
  Neil Bettridge Arrows A1 14-15
  Madom F1 Team 3   Emilio de Villota Lotus 78 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 All
  Mopar Ultramar Racing Team 4   Guy Edwards Fittipaldi F5A Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 All
5   Bernard de Dryver All
  Graham Eden Racing 6   Tiff Needell Chevron B41 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1-4, 7, 11, 15
  Ray Mallock 5
  David Leslie 8-9, 11-12
  Kim Mather 13-14
  Valentino Musetti 7   Valentino Musetti March 752/771 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1
March 781 2-5
  John Cooper 8   John Cooper Ensign N177 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 5-8
  Tiff Needell 10
  Team Agostini Marlboro 9   Giacomo Agostini Williams FW06 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 All
10   Gimax 4, 6, 10-11
  Marco Micangeli 12, 14
  Guido Pardini 13
44   Lella Lombardi 4
  Theodore Racing with Hi-Line 11   David Kennedy Wolf WR4 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1-11
Wolf WR6 12-15
7   Valentino Musetti Wolf WR3 8-9
Wolf WR4 12
12   Geoff Lees 15
  Frank Williams Racing 14   Giorgio Pianta Williams FW06 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 10
  C. W. Clowes Racing 16   Rupert Keegan Arrows A1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 2-9, 11-15
17   Ricardo Zunino 8-14
  BS Fabrications 17   Ricardo Zunino McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 6
Arrows A1 7
  Team Surtees 22   Philip Bullman Surtees TS20 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1-3
  Gordon Smiley 9-10, 12
Surtees TS20+ 13-15
23   Claude Bourgoignie Surtees TS20 1
  Jean-Pierre Jaussaud 10
  Dennis Leech 24   Dennis Leech McLaren M23 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 13
  LEC Refrigeration Racing 27   David Purley LEC CRP1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 12-13
Shadow DN9 14-15
  Smith & Jones 33   Robin Smith Ensign N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1, 3
  Richard Jones 2, 5
  Robin Smith Surtees TS19 7, 9, 12, 14
  Richard Jones 8, 11, 15
  Willi Kauhsen 39   Gianfranco Brancatelli Kauhsen WK Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1
  Walz Toj Racing 42   Gerd Biechteler March 781 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 1-3
  Iain McLaren 88   Iain McLaren McLaren M26 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 2, 4, 8
Formula 2
  Cooper Industries 8   John Cooper March 792 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 1-2, 4, 13
  Divina Galica 13   Divina Galica March 792 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 2, 8
  Pontin Racing 15   Kim Mather March 772P Hart 420R 2.0 L4 1
BMW M12 2.0 L4 2, 4-9
March 772P/782 Ford BDG Eden 2.0 L4 11
  Mike Wilds 13
  Kim Mather Ford BDG Richardson 2.0 L4 15
  A. G. Dean Racing 18   Tony Dean Chevron B42 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 1-2, 4-5, 8-10
19   Brian Robinson 1-2, 4-5, 7-9, 11-14
Chevron B48 15
  Adrian Russell 20   Adrian Russell March 782 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 1, 4-8, 10
  RAM Racing 25   Germain Garon Chevron B42 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 1-2, 10
  Hervé Regout 4-9, 11-15
  Onyx Race Engineering 26   Patrick Nève Pilbeam MP42 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 5-6
  Neil Bettridge 7
  Kenneth Brill 28   Kenneth Brill Chevron B35D Ford BDG 2.0 L4 2, 4, 6-8, 11
  Warren Booth 29   Warren Booth Chevron B42 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 2, 4, 6, 8-9
  Dicksons of Perth 30   Norman Dickson March 792 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 1-2, 4-9, 11-13, 15
31   Gianfranco Brancatelli March 772P 5
34   Pascal Witmeur 1
  Ecurie Motul Nogaro 34   Alain Couderc AGS JH15 BMW M12 2.0 L4 10
  Walz Toj Racing 65   Klaus Walz March 782 BMW M12 2.0 L4 1-2
  Theodore Racing 77   Derek Warwick March 792 Hart 420R 2.0 L4 4, 13-14

Results and standings

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Races

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Rnd Track Date Laps Pole Position Fastest Lap Race Winner Constructor
1 Zolder 1 April 40   David Kennedy   Desiré Wilson   David Kennedy Wolf
2 Oulton Park 13 April 65   Guy Edwards   David Kennedy   David Kennedy Wolf
3 Brands Hatch 15 April 39   Rupert Keegan   Rupert Keegan   Guy Edwards Fittipaldi
4 Mallory Park 7 May 75   Bernard de Dryver   Guy Edwards   Rupert Keegan Arrows
5 Snetterton 20 May 53   Guy Edwards   Rupert Keegan   Rupert Keegan Arrows
6 Thruxton 28 May 50   Guy Edwards   David Kennedy   Emilio de Villota Lotus
7 Zandvoort 4 June 40   Guy Edwards   Emilio de Villota   Emilio de Villota Lotus
8 Donington Park 24 June 52   Rupert Keegan   Ricardo Zunino   Rupert Keegan Arrows
9 Oulton Park 30 June 65   Guy Edwards   Emilio de Villota   Emilio de Villota Lotus
10 Nogaro 8 July 50   Ricardo Zunino   Ricardo Zunino   Emilio de Villota Lotus
11 Mallory Park 29 July 75   Emilio de Villota   Ricardo Zunino   David Kennedy Wolf
12 Brands Hatch 27 August 40   Rupert Keegan   Guy Edwards   Ricardo Zunino Arrows
13 Thruxton 9 September 50   Ricardo Zunino   Emilio de Villota   Rupert Keegan Arrows
14 Snetterton 23 September 55   Rupert Keegan   Rupert Keegan   Rupert Keegan Arrows
15 Silverstone 7 October 35   Rupert Keegan   Rupert Keegan   Gordon Smiley Surtees

Drivers' standings

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Points are awarded to the top ten classified finishers using the following structure:

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   PP   FL 
Points 9 6 4 3 2 1 2 1
Pos. Driver ZOL
 
OUL
 
BRH
 
MAL
 
SNE
 
THR
 
ZAN
 
DON
 
OUL
 
NOG
 
MAL
 
BRH
 
THR
 
SNE
 
SIL
 
Pts
1   Rupert Keegan 11 Ret 1 1 Ret NC 1 Ret Ret DNS 1 1 2 65
2   David Kennedy 1 1 DNS 3 NC 2 2 10 Ret 3 1 3 3 3 Ret 63
3   Emilio de Villota Ret 7 Ret 4 3 1 1 2 1 1 6 Ret Ret 8 Ret 55
4   Bernard de Dryver 5 Ret 2 Ret 4 DNS 6 3 2 2 Ret 4 4 5 4 41
5   Guy Edwards DSQ 2 1 5 Ret Ret 7 6 Ret Ret 3 2 Ret Ret 8 40
6   Ricardo Zunino 5 Ret 4 Ret 7 2 1 2 2 39
7   Desiré Wilson 3 3 3 11 Ret 3 4 Ret 5 4 Ret 7 7 6 5 28
8   Giacomo Agostini 9 6 5 Ret 2 6 3 9 3 Ret Ret Ret 6 7 7 19
9   Gordon Smiley DNS 9 4 Ret 7 4 5 10 DNS 6 Ret Ret 1 18
10   Tiff Needell 2 10 Ret 7 8 Ret Ret 6 7
11   Norman Dickson 6 4 6 6 DNS 10 7 Ret NC Ret 14 10 6
=[1]   Derek Warwick 2 13 Ret 6
13   Philip Bullman 4 5 Ret 5
14   Kim Mather 7 8 Ret 10 8 NC 8 6 4 DNS Ret Ret 4
=[1]   Neil Bettridge Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret 5 5 Ret 12 4
=[1]   Geoff Lees 3 4
17   David Leslie 14 4 DNS Ret 3
=[1]   David Purley Ret 10 4 9 3
19   John Cooper DNS Ret 10 5 7 9 DSQ 11 2
=[1]   Divina Galica Ret 5 2
=[1]   Gimax Ret 9 Ret 5 2
=[1]   Giorgio Pianta 5 2
23   Tony Dean 12 NC 9 11 Ret 6 1
=[1]   Valentino Musetti Ret Ret 6 NC Ret 13 DNS NC 1
  Robin Smith 11 7 11 8 8 Ret 0
  Brian Robinson 13 12 12 9 13 Ret 7 NC 9 Ret 9 11 0
  Richard Jones Ret DNS Ret 7 13 0
  Hervé Regout 8 DNS Ret 12 Ret 11 NC Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
  Adrian Russell Ret DNQ 8 Ret 14 Ret Ret 0
  Germain Garon 14 Ret 8 0
  Klaus Walz 8 NC 0
  Guido Pardini 8 0
  Warren Booth 13 13 10 15 9 0
  Dennis Leech 9 0
  Gerd Biechteler 10 DNS DNQ 0
  Mike Wilds 12 0
  Lella Lombardi 14 0
  Kenneth Brill DNQ DNQ NC Ret DNS DNS 0
  Patrick Nève Ret NC 0
  Gianfranco Brancatelli Ret Ret 0
  Marco Micangeli Ret Ret 0
  Pascal Witmeur Ret 0
  Claude Bourgoignie Ret 0
  Ray Mallock Ret 0
  Alain Couderc Ret 0
  Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Ret 0
  Iain McLaren DNS DNQ DNS 0
Pos. Driver ZOL
 
OUL
 
BRH
 
MAL
 
SNE
 
THR
 
ZAN
 
DON
 
OUL
 
NOG
 
MAL
 
BRH
 
THR
 
SNE
 
SIL
 
Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "1979 AURORA AFX BRITISH F1 CHAMPIONSHIP". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "Formula 1 - 3-litre Formula 1 (1966 - 1985)". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.