1980 South African Grand Prix

The 1980 South African Grand Prix was the third race of the 1980 Formula One Season. René Arnoux took his second victory in a row ahead of the two cars of Jacques Laffite and Didier Pironi.
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==Background==
Heading into the South African event, it was announced that Stefan Johansson, the young Swede who had competed in the South American events for would not continue to drive for the team. Johansson feeling still too inexperienced for Formula One, focusing on his Formula Three prospects for 1980.
 also announced that it would only compete with a single car for the remainder of the season, meaning Jan Lammers was dropped from the team. Marc Surer to be their only driver. 
The high altitude of the Kyalami circuit, was once again expected to benefit the team and their turbo charged engines.
==Entry List==
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No.	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Model 	Tyre
1 	Jody Scheckter 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	312T5 	 	015 3.0 F12 	
2 	Gilles Villeneuve 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	312T5 	 	015 3.0 F12 	
3 	Jean-Pierre Jarier 	Candy Team Tyrrell 	 	009 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
4 	Derek Daly 	Candy Team Tyrrell 	 	009 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
5 	Nelson Piquet 	Parmalat Racing Team 	 	BT49 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
6 	Ricardo Zunino 	Parmalat Racing Team 	 	BT49 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
7 	John Watson 	Marlboro Team McLaren 	 	M29 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
8 	Alain Prost 	Marlboro Team McLaren 	 	M29 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
9 	Marc Surer 	Team ATS 	 	D3 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
10 	Jan Lammers 	Team ATS 	 	D3 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
11 	Mario Andretti 	Team Essex Lotus 	 	81 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
12 	Elio de Angelis 	Team Essex Lotus 	 	81 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
14 	Clay Regazzoni 	Unipart Racing Team 	 	N180 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
15 	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Equipe Renault Elf 	 	RE20 	 	EF1 3.0 V6t 	
16 	René Arnoux 	Equipe Renault Elf 	 	RE20 	 	EF1 3.0 V6t 	
17 	Geoff Lees 	Shadow Cars 	 	DN11 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
18 	David Kennedy 	Shadow Cars 	 	DN11 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
20 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	Skol Fittipaldi Team 	 	F7 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
21 	Keke Rosberg 	Skol Fittipaldi Team 	 	F7 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
22 	Patrick Depailler 	Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 	 	179 	 	1260 3.0 V12	
23 	Bruno Giacomelli 	Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 	 	179 	 	1260 3.0 V12	
25 	Didier Pironi 	Equipe Ligier Gitanes 	 	JS11/15	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
26 	Jacques Laffite 	Equipe Ligier Gitanes 	 	JS11/15	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
27 	Alan Jones 	Albilad-Williams Racing Team 	 	FW07B 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
28 	Carlos Reutemann 	Albilad-Williams Racing Team 	 	FW07B 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
29 	Riccardo Patrese 	Warsteiner Arrows Racing Team	 	A3 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
30 	Jochen Mass 	Warsteiner Arrows Racing Team	 	A3 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
31 	Eddie Cheever 	Osella Squadra Corse 	 	FA1 	 	DFV 3.0 V8 	
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
As was expected, the cars led the pace throughout qualifying. Jean-Pierre Jabouille took the pole position ahead of teammate René Arnoux. Nelson Piquet did well to put his into fourth position ahead of the two cars of Jacques Laffite and Didier Pironi. 
The qualifying session was marred by two serious accidents, firstly Alain Prost in the suffered a suspension failure, crashing heavily into the wall and breaking his wrist. Then even more seriously, Marc Surer in the had a head-on collison with the barriers at Crowthorne corner. Surer, sustaining serious injuries to both his legs had to be cut out of the car by the marshalls before being taken to hospital. With Surer in no state to race, the team entered Jan Lammers, in an older chassis for the remainder of the event. Lammers was still serving in a reserve capacity, despite being made redundant following the team's decision to race only one car in 1980. He however failed to qualify for the event. 
===Qualifying Results===
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor
1  	15 	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	
2 	16 	René Arnoux 	
3 	5 	Nelson Piquet 	
4 	26 	Jacques Laffite 	
5 	25 	Didier Pironi 	
6 	28 	Carlos Reutemann 	
7 	22 	Patrick Depailler 	
8 	27 	Alan Jones 	
9 	1 	Jody Scheckter 	
10 	2 	Gilles Villeneuve 	
11 	29 	Riccardo Patrese 	
12 	23 	Bruno Giacomelli 	
13 	3 	Jean-Pierre Jarier 	
14 	12 	Elio de Angelis 	
15 	11 	Mario Andretti 	
16 	4 	Derek Daly 	
17 	6 	Ricardo Zunino 	
18 	20 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	
19 	30 	Jochen Mass 	
20 	14 	Clay Regazzoni 	
21 	7 	John Watson 	
22 	31 	Eddie Cheever 	
23 	21 	Keke Rosberg 	
24 	17 	Geoff Lees 	
DNQ 	8 	Alain Prost 	
DNQ 	9 	Marc Surer 	
DNQ 	18 	Dave Kennedy 	
DNQ 	10 	Jan Lammers 	
==Race==
===Report===
As the cars left the grid, René Arnoux got the better start of the two cars, however moving into the first corner he slowed to allow teammate and number one driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille to take the lead of the race. Arnoux slotted in behind Jabouille ahead of Alan Jones, who had made a terrific start from eighth on the grid, Jacques Laffite, Carlos Reutemann, Nelson Piquet and Gilles Villeneuve. 
Reigning world champion, Jody Scheckter made good progress in the opening laps. Overtaking teammate Villeneuve and Nelson Piquet's .  The two Renault's immediately sped off into the distance as Jones in third position began to be put under pressure by Laffite's . On lap eight, Jones was forced to concede eighth place to the faster French driver.
After running well in sixth place and challenging Reutemann's ahead of him, Scheckter was forced to retire on lap fourteen due to engine failure. Around the same time, his teammate Gilles Villeneuve was forced to pit for new tyres, the Canadian suffering from severe degradation. 
Didier Pironi who had made a poor start, had a strong late race resurgence overtaking both Piquet and Reutemann to move into fourth place. Reutemann began to slip back, falling behind Piquet as well as the of Jean-Pierre Jarier. 
Up front an exciting battle between Jones and Pironi occured for fourth place, the two driver's swapping positions constantly, both driver's seeking to hold the place. The battle was brought to a premature end when Jones retired on lap 34 with gearbox issues.
The Renault cars continued to dominate up front, however for the second race in succession, Jabouille was forced out of the race. On lap 61, he suffered a puncture bringing him into the pits and into the retirement. This meant for the second race running, Arnoux would inherit the lead continuing to dominate out front. 
In the final laps, Jochen Mass in the was able to overtake Jarier's Tyrrell to  take the final points position. Arnoux took the race win ahead of the two Ligier cars of Laffite and Pironi. Piquet took fourth place ahead of Reutemann and Mass.
===Results===
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	16 	René Arnoux 	 	78 	1:26.52.54 	2 	9
2 	26 	Jacques Laffite 	 	78 	+34.07s 	4 	6
3 	25 	Didier Pironi 	 	78 	+52.49s 	5 	4
4 	5 	Nelson Piquet 	 	78 	+1:01.02 	3 	3
5 	28 	Carlos Reutemann 	 	77 	+1 lap 	6 	2
6 	30 	Jochen Mass 	 	77 	+1 lap 	19 	1
7 	3 	Jean-Pierre Jarier 	 	77 	+1 lap 	13 	
8 	20 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	 	77 	+1 lap 	18 	
9 	14 	Clay Regazzoni 	 	77 	+1 lap 	20 	
10 	6 	Ricardo Zunino 	 	77 	+1 lap 	17 	
11 	7 	John Watson 	 	76 	+2 laps 	21 	
12 	11 	Mario Andretti 	 	76 	+2 laps 	15 	
13 	17 	Geoff Lees 	 	70 	Suspension 	24 	
Ret 	23 	Bruno Giacomelli 	 	69 	Engine 	12 	
Ret 	15 	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	 	61 	Puncture 	1 	
Ret 	4 	Derek Daly 	 	61 	Puncture 	16 	
Ret 	21 	Keke Rosberg 	 	58 	Accident 	23 	
NC 	22 	Patrick Depailler 	 	53 	Not Classified 	7 	
Ret 	27 	Alan Jones 	 	34 	Gearbox 	8 	
Ret 	2 	Gilles Villeneuve 	 	31 	Transmission 	10 	
Ret 	1 	Jody Scheckter 	 	14 	Engine 	9 	
Ret 	29 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	10 	Spun Off 	11 	
Ret 	31 	Eddie Cheever 	 	8 	Spun Off 	22 	
Ret 	12 	Elio de Angelis 	 	1 	Spun Off 	14 	
DNQ 	8 	Alain Prost 	 	Injury / Accident	Injury / Accident	Injury / Accident	
DNQ 	9 	Marc Surer 	 	Injury / Accident	Injury / Accident	Injury / Accident	
DNQ 	18 	Dave Kennedy 	 	 	 	 	
DNQ 	10 	Jan Lammers 	 	 	 	 	
==Milestones==
==Standings after race==
  
Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts 	+/-
1 	René Arnoux 	18 	1
2 	Alan Jones 	13 	1
3 	Nelson Piquet 	9 	
4 	Didier Pironi 	7 	4
5 	Elio de Angelis 	6 	1
6 	Jacques Laffite 	6 	5
7 	Keke Rosberg 	4 	1
8 	Alain Prost 	3 	1
9 	Derek Daly 	3 	1
10 	Bruno Giacomelli 	2 	1
11 	Carlos Reutemann 	2 	2
12 	Riccardo Patrese 	1 	2
13 	Jochen Mass 	1 	1
Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship
Pos. 	Team 	Pts 	+/-
1 	 	18 	1
2 	 	15 	1
3 	 	13 	5
4 	 	9 	1
5 	 	6 	1
6 	 	4 	1
7 	 	3 	1
8 	 	3 	1
9 	 	2 	
10 	 	2 	
==External Links==
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1980 Grands Prix
Category:South African Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in South Africa