1977 Formula One Season

The 1977 Formula One Season, otherwise officially known as the 1977 FIA Formula One World Championship, was the 28th edition of the World's most prestigious racing category. The 1977 Season proved to be one of the most competitive in F1 history, although was punctuated by a series of fatal accidents from beginning to end.
James Hunt would start the season as defending Champion having stayed with , and would open his campaign with pole position at the Argentine Grand Prix. Yet, it would be a miserable campaign for the Brit, with Hunt having to wait until the tenth race at Silverstone to claim his first victory of the season.'British GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr290.html, (Accessed 05/05/2018)
Instead, Jody Scheckter, piloting the new Canadian built , would be one of the main title contenders during the season, taking victory at the opening round.'Argentine GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/races/argentine-gp-1977.html, (Accessed 27/03/2018) Indeed, the South African would claim a further two wins during the season at Monaco and Canada.'Canadian GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr296.html, (Accessed 01/06/2018)
Another star of the 1977 campaign would be Mario Andretti, who claimed five race victories for . Yet, while the American was ferociously fast, the new Lotus 78 proved to be akin to its predecessors, proving to be horrendously unreliable throughout the season.
That factor allowed World Champion Niki Lauda to steal the show, with the Austrian going under the radar for much of the season despite taking three victories.'DUTCH GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr293.html, (Accessed 15/05/2018) Indeed, such was the Austrian's advantage for that he would win the Championship at the 1977 United States Grand Prix, before quitting the team due to the politics at Maranello with two races to go.'United States GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr295.html, (Accessed 30/05/2018)
The Ferrari team themselves would ultimately end the season as the winners of the International Cup for Constructors Champions for the third year in a row, while Lauda's title ensured that it was their second "double" in three years. Lotus would end the season with the fastest car but second in the Cup, while McLaren edged out Wolf to claim third at the final hurdle.'Japanese GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr297.html, (Accessed 04/06/2018)
Other drivers to stand atop the podium would include Carlos Reutemann, Gunnar Nilsson, Jacques Laffite and Alan Jones, meaning there were eight different race winners across the seventeen Grand Prix. Yet, it would also be a season of great loss, with promising talents Tom Pryce and Carlos Pace killed during and after the 1977 South African Grand Prix.'South African GP, 1977', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr283.html, (Accessed 01/04/2018) 
Pryce's accident would also claim the life of marshal Jansen van Vuuren, while a separate accident at the season ending Japanese Grand Prix saw a photographer and an unnamed marshal killed. Yet, in spite of the losses, 1977 would also see several future F1 heavy weights emerge, with Gilles Villeneuve, Riccardo Patrese and Patrick Tambay all making their debuts.
==Background==
A large part of the winter prior to the start of the 1977 season would be spent picking a side in a fast developing political fight between the FIA and the Formula One Constructors Association, led by Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley.A.H., 'Argentine Grand Prix', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport, 01/02/1977), https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/february-1977/25/argentine-grand-prix, (Accessed 27/03/2018) Both parties had threatened to boycott or cancel the season opening race, the Argentine Grand Prix, with the majority of the teams backing Ecclestone and Mosley against the FIA's new body, World Championship Racing. On the FIA's side were and several major race venues although, as the new season loomed, the battle lines were to be solidified.
The main issue between WCR and F.O.C.A. was essentially over the promotion of Formula One with both venues and broadcasters, Mr. Ecclestone having gained near total control of broadcasting rights to F1 at the end of 1976. F.O.C.A. had also secured eight races, including the Argentine Grand Prix, for the Championship, while WCR and the C.S.I. had signed up a further eight venues for the season. That, combined with the fact that the Belgian Grand Prix had signed contracts with both groups, ensured that there was a record seventeen race calendar, with all potential races in question.
With promotion came money, and the issues over both attendance fees and prize pots were at the fore of the argument. For Ecclestone, whose F.O.C.A. band consisted overwhelmingly of the British "garagistas", the temptation to boycott the race came after a meeting between the CSI and WCR with the series major sponsors prior to the race, which would have tipped the balance of the dispute in their favour.Max Mosley, Formula One and Beyond: The Autobiography, (Simon and Schuster, 2015), pp. Ultimately an agreement regarding the attendance fee was reached before the opening round, although the fighting would continue between Ecclestone and Mosley against WCR president Patrick Duffeler well into the season.
==Teams and Drivers==
A grand total of 61 drivers, representing nineteen nations on behalf of 33 teams, would take part in the 1977 FIA Formula One World Championship, although only thirteen competitors would compete at every round of the season.
===Entry List===
The full entry list for the 1977 FIA Formula One World Championship is outlined below:
** Villeneuve would race with #21 as his race number for Ferrari at the Canadian Grand Prix.
*† Pilette would be listed with #40 as his race number at the German Grand Prix and #35 at the Italian Grand Prix.
*‡ Zorzi raced with the #17 during the first three races of the season.
*§ Both Rebaque and Ashley would use #39 during the season, a third entry.
*ƒ Binder would use #35 as his race number at the Dutch Grand Prix.
==Calendar==
In spite of the complications between F.O.C.A. and WCR regarding the calendar, a total of seventeen races were scheduled for the 1977 World Championship campaign. That fact made the 1977 edition of the series the longest in F1 history, a record it would hold until the 2004 campaign. The season would also feature a single non-Championship race, the 1977 Race of Champions, staged at Brands Hatch in the United Kingdom.
===World Championship Schedule===
Outlined below is the full calendar for the 1977 FIA Formula One World Championship:
===Non-Championship Races===
Date 	Event 	Circuit 	Report
20th March	XII Marlboro Race of Champions	Brands Hatch	Report
==Season Report==
===Pre-season===
===Round 1: 1977 Argentine Grand Prix===
===Round 2: 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix===
===Round 3: 1977 South African Grand Prix===
===Round 4: 1977 United States Grand Prix West===
===Round 5: 1977 Spanish Grand Prix===
===Round 6: 1977 Monaco Grand Prix===
===Round 7: 1977 Belgian Grand Prix===
===Round 8: 1977 Swedish Grand Prix===
===Round 9: 1977 French Grand Prix===
===Round 10: 1977 British Grand Prix===
===Round 11: 1977 German Grand Prix===
===Round 12: 1977 Austrian Grand Prix===
===Round 13: 1977 Dutch Grand Prix===
===Round 14: 1977 Italian Grand Prix===
===Round 15: 1977 United States Grand Prix===
===Round 16: 1977 Canadian Grand Prix===
===Round 17: 1977 Japanese Grand Prix===
==Results and Standings==
===Results===
===1977 FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers===
Outlined below are the full final standings from the 1977 FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers:
Pos.	Driver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts.
1 	Niki Lauda 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	72
2 	Jody Scheckter 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	55
3 	Mario Andretti 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	14th	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	47
4 	Carlos Reutemann 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	42
5 	James Hunt 	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	7th 	12th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	40
6 	Jochen Mass 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	25
7 	Alan Jones 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17th	 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	22
8 	Gunnar Nilsson 	 	 	12th	8th 	 	 	 	19th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20
9 	Patrick Depailler 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	13th	 	 	14th	 	 	20
10 	Jacques Laffite 	 	 	 	9th 	7th 	7th 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	8th	7th 	 	 	18
11 	Hans-Joachim Stuck 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	 	7th 	12
12 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	 	 	10th	 	14th	 	 	18th	11th	 	 	11th	 	 	13th	 	 	11
13 	John Watson 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	 	12th	 	 	9
14 	Ronnie Peterson 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	12th	 	9th 	 	 	 	16th	 	 	7
15 	Carlos Pace 	 	 	13th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	6
16 	Vittorio Brambilla 	7th	 	7th 	 	 	8th 	 	 	13th	8th 	 	15th	12th	 	19th	 	8th 	6
17 	Clay Regazzoni 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	7th 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	5
18 	Patrick Tambay 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	5
19 	Jean-Pierre Jarier 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	11th	8th 	 	9th 	 	14th	 	 	9th 	 	 	1
20 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	13th	 	 	10th	 	1
21 	Renzo Zorzi 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1
NC 	Rupert Keegan 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	 	13th	10th	 	 	7th 	 	9th	8th 	 	 	0
NC 	Patrick Nève 	 	 	 	 	12th	 	10th	15th	 	10th	 	9th 	 	7th	18th	 	 	0
NC 	Vern Schuppan 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	7th 	16th	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Ingo Hoffmann 	 	7th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Danny Ongais 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	7th 	 	0
NC 	Alex Ribeiro 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	11th	 	15th	8th 	12th	0
NC 	Hans Binder 	 	 	11th	11th	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	8th 	 	11th	 	 	0
NC 	Brett Lunger 	 	 	14th	 	10th	 	 	11th	 	13th	 	10th	9th 	 	10th	11th	 	0
NC 	Harald Ertl 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	16th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Jackie Oliver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Kunimitsu Takahashi 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	0
NC 	Ian Scheckter 	 	 	 	 	11th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Brian Henton 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Jacky Ickx 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Gilles Villeneuve 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	 	 	 	 	 	12th	 	0
NC 	Kazuyoshi Hoshino 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	0
NC 	Larry Perkins 	 	 	15th	 	 	 	12th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	David Purley 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13th	14th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Emilio de Villota 	 	 	 	 	13th	 	 	 	 	 	 	17th	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Arturo Merzario 	 	 	 	 	 	 	14th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Ian Ashley 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17th	 	 	0
NC 	Tom Pryce 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Boy Hayje 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Héctor Rebaque 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Hans Heyer 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	* 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Bruno Giacomelli 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Noritake Takahara 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Conny Andersson 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Teddy Pilette 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Mikko Kozarowitzky 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Bernard de Dryver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Michael Bleekemolen 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Lamberto Leoni 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Loris Kessel 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Giorgio Francia 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Tony Trimmer 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Andy Sutcliffe 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Guy Edwards 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
NC 	Brian McGuire 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
** Heyer was disqualified for joining the start of the race illegally.
===1977 FIA Formula One International Cup for Constructors===
Outlined below are the full standings for the 1977 FIA Formula One International Cup for Constructors
International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	International Cup for Constructors	
Pos. 	Team 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	12 	13 	14 	15 	16 	17 	Pts.
Pos. 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts.
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th 	 	95 (97)
 	 	 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	62
 	 	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	60
4th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th 	55
5th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	7th 	 	12th 	 	7th 	27
= 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	12th 	 	9th 	 	 	 	14th 	 	 	27
7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	7th 	10th 	 	13th 	 	9th 	 	 	23
8th 	 	 	 	 	9th 	7th 	7th 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	8th 	7th 	 	 	18
9th 	 	 	 	10th 	 	14th 	 	 	18th 	11th 	 	 	11th 	 	 	13th 	 	 	11
10th 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	10th 	 	7th 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10
11th 	 	7th 	 	7th 	11th 	9th 	8th 	 	 	13th 	8th 	 	15th 	12th 	 	11th 	 	8th 	6
12th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	11th 	11th 	8th 	 	9th 	 	12th 	8th 	 	 	7th 	 	1
— 	 	 	 	14th 	10th 	10th 	 	10th 	15th 	 	10th 	8th 	9th 	10th 	7th 	15th 	8th 	12th 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th 	9th 	13th 	10th 	 	 	7th 	 	9th 	8th 	 	 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	11th 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13th 	14th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
— 	 	 	 	15th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Pos. 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts.
Pos. 	Team 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	12 	13 	14 	15 	16 	17 	Pts.
==See Also==
*List of fatal accidents
==References==
Images and Videos:
*
References:
Category:Formula One Seasons
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