1979 Argentine Grand Prix

1979 Argentine Grand Prix
Race 1 of 15 in the 1979 Formula One season
Race details
Date January 21, 1979
Location Buenos Aires, Argentina
Course Permanent road course
Course length 5.81 km (3.61 miles)
Distance 53 laps, 307.93 km (191.33 miles)
Weather Dry
Pole position
Driver Ligier-Ford
Time 1:44.20
Fastest lap
Driver France Jacques Laffite Ligier-Ford
Time 1:46.91 on lap 42
Podium
First Ligier-Ford
Second Lotus-Ford
Third McLaren-Ford
Lap leaders

The 1979 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 21 January 1979 at the Autódromo Municipal Ciudad de Buenos Aires. The race had to be restarted because there was a huge crash at the second of the very fast esses after the pit straight that took off a number of drivers, including Jody Scheckter, Nelson Piquet, John Watson, Patrick Tambay and Mario Andretti.

After qualifying, James Hunt's WR7 was declared illegal, as the clutch-driven impeller blades which drew air through the air coiler were ruled an 'aerodynamic device'. Wolf mechanics modified the fan, and the car was allowed to start.[1]

  1. ^ Taylor, Simon. "Lunch with... Walter Wolf". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 1 June 2023.