1979 Argentine Grand Prix | |||
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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 | 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]