Gunnar Nilsson turned a rain-affected 1977 Belgian Grand Prix into a memorable first victory. After Mario Andretti and John Watson collided on the opening lap, Nilsson recovered through the tyre stops and passed Niki Lauda to win for Lotus. Ronnie Peterson joined his fellow Swede on the podium.
Race Guide
Season: 1977 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 June 1977
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit Zolder
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.262 km
1976 winner: Niki Lauda
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Mario Andretti | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:24.64 | |
| Fastest lap | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:27.540 on lap 53 | |
| First | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus |
| Second | Niki Lauda | Ferrari |
| Third | Ronnie Peterson | Tyrrell |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 3 June 1977 | Friday morning timed practice | 10:00–11:30 |
| 3 June 1977 | Friday afternoon timed practice | 13:00–14:00 |
| 4 June 1977 | Saturday untimed practice | 90 minutes; start unconfirmed |
| 4 June 1977 | Saturday final qualifying | 14:00–15:00 |
| 5 June 1977 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 5 June 1977 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Jody Scheckter arrived at round 7 leading the 1977 F1 World Championship on 32 points, with Niki Lauda on 25. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 40 points.
Race entries
A crowded entry brought Héctor Rebaque in a Hesketh and Bernard de Dryver in a March for their first championship qualifying attempts. Neither reached the race. The organisers expanded the grid from 24 to 26 cars, admitting Harald Ertl and Jean-Pierre Jarier, while Patrick Nève qualified the Williams-run March for his home Grand Prix.
Friday morning timed practice
Andretti led Watson before rain interrupted the opening session. Nilsson and Patrick Depailler had spent their early running in spare cars and found the circuit damp by the time they switched back. Clay Regazzoni suffered a major engine failure and moved into the spare Ensign, while Arturo Merzario made a strong early impression among the private entrants. The rain left several teams short of representative dry laps.
Friday afternoon timed practice
Heavy rain prevented any improvement to the provisional grid, but many drivers used the hour to assess wet-weather handling. Jody Scheckter was fastest, with Peterson and the Lotus pair among his closest pursuers. McLaren and Watson chose not to run, while Merzario’s broken driveshaft and Vittorio Brambilla’s engine repairs kept them in the pits. Saturday’s dry qualifying opportunity now carried extra importance.
Saturday untimed practice
Lotus looked increasingly assured, although Nilsson’s engine failed late in the session and forced him into the spare car for qualifying. Regazzoni suffered another engine failure, and Watson briefly tried a spare Brabham that overheated. Ian Scheckter’s new March still needed development, so the team prepared its older car for the decisive afternoon hour.
Saturday final qualifying
Andretti produced an extraordinary 1min 24.64sec lap, taking pole by more than a second and a half from Watson. Nilsson qualified third in the spare Lotus despite its older suspension layout. The scale of Andretti’s advantage made the Lotus 78’s cornering performance the paddock’s main talking point.
Hunt’s M26 suffered an engine failure, sending him back to an M23 for his qualifying effort. Reutemann outqualified Lauda, and Scheckter placed the Wolf among the leading contenders. At the other end of the field, the enlarged grid gave Ertl and Jarier a start but still left six drivers out.
Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s best eligible practice lap determined the qualifying order.
Sunday warm-up
Hunt and Depailler tried development Cosworth engines in the final pre-race running. Brett Lunger’s McLaren developed a persistent misfire, leaving his mechanics racing to replace the engine before the start. The repair was completed, denying first reserve Boy Hayje a late opportunity.
What happened in the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix?
Rain on the grid delayed the start and brought a switch to wet-weather tyres. Watson took the lead, but Andretti locked up at the chicane and collided with him before the opening lap was complete. Both leading qualifiers were out, leaving Scheckter ahead. Reutemann made rapid progress before spinning off, while the changing surface soon forced another round of tyre decisions.
Early switches to slicks helped Lauda and Jochen Mass move to the front. Mass then spun out, promoting Nilsson, who closed on the Ferrari and overtook it. David Purley briefly ran third by staying out longer on wet tyres; after his stop he emerged ahead of Lauda on the road and delayed the race leader while a lap behind.
Nilsson pulled clear and secured the only Grand Prix victory of his career. Lauda finished second and Peterson third, making this the first championship podium shared by two Swedish drivers. Brambilla, Alan Jones and Stuck completed the points, while Scheckter’s late retirement ended a difficult afternoon for Wolf. Lotus had lost its pole-sitter immediately but still converted its remarkable pace into victory.
After the race, Jody Scheckter headed the drivers’ standings with 32 points, followed by Niki Lauda on 31. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 46, with Lotus – Ford on 33.
1977 Belgian Grand Prix race results
The 1977 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 5 June 1977.
1977 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus | 53 | 1:27.540 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1977 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix.
1977 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1977 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 46 |
| 2 | Lotus – Ford | 33 |
| 3 | Wolf – Ford | 32 |
| 4 | McLaren – Ford | 15 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 11 |
| 6 | Brabham – Alfa Romeo | 9 |
| 7 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 8 |
| 8 | Shadow – Ford | 4 |
| 9 | Surtees – Ford | 3 |
| 10 | Ensign – Ford | 1 |
| 11 | Penske – Ford | 1 |
| — | Ligier – Matra | 0 |
| — | Hesketh – Ford | 0 |
| — | March – Ford | 0 |
| — | LEC – Ford | 0 |
| — | BRM | 0 |
Drivers counted their best 8 results from rounds 1–9 and their best 7 from rounds 10–17. Only the highest-placed car for each constructor could score constructor points, with the same dropped-results limits applying.
1977 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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