Mario Andretti gave the Lotus 79 a commanding championship debut at the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix. Pole position became a convincing victory at Zolder, with Ronnie Peterson recovering second in the older Lotus 78 to complete a team one-two.
Race Guide
Season: 1978 F1 World Championship
Race date: 21 May 1978
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit Zolder
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.262 km
1977 winner: Gunnar Nilsson
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Mario Andretti | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:20.90 | |
| Fastest lap | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:23.130 on lap 66 | |
| First | Mario Andretti | Lotus |
| Second | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus |
| Third | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1978 | Advance pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 19 May 1978 | Friday morning timed practice | 90 minutes; start unconfirmed |
| 19 May 1978 | Friday afternoon timed practice | One hour; start unconfirmed |
| 20 May 1978 | Saturday untimed practice | 90 minutes; start unconfirmed |
| 20 May 1978 | Saturday final qualifying | One hour; start unconfirmed |
| 21 May 1978 | Warm-up | 30 minutes; morning start unconfirmed |
| 21 May 1978 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Patrick Depailler arrived at round 6 leading the 1978 F1 World Championship on 23 points, with Carlos Reutemann on 18. Lotus – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 27 points.
Race entries
Lotus committed its new ground-effect 79 to Andretti, while Peterson retained the 78. Patrick Tambay withdrew with foot burns sustained at Pau, leaving Bruno Giacomelli alongside James Hunt for McLaren. Alberto Colombo replaced Jean-Pierre Jarier at ATS, and Jacky Ickx drove for Ensign. Tambay’s withdrawal also gave Brett Lunger another opportunity after pre-qualifying.
Advance pre-qualifying
The preliminary selection took place on the Thursday before race week. Bruno Giacomelli, Rolf Stommelen, René Arnoux and Keke Rosberg earned places in official practice, while Héctor Rebaque, Arturo Merzario and Brett Lunger initially missed out. Lunger subsequently received a reprieve when Tambay withdrew. Passing this hurdle still left the entrants needing to qualify for the 24-car grid.
Advance pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | Rolf Stommelen | Arrows | 1:23.76 |
| 2 | 32 | Keke Rosberg | Theodore | 1:24.46 |
| 3 | 31 | René Arnoux | Martini | 1:24.58 |
| 4 | 33 | Bruno Giacomelli | McLaren | 1:24.65 |
| 5 | 30 | Brett Lunger | McLaren | 1:24.91 |
| 6 | 25 | Héctor Rebaque | Lotus | 1:25.10 |
| 7 | 37 | Arturo Merzario | Merzario | 1:26.69 |
Friday morning timed practice
Andretti immediately demonstrated the Lotus 79’s potential on the resurfaced circuit, pulling clear of Reutemann’s Ferrari. Renault lost an engine and Jacky Ickx switched Ensigns because of a water leak, requiring his preferred suspension settings to be transferred as well. Hans-Joachim Stuck also suffered an engine failure that curtailed his day.
Friday afternoon timed practice
Andretti improved his benchmark while Jody Scheckter emerged as his nearest afternoon challenger in the new Wolf. James Hunt moved into the spare McLaren after engine trouble. Riccardo Patrese and Alan Jones continued to show their competitiveness, but the leading Lotus had established a clear advantage before the final day’s running.
Saturday untimed practice
Teams checked their spare cars, fuel consumption and race settings under grey skies. Reutemann preferred the spare Ferrari, but Jones crashed the spare Williams after brake-pad knock-off left him without an immediate response at the pedal. A catch-fence post injured his arm. Giacomelli also twisted an ankle, adding to an already painful wrist, though both drivers continued.
Saturday final qualifying
Andretti extended his advantage to secure pole comfortably ahead of Reutemann and Lauda. Villeneuve qualified fourth, while Lunger squeezed onto the back of the grid. Derek Daly, Keke Rosberg, Rupert Keegan and Alberto Colombo were eliminated.
The closing session brought more damage. Jochen Mass crashed after a misunderstanding with Giacomelli and needed Colombo’s ATS for the race. Daly struck Reutemann’s rear wheel after the Ferrari slowed for warning flags, damaging the Hesketh. Renault also returned to the pits with a small fire around its turbocharger, and Keegan suffered engine failure.
Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s best eligible practice lap determined the qualifying order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Mario Andretti | Lotus | 1:20.90 |
| 2 | 11 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 1:21.69 |
| 3 | 1 | Niki Lauda | Brabham | 1:21.70 |
| 4 | 12 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:21.77 |
| 5 | 20 | Jody Scheckter | Wolf | 1:22.12 |
| 6 | 7 | James Hunt | McLaren | 1:22.50 |
| 7 | 6 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus | 1:22.62 |
| 8 | 35 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:23.25 |
| 9 | 2 | John Watson | Brabham | 1:23.26 |
| 10 | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 1:23.58 |
| 11 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:23.71 |
| 12 | 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | Surtees | 1:23.78 |
| 13 | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell | 1:23.82 |
| 14 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:23.90 |
| 15 | 14 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | 1:24.11 |
| 16 | 9 | Jochen Mass | ATS | 1:24.14 |
| 17 | 36 | Rolf Stommelen | Arrows | 1:24.14 |
| 18 | 17 | Clay Regazzoni | Shadow | 1:24.18 |
| 19 | 31 | René Arnoux | Martini | 1:24.28 |
| 20 | 16 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Shadow | 1:24.47 |
| 21 | 33 | Bruno Giacomelli | McLaren | 1:24.81 |
| 22 | 22 | Jacky Ickx | Ensign | 1:24.82 |
| 23 | 3 | Didier Pironi | Tyrrell | 1:24.85 |
| 24 | 30 | Brett Lunger | McLaren | 1:24.99 |
| 25 | 18 | Rupert Keegan | Surtees | 1:25.40 |
| 26 | 24 | Derek Daly | Hesketh | 1:25.69 |
| 27 | 32 | Keke Rosberg | Theodore | 1:25.87 |
| 28 | 10 | Alberto Colombo | ATS | 1:26.01 |
Sunday warm-up
The final running revealed a small fuel leak on Patrese’s Arrows and a damaged driveshaft gaiter on Emerson Fittipaldi’s car, both repaired before the start. Jones and Giacomelli were ready despite their injuries. Andretti retained the new Lotus, with the older car available should a last-minute problem arise.
What happened in the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix?
Andretti led away while Reutemann’s poor getaway triggered trouble behind him. Lauda was eliminated in the first-corner confusion, and Villeneuve emerged as the leading pursuer. Neither he nor Peterson could prevent the Lotus 79 from escaping into a comfortable lead.
A puncture forced Villeneuve to stop, and Peterson also needed fresh tyres. Reutemann’s recovery carried him into second ahead of Jacques Laffite, but Peterson’s pace on replacement tyres brought him back past both. Laffite’s last-lap attempt to take Reutemann ended in contact and retirement.
Andretti secured an emphatic victory, with Peterson completing the Lotus one-two and Reutemann third. Villeneuve recovered fourth, while Laffite was classified fifth despite his late accident and Didier Pironi took the final point. The result restored Andretti to the championship lead and announced the Lotus 79 as the car to beat.
After the race, Mario Andretti headed the drivers’ standings with 27 points, followed by Patrick Depailler on 23. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 36, with Tyrrell – Ford on 25.
1978 Belgian Grand Prix race results
The 1978 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 21 May 1978.
1978 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus | 66 | 1:23.130 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1978 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix.
1978 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1978 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Ford | 36 |
| 2 | Tyrrell – Ford | 25 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 22 |
| 4 | Brabham – Alfa Romeo | 20 |
| 5 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 6 |
| 6 | Ligier – Matra | 6 |
| 7 | Wolf – Ford | 4 |
| 8 | McLaren – Ford | 3 |
| 9 | Williams – Ford | 3 |
| 10 | Shadow – Ford | 2 |
| 11 | Arrows – Ford | 2 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Martini – Ford | 0 |
| — | Renault | 0 |
| — | Surtees – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ensign – Ford | 0 |
| — | Merzario – Ford | 0 |
| — | Theodore – Ford | 0 |
| — | Hesketh – Ford | 0 |
| — | March – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best 7 results from rounds 1–8 and their best 7 from rounds 9–16. Only the highest-placed car for each constructor could score constructor points, with the same dropped-results limits applying.
1978 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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