Carlos Reutemann and Ferrari mastered the heat of the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix at Jacarepaguá, earning Michelin its first Formula 1 victory. Emerson Fittipaldi gave the home crowd another reason to celebrate by finishing second, the first podium for his family’s team.
Race Guide
Season: 1978 F1 World Championship
Race date: 29 January 1978
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-03:00)
Circuit: Jacarepaguá
Laps: 63 laps
Circuit length: 5.031 km
1977 winner: Carlos Reutemann
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:40.45 | |
| Fastest lap | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:43.070 on lap 35 | |
| First | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari |
| Second | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi |
| Third | Niki Lauda | Brabham |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January 1978 | Preliminary running | Time unconfirmed |
| 27 January 1978 | Morning timed practice | Time unconfirmed |
| 27 January 1978 | Afternoon timed practice | Time unconfirmed |
| 28 January 1978 | Morning untimed practice | Time unconfirmed |
| 28 January 1978 | Final qualifying | One hour; start unconfirmed |
| 29 January 1978 | Warm-up | Time unconfirmed |
| 29 January 1978 | Grand Prix | 14:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Mario Andretti arrived at round 2 leading the 1978 F1 World Championship on 9 points, with Niki Lauda on 6. Lotus – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 9 points.
Race entries
The Brazilian Grand Prix moved from Interlagos to Jacarepaguá for its first World Championship race in Rio. Arrows made its debut with Riccardo Patrese, whose new car had completed only a brief preliminary shakedown. Wolf returned towards its previous specification in search of the balance Jody Scheckter had lacked in Argentina.
Thursday preliminary running
The teams had an opportunity to learn the new circuit before official practice. Its closely linked corners left little recovery time and demanded frequent gear changes. Arrows arrived with almost no running on its new car, making these early preparations particularly important before it faced the established teams.
Friday morning timed practice
The oppressive heat made cooling a priority from the start of official practice. Extra ducts appeared around brakes, fuel pumps, suspension and cockpits, while McLaren supplied its drivers with iced water. Lauda came in early complaining of poor balance through the closely linked corners, prompting Brabham to reconsider its new nose arrangement.
Friday afternoon timed practice
Andretti finished Friday fastest, but Brabham’s experiment with an older nose offered Lauda a significant improvement. Only one was available, leaving Watson without the same solution. Across the day, Jones lost running to a broken stub axle and Arrows battled fuel-system trouble. The new circuit’s demands were exposing weaknesses as well as rewarding Lotus’s handling.
Saturday untimed practice
The teams continued searching for a workable balance in the heat before the final timed hour. Brabham still lacked a second example of the nose that had improved Lauda’s car, while Wolf’s return to an older specification had not produced the hoped-for recovery. Tyre construction and compound were central to finding confidence through the sequence of tight corners.
Saturday final qualifying
Ronnie Peterson found the right balance to take pole, narrowly ahead of James Hunt and Mario Andretti. Hunt briefly went into the catch fencing but returned with only minor damage. Carlos Reutemann qualified fourth, followed by Patrick Tambay and Gilles Villeneuve, leaving Ferrari well placed despite Lotus’s speed.
Emerson Fittipaldi qualified seventh after a driveshaft problem interrupted his running. John Watson borrowed Lauda’s car late in the session to improve his time, while Héctor Rebaque overcame an engine failure to qualify. Patrese made the field for Arrows, but Vittorio Brambilla, Arturo Merzario, Eddie Cheever and Divina Galica missed out.
Qualifying Classification
Grid positions came from each driver’s best eligible lap across the timed practice sessions.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus | 1:40.45 |
| 2 | 7 | James Hunt | McLaren | 1:40.53 |
| 3 | 5 | Mario Andretti | Lotus | 1:40.62 |
| 4 | 11 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 1:40.73 |
| 5 | 8 | Patrick Tambay | McLaren | 1:40.94 |
| 6 | 12 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:40.97 |
| 7 | 14 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | 1:41.50 |
| 8 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:41.87 |
| 9 | 16 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Shadow | 1:42.07 |
| 10 | 1 | Niki Lauda | Brabham | 1:42.08 |
| 11 | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell | 1:42.10 |
| 12 | 20 | Jody Scheckter | Wolf | 1:42.11 |
| 13 | 30 | Brett Lunger | McLaren | 1:42.65 |
| 14 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:42.71 |
| 15 | 17 | Clay Regazzoni | Shadow | 1:42.80 |
| 16 | 10 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | ATS | 1:42.91 |
| 17 | 23 | Lamberto Leoni | Ensign | 1:43.17 |
| 18 | 36 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:43.19 |
| 19 | 3 | Didier Pironi | Tyrrell | 1:43.55 |
| 20 | 9 | Jochen Mass | ATS | 1:43.74 |
| 21 | 2 | John Watson | Brabham | 1:43.75 |
| 22 | 25 | Héctor Rebaque | Lotus | 1:43.86 |
| 23 | 22 | Danny Ongais | Ensign | 1:43.94 |
| 24 | 18 | Rupert Keegan | Surtees | 1:44.20 |
| 25 | 37 | Arturo Merzario | Merzario | 1:44.20 |
| 26 | 32 | Eddie Cheever | Theodore | 1:44.28 |
| 27 | 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | Surtees | 1:44.66 |
| 28 | 24 | Divina Galica | Hesketh | 1:46.79 |
Sunday warm-up
John Watson’s replacement nose arrived only after the morning warm-up, so Brabham fitted it with settings based on Lauda’s car. Further problems forced Brett Lunger into his spare McLaren. Just before the start Emerson Fittipaldi changed cars because of starter trouble, while Jochen Mass took Jean-Pierre Jarier’s ATS after a fuel leak, leaving Jarier unable to race.
What happened in the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix?
Carlos Reutemann launched from fourth into the lead and never relinquished it. James Hunt and Mario Andretti initially pursued him, but Hunt needed fresh tyres and Andretti developed gearbox problems. The heat and tyre demands steadily weakened Ferrari’s opposition.
Emerson Fittipaldi advanced to second to the delight of the home crowd, with Niki Lauda moving into third. Ronnie Peterson retired after a collision, while Hunt, Patrick Tambay and Gilles Villeneuve also crashed out. Reutemann’s pace remained secure throughout the attrition.
The Ferrari won comfortably, delivering a first Formula 1 success for Michelin. Fittipaldi’s second place was a major result for the Brazilian team, ahead of Lauda and Andretti. Clay Regazzoni finished fifth for Shadow, Didier Pironi earned his first points in sixth and Riccardo Patrese brought the new Arrows home tenth.
After the race, Mario Andretti headed the drivers’ standings with 12 points, followed by Niki Lauda on 10. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 12, with Brabham – Alfa Romeo on 10.
1978 Brazilian Grand Prix race results
The 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on 29 January 1978.
1978 Brazilian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 35 | 1:43.070 |
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 Brazilian Grand Prix.
1978 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Andretti | American | Lotus | 12 |
| 2 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | Brabham | 10 |
| 3 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentine | Ferrari | 9 |
| 4 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Brazilian | Fittipaldi | 6 |
| 5 | Patrick Depailler | French | Tyrrell | 4 |
| 6 | James Hunt | British | McLaren | 3 |
| 7 | Clay Regazzoni | Swiss | Shadow | 2 |
| 8 | Ronnie Peterson | Swedish | Lotus | 2 |
| 9 | Didier Pironi | French | Tyrrell | 1 |
| 10 | Patrick Tambay | French | McLaren | 1 |
| – | Jochen Mass | German | ATS | 0 |
| – | Gilles Villeneuve | Canadian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | John Watson | British | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Jody Scheckter | South African | Wolf | 0 |
| – | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Alan Jones | Australian | Williams | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | ATS | 0 |
| – | Brett Lunger | American | McLaren | 0 |
| – | Hans-Joachim Stuck | German | Shadow | 0 |
| – | Vittorio Brambilla | Italian | Surtees | 0 |
| – | Hector Rebaque | Mexican | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Danny Ongais | American | Ensign | 0 |
| – | Lamberto Leoni | Italian | Ensign | 0 |
| – | Rupert Keegan | British | Surtees | 0 |
| – | Arturo Merzario | Italian | Merzario | 0 |
1978 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Ford | 12 |
| 2 | Brabham – Alfa Romeo | 10 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 9 |
| 4 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 6 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 5 |
| 6 | McLaren – Ford | 3 |
| 7 | Shadow – Ford | 2 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ligier – Matra | 0 |
| — | Wolf – Ford | 0 |
| — | Arrows – Ford | 0 |
| — | Williams – Ford | 0 |
| — | Surtees – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ensign – Ford | 0 |
| — | Merzario – Ford | 0 |
| — | Theodore – Ford | 0 |
| — | Hesketh – 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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