Mario Andretti extended his championship advantage with victory in the 1978 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Lotus locked out the front row again, but Ronnie Peterson’s retirement left Andretti to finish ahead of Jody Scheckter and Jacques Laffite in punishing heat.
Race Guide
Season: 1978 F1 World Championship
Race date: 30 July 1978
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Hockenheimring
Laps: 45 laps
Circuit length: 6.790 km
1977 winner: Niki Lauda
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Mario Andretti | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:51.90 | |
| Fastest lap | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:55.620 on lap 26 | |
| First | Mario Andretti | Lotus |
| Second | Jody Scheckter | Wolf |
| Third | Jacques Laffite | Ligier |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| Before race weekend; date unconfirmed | Advance pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 28 July 1978 | Friday morning timed practice | 10:00–11:30 |
| 28 July 1978 | Friday afternoon timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 29 July 1978 | Saturday untimed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 29 July 1978 | Saturday final qualifying | One hour; delayed approximately 30 minutes |
| 30 July 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
Mario Andretti arrived at round 11 leading the 1978 F1 World Championship on 45 points, with Ronnie Peterson on 36. Lotus – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 58 points.
Race entries
Nelson Piquet made his Formula 1 debut with Ensign, which also fielded Harald Ertl. Jean-Pierre Jarier returned to ATS, while Keke Rosberg rejoined Theodore, now running a purchased Wolf chassis. Earlier selection running had reduced the field to 28 drivers for official practice, with 24 places available on the grid.
Advance pre-qualifying
Keke Rosberg, Arturo Merzario and Héctor Rebaque secured the available places in the earlier selection session. René Arnoux and Brett Lunger were eliminated. This reduced the entry before official practice, where four more drivers would miss the race.
Advance pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | Keke Rosberg | Wolf | 2:10.13 |
| 2 | 37 | Arturo Merzario | Merzario | 2:10.82 |
| 3 | 25 | Héctor Rebaque | Lotus | 2:11.80 |
| 4* | 31 | René Arnoux | Martini | 2:12.25 |
| 5* | 30 | Brett Lunger | McLaren | 2:12.45 |
Friday morning timed practice
Peterson and Andretti quickly surpassed the previous year’s pole time, with Lauda the closest challenger. Lauda compared an alternative Brabham radiator arrangement before returning to his usual car. Renault and Ligier encountered engine trouble, while Jarier damaged the front of his ATS and needed the spare. The heat was already complicating fuel-system and tyre work.
Friday afternoon timed practice
Andretti stopped when fuel failed to reach the injection system during a slow lap and switched to the spare Lotus. Peterson improved despite needing his brakes bled. Scheckter joined the leading group in the Wolf, while Lauda remained close to Lotus. Fuel vapour lock troubled several teams as temperatures climbed, and the Ferrari drivers struggled to match Renault’s pace.
Saturday untimed practice
Andretti compared the spare Lotus with his repaired race car, satisfying himself that their handling was consistent after the earlier French practice accident. The heat intensified as teams prepared for qualifying. Ertl’s Ensign engine failed during the morning, leaving him unable to participate in the decisive afternoon session and dependent on his Friday time.
Saturday final qualifying
Support-race barrier repairs delayed the start before Lotus resumed its battle for pole. Peterson set a new benchmark but spun off when a rear-suspension link broke, ending his session. Andretti then edged ahead to take pole, with Lauda third and Scheckter fourth.
Jones qualified sixth alongside Watson, confirming Williams’s growing competitiveness. Hans-Joachim Stuck scraped into the field after changing Shadows, while Ertl’s earlier time proved sufficient despite his enforced absence. Clay Regazzoni, Jarier, Rupert Keegan and Merzario failed to qualify.
Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s best eligible practice lap determined the qualifying order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Mario Andretti | Lotus | 1:51.90 |
| 2 | 6 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus | 1:51.99 |
| 3 | 1 | Niki Lauda | Brabham | 1:52.29 |
| 4 | 20 | Jody Scheckter | Wolf | 1:52.29 |
| 5 | 2 | John Watson | Brabham | 1:52.84 |
| 6 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:53.50 |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:53.40 |
| 8 | 7 | James Hunt | McLaren | 1:53.46 |
| 9 | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 1:53.61 |
| 10 | 14 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | 1:54.03 |
| 11 | 8 | Patrick Tambay | McLaren | 1:54.04 |
| 12 | 11 | Carlos Reutemann | Ferrari | 1:54.17 |
| 13 | 4 | Patrick Depailler | Tyrrell | 1:54.32 |
| 14 | 35 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:54.34 |
| 15 | 12 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:54.40 |
| 16 | 3 | Didier Pironi | Tyrrell | 1:54.63 |
| 17 | 36 | Rolf Stommelen | Arrows | 1:55.18 |
| 18 | 25 | Héctor Rebaque | Lotus | 1:55.57 |
| 19 | 32 | Keke Rosberg | Wolf | 1:55.57 |
| 20 | 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | Surtees | 1:55.86 |
| 21 | 22 | Nelson Piquet | Ensign | 1:56.15 |
| 22 | 9 | Jochen Mass | ATS | 1:56.21 |
| 23 | 23 | Harald Ertl | Ensign | 1:56.25 |
| 24 | 16 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | Shadow | 1:56.45 |
| 25* | 17 | Clay Regazzoni | Shadow | 1:56.57 |
| 26* | 10 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | ATS | 1:57.40 |
| 27* | 18 | Rupert Keegan | Surtees | 1:57.86 |
| 28* | 37 | Arturo Merzario | Merzario | 1:58.31 |
What happened in the 1978 German Grand Prix?
Peterson initially led Andretti, but the championship leader moved ahead after four laps. Behind the two Lotuses, Alan Jones passed Lauda and looked well placed for a strong result. Lauda’s engine failure ended their contest, another setback in Brabham’s difficult season.
The heat continued to take its toll. Jones retired with fuel-system trouble, and Peterson’s gearbox failure ended hopes of another Lotus one-two. Scheckter and Laffite inherited the remaining podium places as Andretti remained comfortably in control.
Andretti secured his fifth victory of the year, ahead of Scheckter and Laffite. Emerson Fittipaldi finished fourth, Didier Pironi fifth and Héctor Rebaque sixth, earning his first championship point. Piquet’s debut ended in retirement, while Andretti left Hockenheim with a stronger grip on the title contest.
After the race, Mario Andretti headed the drivers’ standings with 54 points, followed by Ronnie Peterson on 36. Lotus – Ford led the constructors’ table on 67, with Brabham – Alfa Romeo on 40.
1978 German Grand Prix race results
The 1978 German Grand Prix was held on 30 July 1978.
1978 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus | 26 | 1:55.620 |
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 German Grand Prix.
1978 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1978 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Ford | 67 |
| 2 | Brabham – Alfa Romeo | 40 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 31 |
| 4 | Tyrrell – Ford | 30 |
| 5 | Wolf – Ford | 14 |
| 6 | Ligier – Matra | 14 |
| 7 | McLaren – Ford | 12 |
| 8 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 10 |
| 9 | Arrows – Ford | 8 |
| 10 | Shadow – Ford | 6 |
| 11 | Williams – Ford | 5 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Surtees – Ford | 0 |
| — | Martini – Ford | 0 |
| — | Renault | 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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