Ferrari could hardly have scripted a better championship celebration. Jody Scheckter won the 1979 Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza with Gilles Villeneuve close behind, securing the drivers’ title and delivering the constructors’ crown in front of the team’s home crowd.
Race Guide
Season: 1979 F1 World Championship
Race date: 9 September 1979
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 50 laps
Circuit length: 5.800 km
1978 winner: Niki Lauda
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault |
| Pole time | 1:34.580 | |
| Fastest lap | Clay Regazzoni | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:35.600 on lap 46 | |
| First | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari |
| Second | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari |
| Third | Clay Regazzoni | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1979 | Friday free practice | 10:00–11:00 |
| 7 September 1979 | Friday qualifying | 90 minutes; start unconfirmed |
| 8 September 1979 | Saturday free practice | One hour; start unconfirmed |
| 8 September 1979 | Saturday qualifying | 90 minutes; start unconfirmed |
| 9 September 1979 | Warm-up | 10:00–10:30 |
| 9 September 1979 | 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 13 leading the 1979 F1 World Championship on 44 points, with Jacques Laffite on 36. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 80 points.
Race entries
Alfa Romeo expanded to two cars, with Bruno Giacomelli in the new 179 and Vittorio Brambilla returning in the older 177 after his serious accident a year earlier. Formula Two champion Marc Surer replaced Patrick Gaillard at Ensign, and Héctor Rebaque attempted to qualify his own HR100. Monza had improved its paddock, pit lane and run-off areas.
Friday free practice
Vittorio Brambilla was welcomed back as the first driver onto the circuit. Ferrari compared conventional and revised brake layouts, while Renault and Ligier also monitored braking temperatures closely. Monza’s long straights could cool the brakes too far between heavy applications, making consistent response as important as outright stopping power. Clay Regazzoni reported an engine short of performance.
Friday qualifying
René Arnoux headed Alan Jones and Gilles Villeneuve, but Jones’s session ended after contact with Patrick Tambay. With Regazzoni already using the spare Williams, the Australian could not resume. Marc Surer suffered an engine failure, Keke Rosberg changed Wolf cars after a water-pump problem and Ligier battled unsettling high-speed movement.
Saturday free practice
A leaking fuel bag kept Alan Jones out of his usual Williams while the mechanics replaced it through the monocoque’s access opening. Jean-Pierre Jabouille settled on Renault’s older spare, and Ferrari’s drivers continued comparing their available cars. Gilles Villeneuve preferred the revised version, while Jody Scheckter remained undecided about which braking arrangement best suited him.
Saturday qualifying
Jean-Pierre Jabouille took pole ahead of René Arnoux, giving Renault the front row despite both drivers losing running. Arnoux stopped with engine trouble, while Jabouille damaged his car at the first chicane. Jody Scheckter qualified third ahead of Alan Jones and Gilles Villeneuve.
Both works Alfa Romeos qualified, rewarding Vittorio Brambilla’s return. John Watson borrowed Patrick Tambay’s McLaren after an engine failure. At Shadow, Elio de Angelis secured the final grid place ahead of Jan Lammers amid a timing correction; Surer, Rebaque and Arturo Merzario also failed to qualify.
Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s best eligible practice lap determined the qualifying order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 1:34.580 |
| 2 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:34.704 |
| 3 | 11 | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari | 1:34.830 |
| 4 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 1:34.914 |
| 5 | 12 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:34.989 |
| 6 | 28 | Clay Regazzoni | Williams | 1:35.333 |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:35.443 |
| 8 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:35.587 |
| 9 | 5 | Niki Lauda | Brabham | 1:36.219 |
| 10 | 1 | Mario Andretti | Lotus | 1:36.655 |
| 11 | 25 | Jacky Ickx | Ligier | 1:37.114 |
| 12 | 3 | Didier Pironi | Tyrrell | 1:37.181 |
| 13 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Lotus | 1:37.202 |
| 14 | 8 | Patrick Tambay | McLaren | 1:37.231 |
| 15 | 9 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | ATS | 1:37.297 |
| 16 | 4 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Tyrrell | 1:37.581 |
| 17 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 1:37.674 |
| 18 | 35 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 1:38.053 |
| 19 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:38.093 |
| 20 | 14 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | 1:38.136 |
| 21 | 30 | Jochen Mass | Arrows | 1:38.163 |
| 22 | 36 | Vittorio Brambilla | Alfa Romeo | 1:38.601 |
| 23 | 20 | Keke Rosberg | Wolf | 1:38.854 |
| 24 | 18 | Elio de Angelis | Shadow | 1:39.149 |
| DNQ | 17 | Jan Lammers | Shadow | 1:39.313 |
| DNQ | 22 | Marc Surer | Ensign | 1:40.821 |
| DNQ | 24 | Arturo Merzario | Merzario | 1:42.002 |
| DNQ | 31 | Héctor Rebaque | Rebaque | 1:42.769 |
Sunday warm-up
Renault rebuilt Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s original car after the qualifying accident, while Williams prepared Alan Jones’s usual FW07 with a fresh engine. Ferrari respected its drivers’ choices, leaving Scheckter in the conventional T4 and Villeneuve in the revised version. The final half-hour confirmed the cars for an afternoon with both championships at stake.
What happened in the 1979 Italian Grand Prix?
Jody Scheckter took the lead at the start before René Arnoux passed him on the second lap. Alan Jones dropped back with an ignition problem, while Nelson Piquet escaped injury after a heavy accident involving Clay Regazzoni. The leading group remained closely matched until Arnoux’s misfire ended Renault’s strongest challenge.
Scheckter regained the lead with Gilles Villeneuve faithfully following. Jacques Laffite and Jean-Pierre Jabouille also retired, promoting Regazzoni to third. Ferrari kept its two cars together and the final laps became a celebration in the grandstands, with Scheckter crossing the line just ahead of his team-mate.
Niki Lauda finished fourth, Mario Andretti fifth and Jean-Pierre Jarier sixth. Scheckter had secured the drivers’ championship, becoming South Africa’s first champion, while Ferrari’s one-two sealed the constructors’ title. Villeneuve’s disciplined support helped deliver an unforgettable home result for the team.
After the race, Jody Scheckter headed the drivers’ standings with 51 points, followed by Gilles Villeneuve on 38. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 95, with Williams – Ford on 62.
1979 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1979 Italian Grand Prix was held on 9 September 1979.
1979 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Clay Regazzoni | Williams | 46 | 1:35.600 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1979 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1979 Italian Grand Prix.
1979 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1979 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 95 |
| 2 | Williams – Ford | 62 |
| 3 | Ligier – Ford | 61 |
| 4 | Lotus – Ford | 39 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 22 |
| 6 | Renault | 20 |
| 7 | McLaren – Ford | 13 |
| 8 | Brabham – Alfa Romeo | 7 |
| 9 | Arrows – Ford | 5 |
| 10 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 1 |
| — | Shadow – Ford | 0 |
| — | Wolf – Ford | 0 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ensign – Ford | 0 |
| — | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Merzario – Ford | 0 |
| — | Kauhsen – Ford | 0 |
| — | Rebaque – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best 4 results from rounds 1–7 and their best 4 from rounds 8–15. Both cars could score constructor points, with every round counting.
1979 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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