René Rene Arnoux claimed his first Grand Prix victory as Renault’s turbo power shone at Interlagos. Elio de Angelis finished second for Lotus and Alan Jones recovered to third. Jean-Pierre Jabouille had looked set to win before mechanical trouble handed the opportunity to his team-mate.
Race Guide
Season: 1980 F1 World Championship
Race date: 27 January 1980
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-03:00)
Circuit: Autódromo de Interlagos
Laps: 40 laps
Circuit length: 7.87385 km
1979 winner: Jacques Laffite
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault |
| Pole time | 2:21.400 | |
| Fastest lap | Rene Arnoux | Renault |
| Fastest-lap time | 2:27.310 on lap 22 | |
| First | René Arnoux | Renault |
| Second | Elio de Angelis | Lotus |
| Third | Alan Jones | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 24 January 1980 | Familiarisation testing | Start time unconfirmed |
| 25 January 1980 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 25 January 1980 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 26 January 1980 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 26 January 1980 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 27 January 1980 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 27 January 1980 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Alan Jones arrived at round 2 leading the 1980 F1 World Championship on 9 points, with Nelson Piquet on 6. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 9 points.
Race entries
The field moved from Argentina to Interlagos after the intended return to Rio fell through. Drivers remained concerned about the old circuit’s bumps and safety provisions. Renault repaired Rene Arnoux’s damaged chassis, Ferrari rebuilt Gilles Villeneuve’s car, and Lotus strengthened its rear suspension following the opening race.
Thursday familiarisation
Thursday’s running brought an engine failure for Gilles Villeneuve and a heavy accident for Emerson Fittipaldi after a tyre deflated. Nelson Piquet initially showed promise, but the punishing surface made preparation difficult. The teams needed cars that could absorb the bumps without sacrificing the aerodynamic grip generated underneath them.
Friday Free Practice
Friday brought substantial mechanical work. Carlos Reutemann suffered an engine failure, Alan Jones struggled with sticking skirts and Nelson Piquet damaged his Brabham against the fencing. The Renaults also bottomed heavily enough to require chassis repairs, underlining how demanding the circuit had become for ground-effect cars.
Friday Qualifying
Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s Friday lap secured pole, with Renault enjoying the benefit of turbocharging at altitude. Rene Arnoux lost much of the final session to an engine failure. Didier Pironi took advantage with the fastest Saturday lap, placing the Ligier second ahead of Gilles Villeneuve.
Saturday Free Practice
Alan Jones’s handling improved on Saturday, but his engine would not deliver the expected revs. Lotus traced de Elio de Angelis’s imbalance to worn dampers, while several teams continued to battle skirts that stuck up over the bumps. Restoring consistent grip mattered as much as finding another fraction of a second.
Saturday Qualifying
Carlos Reutemann qualified fourth, followed by Jacques Laffite and Rene Arnoux. De Elio de Angelis was seventh, while Alan Jones could manage only tenth with his engine problem. Both Shadows, Jan Lammers and Eddie Cheever missed the cut for the final championship race on the original long Interlagos layout.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
Sunday warm-up
Williams changed Alan Jones’s engine overnight, and he responded by setting the fastest time in Sunday’s warm-up. That transformed the outlook after a disappointing qualifying session. His pace suggested that the Renaults might face stronger opposition over a race distance than the grid alone implied.
What happened in the 1980 Brazilian Grand Prix?
Gilles Villeneuve led away, but Jean-Pierre Jabouille rapidly recovered from a poor start and took control. Rene Arnoux moved into second as Renault established a commanding position. Didier Pironi lost ground when a skirt stuck up, forcing an early stop before he began a determined recovery.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s turbo failed after 25 laps, leaving Rene Arnoux to take over. Nelson Piquet’s recovery ended after a puncture and suspension trouble, while Alain Prost and Riccardo Patrese fought closely further down the points positions. Alan Jones worked his way forward after his difficult qualifying.
Rene Arnoux won ahead of de Elio de Angelis and Alan Jones, securing his maiden victory and Lotus’s first podium of the year. Didier Pironi recovered to fourth, with Alain Prost fifth and Riccardo Patrese sixth. Alan Jones retained the championship lead as Formula 1 left South America.
After the race, Alan Jones headed the drivers’ standings with 13 points, followed by René Arnoux on 9. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 13, with Renault on 9.
1980 Brazilian Grand Prix race results
The 1980 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on 27 January 1980.
1980 Brazilian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 22 | 2:27.310 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1980 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1980 Brazilian Grand Prix.
1980 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Jones | Australian | Williams | 13 |
| 2 | René Arnoux | French | Renault | 9 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 6 |
| 4 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 6 |
| 5 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Fittipaldi | 4 |
| 6 | Derek Daly | Irish | Tyrrell | 3 |
| 7 | Didier Pironi | French | Ligier | 3 |
| 8 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 3 |
| 9 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 2 |
| 10 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Arrows | 1 |
| – | Ricardo Zunino | Argentine | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Marc Surer | Swiss | ATS | 0 |
| – | Jochen Mass | German | Arrows | 0 |
| – | John Watson | British | McLaren | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Emerson Fittipaldi | Brazilian | Fittipaldi | 0 |
| – | Gilles Villeneuve | Canadian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Patrick Depailler | French | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Jody Scheckter | South African | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Clay Regazzoni | Swiss | Ensign | 0 |
| – | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Mario Andretti | American | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | French | Renault | 0 |
| – | Carlos Reutemann | Argentine | Williams | 0 |
1980 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 13 |
| 2 | Renault | 9 |
| 3 | Brabham – Ford | 6 |
| 4 | Lotus – Ford | 6 |
| 5 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 4 |
| 6 | Tyrrell – Ford | 3 |
| 7 | Ligier – Ford | 3 |
| 8 | McLaren – Ford | 3 |
| 9 | Alfa Romeo | 2 |
| 10 | Arrows – Ford | 1 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ferrari | 0 |
| — | Ensign – Ford | 0 |
| — | Shadow – Ford | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best five results from rounds 1–7 and their best five from rounds 8–14. Constructors counted every round. The standings show retained championship points.
1980 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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