Alan Jones became world champion after a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix. A first-corner collision with Nelson Piquet forced a restart, and Nelson Piquet’s subsequent engine failure ended the title contest. Didier Pironi crossed the line first but a penalty left Alan Jones as the winner ahead of Carlos Reutemann.
Race Guide
Season: 1980 F1 World Championship
Race date: 28 September 1980
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-04:00)
Circuit: Circuit Île Notre-Dame
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.410 km
1979 winner: Alan Jones
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Pole time | 1:27.328 | |
| Fastest lap | Didier Pironi | Ligier |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:28.769 on lap 62 | |
| First | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Second | Carlos Reutemann | Williams |
| Third | Didier Pironi | Ligier |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 26 September 1980 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 26 September 1980 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 27 September 1980 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 27 September 1980 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 28 September 1980 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 28 September 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
Nelson Piquet arrived at round 13 leading the 1980 F1 World Championship on 54 points, with Alan Jones on 53. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 90 points.
Race entries
Andrea de Cesaris replaced Vittorio Brambilla at Alfa Romeo, while Mike Thackwell joined Tyrrell’s three-car entry. Jochen Mass returned to Arrows and Kevin Cogan entered a second RAM Williams. Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet arrived separated by one point, with the dropped-score rule making their championship calculations more complicated than the raw totals suggested.
Friday Free Practice
Rain disrupted Friday’s running, and Nelson Piquet collided with Jean-Pierre Jabouille on the damp circuit. Rene Arnoux also crashed during the day. Cold conditions made tyre temperature a particular difficulty for the Michelin runners, adding to Renault and Ferrari’s problems on the tight Montreal layout.
Friday Qualifying
Nelson Piquet secured pole ahead of Alan Jones, setting up a direct confrontation between the title contenders. Didier Pironi qualified third and Bruno Giacomelli fourth. Carlos Reutemann and Keke Rosberg completed the first three rows, while de Andrea de Cesaris impressed with eighth on his debut.
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday offered the championship rivals another opportunity to prepare for their decisive qualifying contest. McLaren’s revised M30 and Goodyear’s new low-profile tyres were among the weekend’s developments. Carlos Reutemann struggled with handling, while Renault continued to find the combination of tight corners and cool conditions troublesome.
Saturday Qualifying
Mike Thackwell took the final starting place, becoming the youngest Grand Prix starter of the time. Jody Scheckter suffered the remarkable disappointment of failing to qualify as reigning champion. Marc Surer, Rupert Keegan and Cogan also missed out, while Gilles Villeneuve could manage only 22nd at home.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
Sunday warm-up
Sunshine returned for Sunday, but the air remained cold. Williams prepared to race on thirteen-inch wheels after using larger fronts at preceding events. With the title potentially at stake, the final preparations carried unusual significance: Alan Jones needed victory and a scoreless race for Nelson Piquet to settle the championship immediately.
What happened in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix?
Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet touched at the first corner, triggering a multi-car accident and a red flag. Nelson Piquet switched to Brabham’s spare for the restart. Mike Thackwell gave up his Tyrrell to Jean-Pierre Jarier, and Derek Daly could not take the second start.
Nelson Piquet recovered the lead after the restart, but his engine failed and handed the championship initiative to Alan Jones. Jean-Pierre Jabouille then crashed heavily and suffered serious leg injuries. Didier Pironi passed Alan Jones on the road, although a jumped start brought a sixty-second penalty.
Alan Jones was declared the winner ahead of Carlos Reutemann and Didier Pironi, with John Watson, Gilles Villeneuve and Hector Rebaque completing the points. Alan Jones’s eight-point championship advantage was enough: even victory in the finale would require Nelson Piquet to discard an earlier score, leaving him unable to overtake the Williams driver.
After the race, Alan Jones headed the drivers’ standings with 62 points, followed by Nelson Piquet on 54. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 105, with Ligier – Ford on 60.
1980 Canadian Grand Prix race results
The 1980 Canadian Grand Prix was held on 28 September 1980.
1980 Canadian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Didier Pironi | Ligier | 62 | 1:28.769 |
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 Canadian Grand Prix.
1980 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1980 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 105 |
| 2 | Ligier – Ford | 60 |
| 3 | Brabham – Ford | 55 |
| 4 | Renault | 38 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 12 |
| 6 | Arrows – Ford | 11 |
| 7 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 11 |
| 8 | McLaren – Ford | 11 |
| 9 | Lotus – Ford | 10 |
| 10 | Ferrari | 8 |
| 11 | Alfa Romeo | 4 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ensign – Ford | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | Shadow – 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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