Jacques Laffite won at Hockenheim after a puncture cost Alan Jones the lead. Carlos Reutemann finished second and Alan Jones recovered third. The meeting took place in sombre circumstances following Patrick Depailler’s fatal testing accident at the circuit.
Race Guide
Season: 1980 F1 World Championship
Race date: 10 August 1980
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Hockenheimring
Laps: 45 laps
Circuit length: 6.790 km
1979 winner: Alan Jones
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:45.850 | |
| Fastest lap | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:48.490 on lap 43 | |
| First | Jacques Laffite | Ligier |
| Second | Carlos Reutemann | Williams |
| Third | Alan Jones | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 8 August 1980 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 8 August 1980 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00–14:00 |
| 9 August 1980 | Practice 2 | 10:00–11:30 |
| 9 August 1980 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00–14:00 |
| 10 August 1980 | Warm-up | 11:00–11:30 |
| 10 August 1980 | Race | 14:00 |
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 9 leading the 1980 F1 World Championship on 37 points, with Nelson Piquet on 31. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 57 points.
Race entries
Alfa Romeo entered only Bruno Giacomelli after Patrick Depailler’s death. Harald Ertl joined ATS for his home event, and Rupert Keegan continued with RAM’s Williams. Alan Jones arrived with a sore wrist following his own heavy testing accident, while Jody Scheckter had announced his intention to retire at the end of the season.
Friday Free Practice
Friday’s unsettled conditions accompanied a series of mechanical problems. John Watson’s engine failed, Nelson Piquet needed brake work and Ertl lost time to injection trouble. Jean-Pierre Jarier then crashed heavily enough to damage the Tyrrell’s monocoque, leaving the team to assemble another car in the paddock.
Friday Qualifying
Heavy rain made Friday’s times unrepresentative, although Rene Arnoux was quickest in the difficult conditions. Saturday therefore became the decisive session. Alan Jones and Jean-Pierre Jabouille traded the fastest lap in a close contest between Williams and Renault.
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday’s early shower gave way to a drying circuit. Keke Rosberg spun and damaged his skirts, John Watson suffered electrical trouble and Gilles Villeneuve needed Ferrari’s spare after a fuel leak. Alan Jones produced a striking late run in the spare Williams, while de Elio de Angelis escaped a series of spins after a wheel-centre failure.
Saturday Qualifying
Alan Jones took pole by four hundredths of a second, with Rene Arnoux third and Carlos Reutemann fourth. Jacques Laffite and Nelson Piquet followed. Rupert Keegan and Ertl failed to qualify, while Jan Lammers secured the final place for Ensign.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Friday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | — | — | 1:45.850 | — |
| 2 | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | — | — | 1:45.89 | — |
| 3 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | — | — | 1:46.00 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | — | — | 1:46.14 | — |
| 5 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | — | — | 1:46.78 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | — | — | 1:46.90 | — |
| 7 | 25 | Didier Pironi | Ligier | — | — | 1:47.20 | — |
| 8 | 21 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | — | — | 1:47.64 | — |
| 9 | 11 | Mario Andretti | Lotus | — | — | 1:48.45 | — |
| 10 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | — | — | 1:48.58 | — |
| 11 | 12 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | — | — | 1:48.59 | — |
| 12 | 20 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | — | — | 1:48.70 | — |
| 13 | 9 | Marc Surer | ATS | — | — | 1:48.72 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Alain Prost | McLaren | — | — | 1:48.75 | — |
| 15 | 6 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | — | — | 1:48.78 | — |
| 16 | 2 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | — | — | 1:48.86 | — |
| 17 | 30 | Jochen Mass | Arrows | — | — | 1:48.93 | — |
| 18 | 31 | Eddie Cheever | Osella | — | — | 1:49.06 | — |
| 19 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | — | — | 1:49.11 | — |
| 20 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | — | — | 1:49.26 | — |
| 21 | 1 | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari | — | — | 1:49.35 | — |
| 22 | 4 | Derek Daly | Tyrrell | — | — | 1:49.51 | — |
| 23 | 3 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Tyrrell | — | — | 1:49.52 | — |
| 24 | 14 | Jan Lammers | Ensign | — | — | 1:50.30 | — |
| 25 | 50 | Rupert Keegan | Williams | — | — | 1:50.75 | — |
| 26 | 10 | Harald Ertl | ATS | — | — | 1:53.13 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Sunday’s warm-up generated another round of urgent repairs. Jean-Pierre Jarier’s engine failed, Carlos Reutemann suffered a small fire and Eddie Cheever’s Osella broke its rear suspension. Several drivers also finalised their choice of chassis, with Alan Jones returning to his regular Williams and Nelson Piquet keeping Brabham’s spare.
What happened in the 1980 German Grand Prix?
Jean-Pierre Jabouille took the lead, with Alan Jones between the two Renaults. The French cars’ challenge collapsed when both suffered engine failures within a short space of time, leaving Alan Jones in control. Jacques Laffite and Carlos Reutemann remained in position to capitalise on any further trouble.
A puncture forced Alan Jones to pit and surrendered the lead to Jacques Laffite. Carlos Reutemann also moved ahead, while Alan Jones recovered third. Nelson Piquet could only finish fourth, limiting the damage to Alan Jones’s championship advantage.
Jacques Laffite took his first victory of the season, three seconds ahead of Carlos Reutemann. Alan Jones completed the podium, followed by Nelson Piquet, Bruno Giacomelli and Gilles Villeneuve. Despite losing a likely win, Alan Jones extended his championship lead to seven points.
After the race, Alan Jones headed the drivers’ standings with 41 points, followed by Nelson Piquet on 34. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 67, with Ligier – Ford on 48.
1980 German Grand Prix race results
The 1980 German Grand Prix was held on 10 August 1980, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 45 | 1:23:59.73 | 9 |
| 2 | 28 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams | 45 | +3.19 secs | 6 |
| 3 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 45 | +43.53 secs | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 45 | +44.48 secs | 3 |
| 5 | 23 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo | 45 | +1:16.49 secs | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 45 | +1:28.72 secs | 1 |
| 7 | 11 | Mario Andretti | Lotus | 45 | +1:33.01 secs | 0 |
| 8 | 30 | Jochen Mass | Arrows | 45 | +1:47.75 sec | 0 |
| 9 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 10 | 4 | Derek Daly | Tyrrell | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 11 | 8 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | Marc Surer | ATS | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 1 | Jody Scheckter | Ferrari | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 14 | 14 | Jan Lammers | Ensign | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 15 | 3 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Tyrrell | 44 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 16 | 12 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 43 | Wheel Bearing | 0 |
| Ret | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 39 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault | 27 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | 26 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 31 | Eddie Cheever | Osella | 23 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 25 | Didier Pironi | Ligier | 18 | Transmission | 0 |
| Ret | 20 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | 18 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 21 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi | 8 | Wheel Bearing | 0 |
| Ret | 6 | Héctor Rebaque | Brabham | 4 | Gearbox | 0 |
| DNQ | 50 | Rupert Keegan | Williams | 0 | ||
| DNQ | 10 | Harald Ertl | ATS | 0 |
1980 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 43 | 1:48.490 |
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 German Grand Prix.
1980 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Jones | Australian | Williams | 41 |
| 2 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 34 |
| 3 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentine | Williams | 26 |
| 4 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 25 |
| 5 | René Arnoux | French | Renault | 23 |
| 6 | Didier Pironi | French | Ligier | 23 |
| 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Arrows | 7 |
| 8 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 6 |
| 9 | Derek Daly | Irish | Tyrrell | 6 |
| 10 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Brazilian | Fittipaldi | 5 |
| 11 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Fittipaldi | 4 |
| 12 | Jochen Mass | German | Arrows | 4 |
| 13 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | Tyrrell | 4 |
| 14 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 4 |
| 15 | Gilles Villeneuve | Canadian | Ferrari | 4 |
| 16 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 4 |
| 17 | John Watson | British | McLaren | 3 |
| 18 | Jody Scheckter | South African | Ferrari | 2 |
| – | Mario Andretti | American | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Ricardo Zunino | Argentine | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Marc Surer | Swiss | ATS | 0 |
| – | Hector Rebaque | Mexican | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Clay Regazzoni | Swiss | Ensign | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | French | Renault | 0 |
| – | Rupert Keegan | British | Williams | 0 |
| – | Jan Lammers | Dutch | ATS / Ensign | 0 |
| – | Geoff Lees | British | Shadow | 0 |
| – | Patrick Depailler | French | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Eddie Cheever | American | Osella | 0 |
| – | Tiff Needell | British | Ensign | 0 |
1980 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 67 |
| 2 | Ligier – Ford | 48 |
| 3 | Brabham – Ford | 34 |
| 4 | Renault | 23 |
| 5 | Arrows – Ford | 11 |
| 6 | Tyrrell – Ford | 10 |
| 7 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 9 |
| 8 | McLaren – Ford | 7 |
| 9 | Lotus – Ford | 6 |
| 10 | Ferrari | 6 |
| 11 | Alfa Romeo | 4 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 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
Seen in:
