Nelson Piquet won the first championship Grand Prix at Imola and moved one point ahead of Alan Jones in the title race. Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann completed the podium, securing Williams’s first constructors’ championship. Ferrari offered a glimpse of its future by running its new turbocharged car in practice.
Race Guide
Season: 1980 F1 World Championship
Race date: 14 September 1980
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Dino Ferrari
Laps: 60 laps
Circuit length: 5.000 km
1979 winner: Jody Scheckter
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | René Arnoux | Renault |
| Pole time | 1:33.988 | |
| Fastest lap | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:36.089 on lap 47 | |
| First | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Second | Alan Jones | Williams |
| Third | Carlos Reutemann | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 12 September 1980 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 12 September 1980 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 13 September 1980 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 13 September 1980 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 (interrupted) |
| 14 September 1980 | Warm-up | 12:10–12:40 |
| 14 September 1980 | Race | 15:00 |
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 12 leading the 1980 F1 World Championship on 47 points, with Nelson Piquet on 45. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 80 points.
Race entries
The Italian Grand Prix moved from Monza to Imola for this edition. Manfred Winkelhock replaced the injured Jochen Mass at Arrows, while Nigel Mansell remained in Lotus’s third car. Ferrari brought the 126C for Gilles Villeneuve to assess alongside the established flat-twelve 312T5.
Friday Free Practice
Fog delayed the medical helicopter and the start of Friday’s running. Nigel Mansell went off and abandoned his Lotus, which Winkelhock subsequently struck after leaving the road at the same place. Both cars were too badly damaged for afternoon qualifying. Alan Jones suffered engine trouble in two Williams cars, while Eddie Cheever also lost an engine.
Friday Qualifying
Jean-Pierre Jabouille was fastest on Friday, with Bruno Giacomelli showing strong form for Alfa Romeo. Rene Arnoux improved on Saturday to take pole ahead of his Renault team-mate. Carlos Reutemann and Bruno Giacomelli filled the second row, followed by Nelson Piquet and Alan Jones.
Saturday Free Practice
Gilles Villeneuve ran the turbo Ferrari on Saturday morning, showing encouraging speed despite its still-developing throttle response. Jean-Pierre Jarier suffered a tyre failure, and Renault concentrated on brake wear, tyres and fuel consumption. The frequent braking zones made cooling an increasingly important part of preparation.
Saturday Qualifying
Jody Scheckter escaped a heavy Saturday accident, while Gilles Villeneuve set his best time in the turbo Ferrari before reverting to the older car. Nigel Mansell and Winkelhock failed to recover enough ground after their lost Friday session, and both Ensigns also missed the grid.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
Sunday warm-up
Sunday’s warm-up ran from 12:10 to 12:40 without a major incident. Teams enlarged brake ducts or added extra air feeds in the heat. Ferrari chose the established 312T5 for Gilles Villeneuve’s race, while Jody Scheckter used a spare after destroying his original car in qualifying.
What happened in the 1980 Italian Grand Prix?
Nelson Piquet moved into the lead by the fourth lap and controlled the race thereafter. Gilles Villeneuve crashed heavily after a puncture, escaping injury, but debris also ended Bruno Giacomelli’s promising afternoon. The Renaults could not convert their front-row start into victory.
Alan Jones recovered from an initially difficult position and reached second, while Carlos Reutemann maintained third. Nelson Piquet remained comfortably clear, turning another strong Brabham performance into a second consecutive victory. The Williams pair nevertheless had a major team prize within reach.
Nelson Piquet won by nearly half a minute from Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann. De Elio de Angelis, Keke Rosberg and Didier Pironi completed the points. Nelson Piquet took the drivers’ championship lead by one point, while Williams sealed the constructors’ title with two races still to run.
After the race, Nelson Piquet headed the drivers’ standings with 54 points, followed by Alan Jones on 53. Williams – Ford led the constructors’ table on 90, with Ligier – Ford on 56.
1980 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1980 Italian Grand Prix was held on 14 September 1980, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.
1980 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alan Jones | Williams | 47 | 1:36.089 |
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 Italian Grand Prix.
1980 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1980 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Ford | 90 |
| 2 | Ligier – Ford | 56 |
| 3 | Brabham – Ford | 54 |
| 4 | Renault | 38 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 12 |
| 6 | Arrows – Ford | 11 |
| 7 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 11 |
| 8 | Lotus – Ford | 10 |
| 9 | McLaren – Ford | 8 |
| 10 | Ferrari | 6 |
| 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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