René Rene Arnoux made it two wins in succession as Renault again exploited Kyalami’s altitude. Jacques Laffite and Didier Pironi completed an all-French podium. Serious qualifying accidents for Alain Prost and Marc Surer cast a shadow over the weekend.
Race Guide
Season: 1980 F1 World Championship
Race date: 1 March 1980
Race start time: 14:15 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Kyalami
Laps: 78 laps
Circuit length: 4.104 km
1979 winner: Gilles Villeneuve
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | Renault |
| Pole time | 1:10.000 | |
| Fastest lap | Rene Arnoux | Renault |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:13.150 on lap 51 | |
| First | René Arnoux | Renault |
| Second | Jacques Laffite | Ligier |
| Third | Didier Pironi | Ligier |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 27 February 1980 | Familiarisation testing | 10:00–13:00 |
| 28 February 1980 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 28 February 1980 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 29 February 1980 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 29 February 1980 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 1 March 1980 | Warm-up | 12:00–12:30 |
| 1 March 1980 | Race | 14:15 |
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 3 leading the 1980 F1 World Championship on 13 points, with René Arnoux on 9. Williams – Ford headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 13 points.
Race entries
Shadow replaced Johansson with Geoff Lees. ATS initially reduced its entry to Marc Surer alone, then recalled Jan Lammers after Marc Surer’s accident. Alain Prost’s injury left John Watson as McLaren’s sole starter. The Grand Prix retained its traditional Saturday race date.
Wednesday familiarisation testing
Wednesday’s three-hour test began at 10:00. Lotus and Emerson Fittipaldi encountered engine trouble, while Alain Prost crashed after a front-end problem sent his McLaren off at Leeukop. He escaped serious injury on that occasion, but it was a difficult start to a weekend that would deteriorate further.
Thursday Free Practice
Thursday morning’s running was delayed by filming before the competitive work began. Alan Jones used his older Williams while preparing the new car for qualifying, and Clay Regazzoni shook down a newly completed Ensign. Nelson Piquet’s pace caught attention as the teams balanced straight-line speed against grip through Kyalami’s slower corners.
Thursday Qualifying
Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Rene Arnoux dominated Thursday’s times, but the session was repeatedly interrupted. Alain Prost crashed after a suspension failure and fractured his wrist. Marc Surer suffered serious leg injuries in another accident, ruling both drivers out of the race.
Friday Free Practice
Friday brought extensive aerodynamic experiments. Jody Scheckter briefly tried his Ferrari without its front wing, while Mario Andretti tested without the rear wing. Williams pursued a better balance for Alan Jones, and Gilles Villeneuve’s engine failed before the session ended. Renault remained the benchmark despite warmer conditions reducing its advantage.
Friday Qualifying
Rene Arnoux was fastest in the warmer final session without beating Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s earlier pole time. Nelson Piquet was best of the rest ahead of Jacques Laffite and Didier Pironi. Jan Lammers could not qualify the older ATS, while Geoff Lees reached the grid following the withdrawals.
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
Saturday warm-up
Saturday’s half-hour warm-up began at noon. Early sunshine had offered Renault’s rivals some encouragement, but cloud reduced the temperature again. All 24 qualifiers subsequently prepared for the afternoon start, with the cars’ response in the thin air central to the race ahead.
What happened in the 1980 South African Grand Prix?
The Renaults established themselves at the front, with Jean-Pierre Jabouille leading Rene Arnoux. Behind them, the Ligiers and Williams cars fought for the remaining podium place. Alan Jones’s retirement removed a major challenger and damaged his championship position.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s hopes ended after a puncture, allowing Rene Arnoux to inherit the lead. Jacques Laffite and Didier Pironi moved into second and third, while Nelson Piquet kept Brabham in the points. Renault’s advantage had again been considerable, but only one of its cars converted that speed into a finish.
Rene Arnoux won ahead of the two Ligiers, with Nelson Piquet fourth, Carlos Reutemann fifth and Jochen Mass sixth. The result put Rene Arnoux at the head of the drivers’ championship and Renault on top of the constructors’ standings. Geoff Lees’s appearance would prove to be Shadow’s final World Championship start.
After the race, René Arnoux headed the drivers’ standings with 18 points, followed by Alan Jones on 13. Renault led the constructors’ table on 18, with Williams – Ford on 15.
1980 South African Grand Prix race results
The 1980 South African Grand Prix was held on 1 March 1980, with a scheduled start of 14:15 local time.
1980 South African Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Rene Arnoux | Renault | 51 | 1:13.150 |
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 South African Grand Prix.
1980 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | René Arnoux | French | Renault | 18 |
| 2 | Alan Jones | Australian | Williams | 13 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 9 |
| 4 | Didier Pironi | French | Ligier | 7 |
| 5 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 6 |
| 6 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 6 |
| 7 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Fittipaldi | 4 |
| 8 | Derek Daly | Irish | Tyrrell | 3 |
| 9 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 3 |
| 10 | Bruno Giacomelli | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 2 |
| 11 | Carlos Reutemann | Argentine | Williams | 2 |
| 12 | Jochen Mass | German | Arrows | 1 |
| 13 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Arrows | 1 |
| – | Ricardo Zunino | Argentine | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Marc Surer | Swiss | ATS | 0 |
| – | Emerson Fittipaldi | Brazilian | Fittipaldi | 0 |
| – | Clay Regazzoni | Swiss | Ensign | 0 |
| – | John Watson | British | McLaren | 0 |
| – | Mario Andretti | American | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Geoff Lees | British | Shadow | 0 |
| – | Gilles Villeneuve | Canadian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Patrick Depailler | French | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Jody Scheckter | South African | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | French | Renault | 0 |
| – | Eddie Cheever | American | Osella | 0 |
1980 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 18 |
| 2 | Williams – Ford | 15 |
| 3 | Ligier – Ford | 13 |
| 4 | Brabham – Ford | 9 |
| 5 | Lotus – Ford | 6 |
| 6 | Fittipaldi – Ford | 4 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Ford | 3 |
| 8 | McLaren – Ford | 3 |
| 9 | Alfa Romeo | 2 |
| 10 | Arrows – Ford | 2 |
| — | ATS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ensign – Ford | 0 |
| — | Shadow – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ferrari | 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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