The 1978 FIA Formula One World Championship began on 15 January and concluded on 8 October, over 16 race weekends. In addition to the championship events, the year also included a non-championship race, the BRDC International Trophy.
Season
The World Drivers’ Championship was won by Mario Andretti, driving for Team Lotus. Andretti delivered a dominant season behind the wheel of the innovative Lotus car and ultimately secured the championship ahead of his rivals. His triumph remains historically significant, as he continues to be the most recent American driver to win the Formula One World Championship. His victory at the Dutch Grand Prix during the season also stands as the most recent Formula One race win by an American driver.
Andretti’s teammate, Ronnie Peterson, was posthumously classified second in the Drivers’ Championship. Peterson had been a major contender during the season but tragically lost his life following injuries sustained in a multi-car accident at the start of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Although he survived the initial crash, complications from his injuries later proved fatal, casting a shadow over the championship.
The Constructors’ Championship—known at the time as the International Cup for Formula One Constructors—was won by Lotus, the last Constructors’ title in the team’s history. Ferrari finished second in the standings, while Brabham placed third.
In the Drivers’ standings behind Andretti and Peterson, Carlos Reutemann finished third for Ferrari, delivering the team’s strongest individual performance of the year. Niki Lauda, who had been the reigning World Champion earlier in the decade with Ferrari, endured a difficult campaign after leaving the Italian team at the end of 1977. Driving for Brabham, Lauda finished fourth in the championship, while Ferrari itself struggled to replicate the dominance it had enjoyed in previous seasons.
The year was also marked by further tragedy beyond Peterson’s accident. Swedish driver Gunnar Nilsson, who had been forced to step away from Formula One after the 1977 season due to illness, died from cancer in 1978. Nilsson had been considered one of the sport’s promising talents, and his death, along with Peterson’s, made the season a particularly sombre chapter in F1 history.
1978 Formula 1 Race Calendar
1978 Formula 1 Race Results
Grands Prix
1978 Formula 1 Standings
Driver standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Andretti | USA | Lotus Ford | 64 |
| 2 | Ronnie Peterson | SWE | Lotus Ford | 51 |
| 3 | Carlos Reutemann | ARG | Ferrari | 48 |
| 4 | Niki Lauda | AUT | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 44 |
| 5 | Patrick Depailler | FRA | Tyrrell Ford | 34 |
| 6 | John Watson | GBR | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 25 |
| 7 | Jody Scheckter | RSA | Wolf Ford | 24 |
| 8 | Jacques Laffite | FRA | Ligier Matra | 19 |
| 9 | Gilles Villeneuve | CAN | Ferrari | 17 |
| 9 | Emerson Fittipaldi | BRA | Fittipaldi Ford | 17 |
| 11 | Alan Jones | AUS | Williams Ford | 11 |
| 11 | Riccardo Patrese | ITA | Arrows Ford | 11 |
| 13 | James Hunt | GBR | McLaren Ford | 8 |
| 13 | Patrick Tambay | FRA | McLaren Ford | 8 |
| 15 | Didier Pironi | FRA | Tyrrell Ford | 7 |
| 16 | Clay Regazzoni | SUI | Shadow Ford | 4 |
| 17 | Jean-Pierre Jabouille | FRA | Renault | 3 |
| 18 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | GER | Shadow Ford | 2 |
| 19 | Hector Rebaque | MEX | Lotus Ford | 1 |
| 19 | Vittorio Brambilla | ITA | Surtees Ford | 1 |
| 19 | Derek Daly | IRL | Ensign Ford | 1 |
Team standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus Ford | 86 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 58 |
| 3 | Brabham Alfa Romeo | 53 |
| 4 | Tyrrell Ford | 38 |
| 5 | Wolf Ford | 24 |
| 6 | Ligier Matra | 19 |
| 7 | Fittipaldi Ford | 17 |
| 8 | McLaren Ford | 15 |
| 9 | Williams Ford | 11 |
| 10 | Arrows Ford | 11 |
| 11 | Shadow Ford | 6 |
| 12 | Renault | 3 |
| 13 | Surtees Ford | 1 |
| 14 | Ensign Ford | 1 |
