German GP 1980

German GP, 1980

There was a gap of a month between the British and German GPs and in that time F1 experienced another fatal accident when Patrick Depailler's Alfa Romeo ploughed off the track while testing at Hockenheim. Depailler was killed instantly when the car hit the barriers as the catchfencing which should have been at the corner was rolled up behind the barrier.

Alfa Romeo decided to run just one car for Bruno Giacomelli but the entry was boosted by a RAM Racing Williams which appeared for Rupert Keegan. Harald Ertl was also back in action in a one-off drive in a second ATS. The mood and the weather were somber in qualifying with Alan Jones (Williams) setting the fastest time, beating the Renaults of Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Rene Arnoux. Then came Carlos Reutemann in the second Williams and behind him Jacques Laffite (Ligier), Nelson Piquet (Brabham), Didier Pironi (Ligier), Keke Rosberg (in the new Wolf), Mario Andretti's Lotus and Riccardo Patrese's Arrows. The Ferraris was again disastrous with Gilles Villeneuve in 16th on the grid and World Champion Jody Scheckter 21st.

Although Jones made the better start, Jabouille was able to use the extra power from his turbocharged Renault to grab the lead before they reached the far end of the circuit. Arnoux was third with the two Ligiers of Pironi and Laffite chasing him with Rosberg behind them. The Finn's charge was short-lived because a rear wing problem soon sent him into the pits. The next to disappear was Pironi who went into the pits with a broken driveshaft on lap 19. On lap 27 the race changed completely when within moments both Renaults stopped with broken valve springs. This put Jones into the lead ahead of Laffite with Reutemann in third and then a big gap back to Piquet, Elio de Angelis (Lotus) and John Watson (McLaren). The McLaren lasted only a couple more laps before blowing its engine while Jones had to go into the pits for new tires and so dropped to third. Laffite was leading with Reutemann and Jones closing fast but he was too far back to make any real impression and the race ended with the top three in that order. Piquet was fourth while Giacomelli inherited fifth place when de Angelis stopped with a wheelbearing failure. Villeneuve was sixth.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
26 Jacques Laffite Ligier-Cosworth  45 1h22m59.730s  
28 Carlos Reutemann Williams-Cosworth  45 1h23m02.920s  
27 Alan Jones Williams-Cosworth  45 1h23m43.260s  
Nelson Piquet Brabham-Cosworth  45 1h23m44.210s  
23 Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo  45 1h24m16.220s  19 
Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari  45 1h24m28.450s  16 
11 Mario Andretti Lotus-Cosworth  45 1h24m32.740s  
30 Jochen Mass Arrows-Cosworth  45 1h24m47.480s  17 
29 Riccardo Patrese Arrows-Cosworth  44  10 
10 Derek Daly Tyrrell-Cosworth  44  22 
11 Alain Prost McLaren-Cosworth  44  14 
12 Marc Surer ATS-Cosworth  44  13 
13 Jody Scheckter Ferrari  44  21 
14 14 Jan Lammers Ensign-Cosworth  44  24 
15 Jean-Pierre Jarier Tyrrell-Cosworth  44  23 
16r 12 Elio de Angelis Lotus-Cosworth  43 Wheel Bearing 11 
John Watson McLaren-Cosworth  39 Engine 20 
15 Jean-Pierre Jabouille Renault  27 Valve Spring 
16 Rene Arnoux Renault  26 Valve Spring 
31 Eddie Cheever Osella-Cosworth  23 Gearbox 18 
25 Didier Pironi Ligier-Cosworth  18 Drive Shaft 
20 Emerson Fittipaldi Fittipaldi-Cosworth  18 Skirt 12 
21 Keke Rosberg Fittipaldi-Cosworth  Wheel Bearing 
Hector Rebaque Brabham-Cosworth  Gearbox 15 
nq 50 Rupert Keegan Williams-Cosworth    25 
nq 10 Harald Ertl ATS-Cosworth    26