Ferraris wrap up series

Press, 9 October 1979, Page 32

Ferraris wrap up series

NZPA-Reuter < c ; Watkins Glen (New York) s Gilles Villeneuve, of Can-!s ada. overshadowed most of t the season by his Ferrari t team-mate, won the United States Grand Prix at Watkins c Glen yesterday to capture t second place in the Worlds Drivers' Championship standings. 1 Villeneuve, whose team- ' mate, Jody Scheckter, of 1 South Africa, won the world J title earlier this season, - drove a brilliant race under i very difficult weather condi-’! tions. The 27-year-old Canadian." ■ who was second in three of ' the last four races, took the ( :.lead on the first straight and. ; held it for virtually all of the ’ 1 59 laps. Rene Arnoux, yf France, , whose Tyrrell started in i seventh position, was the 1

only other driver on the same lap at the finish. The race began in light but. steady rain and almost all the 24 cars started on rain tyres. The treacherous conditions on the hilly course took an early toll as many cars dropped out early. The only time Villeneuve’ relinquished the lead was; when he went into the pits, to change tyres shortly after the halfway point of the 320.58 km race. Didier Pironi, of France, captured third place in a Tyrrell, followed by Elio de Angelis, of Italy, in a Shadow. Hans Stuck of West Germany, finished fifth in an A.T.S. and was the only other driver to actually take; the chequered flag at the end; of the race. The victory was the third of the season for Villeneuve

and the sixth for the year ( for Ferrari. J Villeneuve was pressed 1. during a good deal of the ( race by Alan Jones of Aus- 5 tfalia. star of the Saudi 1 Arabian-backed Williams r team, who had won four of f the last five races. , 1 The estimated 100,000 fans 1 surrounding the soggy course J iwere deprived of a close duel • between Villeneuve and 1 Jones when the latter’s J Williams lost a wheel on the 'thirty-seventh lap. i Initial reports front the pits j said that Jones took off back ' on to the course before his : mechanic finished securing ! his new tyre. [. Final standings in the 1979 ( ;Formula One World Drivers’,; championship series are: j Jody Scheckter (South!: Africa), Ferrari, 51 points, 1;,; Gilles Villeneuve (Canada), j Ferrari, 47, 2, Alan Jones,;

(Australia), Williams, 40. 3; Jacques Laffite (France), Ligier. 36. 4; Clay Regazzoni (Switzerland). Williams, 29. 5; Patrick Depailler (France), Ligier. 20. 6: Carlos Reutemann (Argentina), Lotus, 20, 6; Rene Arnoux (France),.: Renault. 17, 8; John Watson(Northern Ireland), McLaren. 15, 9; Jean-Pierre Jarier (France). Renault. 14. 10; Mario Andretti (U.S.), Lotus,! 14, 10: Didier Pironi (France). Tyrrell. 14. 10; Jean-Pierre Jabouille (France), Renault, 9. 13; Niki Lauda (Austria),. Brabham. 4. 14: Jochen Mass (West Germany), Arrows. 3, 15; Jacky Ickx (Belgium), Ligier. 3, 15: Nelson Piquet (Brazil). Brabham. 3, 15: Elio de Angelis (Italy), Shadow, 3, 15; Riccardo Patrese (Italy), Arrows. 2. 19: Hans Stuck (West Germany), A.T.S., 2. 19: Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil), Fittipaldi, 1. .21.