Brazil G.P. threat portent of another stormy season

Press, 5 January 1980, Page 16

Brazil G.P. threat portent of another stormy season

By

PAUL TREUTHARDT,

of Associated Press

NZPA Paris The 1980 Formula One motor-racing season opens as the 1979 season closed —in controversy. The world champion, Jody Scheckter of South Africa shocked the audience when he received his trophies at a Paris function in mid-December by threatening a driver boycott of the Brazilian race at Sao Paulo's Interlagos track. The head of the reformist Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, Scheckter even talked about legal action to stop the race, two weeks after the first race of the season in Argentina on January 13, if the track was not radically modified for safety reasons. The motor-racing world also continues to be shocked by the proceedings at the International Auto Sports Federation (F.1.5.A.) meeting in Paris which saw the traditional Watkins Glen (New York) race almost cancelled, then switched to April 13, a highly risky date, considering the weather of upper New York. Racing politics aside, 1979, was a superb season, and 1980 promises to be its equal. Scheckter won his title driving a Ferrari, a measure of that car-builder’s mechanical achievement, and of the growing predominance of engineering over driver. The 1976 champion, James Hunt, said he retired in mid-season because driving skill could no longer overcome a shade of mechanical disadvantage. Another, perhaps greater, champion, Niki Lauda (Austria) —

champion in 1975 and 1977 — simply walked away from his car in Canada, saying he was “bored with driving round in circles.” After an unhappy return to Formula One, Jacky Ickx (Belgium) also hung up his helmet, except perhaps for Le Mans, 1980. If Scheckter drove steadily, wisely, and — when needed —brilliantly, the credit went to Enzo Ferrari for providing a car which never had a mechanical failure. Scheckter finished in the points in 13 of the 14 races he started — a record — and only tyre failure at Watkins Glen cost him a 100 per cent record.

He took the crown, perhaps, because of his seven years of Grand Prix racing, compared with the two of his team-mate and unner-up,' Gilles Villeneuve, of Canada. Villeneuve provided the highlight of the season in his 240 km/h, wheelbumping duel with Rene Arnoux for second place in the French Grand Prix. . The story of the season

was the jockeying for first place . by tliec leading, teams.-? Ligier scored the first shock with: two straight wins in South America, with Jacques Lafite at the wheel. Then Ferrari took four of the next five races, Ligier winning the other with Patrick Depailler. Then Renault scored its first grand prix victory in the modern era, at its home race in France. It was a portent for the future, the first grand prix victory for a turbocharged engine. The Williams phenomenon started in Britain and the team took four races in a row and five in all — to Alan Jones and one for the Swiss veteran, Clay Regazzoni. Scheckter clinched the title in the best way for a Ferrari driver, in front of the fanatic “tifosi,” the fans at Monza, Italy. Where was the outgoing champion, Mario Andretti? He was twelfth over-all, from a series of hard-won minor placings. The fabulous Lotus 79 of his title year was simply outclassed from the start, and he struggled with an overradical new car, now sent to the museum. The shock decline of the Lotus 79 makes predicting the 1980 season more hazardous. Williams has a secret new car and the Argentian, Carlos Reutemann, to back;Jones. However, Scheckter and Villeneuve also have new Ferraris, arid Lotus has a development of the 79 model for Andretti and his new No. 2, Iliode Angelis, (Italy). The other top team to watch must be- Renault, which has huge, Govern-ment-backed resources. Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Rene Arnoux have been

retained, the car lightened and the, engine,. still the only turbo, refined. Ferrari is also working on a turbo, however. Alfa-Romeo is coming into Formula One fulltime, but there must be serious doubts about its!

lead driver, Patrick Depailler, still suffering badly from leg injuries from a hang-gliding accident.

A dark-horse in the 28car field could be the defunct Wolf team, bought by Emerson Fittipaldi; who has Keke Rosberg (Finland) and top engineering talent. A good bet for “rookie’* of the year is Alain Prost (France), making his Formula One debut with McLaren. He won almost every race he entered in the lower xanks, and has been impressive in testing. Another big car maker, British. Leyland, has entered the sport to back the little English . Ensign team, ' allowing owner Morris “Mo” Munn to sign Regazzoni and leading designers. Whoever comes out on top, the new world champion will be able to celebrate in style. The last race of the year is to be held, for the first time, in Las Vegas, Nevada, behind one of the top casinos.'