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Home / Seasons / 1978 F1 World Championship Season / 1978 United States Grand Prix

1978 United States Grand Prix

Date
Winner
Pole position
Fastest lap
CircuitWatkins Glen, 59 laps
Round15 of 16
Race numbers

The 1978 United States Grand Prix was the:

  • 312th World Championship race
  • 20th World Championship United States Grand Prix
  • 18th World Championship race at Watkins Glen
More 1978 season
More United States Grands Prix

Race result

PosDriverConstructorLapsTimePoints
1+1(ARG) Carlos ReutemannFerrari591hr 40m 48.800s9
2+1(AUS) Alan JonesWilliams-Ford Cosworth59+19.739s6
3+8(ZAF) Jody ScheckterWolf-Ford Cosworth59+45.701s4
4+5(FRA) Jean-Pierre JabouilleRenault59+1m 25.007s3
5+8(BRA) Emerson FittipaldiFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth59+1m 28.089s2
6+12(FRA) Patrick TambayMcLaren-Ford Cosworth59+1m 50.210s1
7-1(GBR) James HuntMcLaren-Ford Cosworth58+1 lap 
8+11(IRL) Derek DalyEnsign-Ford Cosworth58+1 lap 
9+12(FRA) Rene ArnouxSurtees-Ford Cosworth58+1 lap 
10+6(FRA) Didier PironiTyrrell-Ford Cosworth58+1 lap 
11-1(FRA) Jacques LaffiteLigier-Matra58+1 lap 
12+8(USA) Bobby RahalWolf-Ford Cosworth58+1 lap 
13+11(USA) Brett LungerEnsign-Ford Cosworth58+1 lap 
14+3(CHE) Clay RegazzoniShadow-Ford Cosworth56+3 laps 
15-7(FRA) Jean-Pierre JarierLotus-Ford Cosworth55DNF 
16+6(DEU) Rolf StommelenArrows-Ford Cosworth54+5 laps 
R (ITA) Arturo MerzarioMerzario-Ford Cosworth46DNF 
R (NLD) Michael BleekemolenATS-Ford Cosworth43DNF 
R (AUT) Niki LaudaBrabham-Alfa Romeo28DNF 
R (USA) Mario AndrettiLotus-Ford Cosworth27DNF 
R (GBR) John WatsonBrabham-Alfa Romeo25DNF 
R (FRA) Patrick DepaillerTyrrell-Ford Cosworth23DNF 
R (CAN) Gilles VilleneuveFerrari22DNF 
R (FIN) Keke RosbergATS-Ford Cosworth21DNF 
R (DEU) Hans-Joachim StuckShadow-Ford Cosworth1DNF 
R (MEX) Hector RebaqueLotus-Ford Cosworth (privateer)0DNF 

Notes

  • Jean-Pierre Jarier ended lap 55 in P3 before retiring on the following lap.

Starting grid

Pole time: 1:38.114

PosDriverConstructor
1(USA) Mario AndrettiLotus-Ford Cosworth
2(ARG) Carlos ReutemannFerrari
3(AUS) Alan JonesWilliams-Ford Cosworth
4(CAN) Gilles VilleneuveFerrari
5(AUT) Niki LaudaBrabham-Alfa Romeo
6(GBR) James HuntMcLaren-Ford Cosworth
7(GBR) John WatsonBrabham-Alfa Romeo
8(FRA) Jean-Pierre JarierLotus-Ford Cosworth
9(FRA) Jean-Pierre JabouilleRenault
10(FRA) Jacques LaffiteLigier-Matra
11(ZAF) Jody ScheckterWolf-Ford Cosworth
12(FRA) Patrick DepaillerTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
13(BRA) Emerson FittipaldiFittipaldi-Ford Cosworth
14  
15(FIN) Keke RosbergATS-Ford Cosworth
16(FRA) Didier PironiTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
17(CHE) Clay RegazzoniShadow-Ford Cosworth
18(FRA) Patrick TambayMcLaren-Ford Cosworth
19(IRL) Derek DalyEnsign-Ford Cosworth
20(USA) Bobby RahalWolf-Ford Cosworth
21(FRA) Rene ArnouxSurtees-Ford Cosworth
22(DEU) Rolf StommelenArrows-Ford Cosworth
23(MEX) Hector RebaqueLotus-Ford Cosworth (privateer)
24(USA) Brett LungerEnsign-Ford Cosworth
25(NLD) Michael BleekemolenATS-Ford Cosworth
26(ITA) Arturo MerzarioMerzario-Ford Cosworth
Started from the pit lane
 (DEU) Hans-Joachim StuckShadow-Ford Cosworth

Non-qualifiers

DriverConstructor
(ITA) Beppe GabbianiSurtees-Ford Cosworth

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-race.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1(USA) Mario Andretti64
2(SWE) Ronnie Peterson51
3(ARG) Carlos Reutemann44
4(AUT) Niki Lauda44
5(FRA) Patrick Depailler32
6(GBR) John Watson25
7(FRA) Jacques Laffite19
8(ZAF) Jody Scheckter18
9(BRA) Emerson Fittipaldi17
10(AUS) Alan Jones11
11(ITA) Riccardo Patrese8
12(GBR) James Hunt8
=(CAN) Gilles Villeneuve8
14(FRA) Patrick Tambay8
15(FRA) Didier Pironi7
16(CHE) Clay Regazzoni4
17(FRA) Jean-Pierre Jabouille3
18(DEU) Hans-Joachim Stuck2
19(MEX) Hector Rebaque1
=(ITA) Vittorio Brambilla1

Constructor

PosConstructorPoints
1Lotus-Ford Cosworth86
2Brabham-Alfa Romeo53
3Ferrari49
4Tyrrell-Ford Cosworth36
5Ligier-Matra19
6Wolf-Ford Cosworth18
7Fittipaldi-Ford Cosworth17
8McLaren-Ford Cosworth15
9Williams-Ford Cosworth11
10Arrows-Ford Cosworth8
11Shadow-Ford Cosworth6
12Renault3
13Surtees-Ford Cosworth1

Stats & milestones

Race debut
Michael Bleekemolen (only start)
Bobby Rahal
Last start
Brett Lunger
Rolf Stommelen
Wins
9th for Carlos Reutemann (last win until 1980; last for Ferrari)
72nd for Ferrari NEW RECORD
Podiums
26th for Jody Scheckter
24th for Carlos Reutemann
3rd for Alan Jones (first for Williams)
242nd for Ferrari
12th for Wolf
2nd for Williams (first since 1975)
Poles
17th for Mario Andretti (last until 1982; last American polesitter until 1982; last for Lotus)
86th for Lotus
Fastest laps
3rd and last for Jean-Pierre Jarier (first since 1976; only fastest lap for Lotus)
63rd for Lotus (last until 1983)
Front row starts
23rd for Mario Andretti (last until 1982; last American front row starter until 1982; last for Lotus)
14th for Carlos Reutemann (last until 1980; last for Ferrari)
Points finishes
1st for Jean-Pierre Jabouille (195th different point scorer, 20th French driver)