1977 Japanese Grand Prix

1977 Japanese Grand Prix
1977 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 17 of 17 in the 1977 Formula One season
Race details
Date	23 October 1977
Official name	XII Japanese Grand Prix
Location	Fuji Speedway ; Oyama, Shizuoka, Japan
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.359 km (2.709 miles)
Distance	73 laps, 318.207 km (197.725 miles)
Weather	Dry
Pole position
Driver	Mario Andretti ;
Time	1:12.23
Fastest lap
Driver	Jody Scheckter
Time	1:14.30 on lap 71
Podium
First	James Hunt ;
Second	Carlos Reutemann ;
Third	Patrick Depailler ;
	Lap leaders ;

Last updated March 27, 2023

The 1977 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 23 October 1977 at Fuji. It was the 17th and final race of the 1977 Formula One World Championship. At the time, this was the last Japanese Grand Prix due to traveling and financial issues (in those days, in order to get to Japan from Europe required going through Anchorage, Alaska in the United States or through Hong Kong, as both the Soviet Union and Red China banned Western aircraft from flying in their airspace) and safety concerns with the Mount Fuji circuit, it was also the last Japanese Grand Prix to be held at Fuji Speedway until 2007. The race would return in 1987, held at the better spectated and safer Suzuka Circuit.^[1]

Report

Mario Andretti and James Hunt continued their late-season battle, with the American pipping Hunt to the pole, with John Watson heading the second row. Hunt took the lead at the start, and Jody Scheckter and Jochen Mass jumped up to second and third, whereas Andretti had a terrible start and was at the tail of the top ten. On the second lap, Andretti was involved in a collision while trying to gain places, putting him out with Binder and Takahara. With Andretti out, Hunt had no challengers left and he built a large gap, with teammate Mass second and Watson passing Scheckter for third. However, both Mass and Watson had to retire within one lap of each other with engine and gearbox failures, and with Scheckter dropping back, Carlos Reutemann was second until he was passed by Jacques Laffite. Hunt went on and capped off the season with a comfortable win, whereas Laffite ran of fuel on the last lap, handing over second to Reutemann and allowing Patrick Depailler to complete the podium.

A marshal and photographer were killed by debris following a collision involving Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari and Ronnie Peterson's Tyrrell P34 on lap six. They had both been standing in a prohibited area of the track when the accident occurred.^[2] The marshal was trying to clear spectators away from the area.^[3]

After the race concluded, both Hunt and Reutemann left the circuit immediately to catch a flight home, leaving Depailler and his engineer on the podium.^[4]^[5] Rules changed shortly thereafter making the podium celebration mandatory.

March's driver Ian Scheckter was denied entry into and expelled from Japan due to only having a tourist visa passport (unlike his brother Jody Scheckter, who had a working visa) and Japanese objections to the South African apartheid regime.^[6]

Classification

Qualifying

Pos.	Driver	Constructor	Time
1	Mario Andretti	Lotus–Ford	1:12.23
2	James Hunt	McLaren–Ford	+0.16
3	John Watson	Brabham–Alfa Romeo	+0.26
4	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Brabham–Alfa Romeo	+0.78
5	Jacques Laffite	Ligier–Matra	+0.85
6	Jody Scheckter	Wolf–Ford	+0.92
7	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	+1.09
8	Jochen Mass	McLaren–Ford	+1.14
9	Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees–Ford	+1.14
10	Clay Regazzoni	Ensign–Ford	+1.29
11	Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Kojima–Ford	+1.32
12	Alan Jones	Shadow–Ford	+1.33
13	Riccardo Patrese	Shadow–Ford	+1.35
14	Gunnar Nilsson	Lotus–Ford	+1.43
15	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell–Ford	+1.93
16	Patrick Tambay	Ensign–Ford	+1.99
17	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier–Matra	+2.02
18	Ronnie Peterson	Tyrrell–Ford	+2.03
19	Noritake Takahara	Kojima–Ford	+2.13
20	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	+2.28
21	Hans Binder	Surtees–Ford	+2.50
22	Kunimitsu Takahashi	Tyrrell–Ford	+2.65
23	Alex Ribeiro	March–Ford	+2.78
Source:^[7]

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Tyre	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	1	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford	G	73	1:31:51.68	2	9
2	12	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	G	73	+ 1:02.45	7	6
3	4	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell-Ford	G	73	+ 1:06.39	15	4
4	17	Alan Jones	Shadow-Ford	G	73	+ 1:06.61	12	3
5	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra	G	72	Out of Fuel	5	2
6	16	Riccardo Patrese	Shadow-Ford	G	72	+ 1 Lap	13	1
7	8	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	G	72	+ 1 Lap	4
8	19	Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees-Ford	G	71	+ 2 Laps	9
9	50	Kunimitsu Takahashi	Tyrrell-Ford	D	71	+ 2 Laps	22
10	20	Jody Scheckter	Wolf-Ford	G	71	+ 2 Laps	6
11	52	Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Kojima-Ford	B	71	+ 2 Laps	11
12	9	Alex Ribeiro	March-Ford	G	69	+ 4 Laps	23
Ret	6	Gunnar Nilsson	Lotus-Ford	G	63	Gearbox	14
Ret	22	Clay Regazzoni	Ensign-Ford	G	43	Engine	10
Ret	7	John Watson	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	G	29	Gearbox	3
Ret	2	Jochen Mass	McLaren-Ford	G	28	Engine	8
Ret	23	Patrick Tambay	Ensign-Ford	G	14	Engine	16
Ret	3	Ronnie Peterson	Tyrrell-Ford	G	5	Accident	18
Ret	11	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	G	5	Accident	20
Ret	27	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier-Matra	G	3	Engine	17
Ret	5	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	G	1	Collision	1
Ret	51	Noritake Takahara	Kojima-Ford	B	1	Collision	19
Ret	18	Hans Binder	Surtees-Ford	G	1	Collision	21
Source:^[8]^[9]

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Niki Lauda	72
2	Jody Scheckter	55
3	Mario Andretti	47
4	Carlos Reutemann	42
5	James Hunt	40
Source: ^[10]

Constructors' Championship standings

Pos	Constructor	Points
1	Ferrari	95 (97)
2	Lotus-Ford	62
3	McLaren-Ford	60
4	Wolf-Ford	55
5	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	27
Source: ^[10]

Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. Only the best 8 results from the first 9 races and the best 7 results from the remaining 8 races were retained. Numbers without parentheses are retained points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.

Related Research Articles

The 1975 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on 3 August 1975. It was race 11 of 14 in both the 1975 World Championship of Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the 37th German Grand Prix and the 34th to be held at the Nürburgring. The race was held over 14 laps of the 22.8-kilometre (14.2 mi) circuit for a race distance of 319 kilometres (198 mi).

The 1976 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy on 12 September 1976. The race, contested over 52 laps, was the thirteenth round of the 1976 Formula One season. It was also the 45th running of the Italian Grand Prix, the 23rd which was a part of the World Championship. Ronnie Peterson took the March team's last victory in Formula One, and his only with the team. Ferrari driver Clay Regazzoni finished the race in second position and polesitter Jacques Laffite completed the podium for Ligier. This was the last time Ferrari entered more than two cars for a race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Japanese Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Fuji Speedway on 24 October 1976. It was the 16th and final race of the 1976 Formula One World Championship

The 1977 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 9, 1977. It was the first round of the 1977 Formula One season.

The 1977 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 May 1977 at the Circuito del Jarama near Madrid, Spain. It was the fifth race of the 1977 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1977 International Cup for F1 Constructors.

The 1977 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on 19 June 1977. It was the eighth race of the 1977 Formula One season.

The 1977 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on 28 August 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Canadian Grand Prix</span> 16th round of the 1977 Formula One World Championship

The 1977 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 9, 1977, at Mosport Park. It was the 16th and penultimate race of the 1977 Formula One season.

The 1978 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 21 May 1978 at Zolder. It was the sixth race of the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1978 International Cup for F1 Constructors. The 70-lap race was won from pole position by Mario Andretti, driving the new Lotus 79. Teammate Ronnie Peterson was second in the older Lotus 78, with Carlos Reutemann third in a Ferrari.

The 1978 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 16 July 1978. It was the tenth race of the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1978 International Cup for F1 Constructors.

The 1978 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 October 1978 at Montreal. This was the 16th and final race of the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the International Cup for F1 Constructors. It was Ferrari Driver Gilles Villeneuve's first victory in Formula One.

The 1979 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 14 July 1979. It was the ninth race of the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors.

The 1979 Formula One season was the 33rd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors which were contested concurrently over a fifteen-round series which commenced on 21 January 1979, and ended on 7 October. The season also included three non-championship Formula One races. Jody Scheckter of Scuderia Ferrari won the 1979 World Championship of F1 Drivers while Scuderia Ferrari won 1979 International Cup for F1 Constructors. Gilles Villeneuve made it a 1–2 for Ferrari in the championship, concluding a successful second half of the 1970s for Ferrari. Alan Jones finished the season strongly for Williams, finishing third in the championship and with teammate Clay Regazzoni scoring Williams's first ever Grand Prix win as a constructor. Scheckter's title was Ferrari's last drivers' title for 21 years, before Michael Schumacher won five consecutive titles for the team between 2000 and 2004.

The 1978 Formula One season was the 32nd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the International Cup for F1 Constructors, contested concurrently over a sixteen race series which commenced on 15 January and ended on 8 October. The season also included the non-championship BRDC International Trophy.

The 1977 Formula One season was the 31st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 28th World Championship of Drivers and the 20th International Cup for Formula 1 Constructors. The season commenced on 9 January 1977 and ended on 23 October after seventeen races, making it the longest Formula One season in the sport's history at the time. The season also included a single non-championship race for Formula One cars, the 1977 Race of Champions.

The 1976 Formula One season was the 30th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1976 World Championship of Drivers and the 1976 International Cup for Formula 1 Manufacturers. The two titles were contested over a sixteen race series which commenced on 25 January and ended on 24 October. Two non-championship races were also held during the 1976 season.

The 1975 Formula One season was the 29th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from 12 January to 5 October over fourteen races. The season also included three non-championship Formula One races and a nine race South African Formula One Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Depailler</span> French racing driver

Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler was a racing driver from France. He participated in 95 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 2 July 1972. He also participated in several non-championship Formula One races.

The 1976 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 28, 1976, in Long Beach, California. The race was the third round of the 1976 Formula One season and the first new race to be added to the calendar since the Brazilian and Swedish Grand Prix were added in 1973. It was the second Formula One race held in California, the first being the 1960 United States Grand Prix at Riverside, only 50 miles away. The race was held over 80 laps of the 3.251-kilometre street circuit for a total race distance of 260 kilometres.

The 1979 United States Grand Prix West, formally titled the Lubri Lon Long Beach Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race held on April 8, 1979, at Long Beach, California. Canadian Gilles Villeneuve captured pole, fastest lap and the win for Scuderia Ferrari, followed by his teammate Jody Scheckter, as the Prancing Horses took a big step toward reclaiming the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships from Team Lotus. Villeneuve's win came by almost half a minute over Scheckter, and Alan Jones joined them on the podium for Williams. It was the third win of Villeneuve's career, his second in succession, and the third United States Grand Prix win in a row for Ferrari.

References

1 2 "Japan 1977". StatsF1.com.
↑ "Major incidents of fan deaths". Tampa Bay Times . 11 June 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
↑ "2 Spectator Deaths Mar Hunt's Victory in Japan". The New York Times . October 24, 1977.
↑ "Hunt and Reutemann's podium no-show, Japan 1977". Six of the best - Unusual podium ceremonies. Formula 1.com. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
↑ "Hunt wins but two die as Villeneuve crashes". ESPN. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
↑ Lawrence, Mike (1990). The Story of March. Osceola: Motorbooks International. p. 121. ISBN 0-946627-24-X.
↑ "1977 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix – Qualifying". Motorsport Stats . Retrieved 14 April 2021.
↑ "1977 Japanese Grand Prix". formula1.com. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
↑ "1977 Japanese Grand Prix - Race Results & History - GP Archive". GPArchive.com. 23 October 1977. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
1 2 "Japan 1977 - Championship". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

Previous race: 1977 Canadian Grand Prix	FIA Formula One World Championship 1977 season	Next race: 1978 Argentine Grand Prix
Previous race: 1976 Japanese Grand Prix	Japanese Grand Prix	Next race: 1987 Japanese Grand Prix

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[StatsF1-race-1] 1 2 "Japan 1977". StatsF1.com.

[2] "Major incidents of fan deaths". Tampa Bay Times . 11 June 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2013.

[3] "2 Spectator Deaths Mar Hunt's Victory in Japan". The New York Times . October 24, 1977.

[4] "Hunt and Reutemann's podium no-show, Japan 1977". Six of the best - Unusual podium ceremonies. Formula 1.com. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2018.

[5] "Hunt wins but two die as Villeneuve crashes". ESPN. Retrieved 16 August 2018.

[6] Lawrence, Mike (1990). The Story of March. Osceola: Motorbooks International. p. 121. ISBN 0-946627-24-X.

[7] "1977 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix – Qualifying". Motorsport Stats . Retrieved 14 April 2021.

[8] "1977 Japanese Grand Prix". formula1.com. Retrieved 24 November 2017.

[9] "1977 Japanese Grand Prix - Race Results & History - GP Archive". GPArchive.com. 23 October 1977. Retrieved 2 November 2021.

[Championship-10] 1 2 "Japan 1977 - Championship". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

v t e « previous Formula One Grands Prix (1970–1979) next »
1970	RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA MEX
1971	RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA
1972	ARG RSA ESP MON BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA
1973	ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR NED GER AUT ITA CAN USA
1974	ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA
1975	ARG BRA RSA ESP MON BEL SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA USA
1976	BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA JPN
1977	ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN JPN
1978	ARG BRA RSA USW MON BEL ESP SWE FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA USA CAN
1979	ARG BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA