1979 Mediterranean Grand Prix

1979 Mediterranean Grand Prix
1979 Mediterranean Grand Prix
Race details
Date	29 July 1979
Official name	18th Gran Premio del Mediterraneo
Location	Pergusa, Sicily, Italy
Course	Autodromo di Pergusa
Course length	4.950 km (3.076 miles)
Distance	45 laps, 222.750 km (138.420 miles)
Pole position
Driver	Brian Henton ;
Time	1:31.45
Fastest lap
Driver	Stephen South
Time	1:33.20
Podium
First	Eje Elgh ;
Second	Derek Daly ;
Third	Stephen South ;

Last updated October 15, 2025

The 18th Gran Premio del Mediterraneo (Grand Prix of the Mediterranean), was the Round Ten of the 1979 European Championship for F2 Drivers. This was held on the Isle of Sicily, at the Autodromo di Pergusa, Enna, on 29 July.^[1]

Report

Entry

A total of 25 F2 cars were entered for the event, however just 22 took part in qualifying.^[1]

Qualifying

Brian Henton took pole position for the Toleman Group Motorsport, in their Ralt-Hart RT2, averaging a speed of 121.15 mph.^[1]

Race

The race was held over 45 laps of the Enna-Pergusa circuit. After a furious battle, Henton took the chequered flag, ahead of Eje Elgh. However, Elgh's team, Marlboro Team Tiga successfully appealed against Henton using an escape road on the first lap to avoid an accident. Despite being delayed by the first corner incident, Derek Daly followed Elgh home, with his teammate Stephen South next home. Elgh won in a time of 1hr 11:02.09mins., averaging a speed of 117.564 mph.^[1]

Classification

Race result

Pos.	No.	Driver	Entrant	Car - Engine	Time, Laps	Reason Out
1	22	Eje Elgh	Marlboro Team Tiga	March-BMW 792	1hr 11:02.09
2	7	Derek Daly	Project Four Racing – ICI Racing Team	March-BMW 792	1hr 11:18.8
3	8	Stephen South	Project Four Racing – ICI Racing Team	March-BMW 792	1hr 11:23.2
4	4	Teo Fabi	March Racing Ltd	March-BMW 792	1hr 11:38.6
5	9	Eddie Cheever	Osella Squadra Corse SH	Osella-BMW FA2/79	1hr 11:56.2
6	15	Rad Dougall	Toleman Group Motorsport	Ralt-Hart RT2	1hr 12:04.7
7	18	Gianfranco Brancatelli	Racing Team Everest	March-BMW 792	1hr 12:07.3
8	23	Huub Rothengatter	Docking Spitzley Racing / Racing Team Holland	Chevron-Hart B48	1hr 12:07.9
9	3	Beppe Gabbiani	Polifac BMW Junior Team	March-BMW 792	1hr 12:32.2
10	5	Juan Traverso	March Racing Team (Bob Salisbury Racing)	March-Hart 792	44
11	12	Ariel Bakst	Sanremo Racing Srl	March-BMW 792	44
DNF	43	Oscar Pedersoli	Sanremo Racing Srl	March-BMW 792	22	Suspension
DNF	77	Derek Warwick	Team BP with Theodore Racing	March-Hart 792	18	Accident
DNF	6	Bobby Rahal	Ampex Chevron Racing Team	Chevron-Hart B48	16	Puncture
DNF	19	Siegfried Stohr	Trivellato Racing Team	March-BMW 792	10	Gear Selector
DNF	11	Alberto Colombo	Sanremo Racing Srl	March-BMW 782	5	Suspension
DNF	16	Miguel Ángel Guerra	Racing Team Everest	March-BMW 792	2	Accident damage
DNF	1	Marc Surer	Polifac BMW Junior Team	March-BMW 792	2	Engine
DNF	25	Cocho López	BFO Racing Team	March-BMW 792	1	Accident
DNF	39	Pasquale Barbiero	Pasquale Barbiero	March-BMW 782	1	Engine
DQ	14	Brian Henton	Toleman Group Motorsport	Ralt-Hart RT2	1st on track	Disobeyed marshal
DNQ	31	Carlo Giorgio	RR Racing Team/Scuderia Jolly Club Milano	March-Hart 742

Fastest lap: Stephen South, 1:33.20secs. (118.81 mph) ^[2]^[3]

References

1 2 3 4 "F2 Register - Index".
↑ "F2 Register - Index".
↑ Tristan Wood, "Drive It! The Complete Book of Formula 2 Motor Racing" (Foulis/Haynes, ASIN B009UWU1BW, 1984)

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[formula2.net-1] 1 2 3 4 "F2 Register - Index".

[2] "F2 Register - Index".

[Wood-3] Tristan Wood, "Drive It! The Complete Book of Formula 2 Motor Racing" (Foulis/Haynes, ASIN B009UWU1BW, 1984)

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