Alfa Romeo 179

Last updated
Alfa Romeo 179
Alfa Romeo 179B
Alfa Romeo 179C
Alfa Romeo 179D
Alfa Romeo 179F
Alfa Romeo 179T
Alfa Romeo 179D (8372467256).jpg
Alfa Romeo 179D in Marlboro livery
Category Formula One
Constructor Alfa Romeo
Designer(s) Carlo Chiti (Technical Director)
Robert Choulet (Chief Designer)
Predecessor 177
Successor 182
Technical specifications
Chassis Aluminium monocoque
Carbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)Lower wishbones, top rockers, inboard shocks
Suspension (rear)Lower wishbones, parallel top links, inboard shocks
Engine Alfa Romeo 1260 2,995 cc (182.8 cu in) 60° V12 naturally aspirated, mid-engined, longitudinally mounted
Transmission Alfa/Hewland 5 or 6 speed manual
Fuel Agip
Tyres 1979-80: Goodyear
1981-82: Michelin
Competition history
Notable entrants Autodelta (1979) 4 races
Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo (1980–1982)
Notable drivers Bruno Giacomelli
Vittorio Brambilla
Andrea de Cesaris
Patrick Depailler
Mario Andretti
Debut 1979 Italian Grand Prix
RacesWins Poles F/Laps
63010
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to
Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

The Alfa Romeo 179 is a Formula One car which was used (in different variants) by the Alfa Romeo team from 1979 to 1982. The 179 made its debut at the 1979 Italian Grand Prix, replacing the flat-12 engined Alfa Romeo 177. During its lifespan there were many versions and 179D version was used for the last time at the 1982 South African Grand Prix.

Contents

History

Alfa Romeo hired Frenchman Patrick Depailler for the 1980 season; Depailler had a good reputation as a testing and development driver, and this proved invaluable for the 179's competitiveness. The car was far from competitive at the first races of the season in Argentina and Brazil; Depailler and his teammate Bruno Giacomelli qualified at the back of the grid for both races even though the former finished 5th in Argentina. But a month later in South Africa the car had become far better and Depailler qualified 6th on the grid, and another 4 weeks later at Long Beach the Alfa had improved even further and Depailler qualified the car an amazing 3rd on the grid, whilst Giacomelli qualified 6th. Although Alfa Romeo did not win a race that season largely due to horrendous unreliability, they were often up there with the front runners, although the team's season was marred by the death of Depailler at a testing session at Hockenheim in Germany when he crashed due to a suspension failure which pitched his car into the Armco barrier at the high-speed Ostkurve, inflicting fatal head injuries as the vehicle overturned and skidded along the top of the guard rail for several hundred feet prior to flipping onto its top and into the trees. Giacomelli bravely raced at Hockenheim a week later, finishing 5th. But the team ended the season on a positive note, with Depallier's testing not having gone in vain when Giacomelli stuck his Alfa on pole at the last race of the season at Watkins Glen; he led most of the race until electrical failure put him out of the race. [1]

The 179's best achivements were Bruno Giacomelli's pole position at the 1980 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and 3rd place at the 1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix. The car scored 14 points from 61 races.

Variants

Rear view of 179B (1981) in Turin Automobile Museum. Alfa Romeo 179B, Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile di Torino (2).jpg
Rear view of 179B (1981) in Turin Automobile Museum.
179F Test Car at the Alfa Romeo Museum 1981 Alfa Romeo 179F Test Car front side.jpg
179F Test Car at the Alfa Romeo Museum
Front of the 179F Test Car 1981 Alfa Romeo 179F Test Car front.jpg
Front of the 179F Test Car

At the beginning of the 1981 season, the 179s were fitted with adjustable dampers and denoted as 179C. [3] [4] A lower 179D was the next evolution and the final version which raced was the fully carbon-fibre 179F. [5]

There was also a V8-engined test mule of this car, the 179T in 1982, which was used to test the new 1.5 L turbocharged engine. [6]

Technical information

Alfa Romeo 179
EngineTipo-1260-60°-V12 (block and heads light alloy) 175 kg
Displacement 2995 cm³ / 182.5 cu in
bore × stroke 77 mm × 53.6 mm
Compression ratio 11.0 : 1
max. Torque:333 Nm at 9500 rpm
max. power392 kW (525 hp) at 12,300 rpm
HP per litre of displacement:176 HP
Valve controltwo overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder
Mixture preparation Lucas Intake manifold injection
CoolingWater
Gearbox6-speed gearbox (rear-wheel drive)
Brakesventilated disc brakes on all wheels
Front suspensiondouble wishbones, the inwardly extended upper links actuate the inner spring-damper units, stabilizer
Rear suspension double wishbones, the inwardly extended upper links actuate the inner spring-damper units, stabilizer
Body and frameChassis: Monocoque in sandwich construction with cover layers made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic and honeycomb core; engine as a load-bearing part
Wheelbase 2780 mm
Track width front / rear1720 mm / 1610 mm
Tire size frontunknown
Tire size rearunknown
Dimensions L × W × H4300 mm × 2140 mm × 900 mm
Empty weight (without driver)595 kg
Tank capacityunknown
Fuel consumptionunknown
Top speeddepending on the gear ratio
Power to weight ratio (hp/kg)0.88 HP/kg

Non-Championship races

Following the 1980 season, Alfa entered one of their 179s, with Giacomelli doing the driving, in the non-championship 1980 Australian Grand Prix at the Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne. The race that year was open to Formula One, Formula 5000 and Formula Pacific cars with the Alfa, along with the Williams-Ford of 1980 World Champion, Australian Alan Jones, being the only F1 cars in the race. Calder circuit owner and race promoter Bob Jane invited the factory Alfa team in the hopes of attracting spectators from Melbourne's large Italian community (a ploy that, along with the presence of Jones, saw a capacity crowd on race day). Giacomelli qualified second behind Jones (and easily faster than the F5000 cars) and after showing surprising speed and taking the lead from Jones part-way through the race, eventually finished a lap behind the Williams in second place. [7]

Variants:

ModelNumber of Grands PrixSeasonsDebutLast race
Alfa Romeo 179301979–1980 1979 Italian GP 1980 United States GP
Alfa Romeo 179B21981 1981 Austrian GP 1981 Dutch GP
Alfa Romeo 179C241981 1981 US West GP 1981 Caesars Palace GP
Alfa Romeo 179D61981–1982 1981 Austrian GP 1982 South African GP

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

YearEntrantChassisEngineTyresDrivers12345678910111213141516PointsWCC
1979 Autodelta 179 Alfa Romeo 1260 V12 G ARG BRA RSA USW ESP BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA 013th
Bruno Giacomelli RetDNARet
Vittorio Brambilla RetDNQ
1980 Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 179 Alfa Romeo 1260 V12 G ARG BRA RSA USW BEL MON FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA 411th
Bruno Giacomelli 513RetRetRetRetRetRet5RetRetRetRetRet
Patrick Depailler RetRetNCRetRetRetRetRet
Vittorio Brambilla DNARetRet
Andrea de Cesaris RetRet
1981 Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 179C
179D
Alfa Romeo 1260 V12 M USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL 109th
Mario Andretti 4Ret8Ret10Ret88Ret9RetRetRet7Ret
Bruno Giacomelli RetNC10Ret9Ret1015Ret15RetRet843
1982 Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 179D Alfa Romeo 1260 V12 M RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON DET CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA CPL 710th
Andrea de Cesaris 13
Bruno Giacomelli 11

Notes

  1. "Committed to life". forix.com. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  2. "museoauto". museoauto.it. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  3. "Alfa Romeo 179". ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  4. Brown, Allen (9 July 2017). "Alfa Romeo 179C car-by-car histories". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  5. "Alfa Romeo 179F". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  6. "Alfa Romeo 179T". statsf1.com (in French). Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  7. Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1980". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 436–444. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea de Cesaris</span> Italian racing driver (1959–2014)

Andrea de Cesaris was an Italian racing driver. He started 208 Formula One Grands Prix but never won, meaning he held the record for the most races started without a race victory from 1991 until Nico Hülkenberg surpassed his total at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. A string of accidents early in his career earned him a reputation for being a fast but wild driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Grand Prix West</span> Formula 1 Grand Prix

The United States Grand Prix West was a race held at Long Beach, California, as a Formula 5000 race in 1975 and a Formula One World Championship event from 1976 to 1983 held in the same location throughout those years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1951 Swiss Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1951 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 May 1951 in Bern. The race was contested over 42 laps of the Bremgarten Circuit with it also being the opening race of the 1951 World Championship of Drivers. The race was the eleventh time that the Swiss Grand Prix was held with all of the races being held at Bremgarten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Monaco Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1980 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 18 May 1980. It was the sixth round of the 1980 Formula One season. The race was the 38th Monaco Grand Prix. The race was held over 76 laps of the 3.34-kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 254 kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 British Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1980 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 13 July 1980. It was the eighth round of the 1980 Formula One season. The race was held over 76 laps of the 4.207-km (2.614-mile) circuit for a total race distance of 319.73 km.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Formula One season</span> 34th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1980 Formula One season was the 34th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1980 World Championship of Drivers and the 1980 International Cup for F1 Constructors, which were contested concurrently from 13 January to 5 October over a fourteen-race series. The season also included one non-championship race, the Spanish Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 Formula One season</span> 33rd season of FIA Formula One motor racing

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 1979. The season also included three non-championship Formula One races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Giacomelli</span> Italian racing driver (born 1952)

Bruno Giacomelli is a retired racing driver from Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piercarlo Ghinzani</span> Italian racing driver (born 1952)

Piercarlo Ghinzani is a former racing driver from Italy. He currently manages his own racing team, Team Ghinzani, which was created in 1992 and is currently involved in several Formula Three championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Depailler</span> French racing driver (1944–1980)

Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980. Depailler won two Formula One Grands Prix across eight seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Larini</span> Italian racing driver (born 1964)

Nicola Larini is an Italian racing driver. He participated in 75 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 6 September 1987. He finished second in the tragic 1994 San Marino Grand Prix on a substitute outing for Ferrari, but only scored points once more in his career. He enjoyed greater success in touring car racing, primarily for Alfa Romeo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vittorio Brambilla</span> Italian racing driver (1937–2001)

Vittorio Brambilla was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1974 to 1980. Nicknamed "The Monza Gorilla", Brambilla won the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix with March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Grand Prix West</span> Motor car race

The 1980 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 30, 1980, at Long Beach, California. It was the fourth round of the 1980 Formula One season. The race was the fifth United States Grand Prix West and the sixth street race to be held at Long Beach. The race was held over 80 laps of the 3.251-kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 260 kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1980 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 5, 1980 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. This event was also referred to as the United States Grand Prix East in order to distinguish it from the United States Grand Prix West held on March 30, 1980 in Long Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brabham BT49</span> Formula One racing car

The Brabham BT49 is a Formula One racing car designed by South African Gordon Murray for the British Brabham team. The BT49 competed in the 1979 to 1982 Formula One World Championships and was used by Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet to win his first World Championship in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlo Chiti</span> Italian engineer and car designer (1924–1994)

Carlo Chiti was an Italian racing car and engine designer best known for his long association with Alfa Romeo's racing department. He also worked for Ferrari and was involved in the design of the Ferrari 156 Sharknose car, with which Phil Hill won the 1961 championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo 177</span> Formula One car

The Alfa Romeo 177 was a Formula One car used by the Alfa Romeo team during the 1979 Formula One season, debuting at the 1979 Belgian Grand Prix. The 177 marked Alfa Romeo's return to Formula One, 28 years after winning the World Drivers' Championship titles in 1950 and 1951.

Italian motor manufacturer Alfa Romeo has participated multiple times in Formula One. The brand has competed in motor racing as both a constructor and engine supplier sporadically between 1950 and 1987, and later as a commercial partner between 2015 and 2023. The company's works drivers won the first two World Drivers' Championships in the pre-war Alfetta: Nino Farina in 1950 and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951. Following these successes, Alfa Romeo withdrew from Formula One.

The 1980 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Calder Park Raceway in Victoria, Australia on 16 November 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooper T86</span> Formula One race car

The Cooper T86 was a Formula One racing car built by Cooper and first raced in 1967. B and C specification cars were also built to accommodate different engines, but the car could not revive Cooper's fortunes and this type represents the last Formula One chassis built and raced by the former champion team.