1979 Formula One World Championship — The Battle of Red and Black
The 1979 Formula One season was a duel of philosophies — Ferrari’s brute mechanical grip and Renault’s brave new turbocharged experiment.
At its center stood two men united by honor and rivalry: Jody Scheckter, the South African pragmatist, and Gilles Villeneuve, the Canadian romantic. Together they carried Ferrari through a year of passion, discipline, and glory — the last before the turbo age would rewrite the rules.
Round 1: Argentine Grand Prix — Buenos Aires (21 January 1979)
Summer heat shimmered over Buenos Aires as the season began.
Lotus arrived as defending champions but burdened by weight and complexity. Ferrari, with its flat-12 312T4 still in development, struggled for rhythm.
Patrick Depailler gave Ligier its first victory — a French car with French power on French tires.
A changing of the guard had begun.
Round 2: Brazilian Grand Prix — Interlagos (4 February 1979)
The new Ligier JS11 again proved unbeatable. Jacques Laffite led from start to finish, his blue car gliding through corners while others fought for balance.
Ferrari’s Villeneuve and Scheckter gathered minor points — quiet, consistent, calculating.
The Scuderia was waiting for its weapon: the all-new 312T4.
Round 3: South African Grand Prix — Kyalami (3 March 1979)
Ferrari’s weapon arrived.
The 312T4, with its wide stance and relentless traction, roared to life under Villeneuve’s hands. The Canadian stormed to victory, sliding through the Kyalami dust with a showman’s abandon.
Scheckter followed in second — a statement: Ferrari was back.
Round 4: United States Grand Prix West — Long Beach (8 April 1979)
In the American sun, Villeneuve once again dazzled. He led from start to finish, out-braking, over-steering, and thrilling the crowd.
But behind the showmanship, Scheckter’s consistency grew more ominous.
Two Ferraris on the podium — Maranello was once again the center of the racing world.
Round 5: Spanish Grand Prix — Jarama (29 April 1979)
The European season began with a battle of philosophies: Ferrari’s mechanical grip versus Renault’s explosive turbocharged power.
Villeneuve, pushing beyond the limits, spun early. Scheckter brought the car home in second behind Laffite, collecting crucial points.
The roles were being written — the romantic and the realist.
Round 6: Belgian Grand Prix — Zolder (13 May 1979)
Jody Scheckter struck.
Using Ferrari’s stability to perfection, he outlasted the Ligiers and Piquet’s Brabham to claim his first victory of the season.
Villeneuve shadowed him all race long — loyal, fast, and fearless.
Ferrari now led both championships.
Round 7: Monaco Grand Prix — Monte Carlo (27 May 1979)
The jewel of the calendar belonged to Patrick Depailler.
Ferrari fought with heart but lacked agility on the narrow streets.
Villeneuve’s aggression cost him a podium; Scheckter, ever steady, salvaged valuable points.
It was becoming clear: one drove for victory, the other for destiny.
Round 8: French Grand Prix — Dijon-Prenois (1 July 1979)
What happened at Dijon would become legend.
Renault, with Jean-Pierre Jabouille, achieved the first-ever turbocharged victory — but it was the duel behind him that stole immortality.
Villeneuve and Arnoux fought wheel-to-wheel for second place, touching tires, sliding, refusing surrender. The two cars brushed, swapped positions three times in the final laps, and crossed the line separated by inches.
Villeneuve finished second — and in spirit, victorious forever.
Round 9: British Grand Prix — Silverstone (14 July 1979)
Alan Jones, in the Williams FW07, delivered the team’s first major statement — a win born of efficiency and engineering.
Ferrari’s traction could not match Williams’ ground-effect mastery, but Scheckter and Villeneuve remained close enough to defend the championship lead.
Round 10: German Grand Prix — Hockenheim (29 July 1979)
The long straights of Hockenheim favored Ferrari’s 12-cylinder roar.
Scheckter drove a perfect race, keeping the Williams and Ligiers behind to claim another victory.
Villeneuve finished second once more — loyal to the strategy that kept Ferrari’s title hopes safe.
The red cars ruled again.
Round 11: Austrian Grand Prix — Österreichring (12 August 1979)
In the Styrian hills, the turbocharged Renaults surged ahead. Jabouille and Arnoux flew down the straights, but reliability once again betrayed them.
Jones’s Williams seized victory, but Scheckter’s points kept Ferrari in command.
Round 12: Dutch Grand Prix — Zandvoort (26 August 1979)
Alan Jones struck again, his Williams now the fastest car in the field.
Scheckter, ever disciplined, finished third — doing just enough to keep control of the standings. Villeneuve, restless, spun out chasing the impossible.
The balance of the season was shifting toward precision.
Round 13: Italian Grand Prix — Monza (9 September 1979)
Monza was destiny.
Ferrari arrived needing only to finish well to secure the crown.
Villeneuve, faster in practice, promised not to attack Scheckter in the race — and he kept his word.
The two Ferraris crossed the line first and second.
The Tifosi flooded the circuit, red flags waving, tears streaming.
Jody Scheckter was World Champion. Villeneuve, loyal and radiant, said simply:
“Today, it was his day. Mine will come.”
Round 14: Canadian Grand Prix — Montréal (30 September 1979)
On home soil, Villeneuve gave the fans what they longed for — victory.
It was a triumph of spirit over mathematics, of pride over position.
Ferrari’s season was already complete, but Villeneuve’s drive was the perfect epilogue.
Epilogue: The Last of the Flat-12s
1979 was Ferrari’s last stand before the turbocharged revolution.
The 312T4, the final masterpiece of Mauro Forghieri’s flat-12 lineage, carried Scheckter and Villeneuve through a season of brotherhood, sacrifice, and glory.
It was the end of the mechanical era — a farewell to purity, power, and passion.
Ferrari would not win another drivers’ championship for 21 years.
But in 1979, the world turned red.
World Drivers’ Champion: Jody Scheckter 🇿🇦 (Ferrari 312T4, Flat-12)
Constructors’ Champion: Ferrari 🇮🇹 (Ferrari 312T4 — 6 Wins out of 15 Rounds)
📚 Sources & References — 1979 Formula One World Championship
Primary Historical Records
Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) — Official Results Archive: 1979 Formula One World Championship.
Official standings, race classifications, and technical bulletins.
https://www.fia.comFormula One Management (FOM) — 1979 Season Archive.
Official race reports, points tables, and timing.
https://www.formula1.com/en/results/1979Scuderia Ferrari Historical Archive (Maranello, Italy).
Design notes for the 312T4, internal correspondence from Mauro Forghieri, and team communications from Monza.StatsF1 / Forix / ChicaneF1 Databases.
Entry lists, retirements, lap records, and circuit data.
https://www.statsf1.comWilliams Heritage Collection (Grove, UK).
Technical papers on the FW07 and ground-effect development.
Contemporary & Period Publications
Motor Sport Magazine (1979 Issues, February–October).
Denis Jenkinson & Alan Henry reports:
“The Battle of Red and Black.”
“Villeneuve at Dijon.”
“Ferrari’s Last Stand.”
The Autocar & The Motor (UK).
“Scheckter, the Reluctant Hero.”
“Villeneuve’s Heart on Fire.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy).
“Scheckter Campione del Mondo!” September 1979.
“Villeneuve, Il Cuore di Ferrari.”L’Équipe (France).
“Dijon: La Bataille Immortelle.”
“La Dernière Gloire de Ferrari.”El Gráfico (Argentina).
“Lauda, L’Assente — Ferrari Regna.” September 1979.Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland).
“Ferrari, le Dernier Empire.” October 1979.
Historical Analyses & Books
Henry, Alan. Formula One: The Complete History. Motorbooks International, 2012.
Chapter: “1979 — The Battle of Red and Black.”Hilton, Christopher. Gilles Villeneuve: The Life of a Legend. Haynes Publishing, 2002.
Argetsinger, Peter. Ferrari 312T4: The Last Great Flat-12. Veloce Publishing, 2018.
Nye, Doug. The Grand Prix Car 1976–1980. Motor Racing Publications, 1989.
Setright, L.J.K. Drive On! A Social History of the Motor Car. Granta Books, 2003.
Donaldson, Gerald. Grand Prix People. Virgin Books, 1999.
Henry, Alan & Roebuck, Nigel. Ferrari vs. Renault: The Dawn of the Turbo Age. Motorbooks, 1995.
Documentary & Audio-Visual Material
BBC Archives. “Grand Prix 1979 Season Review.”
RAI Archivio Storico (Italy). “Monza 1979: Il Trionfo di Scheckter.”
ITV / Thames Television. “Villeneuve: Heart of Ferrari.”
FIA Heritage Series. “1979 — The Battle of Red and Black.”
Digital & Museum Archives
Museo Ferrari, Maranello (Italy).
Exhibit: “312T4 — The Last of the Flat-12s.”Williams Heritage Collection (Grove, UK).
Display: “FW07 — Ground Effect Arrives.”GrandPrixHistory.org.
“1979: The Battle of Red and Black.”OldRacingCars.com.
Verified chassis histories for Ferrari 312T4, Williams FW07, and Renault RS10.
