French Grand Prix 1978

Paul Ricard
Le Castellet
2 July 1978
54 laps
313.7 km
5.809 km a lap

Pole positionJohn WatsonBrabham · 1:44.410
Fastest lapCarlos Reutemann1:48.560 · lap 48
Winner started fromP2on the grid

Result

Pos	Driver	No.	Team · engine	Grid	Laps	Time / reason	Points
1	Mario Andretti	5	Lotus · Ford	2	54	1:38:51.920	9
2	Ronnie Peterson	6	Lotus · Ford	5	54	+2.930	6
3	James Hunt	7	McLaren · Ford	4	54	+19.800	4
4	John Watson	2	Brabham · Alfa Romeo	1	54	+36.880	3
5	Alan Jones	27	Williams · Ford	14	54	+41.810	2
6	Jody Scheckter	20	Wolf · Ford	7	54	+54.530	1
7	Jacques Laffite	26	Ligier · Matra	10	54	+54.740
8	Riccardo Patrese	35	Arrows · Ford	12	54	+1:24.880
9	Patrick Tambay	8	McLaren · Ford	6	54	+1:27.060
10	Didier Pironi	3	Tyrrell · Ford	16	54	+1:29.980
11	Hans-Joachim Stuck	16	Shadow · Ford	20	53	+1 lap
12	Gilles Villeneuve	12	Ferrari	9	53	+1 lap
13	Jochen Mass	9	ATS · Ford	25	53	+1 lap
14	René Arnoux	31	Martini · Ford	18	53	+1 lap
15	Rolf Stommelen	36	Arrows · Ford	21	53	+1 lap
16	Keke Rosberg	10	ATS · Ford	26	52	+2 laps
17	Vittorio Brambilla	19	Surtees · Ford	19	52	+2 laps
18	Carlos Reutemannfastest lap	11	Ferrari	8	49	+5 laps
DNF	Brett Lunger	30	McLaren · Ford	24	45	Engine
DNF	Emerson Fittipaldi	14	Fittipaldi · Ford	15	43	Suspension
DNF	Rupert Keegan	18	Surtees · Ford	23	40	Engine
DNF	Bruno Giacomelli	33	McLaren · Ford	22	28	Engine
DNF	Patrick Depailler	4	Tyrrell · Ford	13	10	Engine
DNF	Niki Lauda	1	Brabham · Alfa Romeo	3	10	Engine
DNF	Clay Regazzoni	17	Shadow · Ford	17	4	Electrical
DNF	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	15	Renault	11	1	Engine
DNQ	Arturo Merzario	37	Merzario · Ford	–
DNQ	Derek Daly	22	Ensign · Ford	–
DNQ	Héctor Rebaque	25	Lotus · Ford	–

A number in the first column means classified. DNF, DNQ and DNS stand for retirement, did not qualify and did not start. ‘shared’ marks a car that two drivers shared between them – permitted in the 1950s, and both were classified.

Qualifying

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	John Watson	Brabham	1:44.410
2	Mario Andretti	Lotus	1:44.460	+0.050
3	Niki Lauda	Brabham	1:44.710	+0.300
4	James Hunt	McLaren	1:44.920	+0.510
5	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus	1:44.980	+0.570
6	Patrick Tambay	McLaren	1:45.070	+0.660
7	Jody Scheckter	Wolf	1:45.200	+0.790
8	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	1:45.350	+0.940
9	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	1:45.550	+1.140
10	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	1:45.680	+1.270
11	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Renault	1:45.730	+1.320
12	Riccardo Patrese	Arrows	1:46.320	+1.910
13	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell	1:46.370	+1.960
14	Alan Jones	Williams	1:46.400	+1.990
15	Emerson Fittipaldi	Fittipaldi	1:46.700	+2.290
16	Didier Pironi	Tyrrell	1:47.120	+2.710
17	Clay Regazzoni	Shadow	1:48.550	+4.140
18	René Arnoux	Martini	1:48.680	+4.270
19	Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees	1:48.680	+4.270
20	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Shadow	1:48.890	+4.480
21	Rolf Stommelen	Arrows	1:49.140	+4.730
22	Bruno Giacomelli	McLaren	1:49.530	+5.120
23	Rupert Keegan	Surtees	1:49.540	+5.130
24	Brett Lunger	McLaren	1:49.550	+5.140
25	Jochen Mass	ATS	1:49.900	+5.490
26	Keke Rosberg	ATS	1:50.090	+5.680
27	Arturo Merzario	Merzario	1:50.110	+5.700
28	Derek Daly	Ensign	1:50.190	+5.780
29	Héctor Rebaque	Lotus	1:50.400	+5.990

Fastest laps

Each driver's quickest lap of the race.

Pos	Driver	Lap	Time	Gap
1	Carlos Reutemann	48	1:48.560

Championship after this race

The official standings after round 9. Arrows show the change against the round before.

The whole season

Drivers' championship after round 9
Pos	Driver	Points	Change
1	Mario Andretti	45
2	Ronnie Peterson	36
3	Niki Lauda	25
4	Patrick Depailler	23
5	Carlos Reutemann	22
6	John Watson	12	▲1
7	Jacques Laffite	10	▼1
8	Riccardo Patrese	8
9	James Hunt	8	▲3
9	Jody Scheckter	8	▲1

Constructors' championship after round 9
Pos	Team	Points	Change
1	Lotus	58
2	Brabham	34
3	Tyrrell	25
4	Ferrari	22
5	McLaren	11	▲4
6	Ligier	10	▼1
7	Arrows	8	▼1
8	Wolf	8
9	Fittipaldi	7	▼2
10	Williams	5	▲1