1979 Mediterranean Grand Prix

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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 Ralt-Hart
Time 1:31.45
Fastest lap
Driver United Kingdom Stephen South March-BMW
Time 1:33.20
Podium
First March-BMW
Second March-BMW
Third March-BMW

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[edit]

Entry[edit]

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

Qualifying[edit]

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

Race[edit]

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[edit]

Race Result[edit]

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

References[edit]

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