Dijon 1979

One of the most famous races in the history of F1 happened on July 1, 1979 at the circuit of Dijon - Prenois, near Dijon, France.

The race will be remembered for the first victory of a turbo-charged car in F1 (by Jean Pierre Jabouille in Renault), as well as Renault's first victory in F1. Trivia lovers will also recall that the French race was won by a French driver (Jabouille), driving a French car (Renault), on French tyres (Michelin) and powered on French fuel (Elf).

However, the race will forever be remembered for the fierce battle for second place between Gilles Villeneuve in Ferrari and Rene Arnoux in the second Renault. In what has come to be regarded as one of the finest examples of top class racing, both drivers fought extremely hard to outdo the other, and yet did so in a fair manner, without putting anyone in jeopardy. Both drivers trusted each other as racing drivers, and they later remarked that even the thought of pushing the other off track never even occured to them. It was pure racing, and it was exhilerating to watch.



Here is the link to the youtube video. I strongly urge you to watch the last two laps of the race atleast. It is one of the best pieces of F1 driving you will ever see.

The race commentary in the final two laps went as follows :

"And Arnoux is going to do it .. Rene Arnoux is challenging for second as they come up to Villeroy, but Villeneuve will not give way. Arnoux has got the inside line and the shorter line , and he takes second place as they go into the right hander and the left of Sabelieres, and now Renault are indeed first and second in the French Grand Prix. "

" And the French crowd is going mad ! Roaring in the background ! The twin turbo Renaults appeared at Monaco, not their circuit; and now we are into the start of the 79th and the last lap , with Rene Arnoux second... AND VILLENEUVE goes... INCREDIBLE !! Villeneuve stood on everything, locked up his tyres, got the line and he is back into second position on the last lap, and the French crowd aren't very happy about that.."

" And he's closed right up on Villeneuve and he is going to try again, coming into the start of the last lap, behind Jochen Mass in the A2 Arrows... and Arnoux.. does he ? does he ? Villeneuve locks up .. Villeneuve has had to go wide and Arnoux is on the inside as they go round the Villeroy.. "

"He's got the shorter line, he's got second position.. he's got second position.. he's through ! They bang wheels ! He's off ! He's off ! And he's back again ! Rene Arnoux, off the circuit and back again and he is... and now Villeneuve is in second position ! And this is the last lap ! And Villeneuve goes over the corrugations and he nearly loses the front as they go up the Parabolique, on the 80th and the last lap. And he's back, he's in second position.. Villeneuve is second in the Ferrari. Down to third position goes Arnoux.. ".

"80th lap in this 80 lap race , and there is less than a third of it to go. Now, can Arnoux, on the tremendously fast la Combe - Courbe de Pouas section, 150 miles an hour, get past ? They go past Jochen Mass...".

"..and Jabouille wins ! Jean Pierre Jabouille has won in the Renault, who is going to be second ? Into the Courbe de Pouas they come, and there is Ricardo Patrese .. and VILLENEUVE IS SECOND ! ".

An image of the Dijon circuit :


A true classic !