Gilles Villeneuve's wet-weather victory at Watkins Glen secured him second in the 1979 Drivers' Championship and marked the last win for a flat-12 engined Formula One car.
Key Facts
- Race distance
- 59 laps
- Winner
- Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari)
- Race date
- October 7, 1979
- Championship round
- 15th and final round of 1979 season
- Villeneuve season wins
- 3rd win of 1979
- Final race for
- Ickx, Merzario, Stuck, Ribeiro, Wolf team
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1979 Formula One season concluded at Watkins Glen, New York, with the United States Grand Prix East serving as the fifteenth and final round. Wet conditions prevailed on race day, setting a challenging stage for competitors at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course.
Gilles Villeneuve drove his Ferrari to victory over 59 laps in wet conditions, with René Arnoux second in a Renault and Didier Pironi third in a Tyrrell-Ford. The race also saw several drivers, including Jacky Ickx and Hans-Joachim Stuck, compete in their final Formula One events, and marked the last race for the Wolf constructor.
Villeneuve's win secured him second place in the 1979 Drivers' Championship behind teammate Jody Scheckter. It proved to be the last Formula One victory for a car powered by a flat-12 engine. Additionally, Alain Prost, offered a McLaren drive for this race, declined, choosing to wait for a more prepared debut in 1980.