The 1980 Italian Grand Prix, held at Imola rather than Monza, gave Nelson Piquet the Drivers' Championship lead and secured Williams their first Constructors' title.
Key Facts
- Race winner
- Nelson Piquet (Brabham-Ford)
- Circuit
- Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola
- Race distance
- 300 km over 60 laps
- Winning margin
- Nearly 30 seconds ahead of Alan Jones
- Championship round
- 12th of the 1980 season
- Williams Constructors' title secured
- First ever, with two races remaining
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Monza was undergoing refurbishment in 1980, forcing the Italian Grand Prix to relocate to the Autodromo Dino Ferrari at Imola for the only time since 1948. Imola had previously hosted a non-championship race in 1979 but had never before staged a World Championship round.
On 14 September 1980, Nelson Piquet started from third on the grid behind two Renaults and led from lap 4 to claim victory in 60 laps over 300 kilometres. Alan Jones finished second after recovering from seventh place, with Carlos Reutemann third. Ferrari debuted the turbocharged 126C and Jody Scheckter announced his retirement after a practice crash.
Piquet's win moved him one point ahead of Jones in the Drivers' Championship. The combined podium finishes of Jones and Reutemann clinched Williams' first Constructors' Championship with two races still to run. Imola subsequently remained on the F1 calendar until 2006 as host of the San Marino Grand Prix, and returned from 2020 as host of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Result
at Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy