1978 British Formula One Championship Explained

The 1978 British Formula One Championship (formally the 1978 Aurora AFX F1 Championship) was the first season of the British Formula One Championship. It commenced on 24 March 1978 and ended on 24 September after twelve races.^[1]

The Aurora AFX F1 Championship replaced the Shellsport Group 8 series that had been run in 1976 and 1977 to Formula Libre rules. As part of the changes, Formula 5000 and Formula Atlantic cars were no longer eligible to race in the Aurora AFX championship. Formula 1 cars were now the focus of the series, with Formula 2 cars still being permitted as a 'B-class'.^[2]

Teams and drivers

Entry List^[3]
Team		Driver	Chassis	Engine	Rounds
Formula 1
Melchester Racing	1	Tony Trimmer	McLaren M23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	1–5, 7, 9–10, 12
Melchester Racing	1	Divina Galica	McLaren M23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	11
Team March	3	Bruce Allison	March 75A/761	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	4-8
	4	Guy Edwards	March 75A/761		1-2
	3	Bruce Allison	March 781		9-12
	4	Guy Edwards			3-12
	21	Geoff Lees			7
Centro Asegurador F1	5	Emilio de Villota	McLaren M25	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	1–6, 10-12
Centro Asegurador F1	5	Emilio de Villota	McLaren M23	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	8-9
Valentino Musetti	7	Valentino Musetti		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	1-9
Mario Deliotti Racing	7	Valentino Musetti	Ensign N177	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	10-12
		Geoff Lees	Ensign N175		1-4
		Bruce Allison			2
		Giancarlo Martini			5-6
		Ray Mallock			7
		Desiré Wilson			8-12
Alo Lawler	10	Alo Lawler	Surtees TS19	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	1-3
Stanley BRM	11	Teddy Pilette	BRM P207	BRM P202 3.0 V12	1–4, 7-12
	13	Divina Galica	Surtees TS19	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	5
J. C. Cooper	14	Bob Evans	Surtees TS19	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	5-6
	14	Bob Evans	Hesketh 308E		7-12
	17	John Cooper	Hesketh 308C		1-8
		John Cooper	Hesketh 308E		9, 11-12
		Geoff Lees	Hesketh 308E		10
Dennis Leech	16	Dennis Leech		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	11
Jörg Zaborowski	19	Jörg Zaborowski		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	3
BS Fabrications	30	Brett Lunger	McLaren M26	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	5
Theodore Racing	32	David Kennedy	Wolf WR3	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	12
Gerd Biechteler	65	Gerd Biechteler		Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	4, 6
Formula 2
Graham Eden Racing	6	Mike Wilds	Ralt RT1	Ford BDG 2.0 L4	All
Mario Deliotti Racing	9	Geoff Lees	Chevron B42	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	11
	10	Alo Lawler	Ralt RT1	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	6, 8, 11
Stephen South	12	Stephen South	March 782	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	10-11
Kim Mather	15	Kim Mather	Chevron B35D	Ford BDG 2.0 L4	1–9, 12
Fred Opert Racing	16	Boy Hayje	Chevron B42	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	5
Chevron Cars	16	Elio de Angelis	Chevron B42	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	10
	18	Iain McLaren	Chevron B35	Ford BDX 2.0 L4	1, 4
	18	Iain McLaren	Chevron B40	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	9
Adrian Russell	20	Adrian Russell	March 762	Ford BDX 2.0 L4	1-11
Boxer Cars	22	Norman Dickson	Boxer PR276	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	3, 5
		Geoff Brabham			6
		Emilio de Villota			7
Andy Barton	23	Andy Barton	Barton JTB3	Ford BDX 2.0 L4	4
Andy Barton	23	Andy Barton	March 77B/772P	Ford BDG 2.0 L4	9
Warren Booth	29	Warren Booth	Scott F2	Ford BDX 2.0 L4	1, 6, 8
Nigel Clarkson	30	Nigel Clarkson	March 742	Ford BDX 2.0 L4	1–2, 12
Alan Baillie	38	Alan Baillie	March 752	Ford BDX Swindon 2.0 L4	1, 4, 6–7, 11-12
Alan Baillie	38	Ray Mallock	March 752	Ford BDX Swindon 2.0 L4	9
Kevin Bowditch	41	Kevin Bowditch	Lola T460	Ford 2.0 L4	6-7
Carlo Giorgio	42	Carlo Giorgio	March 742	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	2, 5
Dr. Joseph Ehrlich	43	Brett Riley	March 762	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	9-10
	47	Norman Dickson	March 772P	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	10-11
Eugen Grupp	64	Eugen Grupp	Toj F202	BMW M12 2.0 L4	9
Osterreich ASC	65	Gerd Biechteler	March 782	BMW M12 2.0 L4	9
	71	John David Briggs	Chevron B42	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	10-11
	77	Don Breidenbach	Chevron B42	Hart 420R 2.0 L4	10-11
Walter Raus	78	Walter Raus	March 762	BMW M12 2.0 L4	2
	90	Richard Jones	March 742	Ford BDG 2.0 L4	10-12
Bill Wood		Bill Wood	March 742	Ford 2.0 L4	5

Results and standings

Races

Rnd	Track	Date	Laps	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Race Winner	Constructor
1	Oulton Park	24 March	65	Tony Trimmer	Tony Trimmer	Tony Trimmer	McLaren
2	Brands Hatch	27 March	40	Guy Edwards	Geoff Lees	Tony Trimmer	McLaren
3	Snetterton	16 April	55	Tony Trimmer	Tony Trimmer	Tony Trimmer	McLaren
4	Mallory Park	1 May	75	Tony Trimmer	Emilio de Villota	Geoff Lees	Ensign
5	Zandvoort	15 May	38	Brett Lunger	Brett Lunger	Bob Evans	Surtees
6	Donington Park	21 May	55	Giancarlo Martini	Giancarlo Martini	Giancarlo Martini	Ensign
7	Thruxton	29 May	50	Guy Edwards	Geoff Lees	Tony Trimmer	McLaren
8	Oulton Park	24 June	65	Emilio de Villota	Teddy Pilette	Guy Edwards	March
9	Mallory Park	30 July	75	Tony Trimmer	Emilio de Villota	Bruce Allison	March
10	Brands Hatch	28 August	40	Stephen South	Emilio de Villota	Tony Trimmer	McLaren
11	Thruxton	10 September	45	Emilio de Villota	Geoff Lees	Guy Edwards	March
12	Snetterton	24 September	50	Emilio de Villota	David Kennedy	David Kennedy	Wolf

Drivers' standings

Points are awarded to the top ten classified finishers using the following structure:

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Points	20	15	12	10	8	6	4	3	2	1	2

	Driver	OUL	BRH	SNE	MAL	ZAN	DON	THR	OUL	MAL	BRH	THR	SNE	Pts
1	Tony Trimmer	1	1	1	2	DNS		1		2	1		2	149
2	Bob Evans					1	3	2	5	7	2	2	7	93
3	Emilio de Villota	2	3	2	4	Ret	5	7	Ret	4	Ret	8	8	86
4	Guy Edwards	Ret	4	Ret	10	Ret	2	Ret	1	3	DNS	1	Ret	78
5	Geoff Lees	Ret	2	3	1			Ret			5	5		69
6	Bruce Allison		DNS		6	Ret	Ret	4	2	1	Ret	12	3	63
7	Valentino Musetti	NC	NC	Ret	3	7	4	5	3	Ret	6	4	DNS	62
8	John Cooper	3	8	Ret	8	8	7	8	7	9		10	4	44
9	Mike Wilds	Ret	6	Ret	7	6	DNS	6	6	8	7	13	5	43
10	Desiré Wilson								Ret	6	4	3	6	34
11	Giancarlo Martini					4	1							32
12	David Kennedy												1	22
13	Teddy Pilette	Ret	5	Ret	Ret			Ret	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	20
14	Divina Galica					2						7		19
15	Kim Mather	4	Ret	NC	5	NC	Ret	DNS	NC	Ret			Ret	18
16	Boy Hayje					3								12
=	Ray Mallock							3		12				12
=	Elio de Angelis										3			12
19	Iain McLaren	5			9					10				11
=	Adrian Russell	DNQ	10	NC	13	9	8	9	8	NC	Ret	Ret		11
21	Brett Lunger					5								10
22	Brett Riley									5	Ret			8
23	Don Breidenbach										10	6		7
24	Geoff Brabham						6							6
25	Walter Raus		7											4
26	John David Briggs										8	17		3
27	Stephen South										Ret	9		2
=	Warren Booth	NC					9		Ret					2
=	Carlo Giorgio		9			Ret								2
=	Richard Jones										9	11	Ret	2
—	Andy Barton				12					11				0
—	Gerd Biechteler				11		DNS			13				0
—	Alan Baillie	DNQ			14		NC	NC				15	DNS	0
—	Norman Dickson			DNS		Ret					DNS	14		0
—	Dennis Leech											16		0
—	Alo Lawler	Ret	Ret	DNS			Ret		Ret			Ret		0
—	Bill Wood					Ret								0
—	Kevin Bowditch						DNQ	DNS						0
—	Nigel Clarkson	DNQ	DNQ										DNQ	0
—	Jörg Zaborowski			DNQ										0
—	Eugen Grupp									DNQ				0
	Driver	OUL	BRH	SNE	MAL	ZAN	DON	THR	OUL	MAL	BRH	THR	SNE	Pts

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Notes and References

Web site: 1978 AURORA AFX BRITISH F1 CHAMPIONSHIP. motorsportmagazine.com. July 17, 2018.
Web site: 8W - Who? - Marcus Pye. www.forix.com. 28 December 2017.
Web site: Formula 1 - 3-litre Formula 1 (1966 - 1985). oldracingcars.com. July 17, 2018.