1977 Japanese Grand Prix

The 1977 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 23 October 1977 at Fuji. It was the 17th and final race of the 1977 Formula One World Championship. At the time, this was the last Japanese Grand Prix due to traveling and financial issues (in those days, in order to get to Japan from Europe required going through Anchorage, Alaska in the United States or through Hong Kong, as both the Soviet Union and Red China banned Western aircraft from flying in their airspace) and safety concerns with the Mount Fuji circuit, it was also the last Japanese Grand Prix to be held at Fuji Speedway until 2007. The race would return in 1987, held at the better spectated and safer Suzuka Circuit.<ref name=StatsF1-race>Template:Cite web</ref>

Report

Mario Andretti and James Hunt continued their late-season battle, with the American pipping Hunt to the pole, with John Watson heading the second row. Hunt took the lead at the start, and Jody Scheckter and Jochen Mass jumped up to second and third, whereas Andretti had a terrible start and was at the tail of the top ten. On the second lap, Andretti was involved in a collision while trying to gain places, putting him out with Binder and Takahara. With Andretti out, Hunt had no challengers left and he built a large gap, with teammate Mass second and Watson passing Scheckter for third. However, both Mass and Watson had to retire within one lap of each other with engine and gearbox failures, and with Scheckter dropping back, Carlos Reutemann was second until he was passed by Jacques Laffite. Hunt went on and capped off the season with a comfortable win, whereas Laffite ran of fuel on the last lap, handing over second to Reutemann and allowing Patrick Depailler to complete the podium.

A marshal and photographer were killed by debris following a collision involving Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari and Ronnie Peterson's Tyrrell P34 on lap six. They had both been standing in a prohibited area of the track when the accident occurred.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The marshal was trying to clear spectators away from the area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After the race concluded, both Hunt and Reutemann left the circuit immediately to catch a flight home, leaving Depailler and his engineer on the podium.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rules changed shortly thereafter making the podium celebration mandatory.

March's driver Ian Scheckter was denied entry into and expelled from Japan due to only having a tourist visa passport (unlike his brother Jody Scheckter, who had a working visa) and Japanese objections to the South African apartheid regime.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Classification

Qualifying

Pos.	Driver	Constructor	Time
1	Template:Flagicon Mario Andretti	Lotus–Ford	1:12.23
2	Template:Flagicon James Hunt	McLaren–Ford	+0.16
3	Template:Flagicon John Watson	Brabham–Alfa Romeo	+0.26
4	Template:Flagicon Hans-Joachim Stuck	Brabham–Alfa Romeo	+0.78
5	Template:Flagicon Jacques Laffite	Ligier–Matra	+0.85
6	Template:Flagicon Jody Scheckter	Wolf–Ford	+0.92
7	Template:Flagicon Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	+1.09
8	Template:Flagicon Jochen Mass	McLaren–Ford	+1.14
9	Template:Flagicon Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees–Ford	+1.14
10	Template:Flagicon Clay Regazzoni	Ensign–Ford	+1.29
11	Template:Flagicon Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Kojima–Ford	+1.32
12	Template:Flagicon Alan Jones	Shadow–Ford	+1.33
13	Template:Flagicon Riccardo Patrese	Shadow–Ford	+1.35
14	Template:Flagicon Gunnar Nilsson	Lotus–Ford	+1.43
15	Template:Flagicon Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell–Ford	+1.93
16	Template:Flagicon Patrick Tambay	Ensign–Ford	+1.99
17	Template:Flagicon Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier–Matra	+2.02
18	Template:Flagicon Ronnie Peterson	Tyrrell–Ford	+2.03
19	Template:Flagicon Noritake Takahara	Kojima–Ford	+2.13
20	Template:Flagicon Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	+2.28
21	Template:Flagicon Hans Binder	Surtees–Ford	+2.50
22	Template:Flagicon Kunimitsu Takahashi	Tyrrell–Ford	+2.65
23	Template:Flagicon Alex Ribeiro	March–Ford	+2.78
Source:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Tyre	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	1	Template:Flagicon James Hunt	McLaren-Ford	Template:Goodyear	73	1:31:51.68	2	9
2	12	Template:Flagicon Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	Template:Goodyear	73	+ 1:02.45	7	6
3	4	Template:Flagicon Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell-Ford	Template:Goodyear	73	+ 1:06.39	15	4
4	17	Template:Flagicon Alan Jones	Shadow-Ford	Template:Goodyear	73	+ 1:06.61	12	3
5	26	Template:Flagicon Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra	Template:Goodyear	72	Out of Fuel	5	2
6	16	Template:Flagicon Riccardo Patrese	Shadow-Ford	Template:Goodyear	72	+ 1 Lap	13	1
7	8	Template:Flagicon Hans-Joachim Stuck	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	Template:Goodyear	72	+ 1 Lap	4
8	19	Template:Flagicon Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees-Ford	Template:Goodyear	71	+ 2 Laps	9
9	50	Template:Flagicon Kunimitsu Takahashi	Tyrrell-Ford	Template:Dunlop	71	+ 2 Laps	22
10	20	Template:Flagicon Jody Scheckter	Wolf-Ford	Template:Goodyear	71	+ 2 Laps	6
11	52	Template:Flagicon Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Kojima-Ford	Template:Bridgestone	71	+ 2 Laps	11
12	9	Template:Flagicon Alex Ribeiro	March-Ford	Template:Goodyear	69	+ 4 Laps	23
Ret	6	Template:Flagicon Gunnar Nilsson	Lotus-Ford	Template:Goodyear	63	Gearbox	14
Ret	22	Template:Flagicon Clay Regazzoni	Ensign-Ford	Template:Goodyear	43	Engine	10
Ret	7	Template:Flagicon John Watson	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	Template:Goodyear	29	Gearbox	3
Ret	2	Template:Flagicon Jochen Mass	McLaren-Ford	Template:Goodyear	28	Engine	8
Ret	23	Template:Flagicon Patrick Tambay	Ensign-Ford	Template:Goodyear	14	Engine	16
Ret	3	Template:Flagicon Ronnie Peterson	Tyrrell-Ford	Template:Goodyear	5	Accident	18
Ret	11	Template:Flagicon Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	Template:Goodyear	5	Accident	20
Ret	27	Template:Flagicon Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier-Matra	Template:Goodyear	3	Engine	17
Ret	5	Template:Flagicon Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Template:Goodyear	1	Collision	1
Ret	51	Template:Flagicon Noritake Takahara	Kojima-Ford	Template:Bridgestone	1	Collision	19
Ret	18	Template:Flagicon Hans Binder	Surtees-Ford	Template:Goodyear	1	Collision	21
Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Notes

• This was the Formula One World Championship debut for Japanese driver Kunimitsu Takahashi.
• This was the 5th fastest lap set by a South African driver.
• This race marked the 299th and 300th podium finish for a Ford-powered car.
• This was the last F1 victory for James Hunt, and the last by a British driver until the 1981 British Grand Prix.
• This was the final F1 race for Swedish driver Gunnar Nilsson.

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Template:Flagicon Niki Lauda	72
2	Template:Flagicon Jody Scheckter	55
3	Template:Flagicon Mario Andretti	47
4	Template:Flagicon Carlos Reutemann	42
5	Template:Flagicon James Hunt	40
Source: <ref name="Championship">Template:Cite web</ref>

Constructors' Championship standings

Pos	Constructor	Points
1	Template:Flagicon Ferrari	95 (97)
2	Template:Flagicon Lotus-Ford	62
3	Template:Flagicon McLaren-Ford	60
4	Template:Flagicon Wolf-Ford	55
5	Template:Flagicon Brabham-Alfa Romeo	27
Source: <ref name="Championship"/>

• Template:Small

References

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