Formula 1 - 1979 - Round 04 - United States West GP

The 1979 United States Grand Prix West, alternatively known as the 4th United States Grand Prix West or the V Lubri Lon Grand Prix of Long Beach, was the fourth round of the 1979 FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Long Beach Street Circuit on the 8 April 1979.[2][1] The race would be fondly remembered for a dominant performance by Gilles Villeneuve, who claimed his one and only career Grand Chelem after collecting pole, fastest lap and victory.[2]

Indeed, Villeneuve was looking to erase the memories of his last visit to Long Beach from the get go, and duly aced qualifying to claim his maiden pole position start.[2] His former Ferrari stablemate Carlos Reutemann would line-up alongside for Lotus, with Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler completing the second row.[2]

The only shadow on Villeneuve's weekend would come at the start, for various issues caused two false starts.[2] The first was caused by the Canadian himself, who overshot his grid slot, and hence decided to complete another formation lap, before a series of stalls caused half the field to tour around a second time.[2]

At the third time of asking, and having weaved around the backmarkers to do so, Villeneuve finally blasted away at the start, leaving Depailler to fend off Reutemann for second.[2] Behind, however, there would be a somewhat inevitable collision given the pre-race confusion, with Patrick Tambay slamming into the back of Jan Lammers.[2] The McLaren would be briefly launched into the air, before crashing down on the side of Niki Lauda's car, causing race ending damage to both.[2]

Villeneuve duly disappeared up the road during the early laps, leaving an interesting scrap for second to develop between Depailler, Scheckter, Jean-Pierre Jarier and home hero Mario Andretti.[2] Ultimately, and unfortunately for the home crowd, it was Jarier who proved to be the man on the move, with the Tyrrell able to weave its way into second before the end of lap ten.[2]

Scheckter tried to go with the Tyrrell, and duly managed to snatch second place on lap 27, before blasting clear to chase Villeneuve.[2] Jarier was subsequently left to become a mobile chicane, with Depailler, Andretti and Alan Jones soon glued to his tail in a fight that would last until the final laps.[2]

Out front, meanwhile, Villeneuve would build a thirty second lead over Scheckter before the chequered flag appeared, and would also collect fastest lap to claim his first Grand Chelem. Scheckter himself was a comfortable second, while a late move from Jones saw the Australian ace sweep onto the final podium spot, aided by Depailler losing fourth gear after they barged past Jarier.