1980 Australian Grand Prix

XLV Australian Grand Prix
Race details
Date	November 16, 1980
Official Name	XLV Australian Grand Prix
Location	Calder Park Raceway Keilor, Victoria, Australia
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.609km (1mi)
Distance	95 laps, 152.855km (95 miles)
Pole Position
Driver	Alan Jones Williams-Ford
Time	0:36.1
Fastest Lap
Driver	Alan Jones Williams-Ford
Time	0:36.9
Podium
First	Alan Jones Williams-Ford
Second	Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo
Third	Didier Pironi Elfin-Chevrolet
Lap Leaders
No race-code specified

The 1980 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula 5000 race apart of the Australian Drivers Championship which had opened up its entry list to Formula One cars following the Australian celebrations of its newly crowned F1 champion Alan Jones. Jones took part in the event and would dominate the event. Standing alongside him on the podium from the Formula One world was Bruno Giacomelli in his Alfa Romeo and Didier Pironi driving the local machinery.

Background

The Australian Grand Prix had at this time not been a Formula One event. Instead the event traditionally held the final round of the Australian Drivers Championship which was locally known as Australian Formula 1, however the cars were not Formula One specification and instead were Formula 5000. 

The Formula One calendar had concluded and in 1980, Australia had its first Formula One World Champion since 1966 in the form of Alan Jones. Jones had recently returned to Australia during the off-season of Formula One where his success had earned him celebrity status. Australian Grand Prix organiser Bob Jane therefore considered opening the Australian Grand Prix to Formula One cars providing Jones the opportunity to showcase his skills to his home crowd. 

Bob Jane invited the Formula One teams to participate in the event, however the turnout from the F1 world was poor, only Alan Jones in his {Williams, Bruno Giacomelli in his Alfa Romeo and Didier Pironi who would sample the local machinery arrived for the event. Pironi notably choosing to compete in one of the older and slower F5000 cars, the Elfin-Chevrolet rather than the Lola-Chevrolet in which most of Australia's top drivers were competing in. 

Qualifying

As was expected, the two Formula One cars of Alan Jones's Williams and Bruno Giacomelli's Alfa Romeo blew their F5000 competition away. The home crowd was expecting to see an easy Alan Jones victory, however Giacomelli's qualifying pace was only slightly slower than Jones's Williams, indicating it would not be a complete walk in the park for Jones on Sunday. 

Didier Pironi, the third Formula One driver in the race was driving one of Elfin-Chevrolet's, one of the older Formula 5000 cars. Pironi did well to put his Elfin eighth on the grid, just behind several of the much faster Lola cars. 

Qualifying Results

Pos.	No.	Driver	Constructor	Time
1	27	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	0:36.1
2	23	Bruno Giacomelli	Alfa Romeo	0:36.3
3	84	Alfredo Costanzo	Lola-Chevrolet	0:37.9
4	76	John Wright	Lola-Chevrolet	0:38.8
5	4	Jon Davison	Lola-Chevrolet	0:39.7
6	10	Rob Butcher	Lola-Chevrolet	0:40.0
7	7	Chas Talbot	Lola-Chevrolet	0:40.0
8	25	Didier Pironi	Elfin-Chevrolet	0:40.2
9	11	John Bowe	Elfin-Chevrolet	0:40.5
10	17	Mel McEwin	Matich-Repco	0:40.8
11	21	Peter Edwards	Lola-Chevrolet	0:41.1
12	71	John Smith	Ralt-Ford	0:41.4
13	38	Ivan Tighe	Chevron-Chevrolet	0:41.6
14	33	Tim Slako	Elfin-Chevrolet	0:42.0
15	8	Ian Adams	Lola-Chevrolet	0:42.0
16	16	Barry Singlelton	Gardos-Chevrolet	0:42.2
17	34	Colin Trengove	Lola-Chevrolet	0:42.3
18	77	Peter Williamson	Galloway-Chevrolet	0:42.6
19	48	Ray Hangar	March-Ford	0:43.5
20	12	Garrie Cooper	Elfin-Chevrolet	DNP

Race

Report

The race would take place under the gruelling Australian sunshine, the race being held under an air temperature of 45 degrees celsius. As predicted Alan Jones and Bruno Giacomelli led the field away, Jones however was facing close competition from Giacomelli who remained tight on the Williams driver's tail. On lap 7, Giacomelli took the lead from Jones, stealing the limelight away from the local favourite, however Jones remained stuck to Giacomelli's tail.

Didier Pironi, had meanwhile been blitzing the local competition. Although local driver Alfredo Costanzo was able to hold Pironi's charge briefly, Pironi moved into third position where he was in a class of his own amongst the F5000 drivers, only Jones and Giacomelli he was unable to catch. 

The duel for the lead between Giacomelli and Jones continued to wage on. However it was lap 36 when the pair came to lap Pironi for the third time that the race had a turn. Pironi acted like he did not see Giacomelli, Jones went to pass around the outside when Giacomelli was forced wide. The two cars touched and Giacomelli spun off the circuit. Whilst Giacomelli was able to catch up to Jones once again, his rear tyres began to fade and he therefore had to back off.

Jones was therefore faced with a comfortable win in front of his home crowd, but there was a small scare on lap 76 when Jones came round to lap the Elfin of Garrie Cooper where he nearly spun. However Jones maintained control and took a comfortable race win one lap ahead of Giacomelli. Pironi took third, proving his own ability where he defeated the local drivers in their own machinery, not to mention in the less competitive Elfin. 

Results

Pos.	No.	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid
1	27	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	95	1:00.16.4	1
2	23	Bruno Giacomelli	Alfa Romeo	94	+1 lap	2
3	25	Didier Pironi	Elfin-Chevrolet	91	+4 laps	8
4	84	Alfredo Costanzo	Lola-Chevrolet	90	+5 laps	4
5	7	Chas Talbot	Lola-Chevrolet	87	+8 laps	7
6	10	Rob Butcher	Lola-Chevrolet	85	+10 laps	6
7	12	Garrie Cooper	Elfin-Chevrolet	85	+10 laps	20
8	34	Colin Trengove	Lola-Chevrolet	84	+11 laps	17
9	21	Peter Edwards	Lola-Chevrolet	84	+11 laps	11
10	38	Ivan Tighe	Chevron-Chevrolet	83	+12 laps	13
11	11	John Bowe	Elfin-Chevrolet	79	+16 laps	9
Ret	76	John Wright	Lola-Chevrolet	70	Fuel pump	4
Ret	4	Jon Davison	Lola-Chevrolet	68	Gearbox	5
Ret	8	Ian Adams	Lola-Chevrolet	60	Rocker stud	15
Ret	17	Mel McEwin	Matiach-Repco	33	Clutch	10
Ret	77	Peter Williamson	Galloway-Ford	27	Engine	18
Ret	33	Tim Slako	Elfin-Chevrolet	17	Water pump	14
Ret	16	Barry Singleton	Gardos-Chevrolet	6	Oil leak	16
Ret	71	John Smith	Ralt-Ford	1	Engine	12
DNS	48	Ray Hanger	March-Ford	0		19

Milestones

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