1980-09-28 312 T5 (2) Gilles Villeneuve CAN - Montreal 5
Local hero Giles Villeneuve claimed fifth with this Ferrari 312T5.
The 1980 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 28 September 1980, at the Circuit Île Notre-Dame in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the thirteenth and penultimate race of the 1980 Formula One season. The race was held over 70 laps of the 4.41-kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 309 kilometres.
Australian driver Alan Jones, driving a Williams FW07B, won his second consecutive Canadian Grand Prix, and coupled with the retirement of the Brabham BT49 of Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet due to the failure of its Cosworth DFV engine, this allowed Jones to secure the 1980 World Drivers' Championship. Jones became only the second Australian to claim the world championship, a title last won by Jack Brabham in 1966. It was also the first World Drivers' Championship for Williams Grand Prix Engineering, adding to their first Constructors' Championship, achieved two weeks earlier at the Italian Grand Prix.
The race featured a controversial first start where Piquet and Jones raced side by side to the first corner and touched, causing Piquet to hit the wall, sparking off other accidents behind. Piquet was forced to restart in his more fragile qualifying car, which ultimately led to his retirement and the end of the title battle. Some commentators thought Jones had forced Piquet into the wall, but the Brazilian shrugged it off as a racing incident.
Actally Pironi with Ligier took the chequer but would be classified third behind Jones and Reutemann due a 60-sed penalty for jumping start of the race. Watson ended 4th the local hero Villeneuve claimed fifth for Ferrari.
