1977 Japanese Grand Prix

1977 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 17 of 17 in the 1977 Formula One season
Race details
Date	23 October 1977
Official name	XII Japanese Grand Prix
Location	Fuji Speedway Oyama, Shizuoka, Japan
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.359 km (2.709 miles)
Distance	73 laps, 318.207 km (197.725 miles)
Weather	Dry
Pole position
Driver	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford
Time	1:12.23
Fastest lap
Driver	Jody Scheckter	Wolf-Ford
Time	1:14.30 on lap 71
Podium
First	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford
Second	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari
Third	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell-Ford
Lap leaders

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.

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. The marshal was trying to clear spectators away from the area.

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. 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.

Classification

Qualifying

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

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Tyre	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	1	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford	G	73	1:31:51.68	2	9
2	12	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	G	73	+ 1:02.45	7	6
3	4	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell-Ford	G	73	+ 1:06.39	15	4
4	17	Alan Jones	Shadow-Ford	G	73	+ 1:06.61	12	3
5	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Matra	G	72	Out of Fuel	5	2
6	16	Riccardo Patrese	Shadow-Ford	G	72	+ 1 Lap	13	1
7	8	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	G	72	+ 1 Lap	4
8	19	Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees-Ford	G	71	+ 2 Laps	9
9	50	Kunimitsu Takahashi	Tyrrell-Ford	D	71	+ 2 Laps	22
10	20	Jody Scheckter	Wolf-Ford	G	71	+ 2 Laps	6
11	52	Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Kojima-Ford	B	71	+ 2 Laps	11
12	9	Alex Ribeiro	March-Ford	G	69	+ 4 Laps	23
Ret	6	Gunnar Nilsson	Lotus-Ford	G	63	Gearbox	14
Ret	22	Clay Regazzoni	Ensign-Ford	G	43	Engine	10
Ret	7	John Watson	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	G	29	Gearbox	3
Ret	2	Jochen Mass	McLaren-Ford	G	28	Engine	8
Ret	23	Patrick Tambay	Ensign-Ford	G	14	Engine	16
Ret	3	Ronnie Peterson	Tyrrell-Ford	G	5	Accident	18
Ret	11	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	G	5	Accident	20
Ret	27	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier-Matra	G	3	Engine	17
Ret	5	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	G	1	Collision	1
Ret	51	Noritake Takahara	Kojima-Ford	B	1	Collision	19
Ret	18	Hans Binder	Surtees-Ford	G	1	Collision	21
Source:

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.

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Niki Lauda	72
2	Jody Scheckter	55
3	Mario Andretti	47
4	Carlos Reutemann	42
5	James Hunt	40
Source:

Constructors' Championship standings

Pos	Constructor	Points
1	Ferrari	95 (97)
2	Lotus-Ford	62
3	McLaren-Ford	60
4	Wolf-Ford	55
5	Brabham-Alfa Romeo	27
Source:

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. Only the best 8 results from the first 9 races and the best 7 results from the remaining 8 races were retained. Numbers without parentheses are retained points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.