1978 South African Grand Prix Results

Explore results, starting grids, drivers and constructor data from the 1978 South African Grand Prix.

Race classification
Pos	Driver	Team	Grid	Change	Laps	Status / time	Points	Fastest lap
1	Ronnie Peterson	Team Lotus	12	+11	78	1:42:15.767Finished	9	—
2	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell	11	+9	78	+0.466Finished	6	—
3	John Watson	Brabham	10	+7	78	+4.442Finished	4	—
4	Alan Jones	Williams	18	+14	78	+30.986Finished	3	—
5	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	13	+8	78	+1:09.218Finished	2	—
6	Didier Pironi	Tyrrell	14	+8	77	+1 Lap	1	—
7	Mario Andretti	Team Lotus	2	-5	77	+1 Lap	0	—
8	Jean-Pierre Jarier	ATS	17	+9	77	+1 Lap	0	—
9	Rolf Stommelen	Arrows	22	+13	77	+1 Lap	0	—
10	Hector Rebaque	Team Lotus	21	+11	77	+1 Lap	0	—
11	Brett Lunger	McLaren	20	+9	76	+2 Laps	0	—
12	Vittorio Brambilla	Surtees	19	+7	76	+2 Laps	0	—
R	Riccardo Patrese	Arrows	7	-6	63	Engine	0	—
R	Jody Scheckter	Wolf	5	-9	59	Spun off	0	—
R	Patrick Tambay	McLaren	4	-11	56	Accident	0	—
R	Gilles Villeneuve	Ferrari	8	-8	55	Oil leak	0	—
R	Carlos Reutemann	Ferrari	9	-8	55	Spun off	0	—
R	Niki Lauda	Brabham	1	-17	52	Engine	0	—
R	Rupert Keegan	Surtees	23	+4	52	Engine	0	—
R	Jochen Mass	ATS	15	-5	43	Engine	0	—
R	Arturo Merzario	Merzario	26	+5	39	Suspension	0	—
R	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Renault	6	-16	38	Engine	0	—
R	Keke Rosberg	Theodore	24	+1	15	Clutch	0	—
R	Emerson Fittipaldi	Fittipaldi	16	-8	9	Transmission	0	—
R	Eddie Cheever	Hesketh	25	0	8	Oil leak	0	—
R	James Hunt	McLaren	3	-23	5	Engine	0	—

Change = grid − classified position. Pit-lane / unknown grids, non-starters and disqualifications have no position-change value.

South African Grand Prix