The 1979 British Formula Three season was the 29th season of the British Formula Three Championship.
Only Project Four Racing and Team Tiga appeared properly prepared for the 1979 season, with respective drivers Chico Serra and Andrea de Cesaris. It would be Serra’s consistency that saw him take the BARC/BRDC Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship after a number of avoidable accidents and mistakes from de Cesaris, dropped him from contention. The Kiwi teenage sensation, Mike Thackwell was also very consistent, winning four of the last eight races for the works March Racing team.
The scoring system was 9-6-4-3-2-1 for the drivers placed in the first six positions, with 1 (one) extra point added for the driver who registered the fastest lap time of the race.
B.A.R.C./B.R.D.C. Vandervell British F3 Championship Champion: Chico Serra
Runner Up: Andrea de Cesaris
Results
Date Round Circuit Winning driver Winning team Winning car 04/03/79 Rd.1 Silverstone (club) Chico Serra Sadia Racing with Project Four March 793-Toyota 11/03/79 Rd.2 Thruxton Andrea de Cesaris Marlboro Team Tiga March 793-Toyota 25/03/79 Rd.3 Silverstone Nigel Mansell Unipart Team March 783/793-Triumph 01/04/79 Rd.4 Snetterton Chico Serra Sadia Racing with Project Four March 793-Toyota 08/04/79 Rd.5 Donington Park Chico Serra Sadia Racing with Project Four March 793-Toyota 16/04/79 Rd.5 Thruxton Andrea de Cesaris Marlboro Team Tiga March 793-Toyota 07/05/79 Rd.7 Brands Hatch (Indy) Andrea de Cesaris Marlboro Team Tiga March 793-Toyota 20/05/79 Rd.8 Donington Park Brett Riley Unipart Team March 793-Triumph 28/05/79 Rd.9 Silverstone (club) Bernard Devaney Derek McMahon Racing with Chevron Cars Chevron B47B-Toyota 10/06/79 Rd.10 Brands Hatch (Indy) Mike Thackwell March Racing Ltd March 793-Toyota 17/06/79 Rd.11 Cadwell Park Andrea de Cesaris Marlboro Team Tiga March 793-Toyota 01/07/79 Rd.12 Silverstone (Club) Andrea de Cesaris Marlboro Team Tiga March 793-Toyota 13/07/79 Rd.13 Silverstone Mike Thackwell March Racing Ltd March 793-Toyota 05/08/79 Rd.14 Snetterton Mike Thackwell March Racing Ltd March 793-Toyota 12/08/79 Rd.15 Mallory Park Chico Serra Sadia Racing with Project Four March 793-Toyota 27/08/79 Rd.16 Silverstone (Club) Chico Serra Sadia Racing with Project Four March 793-Toyota 15/09/79 Rd.17 Oulton Park Mike Thackwell March Racing Ltd March 793-Toyota 30/09/79 Rd.18 Thruxton Andrea de Cesaris Marlboro Team Tiga March 793-Toyota 07/10/79 Rd.19 Silverstone Stefan Johansson Marlboro Racing with Derek McMahon March 793-Toyota 28/10/79 Rd.20 Thruxton Mike Thackwell March Racing Ltd March 793-Toyota Source:
Table
Place Driver Car — Engine Total 1 Chico Serra March 793-Toyota 103 2 Andrea de Cesaris March 793-Toyota 90 3 Mike Thackwell March 793-Toyota 71 4 Stefan Johansson Chevron B47-Toyota March 793-Toyota 54 5 Brett Riley March 783/793-Triumph 40 6 Kenny Acheson Ralt RT1-Toyota March 793-Toyota 35 7 Bernard Devaney Chevron B47-Toyota 27 8 Nigel Mansell March 783/793-Triumph 24 9 Michael Roe Chevron B47-Toyota 15 Roberto Guerrero Argo JM3-Toyota 15 11 Eddie Jordan Chevron B47-Toyota March 793-Toyota 9 12 Alain Prost Martini Mk27-Renault 4 Rob Wilson March 793-Toyota 4 John Bright March 793-Toyota 4 Jorge Caton Ralt RT1-Toyota 4 Placido Iglesias Ralt RT1-Toyota 4 17 Fernando Jorge Ralt RT1-Toyota 3 Mike Blanchet Lola T670-Chevrolet Lola T670-Toyota 3 19 Thierry Boutsen March-Toyota 793 2 20 Ken Eady March 783/793-Triumph 1 Richard Dallest Martini Mk27-Toyota 1 Alan Smith Chevron B47B-Toyota 1 Bengt Trägårdh Ralt RT1-Toyota 1 Jon Hedström Ralt RT1-Toyota 1 Source:
Non-Championship Races
Results
Date Race Circuit Winning driver Winning team Winning car 03/06/79 RAC FOCA Trophy Donington Park Michael Roe David Clark Team Riva Watches Chevron B47-Toyota 15/07/79 Radio Trent Trophy Donington Park Kenny Acheson The RMC Group March 793-Toyota 02/09/79 Leinster Trophy Mondello Park Trevor Templeton A.W. Brown Racing with Malcolm Templeton Ralt RT1-Toyota 09/09/79 John Player International F3 Trophy Donington Park Kenny Acheson The RMC Group March 793-Toyota 03/11/79 BARC TV Trophy Thruxton Kenny Acheson The RMC Group March 793-ToyotaSource:
References