Ferrari 312 T4: six victories and two World Championships in 1979

In the 1979 the house of Maranello conquered the last world title among the pilots before a very long fast which ended only at the beginning of the new millennium, with the first (dated 2000) of the five consecutive hits (in red) by Michael Schumacher. The season was characterized by a particularly exciting head-to-head between the Ferrari 312 T4s Jody Scheckter (who finished the year with 51 valid points) e Gilles Villeneuve (47), both winners of three races each. At the end of a decidedly exciting confrontation, the Cavallino once again returned to the top of the world, both in the drivers’ championshipwith the South African driver, rewarded by his great regularity, both in the World Championship reserved for constructors.

ANOTHER MASTERPIECE BY FORGHIERI

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The story of this single-seater, also born from the pencil of the late engineer Mauro Forghieribegan and ended with a shotgun. The last one, obtained at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monzain front of his home crowd, Jody Scheckter allowed to close the game with two games to spare. The heir to the 312 T3 which took part in the entire 1978 world championship (won by Mario Andretti in a Lotus) and in the first two races (Argentina and Brazil, both won by Jacques Laffite at the wheel of the Ligier-Ford) of the following season showed up with an evident and fascinating aerodynamic evolution, developed with the aim of guaranteeing the right space for the engine with opposed cylinders with transversal dimensions. In the Maranello headquarters, in fact, he looked at the aesthetic and performance side focusing onwidening of the sides compared to the previous model in order to ensure more air to the radiators and intake ducts. Also the suspensions were redesignedin order to create the least possible air resistancewhile I rear brakes they were placed in an internal position own to minimize the presence of unsprung masses.

A SCORE OF EXCITING VICTORIES

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Overall this car – powered by a Flat-12 enginewith a displacement of 2991.80 cm3 – he got six victories, equally redistributed between the two Cavallino standard-bearers. Gilles Villeneuve, initially indicated by insiders as the rider to be “sacrificed” to make room for the new entry Scheckter (coming from Wolf), won the first two dates (grand prize of South Africa and of the USA-West, with Scheckter who, on both occasions, closed right behind him) contested aboard the new single-seater. Then the Canadian pilot he could not repeat himself again until the fifteenth and final act (the Grand Prix of the US East) of a season that issued the final verdict a month early.

THE COMPANIES OF VILLENEUVE IN DIJON AND ZANDVOORT

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Although defeated by ScheckterVilleneuve rose to prominence in 1979 thanks to some truly epic racing. In Dijon, the Canadian fought wheel to wheel for second place against Arnoux’s Renault, managing to win only on the last lap. In Zandvoort he was the victim of one puncture while he was in the lead and covered a lap with the left rear tire completely collapsed in an attempt to regain the pits and still remain in contention for the title. Villeneuve managed to get back to the pit lane with the 312 T4 rear wheeliebut was forced to retire for i serious damage suffered to the suspension. Two companies with which Gilles he definitively earned the unconditional affection of the fans of the “Rossa”.

SCHECKTER, WINNING REGULARITY

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While Villeneuve stood out with these epic feats, Scheckter set his season on constancy being rewarded and confirming the credentials shown by driving to the ephemeral Wolf. The East London pilot – which he had replaced Carlos Reutemann passed to Team Lotus – he replied to Villeneuve and the other opponents imposing himself in the GPs of Belgium and Montecarloplayed in rapid succession in the month of May, ea Monza. The September 9, 1979 Scheckter became the first and, until now, only South African driver to be able to boast the pilots world title of the Formula One World Championship.