1979 South African Grand Prix

Previous race

Laffite won in Brazil for the second successive race, completing a Ligier sweep of both South American rounds. Depailler was second, with Reutemann third.

Championship standings

Laffite leads the championship with two wins from two races, as the teams reconvene four weeks later at Kyalami.

Between-race developments

A battle for control of the sport between the Formula One Constructors Association and the newly formed FISA under Jean-Marie Balestre is intensifying, though the South African race goes ahead without disruption.

Entrants

Ferrari debuts the new 312T4 at Kyalami, replacing the 312T3 that carried Scheckter and Villeneuve through the South American rounds. Teams typically introduce new cars after the Argentine and Brazilian rounds. Kyalami’s high altitude gives turbocharged engines a performance advantage over naturally aspirated rivals.