1980 German Grand Prix

Previous race

Britain went to Jones for his fourth win of the year and his third consecutive victory including the non-championship Spanish Grand Prix. Piquet finished second and Reutemann third. Laffite led early before a deflating tyre caused him to spin into the catch fencing at Hawthorn Bend; Pironi also suffered tyre failures, caused by cracking wheel rims. Jones doubled his championship lead over Piquet to six points.

Championship

Jones leads Piquet by six points. Williams leads Ligier by 18 points in the constructors’ championship.

Between-race developments

Patrick Depailler was killed during a private testing session at the Hockenheimring nine days before this race. A suspension failure on his Alfa Romeo sent the car over the barriers at the high-speed Ost-Kurve; he sustained fatal head injuries. Depailler had driven his last championship race at the British Grand Prix. Alfa Romeo enters only one car here — that of Bruno Giacomelli.

Background

The Hockenheimring’s long flat-out sections through the forest are expected to favour the more powerful turbocharged Renault engines. The field arrives at the circuit nine days after Depailler’s fatal accident here.

Milestones

Jochen Mass makes his 100th Grand Prix start in his home race.