Alan Jones’ first
It was raining just prior to the start of the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix held on the hills of Zeltweg. Tyre choice was split between those who chose wets and others slicks.
Mario Andretti first led the race in his Lotus 78 before his engine failed. Alan Jones (picture-above) in his Shadow and Gunnar Nilsson (Lotus) had starred in the early wet laps, moving from down the order to fourth and second.
Hunt was now leading on a drying track, and Jones moved past Hans-Joachim Stuck’s Brabham and Jody Scheckter’s Wolf. When James Hunt and Gunnar Nilsson were forced to retire with an engine failure, the Australian found himself in the lead, and held it till the checkered flag.
It was Alan Jones’s first Formula One victory, and the only one for the Shadow team in it’s eight-year F1 history. The Australian will be crowned World Champion, 3 years later with Williams.
Classification :
- Alan Jones, Shadow-Ford.
- Niki Lauda, Ferrari
- Hans-Joachim Stuck, Brabham-Alfa Romeo
