Argentine Grand Prix 1980 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Alan Jones opened the 1980 season with a commanding victory for Williams at the Argentine Grand Prix, establishing the team's ground-effect FW07B as the car to beat. The defending champion from 1979 delivered a masterclass in consistency, leading home Nelson Piquet's Brabham and Keke Rosberg's Fittipaldi to signal Williams' championship intentions. Jones's victory was built on the brilliant aerodynamic design of Patrick Head's FW07B, which had refined the ground-effect principles to near-perfection over the winter.

Piquet's second place demonstrated that Brabham would be serious championship contenders throughout the season, with the Brazilian extracting every ounce of performance from Gordon Murray's BT49. Rosberg's podium for the struggling Fittipaldi team was a pleasant surprise, showcasing the Finn's emerging talent despite having inferior machinery. The race confirmed that ground-effect aerodynamics would define the 1980 season, with cars generating enormous downforce through carefully sculpted underfloors and sliding skirts that sealed the venturi tunnels. Jones's victory at the season opener set the tone for what would become Williams' first championship-winning campaign.