The Formula for Winning: A Formula One TL

[GrayJ12]

THE FORMULA FOR WINNING
Chapter 1: 1980 FIA Formula One World Championship (or, Ferrari's Fall)

1979 was a huge season for Ferrari. South African Jody Scheckter and Canadian Gilles Villeneuve won 3 races each, with Scheckter taking home the World Championship ahead of Villeneuve, and the Prancing Horse winning the Constructors championship. The season also saw the birth of Williams becoming a championship contender, with Alan Jones finishing 3rd in the championship standings and Clay Regazzoni scoring the first win for the team. Some big changes were announced ahead of the 1980 season, including ending the United States Grand Prix West, replacing it with the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola (Imola is actually in Italy, and the track was scheduled to host the Italian GP that year), and Road America in Wisconsin becoming the new host of the United States Grand Prix, replacing Watkins Glen in New York.

1979 World Champion Jody Scheckter of South Africa, the first African F1 world champion

A program for Road America, which replaced Watkins Glen as the host of the United States Grand Prix starting in 1980

The first race, the Argentine Grand Prix, set out the map for the season. Both Ferrari's had engine problems, beginning a horrendous season for the team. Nelson Piquet in his Brabham set the pace and beat Alan Jones' Williams by 2 seconds, with Keke Rosberg in his Fittipaldi claiming a podium spot. The Brazilian Grand Prix and the South African Grand Prix both had Alan Jones winning, and Nelson Piquet claiming retirements in both races. The inaugural San Marino Grand Prix was an interesting affair, with Renault driver Rene Arnoux looking set to claim victory, but his engine blew with two corners to go. Lotus driver Elio de Angelis took his car home, winning the San Marino Grand Prix.

Alan Jones in his Williams FW07

Italian Elio de Angelis' Lotus 81, from which he won the 1980 San Marino Grand Prix

Then tragedy struck at Belgium. In FP1, McLaren driver Alain Prost was driving the car through the famous Eau Rouge turn when his car hit some debris. The car slammed the outside wall, then flipping several times. Eddie Cheever, trying to swerve to avoid hitting Prost's car, failed, slamming into his car, with Cheever's Osella then flipping. Prost was taken to a local hospital, when he was then announced dead as a result of his injuries suffered in the crash. Cheever suffered a concussion and broken legs. Keke Rosberg was announced as Prost's replacement.

Frenchman Alain Prost, before his fatal crash.

The bleak Belgian Grand Prix was won by fellow Frenchman Rene Arnoux in his Renault, raising a French flag on the flagpole in honor of the deceased Prost. Monaco was then won by Ligier driver Didier Proni, benefiting of a blown engine of Carlos Reutemann's Williams. Alan Jones then won the next two races, the French and British Grand Prix's, before Piquet captured victory in the German Grand Prix. The Austrian Grand Prix was a rain-soaked affair, with Emerson Fittipaldi capturing an upset win in his own car. Jones then won the Dutch Grand Prix before Piquet won the next two Grand Prix, Italy and Canada, before the season ending US Grand Prix, the first at the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Even though Piquet won the race, Alan Jones became the World Champion thanks to the points system, which only the best 10 results (best 5 from first 7 and last 7) count towards the world championship. Williams won the constructors championship.

1974 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi in his car that won the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix in wet conditions

Alan Jones, the 1980 world champion

1980 Formula One race results:
Argentina: Nelson Piquet (Brabham)
Brazil: Alan Jones (Williams)
South Africa: Alan Jones (Williams)
San Marino: Elio de Angelis (Lotus)
Belgium: Rene Arnoux (Renault)
Monaco: Didier Proni (Ligier)
France: Alan Jones (Williams)
Britain: Alan Jones (Williams)
Austria: Emerson Fittipaldi (Fittipaldi)
Netherlands: Nelson Piquet (Brabham)
Canada: Nelson Piquet (Brabham)
United States: Alan Jones (Williams)

 

[Post]

What is your POD that caused the different performances in the races?

Because in OTL Argentine was dominated by Jones in his Williams.
Brazil was dominated by Renault and Arnoux won, after Jabouille had a turbofailure.
SA again dominated by Renault and a win for Arnoux after a flat tyre for Jabouille.
USA-W was cancelled in your TL, but you don't say why. De Angelis won the Imola race you replaced it with, but apart from his 2nd place in Brasil the Lotusses never scored a lot of points. They weren't really up to speed anywhere IIRC. They did qualify 5th and 6th in Argentine, but that was the only time they were in the first 6 in qualification.
Belgium was won by Didier Pironi, dominating the race. Prost did crash this race, due to brake failure, but this is barely mentioned in the report I've got from 1980 dutch Auto- en rensport magazine. I'm not sure how heavy the crash was and if it could have been lethal, since in OTL Prost did start 2 weeks later in Monaco. Again: in the report I have of said dutch magazine, Prost is barely mentioned in this race. Nothing about injuries (which doesn't mean he doesn't have them, since McLaren at the time was not a topteam, so may have thought it wasn't relevant). Prost did have two crashes earlier this year in training in South Africa, due to which he could not take part further. The first was due to a breaking steeringcolumn. He bruised his toes. The second the rearwheelsuspension broke and he broke his left wrist, which took him out. Although a serious crash, I don't know if it could have been lethal.

Monaco was won by Reutemann after Pironi crashed out (POD for this one would be Pironi not crashing out?)
You leave out Spain, which was a non-championshiprace, but that being non-championship was kinda controversial and due to a conflict between FOCA and FISA. Might have been different in this universe.
France and Britian stay the same in this ATL as in OTL. Why do they stay the same, while everything else changes?

Then you skip Germany. Why is that one out?

In Austria you have Fittipaldi winning, who in OTL finished 11th, 1 lap down, while Jabouille controlled the race (although another misfortune for him wouldn't be farfetched, that still leaves a lot of faster cars before Emerson).
Netherlands stays the same as OTL. (In OTL after this one Piquet was leading the championship).
You leave out Italy. Why?
In your Canada wins Piquet (Jones in OTL)
The last one stays the same, but on a different circuit.

You state that Jones won due to the pointssystem, in which 10 races counted. But Jones won 5 races in your ATL, which is just one less than in OTL. In OTL he scored 71 points, of which 4 got deducted. In OTL Piquet won 3 races, just as in your ATL, and 54 points (no deductions). So Piquet must have ramped up quite some more points in this ATL compared to OTL. Where was that and how did he do that?
You say that from each half (7 races) of the season only 5 counted. But you only give 12 raceresults. 2 are missing (Germany and Italy). (On second thougth: I see in the narrative you include Germany and Italy, but leave them out in the raceresults, one is won by Piquet, one by Jones, which gives Piquet one more win than OTL, and Jones the same as OTL. Still there needs to be explained how Piquet scored more points than Jones, since Jones won after the deductions).

So there's a lot of difference in comparison with OTL. Why?
I like F1, and would be interested in an ATL, but all your changes in the results need clarification.
In general this TL needs more work, but I'm interested in how you can improve it.

 

[GrayJ12]

What is your POD that caused the different performances in the races?

Because in OTL Argentine was dominated by Jones in his Williams.
Brazil was dominated by Renault and Arnoux won, after Jabouille had a turbofailure.
SA again dominated by Renault and a win for Arnoux after a flat tyre for Jabouille.
USA-W was cancelled in your TL, but you don't say why. De Angelis won the Imola race you replaced it with, but apart from his 2nd place in Brasil the Lotusses never scored a lot of points. They weren't really up to speed anywhere IIRC. They did qualify 5th and 6th in Argentine, but that was the only time they were in the first 6 in qualification.
Belgium was won by Didier Pironi, dominating the race. Prost did crash this race, due to brake failure, but this is barely mentioned in the report I've got from 1980 dutch Auto- en rensport magazine. I'm not sure how heavy the crash was and if it could have been lethal, since in OTL Prost did start 2 weeks later in Monaco. Again: in the report I have of said dutch magazine, Prost is barely mentioned in this race. Nothing about injuries (which doesn't mean he doesn't have them, since McLaren at the time was not a topteam, so may have thought it wasn't relevant). Prost did have two crashes earlier this year in training in South Africa, due to which he could not take part further. The first was due to a breaking steeringcolumn. He bruised his toes. The second the rearwheelsuspension broke and he broke his left wrist, which took him out. Although a serious crash, I don't know if it could have been lethal.

Monaco was won by Reutemann after Pironi crashed out (POD for this one would be Pironi not crashing out?)
You leave out Spain, which was a non-championshiprace, but that being non-championship was kinda controversial and due to a conflict between FOCA and FISA. Might have been different in this universe.
France and Britian stay the same in this ATL as in OTL. Why do they stay the same, while everything else changes?

Then you skip Germany. Why is that one out?

In Austria you have Fittipaldi winning, who in OTL finished 11th, 1 lap down, while Jabouille controlled the race (although another misfortune for him wouldn't be farfetched, that still leaves a lot of faster cars before Emerson).
Netherlands stays the same as OTL. (In OTL after this one Piquet was leading the championship).
You leave out Italy. Why?
In your Canada wins Piquet (Jones in OTL)
The last one stays the same, but on a different circuit.

You state that Jones won due to the pointssystem, in which 10 races counted. But Jones won 5 races in your ATL, which is just one less than in OTL. In OTL he scored 71 points, of which 4 got deducted. In OTL Piquet won 3 races, just as in your ATL, and 54 points (no deductions). So Piquet must have ramped up quite some more points in this ATL compared to OTL. Where was that and how did he do that?
You say that from each half (7 races) of the season only 5 counted. But you only give 12 raceresults. 2 are missing (Germany and Italy). (On second thougth: I see in the narrative you include Germany and Italy, but leave them out in the raceresults, one is won by Piquet, one by Jones, which gives Piquet one more win than OTL, and Jones the same as OTL. Still there needs to be explained how Piquet scored more points than Jones, since Jones won after the deductions).

So there's a lot of difference in comparison with OTL. Why?
I like F1, and would be interested in an ATL, but all your changes in the results need clarification.
In general this TL needs more work, but I'm interested in how you can improve it.

First off - this is my first attempt at a F1 TL. I've been a relative fan for about 7 months now and starting to get familiar with all of the history. The changing of all of the races is intentional. The replacing of the US-W with Imola is the small POD - and to be honest, in retrospect, starting the TL with Prost being killed would be a better POD. This first post is just a mess, I am trying to find my footing in this. I apologize for all of the confusion and haziness surrounding the clarification of changed events.