(video) 1979 United States GP: Gilles Villeneuve wins at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course. The 59-lap race took place in wet conditions, and was won by Gilles Villeneuve, driving a Ferrari.

The 1979 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 7, 1979 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. The 59-lap race took place in wet conditions, and was won by Gilles Villeneuve, driving a Ferrari. René Arnoux finished second in a Renault, with Didier Pironi third in a Tyrrell-Ford. The win, Villeneuve’s third of the season, enabled him to secure second place in the Drivers’ Championship behind team-mate Jody Scheckter.

Villeneuve coasted home, allowing Elio de Angelis and Hans-Joachim Stuck to unlap themselves, but finishing with a 48-second margin over Arnoux. Later, Villeneuve revealed that he had been nursing the car with failing oil pressure for the final 25 laps. The American Shadow team celebrated de Angelis’ fourth place, his only points of the year. The win by Villeneuve was his third, matching champion Scheckter’s total, securing a one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship.