The 1978 South African Grand Prix (formally the XXIV Citizen and Asseng Grand Prix of South Africa) was a Formula One motor race held on 4 March 1978 at Kyalami. It was the third round of the 1978 Formula One season and the 300th World Championship Grand Prix held since the championship began in . This was the debut race of the future world champion Keke Rosberg.
The Ferrari (312T3) and Brabham (BT46) teams had new cars in Kyalami for the race. The event also saw the return of Renault with its unique turbocharged car.
Summary
Ronnie Peterson, in the Lotus 78 with its Colin Chapman-inspired ground effect aerodynamics, battled Patrick Depailler in his Tyrrell on the last lap to take a dramatic victory. John Watson finished third for Brabham. Young Italian, Riccardo Patrese got his Arrows into the lead before retiring with a blown engine. Pole sitter and reigning world champion Niki Lauda, in his first season with Brabham, retired with engine failure and the Ferraris of Carlos Reutemann and Gilles Villeneuve exited on lap 55. James Hunt, who had qualified third on the grid in his McLaren M26, only lasted five laps when his engine failed, while his new teammate Patrick Tambay, who qualified fourth, crashed out mid race.
Classification
Qualifying
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Time !! Gap
|-
! 1
| 1
| Niki Lauda
| Brabham-Alfa Romeo
| 1:14.65
|align="center"| —
|-
! 2
| 5
| Mario Andretti
| Lotus-Ford
| 1:14.90
| +0.25
|-
! 3
| 7
| James Hunt
| McLaren-Ford
| 1:15.14
| +0.49
|-
! 4
| 8
| Patrick Tambay
| McLaren-Ford
| 1:15.30
| +0.65
|-
! 5
| 20
| Jody Scheckter
| Wolf-Ford
| 1:15.32
| +0.67
|-
! 6
| 15
| Jean-Pierre Jabouille
| Renault
| 1:15.36
| +0.71
|-
! 7
| 35
| Riccardo Patrese
| Arrows-Ford
| 1:15.48
| +0.83
|-
! 8
| 12
| Gilles Villeneuve
| Ferrari
| 1:15.50
| +0.85
|-
! 9
| 11
| Carlos Reutemann
| Ferrari
| 1:15.52
| +0.87
|-
! 10
| 2
| John Watson
| Brabham-Alfa Romeo
| 1:15.62
| +0.97
|-
! 11
| 6
| Ronnie Peterson
| Lotus-Ford
| 1:15.94
| +1.29
|-
! 12
| 4
| Patrick Depailler
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 1:15.97
| +1.32
|-
! 13
| 3
| Didier Pironi
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 1:16.38
| +1.73
|-
! 14
| 26
| Jacques Laffite
| Ligier-Matra
| 1:16.40
| +1.75
|-
! 15
| 14
| Emerson Fittipaldi
| Fittipaldi-Ford
| 1:16.47
| +1.82
|-
! 16
| 9
| Jochen Mass
| ATS-Ford
| 1:16.60
| +1.95
|-
! 17
| 10
| Jean-Pierre Jarier
| ATS-Ford
| 1:17.12
| +2.47
|-
! 18
| 27
| Alan Jones
| Williams-Ford
| 1:17.16
| +2.51
|-
! 19
| 30
| Brett Lunger
| McLaren-Ford
| 1:17.30
| +2.65
|-
! 20
| 19
| Vittorio Brambilla
| Surtees-Ford
| 1:17.32
| +2.67
|-
! 21
| 36
| Rolf Stommelen
| Arrows-Ford
| 1:17.49
| +2.84
|-
! 22
| 25
| Héctor Rebaque
| Lotus-Ford
| 1:17.50
| +2.85
|-
! 23
| 18
| Rupert Keegan
| Surtees-Ford
| 1:17.57
| +2.92
|-
! 24
| 32
| Keke Rosberg
| Theodore-Ford
| 1:17.62
| +2.97
|-
! 25
| 24
| Eddie Cheever
| Hesketh-Ford
| 1:17.83
| +3.18
|-
! 26
| 37
| Arturo Merzario
| Merzario-Ford
| 1:18.15
| +3.50
|-
!style="background:#ffcccc;"| 27
| 31
| René Arnoux
| Martini-Ford
| 1:18.21
| +3.56
|-
!style="background:#ffcccc;"| 28
| 17
| Clay Regazzoni
| Shadow-Ford
| 1:18.30
| +3.65
|-
!style="background:#ffcccc;"| 29
| 22
| Lamberto Leoni
| Ensign-Ford
| 1:18.38
| +3.73
|-
!style="background:#ffcccc;"| 30
| 16
| Hans-Joachim Stuck
| Shadow-Ford
| 1:18.45
| +3.80
|}
<nowiki/>*<nowiki/>Positions in red indicate entries that failed to qualify.
Race
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Tyre !! Laps !! Time/Retired !! Grid !! Points
|-
! 1
| 6
| Ronnie Peterson
| Lotus-Ford
|
| 78
| 1:42:15.767
| 12
| 9
|-
! 2
| 4
| Patrick Depailler
| Tyrrell-Ford
|
| 78
| +0.466
| 11
| 6
|-
! 3
| 2
| John Watson
| Brabham-Alfa Romeo
|
| 78
| +4.442
| 10
| 4
|-
! 4
| 27
| Alan Jones
| Williams-Ford
|
| 78
| +30.986
| 18
| 3
|-
! 5
| 26
| Jacques Laffite
| Ligier-Matra
|
| 78
| +1:09.218
| 13
| 2
|-
! 6
| 3
| Didier Pironi
| Tyrrell-Ford
|
| 77
| +1 Lap
| 14
| 1
|-
! 7
| 5
| Mario Andretti
| Lotus-Ford
|
| 77
| +1 Lap
| 2
|
|-
! 8
| 10
| Jean-Pierre Jarier
| ATS-Ford
|
| 77
| +1 Lap
| 17
|
|-
! 9
| 36
| Rolf Stommelen
| Arrows-Ford
|
| 77
| +1 Lap
| 22
|
|-
! 10
| 25
| Héctor Rebaque
| Lotus-Ford
|
| 77
| +1 Lap
| 21
|
|-
! 11
| 30
| Brett Lunger
| McLaren-Ford
|
| 76
| +2 Laps
| 20
|
|-
! 12
| 19
| Vittorio Brambilla
| Surtees-Ford
|
| 76
| +2 Laps
| 19
|
|-
!
| 35
| Riccardo Patrese
| Arrows-Ford
|
| 63
| Engine
| 7
|
|-
!
| 20
| Jody Scheckter
| Wolf-Ford
|
| 59
| Spun Off
| 5
|
|-
!
| 8
| Patrick Tambay
| McLaren-Ford
|
| 56
| Accident
| 4
|
|-
!
| 12
| Gilles Villeneuve
| Ferrari
|
| 55
| Oil Leak
| 8
|
|-
!
| 11
| Carlos Reutemann
| Ferrari
|
| 55
| Spun Off
| 9
|
|-
!
| 1
| Niki Lauda
| Brabham-Alfa Romeo
|
| 52
| Engine
| 1
|
|-
!
| 18
| Rupert Keegan
| Surtees-Ford
|
| 52
| Engine
| 23
|
|-
!
| 9
| Jochen Mass
| ATS-Ford
|
| 43
| Engine
| 15
|
|-
!
| 37
| Arturo Merzario
| Merzario-Ford
|
| 39
| Suspension
| 26
|
|-
!
| 15
| Jean-Pierre Jabouille
| Renault
|
| 38
| Engine
| 6
|
|-
!
| 32
| Keke Rosberg
| Theodore-Ford
|
| 15
| Clutch
| 24
|
|-
!
| 14
| Emerson Fittipaldi
| Fittipaldi-Ford
|
| 9
| Transmission
| 16
|
|-
!
| 24
| Eddie Cheever
| Hesketh-Ford
|
| 8
| Oil Leak
| 25
|
|-
!
| 7
| James Hunt
| McLaren-Ford
|
| 5
| Engine
| 3
|
|-
!
| 31
| René Arnoux
| Martini-Ford
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 17
| Clay Regazzoni
| Shadow-Ford
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 23
| Lamberto Leoni
| Ensign-Ford
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 16
| Hans-Joachim Stuck
| Shadow-Ford
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="9"|
|}
Notes
- This was the Formula One World Championship debut for Finnish driver and future World Champion Keke Rosberg and for French driver and future Grand Prix winner René Arnoux.
- This was the Formula One World Championship debut for French constructor Martini (failed to qualify).
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
! Pos
! Driver
! Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Mario Andretti
| 12
|-
|align="left"| 10px 5
|align="center"| 2
| Ronnie Peterson
| 11
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 3
| Niki Lauda
| 10
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 4
| Patrick Depailler
| 10
|-
|align="left"| 10px 2
|align="center"| 5
| Carlos Reutemann
| 9
|-
!colspan=4|Source:
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
! Pos
! Constructor
! Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Lotus-Ford
| 21
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 2
| Brabham-Alfa Romeo
| 14
|-
|align="left"| 10px 2
|align="center"| 3
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 11
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 4
| Ferrari
| 9
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 5
| Fittipaldi-Ford
| 6
|-
!colspan=4|Source: