Race details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 7 of 17 in the 1977 Formula One season | |||
Date | June 5, 1977 | ||
Location | Zolder | ||
Course length | 4.011 km (2.492 mi) | ||
Distance | 70 laps, 280.77 km (174.44 mi) | ||
Weather | Wet | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Lotus-Ford | ||
Time | 1:24.64 | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Gunnar Nilsson | Lotus-Ford | |
Time | 1:27.36 on lap 53 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Lotus-Ford | ||
Second | Ferrari | ||
Third | Tyrrell-Ford |
The 1977 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on June 5, 1977.
In qualifying Mario Andretti took a comfortable pole position with John Watson just beating the second Lotus of Gunnar Nilsson to second. The race was wet due to rain earlier in the day, and Watson took the lead at the first corner, but later in the first lap, Andretti ran into the back to him while attempting to retake the lead, resulting in both of them spinning out and Jody Scheckter taking the lead.
Scheckter led the early stages ahead of Nilsson, whereas Carlos Reutemann made an early charge but spun off. The track began to dry and everyone had to pit for tyres, and those who stopped early were the ones who benefited, as now Niki Lauda was leading from Jochen Mass and Scheckter was down to fifth. Mass spun off from second, handing it to Nilsson who then went on to catch and pass Lauda before driving away to his first career victory. Behind second-placed Lauda, Ronnie Peterson completed the podium for Team Tyrrell after Scheckter retired with an engine failure.