1977 South African Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = South Africa
Flag_suffix = 1928
Grand Prix = South African
date=March 5
year=1977
Race_No = 3
Season_No = 17
Official name = XXIIIrd South African Grand Prix
location=Kyalami
Gauteng, South Africa

---

Course_mi = 2.550
Course_km = 4.104
Distance_laps = 78
Distance_mi = 198.908
Distance_km = 320.112
Weather = Sunny
Pole_Driver = James Hunt
Pole_Team = McLaren-Ford
Pole_Time = 1:15.96
Pole_Country = UK
Fast_Driver = flagicon|UK John Watson
Fast_Team = Brabham-Alfa Romeo
Fast_Time = 1:17.63
Fast_L

First_Driver = Niki Lauda
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Austria
Second_Driver = Jody Scheckter
Second_Country = South Africa
Second_flag_suffix = 1928
Second_Team = Wolf-Ford
Third_Driver = Patrick Depailler
Third_Team = Tyrrell-Ford
Third_Country = France

The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 5, 1977. The race is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Jansen Van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce. It was also the last race for Carlos Pace, who was killed in an aircraft accident less than two weeks later.

Race Report

The accident and its aftermath

On lap 22, a 19 year old marshall, Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren, crossed the track to extinguish a fire on Renzo Zorzi's retired Shadow during racing conditions and was struck by Tom Pryce's Shadow at high speed. The impact killed both Pryce and Van Vuuren instantly: Van Vuuren from the impact of the collision, Pryce due to head injuries inflicted by the fire extinguisher that Van Vuuren was carrying. The impact from the fire extinguisher ripped Pryce's helmet from his head, causing the chin strap to nearly decapitate the unfortunate Welshman. Pryce's car continued on down the main straight with his helmetless body still in the cockpit until it finally left the track at the first corner, taking the Ligier of Jacques Laffite out of the race in the process.

The sport reacted with genuine sorrow at the loss of two young men. Tyrrell mechanic Trevor Foster viewed the incident from a distance, later recalling; "I can remember quite vividly [Pryce's] teammate's car had already pulled off to the side of the track and it had started a small fire. Then the next thing I can remember is seeing Tom's car coming down the straight. I can almost remember now a momentary lift of the throttle much earlier than you would have expected and I looked and I saw something fly up from the car, which tragically turned out to be the marshal." [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/sites/sport/pages/tom_quotes.shtml#kyalami] Elsewhere, David Tremayne, a veteran biographer and journalist, recalled the feelings of disbelief and horror following the aftermath of the incident; "The tragedy itself - the sheer randomness of it - is so hard to take and still is. You tend to focus your anger on someone and for a long time it would be focused on a 19 year old kid, called Jansen van Vuuren, who ran across the track."

The event was captured on film and was included in the motor racing film "One by One".

Classification

Notes

*Fastest l

F1 race report
Name_of_race = South African Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1977
Previous_race_in_season = 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1977 United States Grand Prix West
Previous_year's_race = 1976 South African Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1978 South African Grand Prix