The 1978 British Formula One season (formally the 1978 Aurora AFX F1 Championship) was the first British Formula One Series season. It commenced on March 24 1978 and ended on September 24 after twelve races.

The Aurora AFX F1 Championship replaced the Shellsport Group 8 series that had been run in 1976 and 1977 to Formula Libre

Formula Libre

Formula Libre is a form of automobile racing allowing a wide variety of types, ages and makes of purpose-built racing cars to compete "head to head". This can make for some interesting matchups, and provides the opportunity for some compelling driving performances against superior machinery...

 rules. As part of the changes, Formula 5000

Formula 5000

Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...

 cars were no longer eligible to race in the Aurora AFX championship. Formula 1 cars were now the focus of the series, with Formula 2 cars still being permitted as a 'B-class'.

Races

Round	Name	Circuit	Date	Winning driver	Winning car
1	International Gold Cup	Oulton Park Oulton Park Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...	March 24	Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970....	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...
2	Evening News Trophy	Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...	March 27	Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970....	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...
3	Anglia TV Trophy	Snetterton Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...	April 16	Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970....	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...
4	Sun Trophy	Mallory Park Mallory Park Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley. With the full car circuit measuring only 1.35 miles it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK...	May 1	Geoff Lees Geoff Lees Geoffrey Lees is a former racing driver from England. He participated in 12 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 July 1978. He scored no championship points.-Career:...	Ensign N175
5	International Whitsuntide Race	Zandvoort Circuit Park Zandvoort Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...	May 15	Bob Evans	Surtees TS19
6	Donington Formula 1 Trophy	Donington Park Donington Park Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...	May 21	Giancarlo Martini	Ensign N175
7	Radio 210 European Trophy	Thruxton Thruxton Circuit Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....	May 29	Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970....	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...
8	Oulton Park Formula 1 Trophy	Oulton Park Oulton Park Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...	June 24	Guy Edwards Guy Edwards Guy Richard Goronwy Edwards QGM is a former racing driver from England. Although best known for his sportscar and UK Formula One career, as well as for brokering sponsorship deals, Edwards participated in 17 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 13, 1974...	March 781
9	Dave Lee Travis Trophy	Mallory Park Mallory Park Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley. With the full car circuit measuring only 1.35 miles it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK...	July 30	Bruce Allison	March 781
10	Fuji Tapes Trophy	Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...	August 28	Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970....	McLaren M23 McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson Engines...
11	Radio Victory Trophy	Thruxton Thruxton Circuit Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....	September 10	Guy Edwards Guy Edwards Guy Richard Goronwy Edwards QGM is a former racing driver from England. Although best known for his sportscar and UK Formula One career, as well as for brokering sponsorship deals, Edwards participated in 17 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 13, 1974...	March 781
12	Budweiser Trophy	Snetterton Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...	September 24	Dave Kennedy Dave Kennedy David Kennedy is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He was one of his country's first Grand Prix drivers, and is widely seen as having helped pioneer the Irish move into international racing....	Wolf WR3

Drivers

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Fastest Lap
Points	20	15	12	10	8	6	4	3	2	1	2

EWLINE Pos Driver OUL   BRA   SNE   MAL   ZAN   DON   THR   OUL   MAL   BRA   THR   SNE   Pts 1   Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer Tony Trimmer is a British former racing driver from England, who won the Shell British Formula Three Championship and E.R. Hall Trophy in 1970.... 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 149 2   Bob Evans 1 3 2 5 7 2 2 7 93 3   Emilio de Villota Emilio de Villota Emilio de Villota Ruíz is a former racing driver from Spain, born in Madrid. He participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 2 May 1976... 2 3 2 4 Ret 5 7 Ret 4 Ret 8 8 84 4   Guy Edwards Guy Edwards Guy Richard Goronwy Edwards QGM is a former racing driver from England. Although best known for his sportscar and UK Formula One career, as well as for brokering sponsorship deals, Edwards participated in 17 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 13, 1974... Ret 4 Ret 10 Ret 2 Ret 1 3 DNS 1 Ret 78 5   Geoff Lees Geoff Lees Geoffrey Lees is a former racing driver from England. He participated in 12 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 July 1978. He scored no championship points.-Career:... Ret 2 3 1 Ret 5 5 69 6   Bruce Allison DNS 6 Ret Ret 4 2 1 Ret 12 3 63 7   Valentino Musetti Valentino Musetti Valentino Musetti , often known as just Val Musetti, is an English film and TV stuntman and retired auto racing driver. Highlights of his career include finishing third in the Shellsport International Series in 1977. In 1978 he finished fifth in the Aurora F1 Series. In the late 1980s he drove in... NC NC Ret 3 7 4 5 3 Ret 6 4 DNS 62 8   John Cooper 3 8 Ret 8 8 7 8 7 9 10 4 44 9   Mike Wilds Mike Wilds Mike Wilds is a British racing driver from England. He participated in eight Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 20, 1974. He scored no championship points.... Ret 6 Ret 7 6 DNS 6 6 8 7 13 5 43 10   Desiré Wilson Desiré Wilson Desiré Randall Wilson is a former racing driver from South Africa, one of only five women to have competed in Formula One. She entered one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in 1980 with a non-works Williams FW07 prepared by Brands Hatch Racing, but failed to qualify... Ret 6 4 3 6 34 11   Giancarlo Martini 4 1 32 12   Dave Kennedy Dave Kennedy David Kennedy is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He was one of his country's first Grand Prix drivers, and is widely seen as having helped pioneer the Irish move into international racing.... 1 22 13   Teddy Pilette Teddy Pilette Theodore "Teddy" Pilette is a former racing driver from Belgium. He participated in 4 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, the first on 12 May 1974 with Bernie Ecclestone's Brabham team.... Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret 20 14   Divina Galica Divina Galica Divina Mary Galica MBE is an English sportswoman, best known for her Olympics career and her motorsport racing career.-Skiing career:... 2 7 19 15   Kim Mather 4 Ret NC 5 NC Ret DNS NC Ret Ret 18 16   Boy Hayje Boy Hayje Johan "Boy" Hayje is a former racing driver from the Netherlands. He participated in seven Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 29 August 1976. He scored no championship points.... 3 12 =   Ray Mallock 3 12 12 =   Elio de Angelis Elio de Angelis Elio de Angelis was an Italian racing driver who participated in Formula One between and , racing for the Shadow, Lotus and Brabham teams. He was killed during testing at the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet in 1986... 3 12 19   Iain McLaren 5 9 10 11 =   Adrian Russell DNQ 10 NC 13 9 8 9 8 NC Ret Ret 11 21   Brett Lunger Brett Lunger Robert Brett Lunger is a former racecar driver from the United States. Lunger was educated in dancing schools in Wilmington, the Holderness School, and Princeton University. He dropped out of Princeton after three years to enlist for service in Vietnam. He was a political science major. At the... 5 10 22   Brett Riley 5 Ret 8 23   Don Breidenbach 10 6 7 24   Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... 6 6 25   Walter Raus 7 4 =   Stephen South Stephen South Stephen South is a British former racing driver from England. He was educated at Harrow County School for Boys.He is chiefly known for winning the 1977 British Formula Three Championship... Ret 9 4 27   John David Briggs 8 17 3 28   Warren Booth NC 9 Ret 2 =   Carlo Giorgio 9 Ret 2 =   Richard Jones 9 11 Ret 2 —   Andy Barton 12 11 0 —   Gerd Biechteler 11 DNS 13 0 —   Alan Baillie DNQ 14 NC NC 15 DNS 0 —   Norman Dickson DNS Ret DNS 14 0 —   Dennis Leech Dennis Leech Dennis Leech is a British retired auto racing driver. Most of his racing career was spent driving saloon cars, mainly as a privateer in the British Touring Car Championship. He also entered selected rounds of the British Formula One Series... 16 0 —   Alo Lawler Ret Ret DNS Ret Ret Ret 0 —   Kevin Bowditch DNQ DNS 0 —   Nigel Clarkson DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 —   Jörg Zaborowski DNQ 0 —   Eugen Grupp DNQ 0 Pos Driver OUL   BRA   SNE   MAL   ZAN   DON   THR   OUL   MAL   BRA   THR   SNE   Pts

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