1980 Spanish Grand Prix - Build-up

Build-up

The Spanish Grand Prix was originally scheduled to be the seventh round of the 1980 World Championships. Coming into the race, Brabham driver Nelson Piquet led the World Championship of Drivers, one point ahead of Renault's René Arnoux. Williams driver Alan Jones was third, a further two points behind and Ligier driver Didier Pironi was fourth, two points behind Jones. The Constructors' Championship was led by Williams with 34 points, with second place Ligier five points behind. Brabham were third with 22 points and Renault fourth with 21 points.

In the previous rounds of the championships, there had been disputes between motorsports' governing body, the FISA, and the body representing the privateer constructors competing in the championship, the FOCA. 12 of the 15 constructors competing in the championship were members of FOCA. The three constructors that were not affiliated to FOCA, Renault, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, were all owned and operated by a manufacturer. The FOCA teams perceived FISA as showing a bias towards the manufacturer teams through the regulations by which the sport was governed, and were unhappy at the way FISA handled commercial aspects of the sport, including the distribution of revenue to the competing teams.

As part of the dispute, drivers from FOCA affiliated teams had been advised to boycott the driver briefings at the Belgium and Monaco Grands Prix, the preceding rounds of the championship. The compulsory 45-minute briefings had been announced by FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre in February, but FOCA's lawyers had noticed that the requirement for drivers to attend had not been included in the rulebook. Nevertheless, FISA issued fines of approximately $2000 to the drivers that did not attend them at Belgium and Monaco, and after non-payment had threatened suspension of the involved drivers' racing licences. By May 29, prior to the first official practice for the race, FISA had ordered the suspension of the racing licences of fifteen drivers.

The RACE organises under its own responsibility on Sunday, June 1, 1980, the XXVI Gran Premio de Espana at Jarama, and by this it is no longer restricted by the FISA regulations.

RACE statement made on the morning of Friday, May 30.

In response, the teams affiliated to FOCA threatened to withdraw from the race. The organizers of the event, the Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE), concerned that their race was in jeopardy, offered to pay a deposit on the fines owed by the drivers. The FISA refused any payment, unless RACE could prove that the deposit came from the drivers themselves (which would be an admission of guilt on the teams part). The King of Spain, Juan Carlos, insisted that RACE proceed with the event, and as a result RACE bypassed the Federación Española de Automovilismo, the Spanish motorsport federation, who were affiliated to FISA. With the race now not sanctioned by FISA, there was no requirement that the drivers hold a FISA racing licence.