Patrick Depailler vs Didier Pironi

1978·

Patrick Depailler edged Didier Pironi 10–6 in the races and 14–2 in qualifying at Tyrrell in 1978. Patrick Depailler scored 34 points to 7.

Patrick DepaillerDidier Pironi

14Qualifying2

16 shared races

10Race day6

16 shared races

34Points7

in shared races, as awarded at the time

113Points (today’s rules)52

in shared races, rescored 25-18-15…

Wins: 1/0
Podiums: 5/0
Poles: 0/0
Retirements: 8/6
Best finish: P1/P5
Avg. grid: 11.8/16.8

Race by race

Round-by-round comparison of Patrick Depailler and Didier Pironi
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Patrick Depailler	Didier Pironi	Points
1	1Argentine Grand Prix	10/23	P3	P14▼	4 / 0
2	2Brazilian Grand Prix	11/19	Accident	P6	0 / 1
3	3South African Grand Prix	11/14	P2	P6	6 / 1
4	4United States Grand Prix West	12/22	P3	Gearbox	4 / 0
5	5Monaco Grand Prix	5/13	P1	P5	9 / 2
6	6Belgian Grand Prix	13/23	Gearbox	P6	0 / 1
7	7Spanish Grand Prix	12/13	Engine	P12	0 / 0
8	8Swedish Grand Prix	12/17	Suspension	Accident	0 / 0
9	9French Grand Prix	13/16	Engine	P10	0 / 0
10	10British Grand Prix	10/19	P4	Gearbox	3 / 0
11	11German Grand Prix	13/16	Accident	P5	0 / 2
12	12Austrian Grand Prix	14/9	P2	Accident	6 / 0
13	13Dutch Grand Prix	12/17	Engine	Accident	0 / 0
14	14Italian Grand Prix	16/14	P11▼	Accident	0 / 0
15	15United States Grand Prix	12/16	Wheel	P10	0 / 0
16	16Canadian Grand Prix	13/18	P5	P7	2 / 0
	Average finish		P3.9	P8.1

How to read this table

The driver ahead in a round is shown in bold, the other in grey. Grid shows Patrick Depailler / Didier Pironi.
P1 a win,P3 a podium,DNF a retirement.
▲ a finish at least 4 places better than that driver’s own average finish this season (see the average row), ▼ at least 4places worse. Retirements are not counted in the average.

Patrick Depailler’s career Didier Pironi’s career Tyrrell 1978 season All teammate battles

How these numbers are calculated

Only races both drivers started are counted. Entries that did not qualify, did not pre-qualify or were withdrawn are excluded, as are cars that never left the grid or the garage, and the Indianapolis 500 of 1950–1960.
Until the mid-1960s drivers could share a car during a race. Each driver is compared from the car they started (which sets their grid position), with the best result of any car they drove and the points from all of them, as officially credited.
Qualifying is compared on grid position rather than session times. Session-by-session qualifying data only exists from 1994, while grid position is recorded for over 99% of entries right back to 1950 — including every race of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
On race day the driver classified ahead takes the round. If neither was classified, the one who completed more laps is credited; if both retired on the same lap it is scored as a tie and excluded from the tally.
Points are those awarded at the time and include sprint races from 2021. Where the season used an older system, a second points row rescores every round under the current system so seasons from different eras can be compared.
These are points scored in the races both drivers started, not their season totals: races either missed, or contested alongside a different teammate, are left out. Up to 1990 even full-season totals differ from the championship standings, because only a driver’s best results counted towards the title. In 1988 Alain Prost outscored Ayrton Senna 105 to 94 and still lost the championship. Theseason page has the final standings.