1976 Brazilian Grand Prix

1976 Brazilian Grand Prix
Race 1 of 16 in the 1976 Formula One season Next race →
Race details
Date	January 25, 1976
Official name	V Grande Prêmio do Brasil[1]
Location	São Paulo, Brazil
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	7.960[2] km (4.946 miles)
Distance	40 laps, 318.400[2] km (197.845 miles)
Weather	Sunny
Pole position
Driver	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford
Time	2:32.50[3]
Fastest lap
Driver	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Shadow-Ford
Time	2:35.07 on lap 31[4]
Podium
First	Niki Lauda	Ferrari
Second	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell-Ford
Third	Tom Pryce	Shadow-Ford
Lap leaders

The 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil on 25 January 1976. It was the opening round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race was the fifth Brazilian Grand Prix and the fourth to be held for the World Drivers' Championship. The race was held over 40 laps of the 7.87-kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 315 kilometres.

The race was won by defending world champion, Niki Lauda, driving a Ferrari 312T. The Austrian driver won his eighth Formula One Grand Prix by 28 seconds over French driver Patrick Depailler in a Tyrrell 007. Second place was Depailler's best finish in almost two years having finished second previously at the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix. Tom Pryce finished third in a Shadow DN5B in his second podium in six months. It would prove to be the season highlight for Pryce and for Shadow Racing Cars. It was their only podium for the season and Pryce would not stand on the podium again.