Chevron hired experienced Formula 1 designer Tony Southgate to create the B48 ground effects car with Paul Owens, based on the 1978 B42 chassis.
•
Osella would be running a BMW-engined in-house car (albeit using a four-year old design penned by Giorgio Stirano, renamed the FA2/79) for Eddie Cheever; their main strength was an exclusive deal for Pirelli tyres.
•
1978 runner-up Marc Surer started as pre-season favourite; his team-mates would include Beppe Gabbiani, Ricardo Zunino, Miguel Ángel Guerra and Teo Fabi.
•
Toleman's Rory Byrne had substantially revised the Ralt over the summer break between rounds 8 and 9, and it looked like his work had borne fruit with Henton winning at Enna after a furious battle with Elgh.
European Union | Formula One | European Parliament | Member of the European Parliament | European Commission | 1979 | the season | European Space Agency | European | European Court of Human Rights | 1979 in music | European Court of Justice | 2005 NFL season | European Economic Community | West Midlands (European Parliament constituency) | European People's Party | 1995 AFL season | Indo-European languages | Formula Two | Party of European Socialists | season | European Convention on Human Rights | European Bank for Reconstruction and Development | 2005 World Touring Car Championship season | 1994 NFL season | Proto-Indo-European language | President of the European Parliament | European route E65 | European Poker Tour | European Touring Car Championship |