#295 1977 United States Grand Prix

The second reason is, in this case, due to the high price that Lotus imposes on the aspirants to the second drive. There is talk of 160.000 pounds. The candidate who offers both requirements is precisely the twenty-two-year-old Londoner Keegan, whose father has earned billions with trucking and would be willing to lend the sum requested by Lotus. Contrary to what was previously believed, John Watson's situation is not yet defined. The Northern Irishman may have had second thoughts after Lauda's arrival at Brabham. Ecclestone has confirmed that he has an option on Watson for another year, but the contract has not yet been signed. To those who asked him for more details, Ecclestone replies:

"It is not yet certain that Watson will stay with us next season, but it is likely. If I go away I'll keep Stuck".

Ecclestone also likes Riccardo Patrese. There are those in London who proposed the possibility of Watson at Ferrari. Speaking of Ferrari, the Australian Alan Jones, winner in Zeltweg and third in Monza, would have been visiting Maranello in recent days. This would seem to confirm that his place at Shadow as the first guide will become free. News is expected from Ensign if it will be able to sign an advertising contract with Marlboro. In this case, the team will still be led by Regazzoni, alongside whom Bruno Giacomelli should make his debut, as long as the latter manages to free himself from the option he has with March. The Bicester company has already sold to the German ATS the workshops it has in Rendimi for the preparation of the Formula 1 engine. On the strength of this agreement, March hopes to be able to take over Jochen Mass in turn which, while having close ties with ATS, he cannot race with the latter, which is supported by the German Ford, in order not to jeopardize the important contract he has with Porsche. And the other drivers? Tambay will go to McLaren, supporting Hunt. Villeneuve has an option with McLaren but will easily get the green light for a year if he wants to. Ferrari and Tyrrell have shown some interest in the Canadian driver, but he is still looking for accommodation.

Depailler, after numerous denials, signed for Tyrrell for another year obtaining the title of number one. The choice for the second guide will probably fall on the promising Frenchman Didier Pironi. Ronnie Peterson was therefore released. With the help of his Italian patron, he is looking for a place in some teams, including Ferrari. Shares of the Swede, however, are on the downside. Finally, Emerson Fittipaldi revealed that he had received proposals from Ferrari and Lotus, but reaffirmed that he will remain in his brother's team to make the Brazilian car more competitive, with Copersucar or, if necessary, with another sponsor. The Brazilian said that Carlos Reutemann, with the departure of Lauda, ​​will be the first Ferrari driver and Jones the second. Jones is a well-priced racer but with a name to build. With the move to Ferrari, the same story of Lauda could be repeated, taken when he was not yet famous but with good technical qualities. A whole week passes before the Scuderia Ferrari decides to announce on Tuesday, September 27, 1977 that Gilles Villeneuve will be the new driver replacing Niki Lauda.

"Ferrari today concluded the negotiations with Gilles Villeneuve that began on 29 August 1977 with the visit to Maranello of the driver whom the Marlboro interest had released from any active commitments with another manufacturer. The rider will begin his collaboration by participating in the next Canadian and Japanese Grand Prix".

After a whirlwind of famous names - from Mario Andretti to Jody Scheckter, from Emerson Fittipaldi to Alan Jones, from John Watson to Ronnie Peterson - here comes a young Canadian with high hopes, Gilles Villeneuve. It is not a surprise, because the name of Villeneuve has been around for some time and the interest of the Maranello team for this driver who made his debut in Formula 1 in July in England was well known. According to the traditional style of Ferrari, the name of the person elected was kept secret until the end, perhaps to avoid any second thoughts as in the case of Andretti or to not induce Villeneuve to raise the claims for the engagement. 

So much so that during the afternoon of Tuesday, September 27, 1977 the Canadian, expected by the hour in Maranello and late for air strikes, was indicated, to those who inquired, as the driver. And in recent days it has come to the point of requesting a kind of blackout in order not to disturb the negotiations. A little ridiculous, isn't it? After the announcement made by Colin Chapman to Enzo Ferrari, all that remains is to fall back on the hiring of Gilles Villeneuve. The Canadian, after two days of air travel, arrives in Italy. Collected at the Malpensa Airport, in Milan, Villeneuve - together with his manager Gaston Parent - is brought to Maranello by Enrico Mortara; this latter, friend of Enzo Ferrari, is the only one who can speak English. Villeneuve sits down in the back seat of the car, and in the long ride he’s resting, waiting to reach Trento Trieste street, in Modena, where the historic headquarters of Scuderia Ferrari are located and where Ferrari himself awaits him, in company by Piero Lardi and the deputy general manager, Ermanno Della Casa. Enzo Ferrari awaits the two, but will talk mostly with his manager, offering him a copy of the verbal agreement signed a few weeks earlier. Ferrari speaks to Gilles' manager in Italian, and the dialogue is translated by an interpreter. The two confirm that Mayer has released Gilles Villeneuve from the contract and the option. The proposal that Ferrari makes to Villeneuve is equal to a fee of 50.000 dollars. The negotiation sees as guarantor Aleandro Buzzi, the deputy director of European operations of Marlboro. The negotiation is interrupted for a moment when Parent asks as a condition for the signature that Villeneuve is free to carry out personal activities. Ferrari replies, and asks Parent:

"Are you a lawyer?"

Parent replies no. The same question is also addressed to Villeneuve, and when he receives once again a negative answer, Ferrari calms down and accepts this condition. However, noting how easily this request was accepted, Parent raised and asked for 75.000 dollars instead of 50.000, alleging that the additional 15.000 dollars would have been used for his client's travel expenses and accommodation for his wife and children. that Villeneuve would like to take with him to Europe and the world during the championship. Ferrari gets impatient.

"We don't want to deal with children. If an accident happens we already have enough to think for the wife, even without the children".

Parent, who is certainly not a manager with previous experience, does not understand and asks Ferrari for explanations, who replies:

"Every time a driver leaves for a race, we delete him from our book. When it comes back, it’s a gift".

Parent initially thinks Ferrari is joking, and reiterates that Gilles Villeneuve will not race for Ferrari if he does not have his family next to him. Taking advantage of the favorable moments, Gilles tries to dissuade his manager, but Parent does not give up. Ferrari, therefore, gets up from his chair and leaves the office with Della Casa. Left alone, Gilles explicitly tells his manager:

"Come on, let's get it over with. We conclude".

But instead of concluding the deal as requested by his client, when Ferrari returns to the office Parent raises, and now also asks that half of the space available on the car be made available to Gilles Villeneuve. At this point, however, Ferrari replies that a connection of this type has never been given to anyone, but Parent raises and lowers the claim to twenty-five percent. A request that is accepted. After signing Gilles Villeneuve and Gaston Parent are accompanied to the hotel by Mortara, and after having a quick dinner he calls Johanna, his parents, his brother Jacques and a series of friends. The next day it will always be Mortara who will pick up Gilles Villeneuve and let him enter Ferrari, in Maranello, through a secondary door. In the meantime, Enzo Ferrari calls his friend Antonio Giacobazzi, a local wine producer, to whom he asks for help in sponsoring - and therefore partially paying - the contract just signed. 

Ferrari tells Giacobazzi that Gilles - being Canadian - can guarantee him a return of image in North America, where he could have sold his wines by increasing production and income. To tell the truth, sales in North America will not increase by much, as Ferrari had predicted, but the Giacobazzi name is inextricably linked to that of Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari now finds itself with Carlos Reutemann, a staple, an experienced, serious driver, a valid test driver, and Gilles Villeneuve, 25, married, two children, French-speaking Canadian (born in Quebec), Formula Atlantic racer. Villeneuve - who will test on Wednesday 28 September 1977 in Fiorano - is an unknown factor. Observers from Maranello draw up enthusiastic reports, Chris Amon - who, despite everything, remained friendly with Enzo Ferrari - expressed a very favorable opinion, but will the young man be able to repeat Niki Lauda's exploits? And since it was necessary, indeed mandatory, to look for a promise, why did Ferrari give up in advance to launch one of the young Italians who emerged this year in Formula 2? Many do not believe that, in terms of experience, Villeneuve is better than Cheever (whose stay in Maranello is now doubtful) or Giacomelli or Patrese. All in all, Ferrari ended the driver market somewhat disappointing (and hopefully, of course, that Villeneuve will immediately deny everyone, perhaps in Canada or Japan, if it is made to debut early). Lauda's fault, who surprised Ferrari's good faith. However, this Lauda: a champion in everything, even in fooling the astute builder of Modena and his court. Enzo Ferrari, displeased, perhaps annoyed, argues vigorously, demonstrating that age doesn’t dampen (fortunately) ardor and anger, responds to the accusations by declaring that the press blackout was not ridiculous.

"We had a negotiation underway. It was essential to remain silent in recent days to allow Marlboro executives to work with McLaren and to free us from Villeneuve".

Furthermore, in the opinion of Enzo Ferrari, the Canadian driver is a real promise.

"Let's repeat the Lauda experiment with him. We talked to him on August 29, 1977, the same day as the divorce with the Austrian. Since Villeneuve wasn’t completely free, we also contacted other drivers, such as Andretti, to protect ourselves. But we were counting on him".

And answering why not a young Italian, or Eddie Cheever, were not selected, Ferrari replies:

"Because there is no young man of ours who has the experience of Villeneuve driving 500 horsepower cars. He raced in the Can-Am Cup and in Formula Atlantic. As for Cheever, he's just nineteen, and there's a moral responsibility I don't want to shirk. He will train with De Angelis in Formula 2".

In conclusion, is Lauda a champion in everything?

"Yes, absolutely in everything. But we must have the courage to write it: even in misconduct. After so many promises, he left us, putting us in a difficult situation".

Ferrari said it and journalists wrote it. But didn't Niki say that Ferrari accepts everything? Wednesday, September 28, 1977 bunches of fans at the gates of Ferrari's private track in Fiorano: Gilles Villeneuve, the driver who will replace Niki Lauda, ​​has arrived. When the car that brings the young Canadian to the Scuderia Ferrari jewel-plant appears, the first applause begins, the first sign of friendship and trust by the Italian fans. Villeneuve smiles, is excited. Enzo Ferrari is waiting for him, light raincoat, gray suit, perky air. The Canadian signed on the evening of Wednesday 28 September, at 10:00 p.m. in Modena, the contract that binds him to the Maranello team for 1978. A contract for twelve months, which can be renewed in case of mutual satisfaction. The encounter between Ferrari and the driver is cordial. 

They look like a hen and a chick. Villeneuve is a bit awkward, he looks like a jockey and the impression is reinforced by his appearance: he is 1.56 meters tall and weighs about 55 kilos. Yet, at the age of twenty-five, he has been married for some time to a girl from Montreal and has two children: six-year-old Jacques and four-year-old Melante. After eliminating the pecette containing the sponsors that Gilles brings to the Can-Am races and having made (together with Schedoni) the seat, at 1:50 p.m. Gilles Villeneuve gets into a yellow Fiat 131 driven by Mortara, and exits the gates of the Ferrari to enter - two minutes later - those of the Fiorano track. At 1:55 p.m. Enzo Ferrari also arrives in Fiorano, accompanied by Dino Tagliazucchi in a Fiat 131. At 1:58 p.m. the van carrying the 312 T2 also arrives, followed by the white Lancia Gamma of Piero Lardi. While the mechanics prepare the car, Gilles takes a lap of the circuit in the yellow Fiat 131 of Mortara. Shortly afterwards Mauro Forghieri also arrives, aboard a yellow Fiat 128. Shortly before 2:30 pm, Gilles Villeneuve enters the car for the first time, assisted by Antonio Tomaini. The first laps are covered at a contained pace, so much so that the first time is 1'30”0. After the first seven laps, Gilles returns to the pits and waits inside the cockpit for the arrival of Forghieri, who talks with him while Ferrari listens not far away. Around 2:45 am the Canadian returns to the track and begins to increase his pace, setting a time of 1'18”0, completing five laps. After that, the sound of the brakes puts an end, for a brief moment, to the roar of the engine, which is kept running by Gilles through the use of the clutch, after having run into a spin. The Canadian restarts and completes four more laps. In the meantime, Ferrari moves from the pits to the nearby monitor room of the circuit, where, through a series of CCTV cameras placed along the Fiorano track, it follows the black and white screens of its new driver in action.

"We must not make hasty judgments, we will see how he’ll behave in the coming days. He needs to be able to work a lot, as he has to make his debut at the Canadian Grand Prix".

At around 3:30 p.m. Gilles Villeneuve, who is busy increasing the pace, is the author of another mistake. But the times, in the meantime, drop to 1'16"0. Gilles completes a series of laps, alternated with numerous pit stops, and in the meantime his times continue to drop, up to a time of 1'14"38. The Scuderia Ferrari technicians write the time set by Gilles on the board used for journalists. Meanwhile, the journalists begin to invade the area planned for them at the edge of the gate exit of the Pista di Fiorano, where they welcome Gilles who is not at all intimidated by their presence. Journalists who are also suspended from the refreshments offered by Ferrari, which also features a rare white Lambrusco supplied by Giacobazzi. At 5:40 p.m. Gilles Villeneuve returns to the track, but after only four laps he is the victim of another spin. When it is now almost 6:00 pm and the sun is setting, Villeneuve finishes eight more laps, before the sign is displayed from the pits inviting him to return.

"Here is our second driver. He seems to me a clean boy, a nice sparrow. We will give him our advice, but he will have to learn to fly. For now I can’t yet comment on him. It takes at least 1000 kilometers on this track to get the timing out. But I can say why I hired him. Essentially for three reasons: the Silverstone race, when it debuted in Formula 1, the excellent references provided to us by the manufacturer Walter Wolf and the impressions reported by one of our Canadian informants".

Ferrari says sitting in front of the television monitors that frame the Fiorano track and resume the 312 T2 on which Villeneuve has climbed. Ferrari is therefore asked if Villeneuve made an impression similar to the one he had reported in the first meeting with Lauda in 1973.

"Who remembers that moment anymore...We are quite used to working with young people. Of course, this is one who seems not to be afraid. Now he will try the car for a long time, he will work with us. First, he will race at Mosport in the Canadian Grand Prix on October 9th. We'll give him one of the forklifts of Lauda or Reutemann and for now he will have to make do with that. In the meantime, we continue to prepare the new car (which should make its test debut at Le Castellet in December)". 

So he adds:

"We tried Michelin tires and we were very satisfied. The French company works well and seriously. Reutemann with those tires lowered Fiorano's record by one second. It can’t yet be said whether Michelin will equip us next year. It depends on Michelin if it wants to enter the racing world".

Meanwhile Gilles Villeneuve finishes his first training. He has completed several laps of the track and his best time is 1'14"38.

"I am very happy. I didn’t really hope to be chosen by Ferrari with all the good drivers on the market. Let's say I was lucky and I wish the same to my colleagues, especially the young Italians like Patrese and Giacomelli whom I respect a lot. Do you want to know what my first impression of Ferrari is? More than excellent. A fabulous organization, which I had never found anywhere. The car? An engine from which you can ask a lot, with a wider use, even at low rpm, of the Cosworth. The steering seems a bit light for my habits, but the gearbox is truly exceptional, never experienced anything like it. I don't think I will have any particular problems driving it, as I think there will be no difficulties for the European tracks that I do not know. Maranello will be my new home, even if I will go to reside in Monte-Carlo. I have two children who speak French and they will go to a school in their mother tongue. I’ve chosen the closest place. But I will be here as often as necessary".

Towards evening the tests end and Enzo Ferrari returns to Modena satisfied, as if from this young 25-year-old a new lifeblood had been transmitted in him, who is almost eighty years old.

"Nearby, five or six kilometers away, there is a village called Villanova. They make excellent Lambrusco. Let's hope it's a good sign".

Mauro Forghieri is a little less enthusiastic, who, looking back on the first test conducted by Gilles Villeneuve on the Fiorano track, will remember:

"Gilles put too much energy into everything and made many mistakes. First of all it spun because it went beyond the limits of the car. And then he braked so vigorously that he almost braked the car when he entered the corners".

The tests for Gilles Villeneuve continues during the morning of Thursday, September 29, 1977. Before leaving, Gilles does an intense training, about sixty laps in the morning and thirty in the early afternoon, setting a time of 1'13"5, not far from the record set by Reutemann, of 1'09"341, needed to know the car in view of the race scheduled in Toronto on October 9, 1977. In fact, Villeneuve will make his debut with Ferrari at the Canadian Grand Prix. He will be given a forklift and will race together with Reutemann and Lauda. Although in conditions of inferiority, Villeneuve will have his first direct confrontation with Niki, before the Austrian moves to Brabham. Very interesting comparison, precisely because they will compete with almost identical cars. The Mosport circuit where the test will take place is, among other things, the one that Villeneuve knows best of all. Eighteen Italians, six British, four Americans, three from France, Argentina and Belgium, one from Spain, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, Germany and Austria. From 1950 to today, Ferrari drivers have come from twelve countries for the Formula 1 and Sport World Championships. To these, the most famous names ranging from Ascari to Villoresi, from Parkes to Amon, from Ickx to Andretti, up to Niki Lauda, ​​a Canadian he’s added, the first driver of the North American country to try the adventure in a competition that plays mainly in Europe.

His name is Gilles Villeneuve, he was born on January 18, 1952 in Chambly, Quebec. His debut in the Formula 1 circus took place mid-season at Silverstone. Thanks to pressure from Marlboro, McLaren entrusted him with an old M23, already discarded by James Hunt and Jochen Mass. With this car Gilles set the tenth time in qualifying and in the race he was fourth until the progressive deterioration of the engine of his car relegated him to eleventh position. This result was enough, confirmed by the good references provided by the Canadian manufacturer Walter Wolf and by the statements of the New Zealander Chris Amon, a former Ferrari driver (judged by the same Ferrari engineer as the best test driver ever) who defined him as an excellent driver, in all respects, such as temperament and driving skills, to bring Gilles to Maranello. After all the jumble of rumors that they wanted to replace Lauda from Andretti to Scheckter from Fittipaldi to Peterson, the choice of Enzo Ferrari fell on a young man, on a driver still in training about whom practically nothing is known. Ferrari obviously hopes to repeat the blow it made with Lauda, ​​hiring with great intuition, to take him to the world title. Gilles Villeneuve is a kid who looks good. Bold, open-minded, ready for an interview, Gilles takes up less space in the cockpit and gains an average of twenty kilos over his rivals, which can also be important, given the extreme sophistication of the cars where the technicians work for months to remove a few kilos.

"Getting to Ferraris is the dream of every driver, even if some have had to give up due to commitments made previously or for offers that are too attractive in terms of money. Let's say that I was lucky, that a series of combinations favored me in the race in place of Lauda. This is already a win. I stayed just a couple of days in Maranello, but I realized what Ferrari’s efficiency is. Racing with this team means having great possibilities, getting the most out of the car. Therefore I realized that I have had a favorable fate. As far as I'm concerned, I'll give it my all: I think I'm a big fan of engines, everything in the automotive field interests me. I am willing to test the machine ad nauseam, to give advice and to accept those of the technicians. As a driver I consider myself young and therefore malleable. If all the agreements are respected, on my side and on the other I think we can go far".

The Canadian proves to have a strong personality, to not fear confrontation with the past. He continues:

"I know very well that I receive a heavy inheritance from Lauda, ​​in every sense. The Austrian will leave with a world title, with the memory of many victories. It will be difficult to fill this void, to try to repeat certain enterprises. At the same time, Lauda leaves an extremely complicated relationship to maintain: the one with the Ferrari engineer himself, the one with the fans, the one with the journalists and in particular with the Italian press. I understand that, arriving at Ferrari, all the problems will be magnified, that having good relations and that trying to continue an open conversation with everyone will be just as important as driving well. Of course, a lot will depend on what I can do when I am alone in the cockpit of the car. If I had to prove myself up to the situation, everything will become easier".

While Gilles Villeneuve, having concluded the first tests, leaves for Quebec, before joining the team at Watkins Glen, on the circuit of Estoril, the venue for the last round of the Formula 2 European Championship, on Sunday, October 2, 1977 the challenge will end in the sprint between the French Arnoux and the American resident in Rome, Eddie Cheever. The French with their Martini-Renault are competitive in qualifying but the Italians are right behind, despite having had some problems with the cars. However, the shadow of Enzo Ferrari's decision to hire Villeneuve seems to weigh on all these young drivers, as Eddie Cheever himself admits:

"I would have nothing to say if a driver of the caliber of Andretti arrived at Ferrari who has much more experience than myself. I heard they didn't give me the 312-T because I'm too young. I seem to have obtained appreciable results despite my young age. I feel prepared for Formula 1 and now I am undecided whether to reconnect with other teams who had requested me or whether to stay at Ferrari".

In the meanwhile, on Friday, September 30, 1977, the official practices will begin for the United States Grand Prix, fifteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship which takes place at the fast circuit of Watkins Glen, in the State of New York. The news that the young Canadian Gilles Villeneuve has made an agreement with Ferrari and that he will race with a single-seater already in the Canadian and Japanese Grand Prix reaches the Circus, which has been in the United States for a few days. In this regard, Niki Lauda appears calm and detached.

"Now, my goal is only to reach the mathematical certainty of the world title; in 1976 I made an agreement with Ferrari which provided for the presence of only two cars in the race: I believe that in this way any technical problem can be solved without confusion. On the other hand, I am convinced that the existence of three machines creates problems in a team that wants to achieve good performance. However, everything that has been decided does not concern me".

Have you already seen the Brabham-Alfa Romeo?

"Yes, only once".

How did it look?

"It’s undoubtedly a single-seater that can be well exploited. I believe it has a considerable potential for technical innovations: the results should be good".

How does Lauda see the race on Sunday?

"Haven't tried this year at Watkins Glen yet. In 1976 I had some problems with the tires, however I will try to do my best as I have always done in recent years, and as I will do until the end of the season".

The engineer Roberto Nosetto, accused of amateurism by Lauda a few days earlier, had confirmation of Villeneuve's engagement when he was already in America:

"I had phoned Maranello on Monday, but nothing had been decided yet. However, they told me that the Canadian driver would probably join our team".

Last year Ferrari had some problems here in Watkins Glen. What countermeasures has the Maranello team taken?

"Sunday's race is expected to be difficult for us. The circuit is very fast and excellent road holding will be crucial in order to achieve good results. We brought two types of wings; one for the mixed and one more suitable for the fast sections, we will test them both during the practice and then decide which ones to ride on Sunday. I think Lotus is a favorite on this track".

What are your plans for this American trip?

"We will test in Mosport on 5th October 1977. We were able to rent the circuit together with Renault for that date. We hope that the Championship will be resolved before the Canadian Grand Prix because we have not yet obtained the authorization to carry out the test in Japan due to the agreements between Ecclestone and the Japanese organizers".

The Brabham boss seems determined to prevent the Italian cars from trying in advance on the Mount Fuji track. Ecclestone's hostile attitude could create further difficulties for Ferrari in registering the third car at the Grand Prix of Canada and Japan. The Formula 1 Circus moves to North America for the fifteenth and sixteenth rounds of the 1977 World Championship. The Grand Prizes are those of the United States, which are held at the Watkins Glen circuit on Sunday, October 2 1977, and the Grand Prix of Canada, which takes place on the Ontario circuit of Mosport Park on Sunday, October 9, 1977. The two organizers shared the costs of transporting the Formula 1 cars across the Atlantic and, for the first time, in 1977 the series of two races will kick off with the US event. Once the first race is over, a fleet of giant long-distance articulated lorries is loaded with all the Grand Prix cars and transported to the next event. The local interest in Watkins Glen is centered on the winner of the Italian Grand Prix, the Italian-American driver Mario Andretti, and his Lotus 78, not only because he is a regular winner this season, but also because of the prospect that a driver compatriot has a chance to win at Watkins Glen for the first time. For Andretti, the race is just as important because not only does he want to win, but he wants to score an unofficial one-two and add another US victory after winning the Unites States West Grand Prix in the Californian city of Long Beach. However, outside of Andretti and the other regular competitors, some changes have been made to cars and the list of entrants at Watkins Glen. For starters, Mario Andretti's teammate Gunnar Nilsson will use the Lotus 78/4, the chassis served as a reserve car in most of the previous races, while the Brabham team will make the BT45/6B available to John Watson. after the Ulsterman had severely damaged the monocoque of the BT45/5B during the first laps at Monza. A new Shadow DN8/6A is brought to Watkins Glen to replace Patrese's car (also damaged at Monza), but the young Italian driver is busy driving his Formula 2 Chevron-BMW in a European Championship race on the circuit of Estoril, in Portugal, so the team hires Jean-Pierre Jarier for the weekend. 

Jarier, a former full-time member of the Shadow team until the end of last season, is available as the ATS Penske team did not travel to North America and, being a person known to the Northampton-based organization, looks like the right man to carry out this momentary work. Many are surprised that the car won’t be driven by Jackie Oliver, especially considering his competent performances as a substitute in the Race of Champions and the Swedish Grand Prix, but the Englishman is not present in the United States due to commitments of work that doesn’t allow him to leave London. In the Surtees team, after Leoni's failure to qualify in Monza, the second TS19 returns to be driven by the Austrian Hans Binder, who had driven the car at the beginning of the season. Binder uses TS19/01, revamped and brought to the next specification using parts borrowed from the TS19/07. His team-mate, Vittorio Brambilla, had rebuilt his March-Beta Tools TS 19/06 after the excursion to Monza. A totally new face in Formula 1 is that of the American driver of Formula 5000 and USAC Danny Ongais, who will have at his disposal a new Penske PC4 (03), built with identical specifications to those of the cars used by John Watson at the end of 1976. Registered and run by Ted Field's Interscope Racing (which had operated a Parnelli-DFX turbo driven by Ongais in USAC events), the team receives some guidance from former Penske Formula 1 team manager Heinz Hofer, and comes equipped with a pair of Cosworth DFV ex-Parnelli with whom to face the two North American events. In addition to Ongais, the only independent cars in North America will be Jabouille's Renault RS01, Frank Williams' private March 761, driven by Patrick Nève, and the pair of McLaren M23s, well prepared by B&S Fabrications, made available to Brett Lunger. The tests begin on the morning of Friday, September 30, 1977 with a good but crisp and windy climate. From the very first minutes James Hunt is the fastest with his McLaren M26/2. The British driver is in great shape and ends the first hour and a half practice session with a time of 1'47"408, ahead of Hans Stuck's Brabham BT45B/3 by more than half a second. Aware that the Brabham-Alfa flat-12s could prove to be a threat on this fast circuit, Hunt lowers his time and takes it to a superb 1'40"863 during the afternoon session. 

The British driver, not happy with the excellent performance, thinks he can be even faster as he makes the right wheel of the M26 go over the curb at the exit of turn 10 on the left, just before the pits. Instead of lifting his right foot, Hunt attempts to push the McLaren over the edge, but the car turns around and simply rolls off the track on the left side of the track. The impact with the guardrail is not very violent and the damage is limited to the right rear suspension and a slightly dented corner of the monocoque. But having gone off the track when training was about to end, Hunt returned to the pits on foot. The day is characterized for almost all the teams by tire problems, which end up altering the performance of the cars and drivers. Goodyear brings four types of front and two rear tires to Watkins Glen. This variety creates confusion within the various teams, who have to mount different tires on the cars. Niki Lauda, ​​for example, in the straight section in front of the pits, blames a lack of 500 rpm compared to Carlos Reutemann, who uses tires of smaller diameter during the first session. At this point it’s necessary to find the right balance by changing the gear ratios, a factor that causes delays in achieving good performance. Few pilots manage to carry out these first tests in optimal conditions. 

Among them Hunt, who, from the very beginning, finds the car perfectly adapted. McLaren mechanics repair the car in time for Saturday's practice, but the pouring rain will mean Hunt doesn't have to work any further and Friday's efforts will secure pole position. During the US tests, the Brabham-Alfa Romeo became competitive again. Both Stuck and Watson prove to be extremely fast, but it is the German driver who gets caught up in the desire to approach the limit imposed by James Hunt and records a time of 1'45"538, even if he is forced to try with the BT45/1B of escort of the team after the appearance of some cracks in the gearbox casing of his car. Despite being worried about his BT45/5B's worrying tendency to understeer madly in right and not left corners during the first session, Watson gets carried away by the enthusiasm conveyed by his teammate and records a respectable time of 1'41"193 during the second session, the one held on Friday afternoon, which guarantees him third place on the grid for the race. Mario Andretti, great favorite of the US Grand Prix, only gets the fourth fastest time. The Italian-American, when he tries an exploit, finds many other competitors on the track that slow him down. Meanwhile, the feelings that come from Team Lotus are not very happy at Watkins Glen. Having turned down a contract with Ferrari to stay with Colin Chapman's team, Andretti is not at all impressed by the rumors that his teammate for next season may be Ronnie Peterson and not Gunnar Nilsson. In fact, it would be closer to the truth to say that Andretti is furious. As for him, Mario Andretti admits that:

"There’s only room for one prima donna on this team, and I think the whole thing is ridiculous".

As Chapman tries to calm the mood within his team, it becomes clear that, no matter who joins Andretti in 1978, it won’t certainly be Nilsson. Keeping his irritation under control, Andretti still manages to make a very competitive practice lap in 1'41”481, obtaining fourth place on the starting grid. Shortly after, Ronnie Peterson decides to try to prove that there’s nothing wrong with his driving style, and driving his six-wheeled Tyrrell with enormous determination he records a time of 1'41"908, ahead of his teammate. Depailler team who scores a time of 1'42”238. Between the two Tyrrells there are the Ferrari 312 T2s of Carlos Reutemann (1'41"952) and Niki Lauda (1'42"089). Scuderia Ferrari is in trouble after the first day of testing at Watkins Glen. Engineer Roberto Nosetto, Ferrari's sporting director, declares that on Saturday they will try to limit the gap immediately by modifying the set-up and the suspensions.

"It will be very important to have a very good set of tires".

At the moment Carlos Reutemann, sixth in the standings, is almost a second behind James Hunt, while Niki Lauda is slightly behind in seventh position; during the practice his engine also broke. It is clear that Lauda is no longer welcome within the Italian team after his decision to leave his post at the end of the season and, as is often the case with outgoing Ferrari members, his life is not made easy. Not that there is anything particularly wrong, only that the relationship of sympathy between the driver and the team has vanished.  

However, it’s commonly believed that Maranello's management went a little too far when they suspended Lauda's chief mechanic, Ermanno Cuoghi, from working on his car again starting Sunday morning, simply because he also decided to leave the team at the end of the year and to follow Lauda to Brabham. The Cuoghi case is occupying the paddock to the point of overshadowing the fact that Niki Lauda is very close to winning his second World Championship. The Austrian is at the top of the standings with 69 points against Jody Scheckter's 42, while there are three races to go until the end of the World Championship: the Grand Prix of the United States, Canada and Japan. The Austrian driver has a 27 point lead over Jody Scheckter. The South African must therefore win the last three races to have a chance to win the title. Lauda will only need to finish in the top six of the United States Grand Prix to be mathematically champion, regardless of whether Scheckter wins or not. And if the South African does not succeed, Lauda would be World Champion even in the case of a DNF. It’s clear that in Watkins Glen, perhaps for the last time, the interests of Lauda and Ferrari will match perfectly, beyond the controversy following the divorce. Jody Scheckter works hard behind the wheel of the Wolf WR1, but without success. The South African can’t understand exactly where things are going wrong, because he thinks the car performs very well; he simply fails to improve the time of 1'42"315, obtained during the second session on Friday. Jacques Laffite is also a bit disappointed, because in the first session on Friday he enters the track and rides his Ligier JS7/02 in 1'44"640. But during the afternoon the water pump fails, forcing the Frenchman to switch to the spare JS7/03, with which he can’t improve. Both Ligier-Matra are prepared according to the specifications of the long wheelbase. All is well for Vittorio Brambilla, who is confident that for the first time during the year, he finds his Surtees completely fine. The Italian driver qualified his Surtees in eleventh place with a lap of 1'42"786, at the end of an extraordinarily quiet day of testing.

"Tomorrow I should easily improve".

Nilsson's car, on the other hand, during the first session is afflicted by a brake problem and only at the end it’s discovered that one of the rear brake pipes is swelling; subsequently, the hose comes off while the Swedish driver is on the track, spraying brake fluid along the track. The tube is subsequently replaced, but despite the difficulties Nilsson manages to set a time of 1'42"815 during the second session, which places him at the bottom of the grid. Jones is the fastest among the drivers aboard the Shadows, with a time of 1'43"019 set during the first session, which places him in the standings ahead of Jabouille, who in turn, with his Renault V6 RS01 turbo, overcomes the first day of testing without running into mechanical problems. Mass only manages to set a time of 1'43"242 with the second official McLaren M26, due to a problem caused by a water leak and a throttle that doesn’t open completely. Finally, Jarier records a time of 1'43"516 while Lunger, after a promising performance with his private M23, sets a time of 1'43"698. Emerson Fittipaldi feels again that progress is being made with the Copersucar FD05/1, but is still far from being able to set a competitive time: his time is 1'43’’938, while Regazzoni is the only representative of the Ensign team who will take part in the race, despite a troubled Friday with his MN07.

The Swiss driver only participates in the first session because, while they are disassembling the gearbox to replace the gears for the second session, his mechanics find a pinion bearing close to breaking point. The repair prevents Clay Regazzoni from participating in the second session and, with the rain falling on Saturday, the Swiss driver has no chance of improving his time and position on the starting grid. As for Tambay, the whole weekend is an unprecedented disaster: a water leak causes the engine to overheat during the first session. The repair requires the replacement of the engine which is done as the second session takes place. As if that weren't enough, during the non-timed session on Saturday the fall of the oil tank drain plug disperses the liquid out of the container. Then it starts to rain, so the unfortunate Frenchman is ranked twenty-seventh in a line-up that provides for the departure of only twenty-six cars. As for the Heskeths, Rupert Keegan starts using the 308E/3 for the first time with a new double-deck rear wing and six-speed gearbox, but characterizes his first day of testing with a slight spin that brings the car to collide with the guardrail. After testing the spare 308E/1 in Saturday's unscheduled practice, Keegan decides to race with the older chassis.