The season – where it was all about political haggling between FISA President Marie Balestre, from the governing body of motorsport, and Bernie Ecclestone, Head of FOCA, the F1 constructors’ association – was a negative one for Ferrari: the 312 T5 is incomprehensibly uncompetitive although built on the World Champion car from the previous year. The Scuderia only came home eighth in the Championship. Not even Gilles Villeneuve could tame this difficult single-seater and help Ferrari to gain places on the podium in a difficult season. At the end of the year Jody Scheckter retired from Formula One.