The Lotus 79 is considered to be one of the most revolutionary Formula One cars of all time. It was designed to take advantage of "ground effect", which allowed the car to generate downforce by creating a low-pressure area beneath the car. In 1978, the Lotus 79 was the fastest car on the grid, but by 1979, it had been surpassed by other teams.

That year, the iconic black and gold JPS livery was replaced by a green livery with Martini stripes, and additional sponsorship from Tissot watches. At the USA West Grand Prix, Mario Andretti drove the Lotus 79 to a fourth-place finish. He was behind the two dominant Ferraris and the Williams of Alan Jones.