The first Tyrrell designed by Philippe was the 008 for 1978. Compact and rather conventional, it was equipped with the Ford Cosworth V8 engine. Over the course of the year, the results were decent, although the ground-effect Lotuses proved to be the benchmark of the time. Patrick Depailler won in Monaco and Tyrrell finished fifth in the constructors' classification, thanks also to the points scored by the other driver, Pironi.
Patrick Depailler competed in the 1978 F.1 season with the Tyrrell 008, obtaining several top results, including the victory in Monte Carlo. At the Austrian GP, held at the Osterreichring, Depailler was an excellent second, after having qualified thirteenth. In that season Depailler scored 34 points, which earned him fifth place in the drivers' standings.