1985 European Grand Prix

The 1985 European Grand Prix (formally the Shell Oils Grand Prix of Europe [ 3 ] ) was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 6 October 1985. It was the fourteenth race of the 1985 Formula One World Championship .

Qualifying

Ayrton Senna took his sixth pole position of the season in his Lotus - Renault , averaging 140.106 mph (225.479 km/h), the first time anyone had lapped the Brands Hatch circuit faster than 140 mph. Compatriot Nelson Piquet was second in his Brabham - BMW , 0.3 seconds behind, followed by the Williams - Hondas of Nigel Mansell and Keke Rosberg . Philippe Streiff was a surprise fifth in his Ligier , ahead of Alain Prost 's McLaren ; the top ten was completed by Marc Surer in the second Brabham, De...

Race

Senna led off the line from a fast-starting Mansell, while Prost slid onto the grass and fell to 14th. Mansell then ran wide at Druids, allowing Rosberg and Piquet past.

On lap 7, Rosberg attempted to overtake Senna, but the Brazilian blocked the move causing Rosberg to spin at Surtees Corner and was unavoidably hit by Piquet in third. The Brabham was out on the spot with a broken front suspension, while Rosberg limped back to the pits with a puncture, losing a full lap in the process. Mansell was now second again, followed by de Angelis, Stefan Johansson in the second Ferrari and Surer, with Prost up to seventh following a charge through the field. When Rosberg...

On lap 14 Alboreto, who had made a good start and had run as high as sixth, suffered a fiery turbo failure, effectively ending his Championship challenge. Prost, running sixth at this point, now only needed to finish fifth to secure the title. Surer had moved ahead of Johansson by this stage and was closing on de Angelis, while Laffite was also on a charge, passing Prost and Johansson in quick succession.

Surer overtook de Angelis on lap 21, followed soon after by Laffite. The two then closed up to Senna, Surer getting past on lap 35 and Laffite one lap later. At this point, Mansell's lead was 14 seconds, while Prost was still seventh.

On lap 51, having just been re-passed by Senna, Laffite pitted for new tyres, dropping to eighth and promoting Johansson to fourth. Shortly afterwards, Prost passed de Angelis for fifth as the two were lapping Watson; this became fourth when Johansson started to suffer an electrical problem. Laffite retired on lap 59 with an engine failure, followed one lap later by Johansson.

Quick Facts

1985 European Grand Prix Race 14 of 16 in the 1985 Formula One World Championship

1985 European Grand Prix nan

1985 European Grand Prix Race details

1985 European Grand Prix Date

1985 European Grand Prix Official name

1985 European Grand Prix Location

1985 European Grand Prix Course

1985 European Grand Prix Course length

1985 European Grand Prix Distance

1985 European Grand Prix Pole position

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Renault	1:08.020	1:07.169
2	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-BMW	1:09.204	1:07.482
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	1:10.537	1:08.059
4	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams-Honda	1:09.277	1:08.197
5	25	Philippe Streiff	Ligier-Renault	1:10.396	1:09.080
6	2	Alain Prost	McLaren-TAG	1:10.345	1:09.429
7	8	Marc Surer	Brabham-BMW	1:09.762	1:09.913
8	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	1:11.014	1:09.904
9	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus-Renault	1:11.530	1:10.014
10	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier-Renault	1:11.312	1:10.081

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Tyre	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	G	75
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Renault	G	75
3	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams-Honda	G	75
4	2	Alain Prost	McLaren-TAG	G	75
5	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus-Renault	G	74
6	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows-BMW	G	73
7	1	John Watson	McLaren-TAG	G	73
8	25	Philippe Streiff	Ligier-Renault	P	73
9	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	G	73
10	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows-BMW	G	73

Table 3

Pos	Driver	Points	Unnamed: 3
1	Alain Prost	72	nan
2	Michele Alboreto	53	nan
3	Ayrton Senna	38	nan
4	Elio de Angelis	33	nan
5	Keke Rosberg	25	nan
Source: [7]	Source: [7]	Source: [7]	Source: [7]

Image Gallery

content image from 1985_European_Grand_Prix

F1ABY Commentary

Can you *feel* the tension here, a coiled spring of ambition threatening to unleash? Senna, a ghost in his Lotus – Renault, snatched the lead, a strategic masterclass before a single lap was even completed. But does brilliance guarantee victory? Mansell, a storm brewing in his Williams – Honda, is stalking, a primal force hungry for the crown. Rosberg, poised on the edge, could this be the moment his years of calculated aggression pay off? The air crackles—this isn’t just a race; it’s a battle for legacies!

The world just witnessed a coronation! Nigel Mansell, a name that will be etched in the annals of motorsport, has seized victory from the jaws of destiny at Brands Hatch – a brutal, breathtaking display of sheer will and raw speed. This, folks, is what Formula 1 is truly about: a savage, unrelenting battle for supremacy!

F1ABY Trivia

Hold on to your helmets! The air here at Brands Hatch is thick with anticipation, a palpable tension radiating from the Williams camp – Nigel Mansell has seized his opportunity, snatching pole position with a Lotus-Renault that’s spitting out a staggering 680 horsepower! This isn't just a victory; it’s a declaration, a seismic shift in the championship landscape fueled by a Renault engine that’s proving a brutal competitor. The Lotus is delivering a blistering 7. 3 seconds to set the pace, a testament to their aggressive development strategy.

Hold on to your helmets, people! The air crackles with it – pure, unadulterated ambition! Nigel Mansell, a name etched in fire tonight, has just detonated around the outside of the Kent circuit, snatching victory from the jaws of a seemingly insurmountable lead. Sixty-three laps, a brutal testament to his relentless spirit, and he’s done it – his first Formula One win, a seismic shift in the championship landscape! Let’s not forget, this is only his seventy-second attempt, a statistic that whispers of a future brimming with dominance.

F1ABY Tales

The air crackles! Senna, a blur of blue, is defending like a cornered wolf – Mansell’s Williams a relentless predator. A brush! A near miss! The Brazilian’s composure is a fortress, but can it hold against this savage surge? This isn’t just a race, it’s a psychological war waged at 180 miles per hour. Rosberg watches, a simmering threat in third, sensing the shift in momentum. The championship hangs in the balance, a single lap could shatter everything. This is the raw, brutal heart of Formula One.

The rain… it’s a cruel mistress, isn’t it? Watching Senna, so precise, so utterly dominant in qualifying, only to be denied the lead by a mere fraction of a second. You can almost *feel* the frustration radiating from the Brazilian, a coiled spring ready to unleash. This isn't just about speed; it’s about nerve, about the gut-wrenching knowledge that one tiny misstep could cost you everything. Mansell, poised behind him, already senses the shift, the opening. The tension here is palpable, a storm brewing before the first lap. This race… this will be a brutal, beautiful dance.