Qualifying
The Fittipaldi team was not present because they did not have enough engines.
Race
At the start, Villeneuve got the jump on the two Renaults and led into the Hella -Licht chicane. On the next lap, Prost passed Villeneuve into the Hella-Licht; Villeneuve tried to outbrake Prost but he locked up solid and went into some runoff area; as did Reutemann. Both the Canadian and Argentine drivers were able to rejoin, but with time lost. At the high-speed Österreichring, a power advantage paid dividends. Prost and Arnoux were able to pull away from the rest of the field. Around lap 4, Pironi (who had made a lightning start from 8th on the grid) was running 3rd, and Laffite, Piquet, Jones and eventually Reutemann had caught up to Pironi. None of them could find a way past, and were held up by Pironi for a number of laps. In a similar situation to the Spanish Grand Prix earlier in the year, the Ferrari had more power than any of t... Villeneuve crashed heavily at the Bosch-Kurve on lap 12, and finally, Laffite, having already passed Piquet, managed to outbrake Pironi into the first of the Texaco bends, and then the rest of the three drivers got by as well. Prost retired from the lead with damaged suspension, and Laffite then charged after Arnoux, passing him at the second of the 2 Texaco Bends. Laffite was to hold the lead until the end, and the poor performance of the Ferrari in relation to other cars meant that Pironi mana... Laffite crossed the line, followed by Arnoux, Piquet, Jones, Reutemann (who coasted over the finish line with a dead engine) and John Watson in the carbon-fibre McLaren .
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Tyre | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Talbot Ligier-Matra | M | 53 |
| 2 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | M | 53 |
| 3 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-Ford | G | 53 |
| 4 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams-Ford | G | 53 |
| 5 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams-Ford | G | 53 |
| 6 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren-Ford | M | 53 |
| 7 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Ford | G | 52 |
| 8 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren-Ford | M | 52 |
| 9 | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | M | 52 |
| 10 | 32 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Osella-Ford | M | 51 |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | 1:32.682 | 1:32.018 |
| 2 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:32.798 | 1:32.321 |
| 3 | 27 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari | 1:33.334 | 1:35.150 |
| 4 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Talbot Ligier-Matra | 1:35.002 | 1:34.398 |
| 5 | 2 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams-Ford | 1:34.531 | 1:35.633 |
| 6 | 1 | Alan Jones | Williams-Ford | 1:34.654 | 1:34.999 |
| 7 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-Ford | 1:34.871 | 1:35.519 |
| 8 | 28 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari | 1:35.346 | 1:35.037 |
| 9 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Ford | 1:35.294 | 1:35.858 |
| 10 | 29 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows-Ford | 1:35.912 | 1:35.442 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Let's examine Arnoux's Renault; the 1. 5-liter turbocharged Matra engine, coupled with the chassis's revised suspension geometry, delivered an estimated 475 horsepower – a significant leap over 1980's output and contributing directly to his blistering lap time. Villeneuve's Ferrari, conversely, relied on a 3. 0-liter V6, generating approximately 350 bhp, demonstrating a stark contrast in power delivery strategies. The Austrian heat undoubtedly exacerbated the tire pressures, suggesting a conservative approach to compound selection for many teams.
Let's examine the qualifying session's peculiar dominance – a straight French front row for the second consecutive year. Arnoux's pole, alongside Prost, represents a statistically significant trend; the Renault team has consistently occupied the top two starting grid positions throughout this season. This pattern, mirroring the 1980 results, suggests a level of aerodynamic refinement or track familiarity within the French team's setup. The championship standings, with Piquet closing the gap on Reutemann, adds another layer of intrigue to this already compelling race.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Prost's rear wing – observe the subtle dihedral angle shift as he pushes through Turn Four. The increased downforce, necessitated by the Austrian circuit's inherent elevation changes, is generating approximately 18% more load than the baseline configuration. Note the slight shudder in the telemetry; the carbon fiber is working hard, but the anisotropic layup is holding. Villeneuve, however, is exhibiting a marginally lower overall load, a calculated risk, perhaps, given the inherent instability of the Ferrari's suspension geometry on this track. The consequence? A critical loss of traction as he enters the following right-hander.
Prost. A young man, brimming with a confidence that bordered on audacious, wasn't he? The stopwatch registered a 1:21. 37 – a blistering time, absolutely. Observe the subtle adjustments to the rear wing angle; a mere 0. 8 degrees, but the ripple effect on downforce is significant, particularly through the apex. The Renault team's data suggests a near-perfect correlation between aerodynamic input and track performance. It's a testament to their meticulous understanding of the Österreichring's complex flow characteristics. Villeneuve, predictably, mirrored his teammate's pace, demonstrating a remarkable ability to extract maximum grip from the Ferrari's Vihola engine.