Report
A chicane had been added at the entrance to the pits earlier in the year. Nelson Piquet 's Brabham led into the first corner from pole position, while Renault 's Alain Prost passed Piquet's team-mate Riccardo Patrese for second. Further back, there was a collision which eliminated the two Alfa Romeos of Andrea de Cesaris and Bruno Giacomelli , as well as the Williams of Derek Daly . Prost's advantage over Patrese lasted only a few corners before the Italian re-passed him. On lap 2, Patrick Tamba...
Race
Piquet was back up to third but was now in trouble, unable to make any inroads into the leaders and struggling to stay ahead of Rosberg. On lap 32, the Brazilian retired with an electrical failure. Free of the Brabham, Rosberg began closing in on de Angelis, who at this point was ten seconds ahead. Prost was leading by half a minute when on lap 49, five from the end, his Renault suffered a mechanical failure. This left de Angelis and Rosberg – neither of whom had won a Grand Prix before – battling for the lead. At the start of the last lap de Angelis was 1.6 seconds ahead. Rosberg closed rapidly on the final tour and was right on the Lotus's gearbox heading into the final corner, the Rindt Kurve. De Angelis calmly defended the inside line, but slid wide on the exit of the corner. Rosberg d... De Angelis joyfully celebrated his maiden win, while Rosberg had nonetheless boosted his Driver's Championship chances, moving into second place ahead of John Watson , who had suffered an engine failure. Ligier 's Jacques Laffite completed the podium, coming home a lap down, while Patrick Tambay was fourth in the sole Ferrari , having recovered from a puncture early in the race. Watson's McLaren team-mate Niki Lauda was fifth, with Mauro Baldi taking the final point in his Arrows .
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Tyre | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Ford | G | 53 |
| 2 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams-Ford | G | 53 |
| 3 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier-Matra | M | 52 |
| 4 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | G | 52 |
| 5 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-Ford | M | 52 |
| 6 | 30 | Mauro Baldi | Arrows-Ford | P | 52 |
| 7 | 20 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi-Ford | P | 51 |
| 8 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | M | 48 |
| Ret | 7 | John Watson | McLaren-Ford | M | 44 |
| Ret | 4 | Brian Henton | Tyrrell-Ford | G | 32 |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-BMW | 1:27.612 | 1:28.398 |
| 2 | 2 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham-BMW | 1:27.971 | 1:28.296 |
| 3 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:29.867 | 1:28.864 |
| 4 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 1:29.522 | 1:29.856 |
| 5 | 16 | René Arnoux | Renault | no time | 1:30.261 |
| 6 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams-Ford | 1:31.108 | 1:30.300 |
| 7 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Ford | 1:32.686 | 1:31.626 |
| 8 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell-Ford | 1:31.814 | 1:34.534 |
| 9 | 5 | Derek Daly | Williams-Ford | 1:34.114 | 1:32.062 |
| 10 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-Ford | 1:33.005 | 1:32.131 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air at Österreichring hung thick with the scent of burning rubber and high-octane fuel – a primal aroma, really, a testament to the brute force contained within these machines. Nelson Piquet's Brabham, a 2. 0-liter V8 monster, delivered a staggering 640 horsepower, a figure that translated to brutal acceleration, yet the Finn's Williams, sporting a 3. 0-liter Ford engine, proved a tenacious rival, showcasing the subtle nuances of torque versus outright power. Just then, a late-race adjustment to de Angelis' Lotus – a switch to the softer, still-experimental Goodyear intermediate compound – granted him the decisive grip needed to steal the victory, a poignant tribute to Colin Chapman's unwavering belief in innovation. The margin of victory, a mere 0. 05 seconds, underscored the razor's edge of racing's artistry.
The air at Österreichring hung thick with the ghosts of Colin Chapman, a palpable stillness settling over the track. Fifty-three laps unfolded, a brutal ballet of speed and precision, yet the margin of victory – a mere fifty-six thousandths of a second – echoed the razor's edge of innovation that defined the era. Consider this: Nelson Piquet's dominant pole position, a staggering thirteen out of twenty-one races that season, suggested a machine at its absolute peak, a testament to Brabham's engineering prowess. But the Austrian Grand Prix, like so many, revealed the precarious beauty of motorsport—a single, fleeting moment could rewrite history.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air thickened, a metallic tang of burning rubber and desperate ambition. Rosberg, a blur of blue and gold, wrestled with the rear of his Williams, the chicane's jagged teeth threatening to rip him from the lead. A fraction of a second. That's all it took. De Angelis, a ghost in his Lotus, stalked relentlessly, the Ford engine a low, guttural growl against the Austrian sun. The scent of oil and victory hung heavy, a tangible presence as the Italian edged ahead, a margin so slender it seemed to defy the very laws of physics. A lifetime of racing distilled into this single, agonizing moment—Chapman's legacy, etched in the smallest of triumphs.
The rain, a persistent, sullen grey, mirrored the mood in the Lotus garage. Elio de Angelis, young, intense, meticulously adjusted his helmet, a silent prayer for grip, for control. You could almost feel the weight of Colin Chapman's legacy pressing down on him, a phantom hand guiding the steering wheel. This victory, snatched from the jaws of Keke Rosberg, wasn't merely a win; it was a resurrection, a defiant bloom in the twilight of a brilliant man. A fleeting smile touched de Angelis's lips, a momentary connection to the spirit that fueled this extraordinary machine. The crowd roared, oblivious to the profound history unfolding before them.