Qualifying
Alain Prost took his first pole position for McLaren with a time of 1:22.661, just ahead of the Lotus - Renault of Nigel Mansell . Prost's pole was also the first pole for the McLaren MP4/2 as well as for the TAG - Porsche engine. Stefan Bellof was the only non-turbo qualifier in his Tyrrell - Cosworth . Bellof qualified 20th and last while Brundle's crash behind the pits at Tabac saw him as a spectator for the race. Bellof's time edged the Arrows - Ford of Marc Surer by just 0.156. The turbo ca... BMW had built specially detuned engines for Brabham to use at Monaco. Instead of the normal 900 bhp (671 kW; 912 PS) engines, the Brabhams only had around 700 bhp (522 kW; 710 PS) to play with, the theory being that full power was not needed at Monaco and the detuned engines would be more drivable. It was also an attempt at better reliability as the team had yet to score a point for the year. Never at ease at Monaco, reigning World Champion Nelson Piquet qualified 9th. With Teo Fabi having commi... *Positions with a pink background indicate drivers that failed to qualify
Race
Prost was passed on lap nine by Nigel Mansell , to lead a Grand Prix for the first time, when Prost's TAG engine was misfiring and he was delayed by both Corrado Fabi 's stalled Brabham and Michele Alboreto 's about-to-be-lapped Ferrari just before the tunnel (Prost actually hit a marshal who was pushing Fabi's car away but with no serious injury). [ citation needed ] Mansell pulled away from Prost at around two seconds per lap, before going off six laps later on the run up to Casino Square afte... Lauda disposed of Arnoux but Prost assumed the lead again, only to have the Toleman - Hart of Ayrton Senna , who had also passed the Ferrari, quickly closing in. Senna had started thirteenth in the generally uncompetitive Toleman , in the first Formula One street race in his rookie season, and was showing his wet weather skills that would become legendary. On lap 29, Prost waved to the stewards of the race to indicate that he felt the race should be stopped. He was also suffering from a ma... This was the first time that Ayrton Senna had set a Formula One fastest lap. It was also Toleman's second and final fastest lap in Formula One (Derek Warwick had set the team's only other fastest lap during the 1982 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort ).
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Tyre | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | M | 31 |
| 2 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman-Hart | M | 31 |
| 3 | 28 | René Arnoux | Ferrari | G | 31 |
| 4 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams-Honda | G | 31 |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Renault | G | 31 |
| 6 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | G | 30 |
| 7 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella-Alfa Romeo | P | 30 |
| 8 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams-Honda | G | 30 |
| DSQ | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell-Ford | G | 31 |
| Ret | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | G | 24 |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 1:23.944 | 1:22.661 |
| 2 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus-Renault | 1:24.927 | 1:22.752 |
| 3 | 28 | René Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:24.661 | 1:22.935 |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:23.581 | 1:22.937 |
| 5 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:23.726 | 1:23.237 |
| 6 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:24.828 | 1:23.414 |
| 7 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier-Renault | 1:25.939 | 1:23.578 |
| 8 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-TAG | 1:24.508 | 1:23.886 |
| 9 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-BMW | 1:24.139 | 1:23.918 |
| 10 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams-Honda | 1:26.017 | 1:24.151 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Here we go. The air hangs thick with anticipation, a slick, treacherous canvas of asphalt and rain. Look at that McLaren – Alain Prost, a machine of pure aggression, launching from pole with a TAG 7 – a 2. 0-liter V8 screaming defiance against the elements. That engine, a titan of 330 horsepower, is the only thing separating him from disaster, a brutal ballet of grip and control. This isn't just a race; it's a psychological war waged on a street circuit, and the stakes? Absolutely monumental.
"Hold your breath! The rain… it *devours* Monaco. Brundle's tumble at Tabac – a brutal reminder of this street circuit's unforgiving nature! That young man, Martin, flirting with disaster, and now, utterly out of contention. This isn't a test, it's a battle for survival!".
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air *crackled* – a fractured, watery symphony of spray and shattered rubber. Senna, a blur of blue and orange, wrestled with Brundle for second, the margin shrinking with every desperate, sliding turn. A miscalculation, a brief lock-up, and suddenly, the Brazilian was *inside*, the gap devoured! This wasn't just a podium; this was a brutal, calculated assault on the championship, fueled by the slick, treacherous streets of Monaco. The tension was a palpable force, a suffocating blanket woven from ambition and the ever-present threat of aquaplaning. Bellof, attempting a daring late-race surge, vanished completely, swallowed by the darkness and the rain.
The rain… it always seems to find Monaco, doesn't it? Brundle, a shattered man, spitting out the remnants of his Tyrrell at Tabac. A brutal reminder of this street's merciless appetite. He's a warrior, that one, forged in the crucible of speed and chaos. A catastrophic start to the weekend, absolutely devastating for the team. But look at him – a flicker of defiance in his eyes. This is Formula 1, isn't it? A savage ballet of risk and reward. And tonight, the gods of Monaco favor the bold.