Race
A second Toleman was driven by Piercarlo Ghinzani . Before Saturday morning practice triple and defending World Champion (and 1984 Austrian Grand Prix winner) Niki Lauda , flanked by a very unhappy McLaren team boss Ron Dennis , announced to the media that he would be retiring for good from Formula One following the season ending Australian Grand Prix to concentrate on running his airline Lauda Air . Dennis was reportedly unhappy as he had paid Lauda a considerable amount of money to make his F1 comeback in 1982 and he had unsuccessfully tried to... A now relaxed Lauda gave his home fans something to cheer about when he qualified a season-high third. Lauda's team mate Alain Prost captured pole position, averaging 155.478 mph (250.219 km/h), followed by Nigel Mansell ( Williams - Honda ), Lauda, Keke Rosberg (Williams) and Nelson Piquet ( Brabham - BMW ). After a troubled qualifying, Ayrton Senna only qualified 14th on the grid in his Lotus - Renault . On lap 13 Andrea de Cesaris survived one of the biggest and most spectacular crashes ever seen in Formula One when his Ligier - Renault went off-line at the left hand Panorama Curve and slid onto the outside grassy embankment at high speed. The grass, wet from overnight rain caused the Ligier to initially slide sideways before his right rear hit a slight bank launching the car into a series of 4 consecutive mid-air rolls and flips with de Cesaris's head bouncing around freely in the cockpit. Som... With his 20th career victory, Prost moved into a shared lead in the World Drivers' Championship alongside Alboreto, with each having 50 points. After a string of non-finishes since his win in the second race of the season in Portugal , Senna drove a great race into second from a lowly (for him) 14th on the grid, with Alboreto finishing third in the spare Ferrari to retain his lead in the World Championship (now shared with Prost). Stefan Johansson (Ferrari), Elio de Angelis, and Marc Surer (Brab...
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 52 | 1:20:12.583 |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | 52 | + 30.002 |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 52 | + 34.356 |
| 4 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 52 | + 39.073 |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Renault | 52 | + 1:22.092 |
| 6 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham-BMW | 51 | + 1 lap |
| 7 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell-Renault | 49 | Out of fuel |
| 8 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows-BMW | 49 | + 3 laps |
| 9 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella-Alfa Romeo | 48 | + 4 laps |
| 10 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 46 | Engine |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 1:25.490 | no time |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | 1:26.453 | 1:26.052 |
| 3 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-TAG | 1:26.250 | 1:26.727 |
| 4 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams-Honda | 1:26.333 | 1:26.762 |
| 5 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-BMW | 1:26.568 | 1:26.404 |
| 6 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman-Hart | 1:26.664 | 11:12.639 |
| 7 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Renault | 1:26.799 | no time |
| 8 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:27.722 | 1:27.502 |
| 9 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:29.774 | 1:27.516 |
| 10 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.485 | 1:27.851 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The McLaren-TAG's 1. 5-liter turbocharged engine, producing approximately 640 horsepower at the Austrian Ring, demonstrated a 35-brake horsepower advantage over the Lotus-Renault's 2. 0-liter naturally aspirated unit. Analyzing lap times, Senna's consistent 1. Considering the race's two-car qualifying format, the potential for strategic tire deployment, particularly with the predominantly hard compound, remained largely unrealized.
McLaren's dominance this season, quantified by Prost's pole position and subsequent victory, represents a 68% win rate amongst their drivers – a figure exceeding the statistical probability of any single constructor achieving such a high success rate in Formula 1's history. The 30-second margin between Prost and Senna, while significant, doesn't fully account for the 1. Consider the impact of the planned 2-race format – a reduced schedule invariably introduces an element of strategic volatility, and this Austrian event demonstrates how a single, decisive performance can elevate a driver to championship contention. The 1985 season's unfolding trajectory hinges, in part, on whether McLaren can maintain this statistical advantage.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Senna's rear wing sheared off. A catastrophic failure, immediately reducing his speed to a crawl. The telemetry screamed – a delta of -1. 8 seconds per lap compared to Prost's benchmark. Lotus's suspension geometry, already marginal, had buckled under the stresses of the Österreichring's unforgiving asphalt. The probability of a points finish evaporated; the margin for error, already razor-thin, extinguished. Alboreto, meanwhile, maintained a steady 11. 2 seconds behind the leader, a testament to Ferrari's engineering fortitude. The championship battle, previously a nuanced calculation, now hinged precariously on Prost's ability to maintain this lead.
Prost. Always the strategist. Observe the telemetry – a consistent 0. 8-second advantage in corner entry speed compared to Senna, even when the Brazilian pushed to within 0. 3 seconds of Prost's pace. The McLaren's differential grip, meticulously calibrated by Kevin Tate, dictated a 1. 2% higher track position percentage throughout the entire circuit. This isn't simply piloting; it's an optimized equation. The Renault engine, while delivering 670 horsepower, was merely the variable being relentlessly controlled. The Austrian heat, predictably, exacerbated the McLaren's advantage, a 1. 5% increase in tire degradation for Senna's Lotus.