Race
It was also the last Grand Prix for West German Stefan Bellof , who was killed the following week at the 1000 km of Spa World Sportscar race.
Race summary
Renault 's Patrick Tambay , who qualified sixth, had a huge crash at nearly 322 km/h (200 mph) in the Sunday morning warm-up following a suspension failure on the start-finish straight. Tambay escaped shaken but unhurt, and took the start in the spare car. Nelson Piquet recorded his first and only pole position of the season, averaging 215.369 km/h (133.824 mph), the first for tyre manufacturer Pirelli . However, he stalled his Brabham at the start and was eventually push-started, almost a lap behind the leaders. He eventually finished eighth. Niki Lauda took his 25th and final Grand Prix win in his McLaren - TAG . His teammate Alain Prost finished second, only 0.232 seconds behind; the two had diced for the lead over the final twelve laps of the race. Ayrton Senna continued his late-season charge by finishing third in his Lotus , albeit 48 seconds behind the McLarens; he finished just ahead of Prost's Drivers' Championship rival Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari . Senna's teammate Elio de Angelis was fifth, with Williams ' Nigel Mansel...
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Tyre | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-TAG | G | 70 |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | G | 70 |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | G | 70 |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | G | 70 |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus-Renault | G | 69 |
| 6 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | G | 69 |
| 7 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell-Renault | G | 69 |
| 8 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-BMW | P | 69 |
| 9 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows-BMW | G | 68 |
| 10 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham-BMW | P | 65 |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham-BMW | 1:11.074 | |
| 2 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams-Honda | 1:11.647 | |
| 3 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 1:11.801 | 1:29.507 |
| 4 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | 1:11.837 | |
| 5 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman-Hart | 1:12.310 | |
| 6 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:12.486 | |
| 7 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | 1:12.614 | 1:32.740 |
| 8 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows-BMW | 1:12.746 | |
| 9 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham-BMW | 1:12.856 | |
| 10 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-TAG | 1:13.059 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air hangs thick with the scent of burnt rubber and unspoken anxieties here at Zandvoort. Observe Prost – a subtle adjustment to the suspension geometry, a calculated gamble, no doubt. TAG's 2. 0-liter V6, pushing 660 horsepower, is delivering a remarkable surge on the sweeping corners, but the Ferrari team, with their 3. 0-liter behemoth, is relentlessly chipping away at the advantage. This isn't just a race; it's a meticulously choreographed chess match played out on a track steeped in history.
The air hangs thick with the scent of burning rubber and a palpable sense of finality here at Zandvoort. Observe the numbers, don't be swayed by the spectacle. Lauda's victory – his 25th – is a curious one, considering McLaren held pole position for six consecutive sessions. Statistically, a triple World Champion securing a win this late in the season, with a teammate nipping at his heels, always indicates a strategic chess match unfolding in the shadows.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain hadn't stopped, hadn't cared a whit about Lauda's history. Prost was breathing down his neck, a glacial calculation in his eyes – a contract renegotiation looming, the vultures circling the McLaren throne. You could practically taste the tension, thick and metallic, like the scent of damp asphalt and impending deals. Senna, of course, was a different beast entirely, a furious, incandescent force, fueled by the knowledge that this was his chance, his singular opportunity to break free. Lauda, stoic as ever, was simply managing the endgame, the final, brutal chapter. Don't mistake the rain for a distraction; it was merely a canvas for the maneuvering.
The rain hadn't bothered Lauda, not a drop. He'd been muttering about the "damned accountants" at McLaren all morning, a familiar refrain whenever a new sponsorship deal threatened to dilute his control. Prost, predictably, was simmering, a low-grade resentment always present when Lauda dictated the terms. You could practically smell the tension radiating from the TAG chassis. The Lotus engineer, Evans, was a whirlwind of frantic adjustments, clearly trying to compensate for the slick conditions and, perhaps, Lauda's dominance. This wasn't just a race; it was a battle for legacy, and Zandvoort, on this day, was a proving ground for egos as much as engines. Don't mistake the rain for a distraction; it was merely a canvas for Lauda's strategic brilliance.