Dutch GP 1983

Dutch GP, 1983

In the fortnight between the Austrian and Dutch GPs, Keke Rosberg and Jacques Laffite agreed to re-sign for Williams in 1984 while there were suggestions that Prost had had an offer to join Ferrari. The big news in the Zandvoort paddock, however, was that the first McLaren-TAG MP4/1E was ready and it was driven for the weekend by Niki Lauda. It was not an immediate challenger with Lauda having to be content with 19th on the grid while Nelson Piquet was on pole position in his Brabham-BMW with Patrick Tambay (Ferrari) alongside on the front row. Then came Elio de Angelis (Lotus-Renault) and World Championship leader Alain Prost (Renault) ahead of Nigel Mansell (Lotus-Renault), Riccardo Patrese (Brabham-BMW), Derek Warwick (Toleman-Hart), Andrea de Cesaris (Alfa Romeo), Manfred Winkelhock (ATS-BMW) and Prost's title challenger Rene Arnoux, the Frenchman having had engine trouble in qualifying.

At the start of the race Piquet went ahead as Tambay was slow off the line while Cheever made a sensational start to grab second place from 12th on the grid! Prost was third ahead of Patrese, de Cesaris, Arnoux and de Angelis (who had been banging wheels with his teammate Mansell. Tambay was down in 21st position.

De Cesaris did not last long, going out with a blown engine but apart from that the order did not change until the eighth lap when Patrese overtook Cheever. Eddie soon dropped behind Arnoux as well and on lap 22 the Ferrari driver went ahead of Patrese. Riccardo dropped back and was later passed by Cheever. The pit stops began on lap 38 but at the start of lap 42 the two leaders collided in Tarzan. Piquet was punted of and Prost rejoined but his front wing was damaged and he soon retired. This left Arnoux in the lead with Patrese second, Tambay third and John Watson (McLaren-Cosworth) fourth. The order remained the same until lap 70 when Patrese suffered a turbo failure and so Ferrari scored a 1-2 with Watson third. Warwick was fourth, Mauro Baldi (Alfa Romeo) and Michele Alboreto sixth in the Tyrrell 012.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
28 Rene Arnoux Ferrari  72 1h38m41.950s  10 
27 Patrick Tambay Ferrari  72 1h39m02.789s  
John Watson McLaren-Cosworth  72 1h39m25.691s  15 
35 Derek Warwick Toleman-Hart  72 1h39m58.789s  
23 Mauro Baldi Alfa Romeo  72 1h40m06.242s  12 
Michele Alboreto Tyrrell-Cosworth  71  18 
40 Stefan Johansson Spirit-Honda  70  16 
29 Marc Surer Arrows-Cosworth  70  14 
Riccardo Patrese Brabham-BMW  70  
10 26 Raul Boesel Ligier-Cosworth  70  24 
11r 31 Corrado Fabi Osella-Cosworth  68 Engine 25 
12 33 Roberto Guerrero Theodore-Cosworth  68  20 
13 36 Bruno Giacomelli Toleman-Hart  68  13 
14r 30 Thierry Boutsen Arrows-Cosworth  65 Engine 21 
Keke Rosberg Williams-Cosworth  53 Misfire 23 
dq Manfred Winkelhock ATS-BMW  50 Overtook On Parade Lap 
Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW  41 Accident 
15 Alain Prost Renault  41 Accident 
16 Eddie Cheever Renault  39 Electrics 11 
Jacques Laffite Williams-Cosworth  37 Tyres 17 
12 Nigel Mansell Lotus-Cosworth  26 Spin 
Niki Lauda McLaren-Cosworth  25 Brakes 19 
Danny Sullivan Tyrrell-Cosworth  20 Engine 26 
11 Elio de Angelis Lotus-Cosworth  12 Fuel Metering Unit 
22 Andrea de Cesaris Alfa Romeo  Engine 
25 Jean-Pierre Jarier Ligier-Cosworth  Suspension 22 
nq 32 Piercarlo Ghinzani Osella-Cosworth    27 
nq 34 Johnny Cecotto Theodore-Cosworth    28 
nq 17 Kenny Acheson RAM March-Cosworth    29