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In the still warm autumn of Rio de Janeiro, the modern era of the Formula One World Championship gets underway. It goes without saying that the anticipation for this first race at the Jacarepaguà circuit was enormous. After a long break (from 21 October 1984 to Sunday 7 April 1985, i.e. five and a half months), the teams had time to prepare meticulously. It starts with an obligatory favourite team: McLaren, the absolute ruler of a season that saw them break all previous records for victories, with their drivers fighting for the title in a family feud. This team, with an English framework and a German engine, is trying to achieve a record in 1985 that has never been achieved before: two successive victories, which is within its grasp, given McLaren's technical consistency and the ability of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost. However, there are a number of facts that could overturn even a logical prediction in favour of Ron Dennis' team. Firstly, the tyre change, which could prove decisive. Then there is the apparent recovery of the rivals. The new McLaren, modified in the rear suspension and other less visible details, has only been out of the workshops for a few days and has done a few laps in England. As a result, it lacks the details of the other cars. Even if it's easy to assume that designer John Barnard has made no spectacular mistakes and has managed to improve his product, the brand-new single-seater is still an unknown factor. Whoever wins is always right. But the arrogance with which Barnard himself judges his rivals seems a little out of place. In a recent interview, the designer said that many teams, including Ferrari, still don't have a clear idea of aerodynamic efficiency. There may be some truth in that, but sooner or later everyone can be wrong and from the crest of a wave you can quickly end up underwater. A little humility never hurts. Having said that, it should be noted that Ferrari are once again, in theory, the most dangerous opponent for McLaren, based on the numerous winter tests. The new 156 has delivered positive results and will continue to improve as the season progresses. However, it is still too early to say that the Maranello team has everything it needs to beat the English team. And it will be the Brazilian Grand Prix that will reveal the first truths about the dominant motives of the season.
Reasons that affect Formula One on both a technical and human level. There is the worrying and pointless escalation of the so-called record qualifying engines. Almost all the teams now have these special engines that can produce up to 1000 hp and last a few laps before breaking down. More problems, more risks for the riders, not least because everything has to be rebuilt for the races. It will be particularly interesting for the Italians to follow the debut of Minardi, to see if Alfa Romeo can keep its promises of good progress, and to keep an eye on an Osella that is unfortunately struggling with various economic difficulties. Among the drivers, there are some up-and-coming protagonists. First of all, the young Brazilian Ayrton Senna, who has joined Lotus. He is a fast kid, very determined, a potential champion. But he still lacks experience and will have to fight, hopefully on an equal footing, with team-mate Elio De Angelis, who is not particularly keen on being a successor. For the rest, almost everything is new. The cars, of course, with some outsiders such as Arrows in the relaunch phase, Renault, still a mystery, Brabham, who have tried different aerodynamic concepts, Williams, who for the first time have developed a carbon-fibre chassis to house the Honda engine. In short, there are plenty of reasons to be interested. The temperature is still high on the coast and the sun is beating down on the Jacarepaguà circuit, where the atmosphere could only be overheated these days. The Formula 1 World Championship begins on Friday 5th April with the first qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Like every year, the rituals leading up to the championship will be repeated. The drivers, almost all of whom have already arrived, take a few days to relax before embarking on a new adventure that will last until November. We talk, discuss, make predictions, express hopes and fears. But the bottom line is always the same. McLaren is the team to beat, all the others are in the hunt, some with concrete theoretical possibilities of fighting on equal terms with Prost and Lauda, others with the sole aim of having a good season. However, something had changed compared to the past. Niki Lauda has taught us a lesson, and this is the first feedback that can be drawn from the 1985 World Championship on a human level. It was not the effective running technique of the three-time Austrian World Champion that made converts, but his psycho-physical preparation.
Almost everyone (there are a few exceptions) has adapted over the winter and become a pilot-athlete. Talent is no longer enough to win. It takes a great resistance to fatigue, effort, a lucidity that allows you to complete races that are often very demanding. Almost all of them have lost 6-7 kilos of weight, they have meticulously prepared themselves with different methods, they follow strict diets. Alcohol and smoking are almost forbidden (only Rosberg and De Angelis allow themselves the occasional cigarette). Even in Rio, where there is no shortage of good restaurants, Alain Prost can be seen ordering salad, steak and fruit, while Riccardo Patrese and Eddie Cheever prefer the swimming pool and gym to the discos. In short, this motorsport, which in Clay Regazzoni's time (and even before) was practised empirically, now follows the dictates of a scientific set-up, as if the cars were also the drivers. Michele Alboreto says:
"It is normal that we have reached this point. Maybe Niki Lauda was a forerunner, but the road was forced. When you have to do 10.000 kilometres of testing in winter and then compete in at least sixteen top-level races, you can't make any mistakes and consider physical and mental fitness as a secondary factor. I myself have been training intensively with a specific programme since October".
But being physically prepared is not enough to win races. We also need a competitive single seater.
"Let us say that for a small percentage, even health is crucial. It is used for concentration, for being able to express yourself to the full at all times. Let's not forget that Formula 1 requires perfect reflexes, reaction times measured in tenths of a second. It's also clear that if the car isn't good, any effort will be frustrated, but I'm not asking Ferrari to have the fastest single-seater in the world. It would be enough for me to be in the best lot. And that is where the qualities of a driver come into their own: driving ability, determination and form".
In this respect, Niki Lauda is not very optimistic on the eve of next season. He believes it will be difficult for McLaren to repeat their success and has already named his favourites: Michele Alboreto and René Arnoux at Ferrari and Elio De Angelis and Ayrton Senna at Lotus-Renault. The World Champion says:
"My favourites for 1985 are Ferrari and Lotus. They have been the fastest in the tests over the last few months. Then I think about Brabham, but they are an unknown factor because of the Pirelli tyres".
But Alain Prost is a candidate for the championship.
"He is wrong. We don't even know if McLaren will be as competitive as last year. What Prost says doesn't worry me. He said the same thing last year and you all saw what happened. But it is impossible to make predictions".
After so many words, we finally get down to the facts on Friday 5 April 1985. The Formula One circus made its official debut with the first qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix. The world championship thus began in the most classic way, on the Jacarepaguà circuit, scorched by the sun, with a charge of anticipation and curiosity that made the evening even more convulsive. It is the same protagonists, pilots, technicians, mechanics, who feed this tension. After fifteen months of stops and tests, the Grand Prix world awaits this day almost as a liberation. There is interest, there are many innovations, there are challenges that have been and will be launched. Although the main theme of the championship is already known. Bernie Ecclestone says:
"That is the beauty of Formula 1, you start over every time. Every time it's about giving the fans the best possible show. My personal wish is that there is a battle in all the races, balance and competitiveness".
The clever English manager's speech prompts a question. What are the prospects for Formula One in the future, in terms of social and technological sport?
"We have always tried to be at the forefront of everything. In terms of professionalism and organisation. We have also had very difficult moments, full of controversy. But we came out of them with good will. We will try to make the rules ever more precise, to nip in the bud any attempt to cheat. We have taken and given from technology, working as an advanced point for certain experiments, for solutions that have then been poured into large-scale automotive production".
The astute Ecclestone is reluctant to make any predictions as he is more interested in the results:
"I just hope, as I said, that it will be a great championship, exciting and uncertain until the last minute. Of course I hope that my team will be among the protagonists, but I think that McLaren, Lotus, Williams, Renault and Ferrari won't leave us much room for manoeuvre. I am convinced that Ferrari will be the real surprise of 1985".
When questioned, the Maranello team defends itself with caution. There was a lot of confidence in the new car, the 156, and they were waiting to see how the race would go. Michele Alboreto and René Arnoux do not hide their ambitions, their intentions, but they are wishes and not predictions. The Italian is clear:
"I always see McLaren (with Prost on the front row and Lauda on the second) as an opponent to be taken into consideration. Without forgetting Williams with Rosberg and Mansell, Lotus with De Angelis, who is in no way inferior to the much-vaunted Senna. I'd put a little less faith in Brabham after the winter tests, but that's just a personal impression. The only real problem is that I was hoping for a mistake on the part of the McLaren designers. I was hoping that they would go one step further and change the cars substantially. Instead, they've only made minor adjustments to the new tyres, so they won't have much work to do to set up their cars".
Arguments, hopes, predictions. All of this will be answered on Friday, when the first provisional grid is drawn up at 14:00. And the reaction from the first day of testing of the season reveals a dark threat to the Formula One World Championship. As was the case last year, the session was dominated by Lotus, but this time the British team's advantage appears to be more substantial. Elio De Angelis, in great form, sets the fastest time and lap record. He was followed by his team-mate Ayrton Senna. The Italian completed the lap in 1'28.081, at an average speed of 205.624 km/h, beating the Brazilian by more than 0.6 seconds. In third place was the solid and aggressive Ferrari of Michele Alboreto, who set a time of 1'28"899, just 0.001 seconds faster than last year. The timesheet continues with Alain Prost, Patrick Tambay, Niki Lauda and René Arnoux, all more clearly separated than the first three. Lotus' performance has been impressive, and it must be said that the British team have also managed to take their rivals by surprise. Technician Gerard Ducarouge has found new aerodynamic solutions that seem to be producing positive results. These are two ailerons at the end of the side panels and two large fixed deflectors behind the rear wheels. Elio De Angelis says with a smile: Technician Gerard Ducarouge has found new aerodynamic solutions that seem to be giving positive results. These are two ailerons at the end of the side panels and two large fixed deflectors behind the rear wheels. Elio De Angelis says with a smile: Technician Gerard Ducarouge has found new aerodynamic solutions that seem to be giving positive results. These are two ailerons at the end of the side panels and two large fixed deflectors behind the rear wheels. Elio De Angelis beams:
"This variant has allowed us to gain at least 0.3 seconds per lap. To be honest, we were expecting even more progress, but that's OK".
The Italian driver does not hide the satisfaction of having taken a swipe at Ayrton Senna, considered one of the most promising youngsters and his rival within the team. It remains to be seen whether the arrangements adopted by Lotus will be immediately copied by another team, or imitated in some other way. There is always something to learn in F1. For the moment, McLaren seem to have lost the superiority they demonstrated in 1984. But perhaps it is too early to draw conclusions. Niki Lauda says with a smile:
"Everything is fine".
He's happy... The Austrian has seen his predictions of a difficult start to the season confirmed. At Ferrari, satisfaction is moderate. The car is fine, there are no particular problems. But Michele Alboreto says:
"But it has to give me more. It has superior potential, it's just a question of concentrating on better solutions".
René Arnoux is strangely happy with his seventh place, almost 2 seconds behind his team-mate:
"I can't complain because on my fastest lap I found Piquet very slow and I had to slow down. I'm sure I'll be able to improve in the second round".
The day was marked by a Renault making progress at Imola (Tambay's fifth time there) and a Brabham struggling on a track that, according to Nelson Piquet, was not to its liking.
"In any case, we are not ready with the qualifying tyres. The race tyres should be excellent, while we have to work on the others. We'll get there".
For Alfa Romeo it was a change without praise or shame. A difficult start to discover the problems of the cars (the Italian team did not support the last tests in Rio), then the improvement with the installation of harder springs. On Saturday, both Riccardo Patrese and Eddie Cheever will try to recover from eleventh and fourteenth place respectively. The debut of the Minardi was not particularly painful, even if the car did not go beyond the last time, clearly detached. The driver, Pierluigi Martini, didn't know the track and with a naturally aspirated engine you can't expect much. The same goes for Osella, who basically started the season in Brazil without having had the chance to complete the tests supported by all the other teams. Overall, there were no sensational surprises, the script was followed with everyone attacking McLaren. The technological gap between the cars driven by Lauda and Prost and the others has been shattered, but the final word has not been spoken. It is only the beginning and in Formula 1 things can change overnight. However, it will be difficult to unseat Lotus in Brazil. Perhaps only Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari, if he can perform a miracle in terms of setting up the car and finding a good lap, will have the chance to challenge for the front row. However, Lotus will be hard to beat in Brazil. Perhaps only Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari, if he manages to perform a miracle in terms of car set-up and finding a good lap, will have the chance to challenge for the front row. However, Lotus will be hard to beat in Brazil. Perhaps only Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari will have the chance to challenge for the front row if he can perform a miracle in terms of car set-up and finding a good lap. On the other hand, the young German Stefan Bellof had an unpleasant surprise on Friday morning when he went to the Tyrrell garage to get into his car, only to find the place occupied by the Swede Stefan Johansson. What happened? There was an argument between Stefan Bellof and Ken Tyrrell, probably over a matter of commitment. The driver's manager, Willy Maurer, intervened and the English manufacturer balked.
And it hired Stefan Johansson, who had become available following Toleman's departure (the British team, which had employed John Watson and Stefan Johansson, announced its intention to withdraw from the championship due to a lack of tyres). But this is not the end of the story. And Ken Tyrrell hopes to come to terms with Stefan Bellof within a few races.
"My interlocutor is the driver. I don't want to talk to the manager, to the tout. You will see that we will find a solution before Imola. For the moment, I have taken this Swede who is very fast. We will see".
There have also been rumours in the garage that one of the two, either Stefan Bellof or Stefan Johansson, could be joining Ferrari as a third driver in the near future. But these are the usual rumours, without any foundation at the moment. Meanwhile, as far as the Maranello team is concerned, the F1 World Championship opens with a sharp note from Scuderia Ferrari. Saturday 6th April 1985: Michele Albereto took pole position for today's Brazilian Grand Prix during the second qualifying session, setting a new absolute record for the Jacarepaguà circuit with a lap of 1'27.768, at an average speed of 206.357 km/h. The Maranello team's record was completed by seventh place for René Arnoux, less brilliant than his team-mate, who was also ahead of Rosberg, De Angelis, Senna, Mansell and Prost in today's race. Elio De Angelis was unable to defend his position at the top of the standings on Friday. Twice, when trying to improve his time, the Italian was confronted with a slower car (first Ghinzani's Osella, then Johansson's Tyrrell) and was forced to slow down. However, the heroics of Michele Albereto and the Maranello single-seater should not give rise to any illusions of success. The chances of a successful debut are there, but Ferrari is very cautious about making predictions. In the field, despite Prost's sixth place and Lauda's ninth, the focus is still on McLaren, with Ferrari playing the role of the first outsider and the surprising Williams of Rosberg, just 0.096 seconds behind Albereto, playing the role of the formidable rival. Obviously no! The prediction also includes the Lotus of De Angelis and Senna, and the very fast Brabham of Piquet (the Brazilian reaches 326 km/h at the end of the main straight, compared to the 309 km/h of the Ferrari). There are also fewer chances for the Renaults, which are struggling with unexplained brake problems (Tambay went off the track five times, the last time at 250 km/h, knocking down two crash nets and damaging his car quite badly). The reason why McLaren can still be considered the car to beat is simple.
Even last year, the Anglo-German team was not unapproachable in practice, but had an edge in the race, thanks in part to lower fuel consumption than most of their opponents. A car that has changed very little and that seems to be extremely reliable. This is the main reason why the Maranello team is not triumphalist: everything still needs to be verified in terms of grip. And racing is made up of too many factors. Not to mention the growth of Williams. The development of the Honda engine continues and it is said that a 1000+ hp racing engine will be available in June. For the moment, the Japanese engineers have already developed a turbocharging system that automatically adjusts the pressure of the turbo depending on the speed of the car. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving and for Williams to get optimum performance at every point on the track. Rosberg is energetic and when the Finn is fit, everyone is in trouble. There are other considerations as well: last year, Ferrari finished second to De Angelis at this circuit. This time, however, the Maranello car was 1.1 seconds quicker. The McLaren improved by just 0.2 seconds. This is a significant figure in favour of Ferrari. For the rest, there are no other competitors capable of worrying the best. Alfa Romeo's performance was discreet, with Riccardo Patrese in P14 and Eddie Cheever in P18. There is still too much work to be done on the new cars, and the set-up of the cars themselves is causing problems. As for the other Italian teams, not much can be expected from Osella, who have barely tested since the start of the season, and Minardi, who are running a naturally aspirated engine in the wrong place in a car that should have a turbocharged engine. For them, it's all about gaining experience and seeing what they can do with the new car (at Imola for the Turin-based manufacturer) and Carlo Chiti's six-cylinder engine (for the Romagna-based team).
So there is a lot of excitement in the garage after practice. Nobody seems happy. Only Niki Lauda is in great shape and he is positive about the results of the tests: For them it's just a matter of gaining experience and seeing what they can do when the new car arrives (at Imola for the Turin manufacturer) and Carlo Chiti's six-cylinder engine (for the Romagna team). So there was a lot of excitement in the garage at the end of the session. Nobody seemed happy. Only Niki Lauda was in good spirits and commented positively on the results of the tests: For them, it's all about gaining experience and seeing what they can do with the new car (at Imola for the Turin-based manufacturer) and Carlo Chiti's six-cylinder engine (for the Romagna-based team). So there was a lot of excitement in the garage at the end of the session. Nobody seemed happy. Only Niki Lauda was in good spirits and commented positively on the outcome of the tests:
"It's always been like this, even last year, and I always had to start from the back, but then I finished well. Our car for the race is very balanced and we should be able to come back. I don't want to be a braggart, but I have a feeling that the race will go well".
Lauda's optimism matches the caution in the Ferrari garage. Michael Alboreto, very happy with his performance, preaches calmly:
"Our car can be improved. It's quite good, but I don't want to go too far. There are too many things to see in the race to make any hasty predictions. I will be clearer after the race".
There is a lot of bitterness for Elio De Angelis. The Italian in his Lotus is the only one of the best not to have improved on Friday's time:
"I am unlucky because I was convinced that I could go a little further. I don't know if I would have beaten Alboreto, but with the progress everyone has made I think I would have been at least on a par with Ferrari. I am very sorry about that. But I can't blame myself. I found two cars that were slow on the track and that's part of the game. I'll try to make up for it in the race".
Nelson Piquet is moderately calm. The Brazilian improved his starting position a little and his Brabham was almost a rocket: the 326 km/h reached at the end of the straight were frightening. However, it seems that the car is not so good in the big corners, where it might be in trouble.
"Of course, if we were the fastest everywhere, I'd be two seconds ahead of everyone. Unfortunately, our car is only going to be very good on tracks that are particularly suited to the power of the engine. What comforts me is that we didn't have the slightest engine or turbine failure during the two days of prone: this is a good sign, considering that last year I was always at a standstill".
The performance of Michele Alboreto, who gave his all in this qualifying session, must have boosted the confidence of Enzo Ferrari, who was anxiously awaiting news from Brazil in his office at Maranello. Enzo Ferrari was pleased to learn of Michele Alboreto's time, and this will certainly help to keep him in excellent health, despite some unfounded rumours that he is not in the best of health these days. An excellent start for Ferrari, we'll see if he can finish the race in the best possible way. On Sunday 7th April 1985, before the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Elio De Angelis was forced to change the engine in his Lotus. A Renault EF15 engine was also fitted to Derek Warwick's car, while Gerhard Berger started the Grand Prix in the reserve car, as a fire had broken out in the owner's car. The high temperatures are forcing the tyre specialists to use very hard compounds, but the abrasiveness of the track makes it doubtful that two pit stops will be necessary. Keke Rosberg is the author of an excellent start that puts him in front of Michele Alboreto. The other Williams driver, Nigel Mansell, also had an excellent start which allowed him to pass Alain Prost and the two Lotus. The Brit also immediately attacked Michele Alboreto: the two cars made tyre contact and the Brit's car went off the track and ended up in the escape route.
The marshals helped Mansell back on the track, albeit with a damaged car. However, there were no problems for the Ferrari driver, who remained in second place. Thierry Boutsen remained on the grid and needed a push to start. The race ended prematurely for Nelson Piquet, who was forced to retire on the seventh lap due to a problem with the suspension, which had been damaged when driving over a kerb. In the early laps, Keke Rosberg managed to gain an advantage over Michele Alboreto in order to save his tyres. The Italian, on the other hand, found himself with an understeering car. This favoured the proximity of Alain Prost, third. However, Michele Alboreto took the lead on the tenth lap when Keke Rosberg was forced to retire due to a turbo failure. On lap 14, Niki Lauda moved up to third after overtaking Ayrton Senna. On lap 18, Alain Prost moved up to first position, taking advantage of a mistake by Michele Alboreto in the Vitoria corner. Alain Prost said at the end of the race:
"In my opinion, Alboreto took the wrong gear and it was easy to overtake".
The Italian driver, however, had a different opinion:
"I went into the corner a bit wide, hit the kerb while changing gear and the jolt prevented me from making the manoeuvre quickly. I lost speed and on the next straight the Frenchman passed me easily".
Meanwhile, Niki Lauda was also closing in on Michele Alboreto, but on lap 25 the Austrian was forced to return to the pits with an electronic gearbox problem. On lap 26 Elio De Angelis, in fourth place, returned to the pits for a tyre change. The Italian rider rejoined the race in sixth position, behind Andrea De Cesaris. On lap 27, the Ligier driver collided with René Arnoux's car in the pit lane, forcing him to retire. René Arnoux had to do a full lap with a punctured tyre to return to the pitlane. During the 30th lap, both Alain Prost and Michele Alboreto stopped to change tyres. The Frenchman remained in the lead of the race, while the Italian went out behind Ayrton Senna. However, the Brazilian would stop on the next lap, handing second place back to Michele Alboreto. Behind the top three were Elio De Angelis, Patrick Tambay, Philippe Alliot and Jacques Laffite. Meanwhile, Alain Prost increased his lead over Michele Alboreto. At the rear, Philippe Alliot, with only five gears left, had to give way first to Jacques Laffite and then to the comebacking René Arnoux. The Frenchman also overtook Laffite on lap 40. Three laps later, Ayrton Senna also retired with a blown engine. René Arnoux's comeback continued when he overtook Patrick Tambay on lap 52. Alain Prost won the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Frenchman was ahead of Michele Alboreto (the only one to drive at full speed, like Prost) and Elio De Angelis, while the rest of the points zone was monopolised by French drivers: René Arnoux, Patrick Tambay and Jacques Laffite. Nine laps for Keke Rosberg, eight with Alboreto in the lead, then the almost solitary escape of Alain Prost, which ended with the Frenchman's victory. This is the synthesis of a competition with a much more complex history, full of episodes, even controversial ones, of twists and turns that the protagonists fought with all their might on a day of nervous tension, physical and mental stress. The race took place under a fiery sun that pushed the endurance of the drivers and the cars to the limit. McLaren's success was never in doubt from the moment Alain Prost took the lead. It was the eighth consecutive victory for the English team, an absolute record that surpasses that of Ferrari (who won seven races in a row in 1952 and 1953) if we include the 1984 season and the one that has just begun. However, it was a more difficult victory than the previous ones, due to a number of factors that made Alain Prost's task easier. Niki Lauda flees immediately after the Grand Prix. Calm, serene, just a little sorry for the missed opportunity, said the Austrian before he left, also determined by a series of facts that made Alain Prost's task easier. Niki Lauda flees immediately after the Grand Prix. Calm, serene, just a little sorry for the missed opportunity, says the Austrian before leaving: also determined by a series of facts that made Alain Prost's task easier. Niki Lauda flees immediately after the Grand Prix. Calm, serene, just a little sorry for the missed opportunity, says the Austrian before he leaves:
"I had a good start, I had already made up a lot of places. The failure of the electronic injection computer blocked me. I could have had a good race. If I didn't finish first, at least I was second. Now a new pursuit of Prost begins immediately".
A joke for a driver called a robot to be stopped by a computer. On the other hand, no problem for Alain Prost, who made a good start without the slightest inconvenience.
"I let Rosberg and Alboreto go and I knew immediately that I could catch them. And so it was. I saved the tyres and then drove calmly".
The Frenchman takes a swipe at Ferrari.
"It was the first time we drove with Goodyear tyres. We chose the hardest ones, while they started with the soft ones on the left. Who knows if that was the deciding factor in the race. However, the Maranello team is the only one that can worry us at the moment. They will be our main rivals in the championship".
The McLaren driver continues:
"Our car is fantastic, better than last year's. It's even better to drive, it's practically perfect, even though I had some fuel problems in the closing stages of this race. I wanted to win because that's the only way we can put all our rivals in the title hunt".
The English team, however, took a lot of risks. In the afternoon, when the scrutineering took place, someone breathed a sigh of relief. Alain Prost's car weighed 545 kilos (5 kilos more than the minimum allowed) with ten litres of fuel, which is about 8.5 kg. This means that McLaren is theoretically underweight. If the race had been run over 63 laps (instead of 61) as planned, he would have risked a sensational disqualification. Unless, of course, the English and Porsche technicians had calculated everything perfectly. These data may also explain Alain Prost's excessive slowdown in the final laps. The Frenchman lost about twenty seconds and was in danger of being overtaken by Michele Alboreto, who was only three seconds behind. The Lotus, 564 kilos with 18 litres of fuel, was also checked. A reassuring result for the English team, which was the best after McLaren and Ferrari. Good news also for the Renault engine, which may have solved the fuel consumption problems, at least on the Lotus: the French factory team, on the other hand (apart from a lucky fifth place for the strong-willed Tambay), was always far from having a competitive car. The 156 lived up to expectations: the overall result of the Maranello car was positive. Ferrari scored as many points as McLaren and had two drivers in the top six. Considering that it was a completely new single-seater, the balance is positive. Satisfaction in the Maranello pits, however, is moderate and measured. The comment of the sporting director, Marco Piccinini, is exemplary:
"We are only one sixteenth of the way through the championship, which is about six per cent of the races to be run. We haven't had any particular problems, we can and must continue to make progress".
Michele Alboreto is even more emphatic. Second place looks great:
"To be honest, I didn't expect more. I said on the eve of the race that I didn't have too many illusions about pole position. However, we've shown that we're almost on a par with McLaren and I think that, barring anything unforeseen, we'll be able to annoy our opponents and even beat them. If it hadn't been for a few inconveniences, I could have won in Brazil".
The Italian driver refers to the start, which determined his entire race, and the overtaking of Alain Prost, which was too easy due to his insecurity.
"At the start, I didn't want to compromise the use of the tyres with a forced action. When I saw Rosberg going away, I let him go. Because I knew I had a chance to get through. I also found Mansell next to me and I noticed that his Williams was targeting me in the centre of the cockpit to try to slip into the corner. So I hit him with the front wheel. It went well, but the tyre went out of alignment and deteriorated immediately. This affected the first part of my race. When I changed tyres, we had the same performance with the McLaren, in fact I recovered".
The Ferrari driver continues:
"I had a problem overtaking. I went into the corner a bit too long, I hit the kerb when I was changing. I was a little late in changing to third gear and that was enough to overtake".
However, there was an inconsistency in Michele Alboreto's explanation. If he had a puncture in the first part of the race, why didn't he stop immediately on the twenty-first lap when he was signalled to come out of the pits, but only after the twenty-ninth lap? He probably continued to drive so as not to jeopardise the continuation of the race and immediately changed the tyres, which had a limited life of about thirty laps at a high performance level. This unexpected event caused confusion in the Ferrari garage, where René Arnoux was due to return at the same time. The Frenchman made a hasty manoeuvre and was the cause of De Cesaris' rear-end collision. René Arnoux came into the deceleration lane in a hurry and the Italian driver, whose Ligier was only a few centimetres away from the Ferrari, probably thought that this was a rather risky manoeuvre. So when René suddenly braked, Andrea De Cesaris involuntarily hit the rear wheel of the Frenchman's car.
"That was okay. I suffered a lot, but I managed to finish fourth in the standings. The car is running well, I just noticed a little understeer, but we are with the best, with McLaren. Now we move on to the Estoril circuit, where I hope to have a more concrete and positive race".
The post-race of the Brazilian Grand Prix was marked by controversy and debate. Nothing serious, as the riders behave in a civilised manner, but everyone has their own version of the facts. De Andrea Cesaris, guilty of hitting René Arnoux, says:
"He braked suddenly, I couldn't help it because I was right behind him. He had to stop in the pits, but he didn't do anything to make me understand, not even slow down. Just like last year at Zandvoort, he risked a serious accident for Boutsen".
This is how Rene Arnoux defends himself:
"I was all over the right. The trajectory at that point is completely to the left. I thought she understood my intention to stop. Even if you're on the run, you must never lose control of the situation".
On the track there was a real brawl between Riccardo Patrese and Jacques Laffite. The Italian, who was struggling with a difficult car to drive, did everything he could to avoid being overtaken. For a certain Putito, the Frenchman, after making gestures from the cabin, tried everything with an exciting overtaking manoeuvre. But he touched the rear tyre of the Alfa Romeo with his front wing. The tyre resisted for a few hundred metres before exploding.
"I struggled a lot to keep the car on the track and risked getting stuck somewhere. That's no way to drive".
His team-mate, Eddie Cheever, is accused by François Hesnault:
"Eddie was fighting with Laffite and I was following carefully. At one point they both came out onto the grass. I opened up to pass, but the Alfa was back on the track. He hit me and destroyed the nose of my Brabham. I'm convinced that he could have been more careful, but instead he didn't see who was coming".