1982 Belgian Grand Prix

Last updated
1982 Belgian Grand Prix
Race 5 of 16 in the 1982 Formula One World Championship
Circuit Zolder-1975-1985.svg
Race details
Date9 May 1982
Official name XL Grote Prijs van België
Location Circuit Zolder
Heusden-Zolder, Limburg, Belgium
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.262 km (2.648 miles)
Distance 70 laps, 298.340 km (185.380 miles)
Weather Cold with air temperatures reaching up to 13 °C (55 °F) [1]
Pole position
Driver Renault
Time 1:15.701
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Watson McLaren-Ford
Time 1:20.214 on lap 67
Podium
First McLaren-Ford
Second Williams-Ford
Third Ligier-Matra
Lap leaders
  • 1982 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1982 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on 9 May 1982. It was the fifth round of the 1982 Formula One season. [2] The race was heavily overshadowed by the death of Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve, who died shortly after a crash in qualifying.

Contents

Qualifying and death of Gilles Villeneuve

Gilles Villeneuve was killed in an accident during the final qualifying session. At the time of the crash, his teammate Didier Pironi had set a time 0.1s faster than Villeneuve for sixth place. Contemporary and more recent writers say that he was attempting to improve his time on his final lap. Some suggest that he was specifically aiming to beat Pironi due to bitterness at being passed by him two weeks earlier in the closing stages of the San Marino Grand Prix, when Villeneuve believed Pironi had been ordered to remain behind him. [3] [4] Villeneuve's biographer Gerald Donaldson quotes Ferrari race engineer Mauro Forghieri as saying that the Canadian, although pressing on in his usual fashion, was returning to the pits on his last set of qualifying tyres when the accident occurred. [5] If so, he would not have set a time on that lap.

With eight minutes of the session left, Villeneuve came over the rise after the first chicane and found Jochen Mass in the March travelling much more slowly through Butte, the left-handed bend before the Terlamenbocht corner. Mass saw Villeneuve approaching at high speed and moved to the right to let him through on the racing line. At the same instant Villeneuve also moved right to pass Mass. The Ferrari hit the back of the March and was launched into the air at a speed estimated at 200225 km/h (120140 mph). It was airborne for over 100 metres before nosediving into the ground and disintegrating as it somersaulted along the edge of the track. Villeneuve, still strapped to his seat but without his helmet, was thrown a further 50 metres from the wreckage into the catch fencing on the outside edge of Terlamenbocht. [5] [6]

Several drivers stopped and rushed to the scene. John Watson and Derek Warwick pulled Villeneuve, his face blue, from the catch fencing. [7] The first doctor arrived on the scene within 35 seconds to find that Villeneuve was not breathing, although his pulse continued throughout; he was intubated and ventilated before being transferred to the circuit medical centre and then by helicopter to University St Raphael Hospital where a fatal fracture of the neck was diagnosed. [8] Villeneuve was kept alive on life support while his wife travelled to the hospital and the doctors consulted with specialists worldwide. He died at 9:12 that evening. [5]

The Ferrari team withdrew from the race after the accident and left the circuit. The final eight minutes of the qualifying were run after the crash debris had been removed. No drivers improved their times, leaving the Renaults of Alain Prost and René Arnoux on the front row of the grid. [9]

Abbreviated race summary

John Watson won the race after taking the lead on the penultimate lap from Keke Rosberg, who was struggling on worn tires. Niki Lauda finished third on the road but was disqualified when his car was found to be underweight in post-race scrutineering, [9] and so the final podium place went to Eddie Cheever.

Classification

Pre-Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
118 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Raul Boesel March-Ford 1:18.333
231 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Jarier Osella-Ford 1:19.999+1.666
335 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Warwick Toleman-Hart 1:20.847+2.514
436 Flag of Italy.svg Teo Fabi Toleman-Hart 1:21.499+3.166
532 Flag of Italy.svg Riccardo Paletti Osella-Ford 1:21.784+3.451
619 Flag of Spain.svg Emilio de Villota March-Ford 1:22.879+4.546

Qualifying

PosNo.DriverConstructorQ1Q2Gap
115 Flag of France.svg Alain Prost Renault 1:15.9621:15.701
216 Flag of France.svg René Arnoux Renault 1:15.9031:15.730+0.029
36 Flag of Finland.svg Keke Rosberg Williams-Ford 1:17.6541:15.847+0.146
48 Flag of Austria.svg Niki Lauda McLaren-Ford 1:17.5771:16:049+0.348
53 Flag of Italy.svg Michele Alboreto Tyrrell-Ford 1:17.3441:16:308+0.607
628 Flag of France.svg Didier Pironi Ferrari 1:18.7961:16:501+0.800
722 Flag of Italy.svg Andrea de Cesaris Alfa Romeo 1:17.6961:16:575+0.874
827 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari 1:17.5071:16:616+0.915
912 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nigel Mansell Lotus-Ford 1:17.6141:16:944+1.243
101 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW 1:17.1241:17.535+1.423
112 Flag of Italy.svg Riccardo Patrese Brabham-BMW 1:18.3661:17.126+1.425
127 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Watson McLaren-Ford 1:18.6391:17.144+1.443
1311 Flag of Italy.svg Elio de Angelis Lotus-Ford 1:18.6551:17.762+2.061
149 Flag of Germany.svg Manfred Winkelhock ATS-Ford 1:19.4301:17.879+2.178
155 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly Williams-Ford 1:18.1941:18.591+2.493
1625 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Cheever Ligier-Matra 1:20.1821:18.301+2.600
1723 Flag of Italy.svg Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo 1:18.4251:18.371+2.670
1831 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Jarier Osella-Ford 1:20.0561:18.403+2.702
1926 Flag of France.svg Jacques Laffite Ligier-Matra 1:19.4031:18.565+2.864
2010 Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar ATS-Ford 1:20.4401:18.967+3.266
2135 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Warwick Toleman-Hart 1:20.5941:18.985+3.284
224 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Henton Tyrrell-Ford 1:20.5181:19.150+3.449
2336 Flag of Italy.svg Teo Fabi Toleman-Hart 1:20.5411:19.300+3.599
2429 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer Arrows-Ford 1:22.5121:19.584+3.883
2520 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Chico Serra Fittipaldi-Ford 1:21.7751:19.598+3.897
2618 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Raul Boesel March-Ford 1:20.5221:19.621+3.920
2717 Flag of Germany.svg Jochen Mass March-Ford 1:20.5521:19.777+4.076
2830 Flag of Italy.svg Mauro Baldi Arrows-Ford 1:20.8021:19.815+4.114
2914 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero Ensign-Ford 1:20.1161:20.482+4.415
3033 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Lammers Theodore-Ford 1:21.4531:20.584+4.883
Source: [10]

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorTyreLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
17 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Watson McLaren-Ford M 701:35:41.995109
26 Flag of Finland.svg Keke Rosberg Williams-Ford G 70+ 7.26836
325 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Cheever Ligier-Matra M 69+ 1 Lap144
411 Flag of Italy.svg Elio de Angelis Lotus-Ford G 68+ 2 Laps113
51 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW G 67+ 3 Laps82
620 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Chico Serra Fittipaldi-Ford P 67+ 3 Laps231
729 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc Surer Arrows-Ford P 66+ 4 Laps22 
818 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Raul Boesel March-Ford P 66+ 4 Laps24 
926 Flag of France.svg Jacques Laffite Ligier-Matra M 66+ 4 Laps17 
DSQ8 Flag of Austria.svg Niki Lauda McLaren-Ford M 70Underweight4 
Ret5 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly Williams-Ford G 60Spun Off13 
Ret17 Flag of Germany.svg Jochen Mass March-Ford P 60Engine25 
Ret15 Flag of France.svg Alain Prost Renault M 59Spun Off1 
Ret2 Flag of Italy.svg Riccardo Patrese Brabham-BMW G 52Spun Off9 
Ret30 Flag of Italy.svg Mauro Baldi Arrows-Ford P 51Throttle26 
Ret31 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Jarier Osella-Ford P 37Broken Wing16 
Ret22 Flag of Italy.svg Andrea de Cesaris Alfa Romeo M 34Gearbox6 
Ret4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Henton Tyrrell-Ford G 33Engine20 
Ret3 Flag of Italy.svg Michele Alboreto Tyrrell-Ford G 29Engine5 
Ret35 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Derek Warwick Toleman-Hart P 29Transmission19 
Ret36 Flag of Italy.svg Teo Fabi Toleman-Hart P 13Brakes21 
Ret12 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nigel Mansell Lotus-Ford G 9Clutch7 
Ret16 Flag of France.svg René Arnoux Renault M 7Turbo2 
Ret9 Flag of Germany.svg Manfred Winkelhock ATS-Ford M 0Clutch12 
Ret23 Flag of Italy.svg Bruno Giacomelli Alfa Romeo M 0Collision15 
Ret10 Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar ATS-Ford M 0Collision18 
DNS28 Flag of France.svg Didier Pironi Ferrari G  Withdrew due to Villeneuve's death 
DNS27 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari G  Fatal accident during qualifying 
DNQ14 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero Ensign-Ford A   
DNQ33 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jan Lammers Theodore-Ford A   
DNPQ32 Flag of Italy.svg Riccardo Paletti Osella-Ford P   
DNPQ19 Flag of Spain.svg Emilio de Villota March-Ford P     
Source: [11] [12]

Notes

Championship standings after the race

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References

  1. Weather info for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix Archived 2015-02-14 at the Wayback Machine at Weather Underground
  2. "1982 Belgian Grand Prix Entry list".
  3. "Formula 1's greatest drivers. Number 12: Gilles Villeneuve". BBC Sport . 4 July 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  4. Bamsey (1983) p.50, Lang (1992) pp.9697, Watkins (1997) p.98 and Fearnley (May 2007) all write that Villeneuve was attempting to beat Pironi. Jenkinson (June 1982) writes only that he "was in the middle of a last desperate bid to improve his grid position."
  5. 1 2 3 Donaldson (2003) pp.296298
  6. Lang (1992) p.97
  7. Fearnley (May 2007)
  8. Watkins (1997) pp.9698
  9. 1 2 Lang (1992) pp.95 99
  10. "05/09/1982 race: Grand Prix of Belgium (F1) qualifying results - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  11. "1982 Belgian Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  12. "1982 Belgian Grand Prix - Race Results & History - GP Archive". GPArchive.com. 9 May 1982. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Belgium 1982 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.

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