| 1982 South African Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 16 in the 1982 Formula One World Championship | |||
 | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 23 January 1982 | ||
| Location | Kyalami Transvaal Province, South Africa | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.104 km (2.550 miles) | ||
| Distance | 77 laps, 316.008 km (196.358 miles) | ||
| Weather | Dry | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Renault | ||
| Time | 1:06.351 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |  Alain Prost | Renault | |
| Time | 1:08.278 on lap 49 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Renault | ||
| Second | Williams-Ford | ||
| Third | Renault | ||
Lap leaders | |||
The 1982 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 23 January 1982. It was the first race of the 1982 Formula One World Championship. It was the 28th edition of the South African Grand Prix and the 16th time that the race had been held at Kyalami.
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The prelude to the race was notable for a strike action by the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, led by Niki Lauda and Didier Pironi, in protest at the new superlicence conditions imposed by FISA, which would have tied the drivers to a single team for up to three years. A late compromise was reached and the race went ahead. The drivers were subsequently fined between US$5,000 and US$10,000 and handed suspended race bans; however, the FIA Court of Appeal later reduced the penalties and criticised FISA's handling of the dispute. [1]
Turbocharged cars took the first six positions on the grid. Despite Alain Prost suffering a puncture while leading, he was able to recover to win the race. Lauda, in his first race after two years out of F1, finished fourth. It was the final podium and points finish for Carlos Reutemann (as of 2025, this is the most recent podium finish achieved by an Argentine driver), who retired from Formula One after the next race in Brazil, and the last point finish for an Argentine driver until Franco Colapinto finished 8th and scored 4 points at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. [2] It also was the last race held in January.
