2008 was a great year, 7 different winners driving 5 different cars made it one of the most open and exciting Formula 1 seasons in years, but that is nothing compared to what happened way back in 1982, this was a year that had everything, ELEVEN different winners for SEVEN different teams, as many as NINE genuine title contenders, dramatic races that have gone down in folklore as well as controversy and scandals galore. This was soured however by the tragic deaths of 2 drivers and the career ending crash of another. Despite all that as well as the unpredictability of the races, it was thanks to the consistency of the Finnish driver Keke Rosberg (who only managed to win one race all year) who prevailed to give Williams only their second drivers title. The main headline of pre-season was the return of Niki Lauda, back from a 3 year exile to help fund his new fledgling airline, the 1980 champion Alan Jones had announced his retirement and he was replaced by Keke Rosberg, moving from Fittipaldi.
ROUND 1 - SOUTH AFRICAN GRAND PRIX (Kyalami) - January 23rd
The season began amid a huge row over FISA's new "super-license" regulations, Niki Lauda who had come out of retirement led a drivers strike which was only averted after the FIA president at the time Jean Marie Balestre, promised to review the situation, the race itself ended with a victory for Alain Prost, but only after a stellar drive after a puncture dropped him to 8th. Niki Lauda capped a fine return with a great drive from 13th on the grid to claim 4th.
ROUND 2 - BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX (Jacarepagua) - March 21st
Here came the season's first main controversy, Nelson Piquet drove well from 7th on the grid to claim victory in his Brabham ahead of Keke Rosberg, but later on both were disqualified, this handed Prost a 2nd successive win, and this would also mark the end of Carlos Reutemann's career, he announced his immediate retirement after this race.
ROUND 3 - LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX (Long Beach, California) - April 4th
F1 during this time was the main attraction in the motorsport mad resort of Long Beach, California. As a sweetner, Mario Andretti agreed to step into the Williams seat vacated by Reutemann as a one off drive. Pole was taken suprisingly by the Alfa Romeo of Andrea De Cesaris with Lauda just behind, the Austrian legend overtook De Cesaris into the 1st corner on lap 14 and was never headed, therefore fulfilling his goal to be a Grand Prix winner again within 3 races. 2nd was Rosberg and Patrese was promoted to 3rd after Villeneuve was disqualified for running an illegal rear wing
ROUND 4 - SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX (Imola) - April 25th
By the time of the San marino Grand Prix, The 2 rival governing bodies FISA (who fulfilled the FIA's role at the time) and FOCA (The Formula 1 Cosntructors Association) were at war with each other, and their row escalated to a threat (which was then carried out) of a mass boycott of the San Marino race by FOCA associated teams (which equated to every team with the exception of Ferrari, Renault and Alfa Romeo.) This all stemmed from the disqualification of Piquet and Rosberg from the Brazilian grand prix the previous month due to using their water tanks cleverly to run underweight during races. FOCA carried out their mass boycott in protest as they believed that by letter of the law, it was legal. Of the FOCA teams, four ignored the boycott demand and went to race anyway (Tyrrell, A.T.S, Osella and Toleman) because they carried Italian sponsorship. All 4 of those teams that resisted the boycott order would suffer for it in the future (Tyrrell would be the last team to aquire a turbo engine, Toleman and Osella would suffer with less of a share of the TV money and non-preferable tyre contracts while A.T.S were hounded out of F1 altogether 2 years later)
So only 14 cars proceeded to start the race which turned out to be a precession. The Renault's were competitive early on but when their Turbo's inevitably failed, the Ferrari's were left to race by themselves. Didier Pironi appeared to ignore team orders by winning much to Villeneuve's disgust and as retaliation, he would refuse to speak to Pironi ever again and vow to beat him at every opportunity, a declaration that would have tragic consequences just 2 weeks later
ROUND 5 - BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Zolder) - May 9th
Alain Prost had qualified on pole, John Watson had won the race, but by the end of the weekend none of that didnt really seem to matter, during qualifying Gilles Villeneuve went out on the track in a last ditch attempt to beat his teammate Pironi (keeping to his word), while doing so though, he came across Jochen Mass in his March. Mass spotted the Canadian driver and proceeded to move out of the way, but Villeneuve by mistake followed him believing he was going the other way, he tried to correct his error but it was too late. His left front tyre hit Mass's right rear causing the Ferrari to begin a series of sickening aerial cartwheels. Then as the nose of Villeneuve's car made contact with a soft embankment next to the track, his seat was ripped from his cockpit and he was flung nearly 30 feet into some catch-fencing, despite interventions first from fellow drivers Warwick and Rosberg and later on the medical teams, Villeneuve died in hospital that night, the news brought sadness to the whole pitlane and the Ferrari team withdrew from the race as a mark of respect.
ROUND 6 - MONACO GRAND PRIX (Monte-Carlo) - May 23rd
I will talk about this race more when i do a full report on this on its own. Riccardo Patrese won the race after probably the greatest finish you'll ever likely see
ROUND 7 - UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX (Detroit, Michigan) - June 6th
Detroit was a brand new track for the 1982 season and also not one of the driver sfavourites including a series of tedious 90 degree turns, therefore limiting overtaking...
...But some forgot to tell all of that to John Watson, after a dismal qualifying session, he lined up 17th on the grid, and despite the race being re-started, he went on a charge through the field passing cars as if they were standing still, his drive was so amazing, when he took the lead, there were still 20 laps to go. Eddie Cheever finished a great 2nd to the delight of the home crowd
ROUND 8 - CANADIAN GRAND PRIX (Montreal) - June 13th
Back to back races meant an emotional trip to Canada barely a month after the death of their hero Gilles Villeneuve, the Montreal circuit was renamed in his honour. But this weekend would bring yet another moment of tragedy.
Pironi had qualified on pole position but as the lights turned to green, he stalled his engine and immediately put his hands in the air to warn drivers behind, nearly all made it safely through, Raul Boesel clipped the Ferrari's rear tyre causing him to spin in front of Geoff Lees, but there was even worse to come, Riccardo Paletti (who started way back in 23rd spot) was unsighted and crashed his Osella into the back of Pironi's Ferrari at full pelt, the nose was severely crushed in and Paletti had suffered 2 broken legs and massive chest injuries, also he was unconsious. Pironi got out immediately to help Paletti and the medical teams arrived on the scene and all seemed well, but nobody knew that the force of the impact had ruptured the Osella's fuel tank and petrol was leaking, inevitably it ignited and Paletti was suddenly trapped in a fireball, the fire was swiftly put out and Paletti was then cut free from the car, but because of his injuries in the initial impact, he died in hospital shortly after arriving. Nelson Piquet went on from the restart to lead home a Brabham 1-2, but like in Belgium, it did not seem to matter.
ROUND 9 - DUTCH GRAND PRIX (Zandvoort) - July 3rd
Rene Arnoux fluffed his pole position which allowed teammate Prost to lead, 4 laps later though Pironi managed to overtake the frenchman and he then drove away to take a dominant victory ahead of Piquet and the ever consistent Rosberg, to make things even better for Pironi, both Prost and Watson would fail to score.
ROUND 10 - BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Brands Hatch) - July 17th
Nelson Piquet led from the start from 3rd on the grid ahead of Niki Lauda, Lauda would then take the lead on lap 10 when piquet retired, from there on it was a comfortable drive to victory but the real star of the show failed to finish the race. In a car nicknamed "The Bergamo", Derek Warwick took his Toleman on one hell of a ride picking off cars one by one and culminating in a daring move on Pironi to take 2nd place which sent the crowd wild, Warwick though later retired but finally he was able to showcase his talents.
ROUND 11 - FRENCH GRAND PRIX (Le Castelet) - July 25th
As expected, the Renaults dominated the weekend and not jsut them, but French drivers as well, Arnoux won ahead of Prost a Renault 1-2, but Pironi and Patrick Tambay (Villeneuve's replacement at Ferrari) followed behind them to meaning French drivers locked out the top 4 positions. Keke Rosberg and Michele Alboreto completed the points scorers. But this would spell the beginning of the end for Rene Arnoux at Renault, him winning the race went against team orders, this meant that Renault were essentially a one car team, after a row with team management, Arnoux ended up signing for Ferrari for 1983.
ROUND 12 - GERMAN GRAND PRIX (Hockenheim) - August 8th
Another weekend of tragedy bacame apparent during friday qualifying, Pironi crashed into the back of Alain Prost's Renault and suffered an accident which was frighteningly similar to that suffered by Villeneuve in Belgium, Pironi survived though, but his injuries would turn out to be career ending, which was a real shame for him as he looke dlike he was running away with the world title.
In the Race, Arnoux led from pole, Piquet then passed him for the lead and looked like he was running away with the race, until crashing into Eliseo Salazar's A.T.S while trying to lap him, after confronting Salazar, Piquet then tried to have a go at the Chliean driver, a show at how furious he was. As a result the 2nd Ferrari driven by Patrick Tambay went on to take an emotional win ahead of Arnoux and Rosberg, again displaying his great consistency.
ROUND 13 - AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX (Osterreichring) - August 15th
After the usual chaotic start on Austria's narrow start line, The Brabhams shared the lead before both retiring, giving Prost the lead on lap 28. As other cars were dropping out like flies, Prost looked like he was seemingly coasting to an easy win, until with 5 laps remaining, drama, his turbo failed again costing him the opportunity to jump up to 2nd place in the standings with 3 races to go. This meant that a tight battle between Elio De Angelis and Keke Rosberg suddenly became a battle for the lead. De Angelis held on to take his first ever win, but only just, his margin of victory, just 0.050 seconds, wow.
ROUND 14 - SWISS GRAND PRIX (Dijon-Prenois) - August 29th
Why the Swiss Grand Prix was held on French soil i'll never know, but it did produce one hell of an exciting finish which brought up an unexpected result. Like at Paul Ricard, the Renault's were expected again to dominate and sure enough they were first and second ont he grid and sure enough they ran away from the field, all except one car though, that of that man again Rosberg. With Arnoux already out, Rosberg set about catching Prost's increasingly sick sounding Renault Turbo, and amazingly overtook him with 2 laps remaining, Rosberg went on to claim his first grand prix win, and with it, the championship lead, and with Pironi out of action, only a finish ahead of Prost in the points would crown him champion
ROUND 15 - ITALIAN GRAND PRIX (Monza) - September 12th
Rene Arnoux won the race with the Ferrari's of Tambay and Mario Andretti (Pironi's replacement) following in his wake, it was a dominant drive from Arnoux who wanted to end his time with Renault with a bang, crucially though, the championship was guaranteed to go down to the final round as Watson scored his first points since Canada to put him within 9 of Rosberg, meaning victory with Rosberg failing to score would crown the popular ulsterman world champion.
FINAL ROUND - CAESARS PALACE GRAND PRIX - (Las Vegas, Nevada) - September 25th
The goal was simple for Keke Rosberg, finish in the top 6 and you are champion, if not, hope that John Watson doesnt win, in the end, he didnt need to put in much effort, but he did at least keep his part of the bargain by driving a strong race to finish 5th, Watson ended up in an agonising 2nd spot behind yet another first time winner, Michele Alboreto. Eddie Cheever again delighted the home fans with a podium finish. Ferrari capped off a tragic year by winning the constructors title mainly thanks to the efforts of both Pironi and Tambay
FINAL DRIVERS STANDINGS
1. Keke Rosberg 44pts, =2. Didier Pironi 39, =2. John Watson 39, 4. Alain Prost 34, 5. Niki Lauda 30, 6. Rene Arnoux 28, =7. Patrick Tambay 25, =7. Michele Alboreto 25, 9. Elio De Angelis 23, 10. Riccardo Patrese 21, 11. Nelson Piquet 20, 12. Eddie Cheever 15, 13. Derek Daly 8, 14. Nigel Mansell 7, =15. Gilles Villeneuve 6, =15. Carlos Reutemann 6, =17. Andrea De Cesaris 5, =17. Jacques Laffite 5, 19. Mario Andretti 4, =20. Jean Pierre Jarier 3, =20. Marc Surer 3, =22. Bruno Giacomelli 2, =22. Eliseo Salazar , =22. Manfred Winkelhock 2, =22. Mauro Baldi 2, 26. Chico Serra 1
FINAL CONTRUCTORS STANDINGS
1, Ferrari 74pts, 2. McLaren Ford 69, 3. Renault 62, 4. Williams Ford 58, 5. Brabham BMW 41, 6. Lotus Ford 30, 7. Tyrrell Ford 25, 8. Talbot-Ligier Matra 20, 9. Alfa Romeo 7, 10. Arrows Ford 6, 11, A.T.S Ford 4, 12. Osella Ford 3, 13. Fittipaldi Ford 1
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