Sixteen races, Alain Prost's first world title at the European Grand Prix and a year that saw Senna's first win, Michelin's exit and the Australian Grand Prix join the calendar.
Sixteen races made up the 1985 Formula One World Championship, held between 7 April and 3 November. Alain Prost won the drivers' title for McLaren, his first of four, while McLaren took the Constructors' Championship for the second year in a row.
The 1985 season ended with Alain Prost winning his first world title, and it was sealed with a fourth place at the European Grand Prix. McLaren took its second straight Constructors' Championship, and the year brought the first Australian Grand Prix to the world championship calendar.
What was the 1985 Formula One World Championship?
The 1985 championship was the 39th season of FIA Formula One racing. Both the drivers' and manufacturers' championships were contested over sixteen races, which began on 7 April and ended on 3 November. Prost won the Drivers' Championship, and McLaren took the Constructors' title for the second year running.
It was the first of four world championships for Prost, who had finished runner-up in the two previous seasons while winning more races than the champion both times. Michele Alboreto was his main challenger, but he failed to score points in the last five races of the year.
Niki Lauda, the reigning champion, retired at the end of the season, although McLaren boss Ron Dennis tried to persuade him to stay. The year was also overshadowed by a fatal accident at Spa, where Stefan Bellof died in a sportscar race.
A title sealed in Brands Hatch, after a season of fuel, tyres and crashes that rewarded consistency.
Why did Prost win the title?
Prost clinched the championship with his fourth-place finish at the European Grand Prix, which was held at Brands Hatch. He had dropped to fifteenth at the start, but he recovered through the field and finished ahead of his rivals in the points standings.
His consistency mattered as much as his wins. Prost took five victories over the season, including the British and Austrian rounds, and he finished in the points often enough to hold a lead that his rival could not overturn.
Alboreto was the main threat, but his season faltered in the closing rounds. He won in Canada and Germany, then failed to score in the last five races, which gave Prost the room he needed.
How did the teams change in 1985?
ATS folded after the 1984 season, and Spirit folded after three races. RAM folded with two races left, and Haas Lola entered as the third new constructor of the year, though its first car was delayed. Its entry added to a season of upheaval among the smaller teams.
Minardi entered after four years in Formula Two. The team had planned to use Motori Moderni V6 turbo engines, but the delays forced it to switch to off-the-shelf Cosworth V8s. Zakspeed entered with its own 1500/4 engine, but it raced only the ten European and British rounds.
Tyrrell switched from Ford-Cosworth V8s to Renault V6 turbos after the Detroit Grand Prix, becoming the last team on the grid to make the change. Toleman, unable to buy tyres, was saved by money from its sponsor Benetton, which allowed it to buy Pirelli tyres.
Which drivers changed teams for 1985?
The main move was Ayrton Senna's promotion to Lotus, which saw Nigel Mansell sign for Williams. Brabham hired Francois Hesnault from Ligier, where Jacques Laffite took his seat, and Teo Fabi moved from Brabham to Toleman. Fabi had driven twelve races for Brabham in 1984 before being dropped.
Gerhard Berger was signed by Arrows for his first full season after ATS folded, and Manfred Winkelhock moved to RAM. Jonathan Palmer joined Zakspeed, and Pierluigi Martini made his full-season debut at Minardi.
Mid-season changes were frequent. Stefan Johansson left Toleman and substituted for Bellof at Tyrrell, then moved to Ferrari when Arnoux was dismissed. Alan Jones joined Haas Lola for its debut at the Italian Grand Prix, and Surer replaced the sacked Hesnault at Brabham.
What was the calendar like in 1985?
The Dallas Grand Prix was cancelled and did not return, which left one race in the United States for the first time since 1975. Spa-Francorchamps became the permanent Belgian venue, and Paul Ricard the permanent French venue, under the rule of one country and one circuit.
The South African Grand Prix moved from April to October, the French race moved from May to July, and Portugal became the second round. The Australian Grand Prix was added for the first time and closed the season.
Several plans failed. The Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled after work at Suzuka was delayed, a New York race was cancelled for a third year, and the Mexican race was called off after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
How did the rule changes affect the cars?
Rear wings became narrower to cut aerodynamic drag, and every chassis had to pass a frontal crash test before its manufacturer could enter it for a Grand Prix. Teams were limited to two cars for a race. The narrower rear wings were there to cut drag.
Renault entered three cars at the German Grand Prix, but only two of them were eligible for championship points. The third car, driven by Hesnault, carried an onboard camera that showed live pictures, the first time that had happened in Formula One. It was also the last time a team entered more than two cars.
How did the European season open?
The season began in Brazil, where Alboreto took pole for Ferrari. Rosberg retired with a turbo failure, and Prost took second after Mansell was caught up in an accident at the start. Prost then passed Alboreto when the Ferrari missed a gear on the pit straight.
In Portugal, Senna won in heavy rain in his debut victory for Lotus. He led from start to finish and lapped everyone except Alboreto, who was second. The win was one of the great wet-weather drives in the sport's history.
At Imola, Senna took pole and led until his car ran out of fuel. Prost took the lead and crossed the line on fumes, but he was later disqualified for an underweight car. The win passed to de Angelis, driving a Lotus-Renault.
What happened at Monaco and Canada?
Monaco went ahead as scheduled despite political wrangling. Senna's engine failed from pole, and Alboreto took the lead, but he slid on oil at the first corner and a later puncture dropped him to fourth. Prost won, ahead of Alboreto and de Angelis.
Canada produced a Ferrari one-two, with Alboreto winning from Johansson, and Prost third. It was Ferrari's first one-two since the 1983 Dutch Grand Prix, and it was their last until the 1987 Australian Grand Prix.
Why was the Detroit race so hard?
Detroit was the slowest and toughest race of the year, run on the Renaissance Center street circuit in the heat and humidity. Senna took pole, but he chose harder tyres to go further, and the track broke up under the conditions.
Rosberg passed Prost, Mansell and Senna to take the lead and kept it to the finish. Prost, Mansell and Senna all crashed at the same corner, and Johansson and Alboreto finished behind Rosberg in the Ferraris.
How did the French and British rounds go?
At Paul Ricard, Rosberg took pole, but Piquet made the most of his BMW engine, the most powerful in Formula One at the time, and he passed Rosberg for the lead. Senna crashed when his Renault engine failed and dropped oil on his tyres.
Surer reached 338 km/h (210 mph) in his turbo Brabham during qualifying, while Bellof's Tyrrell was recorded at 277 km/h (172 mph), the fastest of the non-turbo cars.
At Silverstone, Senna led for most of the race until he turned up his turbo boost in an effort to stay ahead of Prost and ran out of fuel. Prost built a huge lead and won, with Alboreto second and Laffite third. A chequered flag shown in error ended the race one lap early.
How did the Germany, Austria and Netherlands rounds go?
At the Nurburgring, Senna and Rosberg collided while being harried by Alboreto, Prost and Laffite. Alboreto took advantage of a rare Prost spin to win the race, his last Formula One victory. It was also the first race in which an onboard camera was used.
In Austria, Lauda's turbo failed, and Prost took pole and the race from Senna and Alboreto. De Cesaris crashed heavily at the Texaco bends, rolling his car four times, and he was later replaced by Streiff at Ligier.
At Zandvoort, Lauda won by a car's length from Prost. It was his 25th and last Grand Prix victory, and it was the last Dutch Grand Prix for 36 years, after the track owners went bankrupt.
How did the Italian and Belgian rounds decide the title race?
At Monza, Rosberg dominated the race but retired with engine failure, and Prost won ahead of Piquet and Senna. Senna had qualified on pole at Monza, but he finished third behind Piquet. Prost's win kept his title hopes firmly on track for the rest of the year.
At Spa, Senna took the lead into La Source and won his second Grand Prix from Mansell and Prost. Prost remained the championship leader with a firm advantage over Alboreto, and he was close to the title with three races left.
What were the final rounds at Brands Hatch, Kyalami and Adelaide?
At Brands Hatch, Mansell won from Senna and Rosberg. Prost dropped to fifteenth at the start but came through to fourth, which was enough to take the title. Senna had taken his sixth pole there at an average of more than 140 mph (228 km/h).
The South African round at Kyalami was a controversial race, with Renault and Ligier withdrawing under pressure from the French government. Mansell took pole and won, Rosberg was second and Prost third, and the race was later struck from the calendar.
The first Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide closed the season. Rosberg won, while the two Ligiers of Laffite and Streiff collided on the final lap, and Lauda's last Grand Prix ended with a crash caused by brake failure.
What were the race winners in 1985?
Prost won five races, including Monaco, Britain, Austria and Italy. Senna, Mansell, Rosberg and Alboreto won twice each, and Piquet, de Angelis and Lauda won once each. Alboreto's two wins came in Canada and Germany, and Senna's came in Portugal and Belgium.
| Race | Winner | Team | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Prost | McLaren | Alboreto missed a gear on the pit straight |
| Portugal | Senna | Lotus | First win, in heavy rain |
| San Marino | de Angelis | Lotus | Prost disqualified for an underweight car |
| Monaco | Prost | McLaren | Alboreto punctured and dropped to fourth |
| Canada | Alboreto | Ferrari | Ferrari one-two with Johansson second |
| Detroit | Rosberg | Williams | Prost, Mansell and Senna crashed at one corner |
| France | Piquet | Brabham | Passed Rosberg for the lead |
| Great Britain | Prost | McLaren | Senna ran out of fuel after turning up the boost |
| West Germany | Alboreto | Ferrari | His last Formula One victory |
| Austria | Prost | McLaren | Lauda's turbo failed |
| Netherlands | Lauda | McLaren | His 25th and last Grand Prix win |
| Italy | Prost | McLaren | Rosberg retired with engine failure |
| Belgium | Senna | Lotus | Second Grand Prix win of the year |
| Europe (Brands Hatch) | Mansell | Williams | Senna and Rosberg followed |
| South Africa | Mansell | Williams | Williams one-two with Rosberg |
| Australia | Rosberg | Williams | First Australian Grand Prix on the calendar |
How were points scored in 1985?
Points went to the top six classified finishers in each race. For the Drivers' Championship, the best eleven results were counted. The Constructors' Championship counted every round, which made the team totals a true measure of the whole season. Only drivers who scored points were classified in the final results.
Published standings separated championship points, shown without brackets, from total points scored, shown in brackets. The FIA's final classification listed only drivers who had scored points.
What was the legacy of the 1985 season?
The season established Prost as a champion, and it was the first of his four titles. McLaren's second straight Constructors' title showed the strength of its partnership with TAG-Porsche. Lauda's retirement at the end of the year also closed a chapter for the team.
The Australian Grand Prix began its place on the calendar, the Spa round became permanent and Michelin had withdrawn from the sport after eight years. The death of Bellof at Spa remained one of the season's most difficult moments.
