Alain Prost timed his challenge perfectly at the Österreichring to win the Austrian Grand Prix ahead of René Rene Arnoux and Nelson Piquet. Ferrari had again locked out the front row, but Renault resolved its cooling troubles and Alain Prost turned a late opening into his fourth victory of the season.
Race Guide
Season: 1983 F1 World Championship
Race date: 14 August 1983
Race start time: 14:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Österreichring
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.942 km
1982 winner: Elio de Angelis
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 1:29.871 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | Renault |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:33.961 on lap 20 | |
| First | Alain Prost | Renault |
| Second | René Arnoux | Ferrari |
| Third | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 12 August 1983 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 12 August 1983 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00–14:00 |
| 13 August 1983 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 13 August 1983 | Qualifying 2 | 13:25–14:25 (delayed) |
| 14 August 1983 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 14 August 1983 | Race | 14:30 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Alain Prost arrived at round 11 leading the 1983 F1 World Championship on 42 points, with Nelson Piquet on 33. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 59 points.
Race entries
The driver line-ups remained unchanged after Germany. Tyrrell brought its new 012 for Michele Alboreto to try, Ferrari supplied Rene Arnoux with a fresh chassis, and Brabham replaced the spare damaged by Nelson Piquet’s Hockenheim fire. Williams also announced its forthcoming partnership with Honda, another sign of the championship’s accelerating move towards turbo power.
Friday Free Practice
Friday’s warm running quickly exposed problems. Michele Alboreto’s new Tyrrell developed a water leak, de Elio de Angelis crashed his Lotus 94T and had to use the older 93T, and Riccardo Patrese lost a BMW engine. Spirit again suffered gearbox trouble. Nigel Mansell provided the positive story at Lotus, matching the leading turbo cars while Renault investigated unusually high engine temperatures.
Friday Qualifying
Rene Arnoux headed Friday’s session, narrowly breaking the 90-second barrier as Ferrari asserted itself. Patrick Tambay was second, followed by Alain Prost and an impressive Nigel Mansell. Spirit’s troubles left Stefan Johansson without a competitive time, while Jacques Laffite struggled to find his rhythm in the Williams.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1983 Austrian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 12 August 1983
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday allowed de Elio de Angelis back into his repaired 94T, while Derek Warwick tried a revised Hart engine and a different turbocharger. Ferrari continued to look both fast and reliable, but Renault’s temperature concerns persisted. Tyrrell’s new-car experiment had already been curtailed by brake trouble, leaving Michele Alboreto to rely on his familiar 011 as the team completed its race preparation.
Saturday Qualifying
Saturday’s qualifying began 25 minutes late after a problem involving the display Harrier aircraft. The threatened rain held off, and Patrick Tambay worked down to 1:29.871 to snatch pole from Rene Arnoux. Nigel Mansell secured third ahead of Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost. Raul Boesel, Johnny Cecotto and Kenny Acheson failed to qualify.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1983 Austrian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 13 August 1983
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Friday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 1:30.358 | 1:29.871 | 1:29.871 | — |
| 2 | 28 | René Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:29.995 | 1:29.935 | 1:29.935 | — |
| 3 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:31.263 | 1:30.457 | 1:30.457 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:31.912 | 1:30.566 | 1:30.566 | — |
| 5 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:30.841 | 1:32.187 | 1:30.841 | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:31.770 | 1:31.440 | 1:31.440 | — |
| 7 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman | 1:33.333 | 1:31.693 | 1:31.693 | — |
| 8 | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 1:31.695 | 1:31.962 | 1:31.695 | — |
| 9 | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.802 | 1:31.769 | 1:31.769 | — |
| 10 | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1:32.888 | 1:31.962 | 1:31.962 | — |
| 11 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 1:32.359 | 1:32.720 | 1:32.359 | — |
| 12 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:34.818 | 1:32.451 | 1:32.451 | — |
| 13 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:33.754 | 1:33.211 | 1:33.211 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:34.518 | 1:36.604 | 1:34.518 | — |
| 15 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:36.136 | 1:35.380 | 1:35.380 | — |
| 16 | 40 | Stefan Johansson | Spirit | 1:40.330 | 1:35.892 | 1:35.892 | — |
| 17 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:36.059 | 1:36.141 | 1:36.059 | — |
| 18 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:36.347 | 1:36.079 | 1:36.079 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:37.253 | 1:36.357 | 1:36.357 | — |
| 20 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier | 1:36.435 | 1:36.437 | 1:36.435 | — |
| 21 | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore | 1:36.918 | 1:36.532 | 1:36.532 | — |
| 22 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:37.175 | 1:36.619 | 1:36.619 | — |
| 23 | 4 | Danny Sullivan | Tyrrell | 1:37.858 | 4:36.772 | 1:36.772 | — |
| 24 | 2 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:37.546 | 1:37.017 | 1:37.017 | — |
| 25 | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:38.455 | 1:37.117 | 1:37.117 | — |
| 26 | 31 | Corrado Fabi | Osella | 1:37.650 | 1:37.217 | 1:37.217 | — |
| 27 | 26 | Raul Boesel | Ligier | 1:37.400 | 1:37.554 | 1:37.400 | — |
| 28 | 34 | Johnny Cecotto | Theodore | 1:37.677 | 1:37.497 | 1:37.497 | — |
| 29 | 17 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 1:38.974 | 1:39.138 | 1:38.974 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Renault traced its overheating to deposits restricting the intercoolers and cleaned the units before the warm-up. Alain Prost then set the fastest time, with Derek Warwick second after Toleman also restored its missing performance. De Andrea de Cesaris suffered an engine failure that forced another hurried replacement. For Renault, the morning’s improvement transformed the outlook for the race.
What happened in the 1983 Austrian Grand Prix?
Ferrari controlled the early pace, but the race gradually developed into a close strategic contest involving Nelson Piquet, Rene Arnoux and Alain Prost. The fuel-and-tyre stops kept the order fluid, with efficient pit work helping Brabham maintain its challenge. Renault’s improved reliability allowed Alain Prost to stay firmly in contention.
Nelson Piquet began losing a little engine performance, allowing Rene Arnoux and Alain Prost to move ahead. Rene Arnoux then encountered gear-selection trouble, creating the opening Alain Prost needed to take the lead. Ferrari’s qualifying advantage had not been enough to settle a race decided by sustained pace and the health of the machinery.
Alain Prost held on to win from Rene Arnoux and Nelson Piquet, with Eddie Cheever, Nigel Mansell and Niki Lauda completing the points. The victory stretched Alain Prost’s championship lead to 14 points with four rounds remaining. It would also prove to be the final win for Renault’s original works Formula 1 team.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 51 points, followed by Nelson Piquet on 37. Renault led the constructors’ table on 68, with Ferrari on 65.
1983 Austrian Grand Prix race results
The 1983 Austrian Grand Prix was held on 14 August 1983, with a scheduled start of 14:30 local time.
1983 Austrian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 20 | 1:33.961 |
| 2 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 21 | 1:34.002 |
| 3 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 18 | 1:34.004 |
| 4 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 20 | 1:34.123 |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 9 | 1:34.299 |
| 6 | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 50 | 1:34.351 |
| 7 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 25 | 1:34.929 |
| 8 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 8 | 1:34.976 |
| 9 | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 12 | 1:35.514 |
| 10 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 21 | 1:36.548 |
| 11 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 39 | 1:37.552 |
| 12 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 27 | 1:37.845 |
| 13 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier | 45 | 1:38.074 |
| 14 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 12 | 1:38.176 |
| 15 | 30 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 45 | 1:38.586 |
| 16 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 6 | 1:39.179 |
| 17 | 40 | Stefan Johansson | Spirit | 6 | 1:39.450 |
| 18 | 2 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 10 | 1:39.952 |
| 19 | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore | 20 | 1:40.171 |
| 20 | 31 | Corrado Fabi | Osella | 44 | 1:40.341 |
| 21 | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 19 | 1:42.189 |
| 22 | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1 | 1:46.919 |
| 23 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman | 1 | 2:20.130 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1983 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1983 Austrian Grand Prix.
1983 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | Renault | 51 |
| 2 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 37 |
| 3 | René Arnoux | French | Ferrari | 34 |
| 4 | Patrick Tambay | French | Ferrari | 31 |
| 5 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Williams | 25 |
| 6 | John Watson | British | McLaren | 18 |
| 7 | Eddie Cheever | American | Renault | 17 |
| 8 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | McLaren | 12 |
| 9 | Jacques Laffite | French | Williams | 11 |
| 10 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Tyrrell | 9 |
| 11 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 6 |
| 12 | Nigel Mansell | British | Lotus | 6 |
| 13 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Brabham | 4 |
| 14 | Marc Surer | Swiss | Arrows | 4 |
| 15 | Danny Sullivan | American | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 16 | Mauro Baldi | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 1 |
| 17 | Johnny Cecotto | Venezuelan | Theodore | 1 |
| – | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Derek Warwick | British | Toleman | 0 |
| – | Chico Serra | Brazilian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Raul Boesel | Brazilian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Bruno Giacomelli | Italian | Toleman | 0 |
| – | Manfred Winkelhock | German | ATS | 0 |
| – | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Corrado Fabi | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | Spirit | 0 |
| – | Eliseo Salazar | Chilean | RAM | 0 |
| – | Roberto Guerrero | Colombian | Theodore | 0 |
| – | Alan Jones | Australian | Arrows | 0 |
1983 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault | 68 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 65 |
| 3 | Brabham – BMW | 41 |
| 4 | Williams – Ford | 36 |
| 5 | McLaren – Ford | 30 |
| 6 | Tyrrell – Ford | 11 |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo | 7 |
| 8 | Lotus – Renault | 5 |
| 9 | Arrows – Ford | 4 |
| 10 | Theodore – Ford | 1 |
| 11 | Lotus – Ford | 1 |
| — | Ligier – Ford | 0 |
| — | Toleman – Hart | 0 |
| — | ATS – BMW | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Spirit – Honda | 0 |
| — | RAM – Ford | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race.
1983 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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