1983 German Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

René Rene Arnoux converted Ferrari’s front-row advantage into victory at the Hockenheimring, strengthening his championship challenge. Patrick Tambay’s engine failure prevented a Ferrari one-two, while Andrea de Cesaris and Riccardo Patrese took the remaining podium places after a weekend full of mechanical drama.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari
Pole time	1:49.328
Fastest lap	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:53.938 on lap 12
First	René Arnoux	Ferrari
Second	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo
Third	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
5 August 1983	Practice 1	Morning; start unconfirmed
5 August 1983	Qualifying 1	13:00–14:00
6 August 1983	Practice 2	Morning; start unconfirmed
6 August 1983	Qualifying 2	Start time unconfirmed
7 August 1983	Warm-up	12:00–12:30 (delayed from 11:30)
7 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 10 leading the 1983 F1 World Championship on 39 points, with Nelson Piquet on 33. Renault headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 53 points.

Race entries

The British Grand Prix line-ups continued in Germany. Spirit brought a longer-wheelbase version of its Honda-powered car, and Alfa Romeo added a new chassis. Several teams also experimented with detail changes, including revised Toleman aerodynamics and Goodyear radial race tyres.

Friday Free Practice

Friday’s opening session was exceptionally troublesome. Spirit broke a gearbox component, Manfred Winkelhock encountered oil-feed and turbo problems, and Nigel Mansell’s Lotus leaked water. De Elio de Angelis damaged the other Lotus in an excursion, while Brabham and Toleman also had engine-related difficulties. Ferrari and Williams used the session to investigate Goodyear’s radial tyres, but few garages enjoyed an uncomplicated morning.

Friday Qualifying

Patrick Tambay set the Friday pace, with Rene Arnoux close behind as Ferrari secured a commanding provisional front row. De Andrea de Cesaris was third and Nelson Piquet fourth despite switching to the spare Brabham. Raul Boesel crashed his Ligier and hurt his neck, while Manfred Winkelhock failed to complete a flying lap in the troubled ATS.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1983 German Grand Prix first qualifying session, 5 August 1983

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	1:49.328	—
2	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	1:49.435	—
3	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	1:50.845	—
4	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:51.082	—
5	15	Alain Prost	Renault	1:51.228	—
6	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	1:51.540	—
7	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	1:51.867	—
8	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:52.105	—
9	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	1:54.199	—
10	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	1:54.648	—
11	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:54.831	—
12	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:55.289	—
13	40	Stefan Johansson	Spirit	1:55.870	—
14	30	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:56.015	—
15	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	1:56.318	—
16	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	1:56.398	—
17	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1:56.490	—
18	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:56.730	—
19	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	1:57.018	—
20	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	1:57.072	—
21	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	1:57.426	—
22	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore	1:57.744	—
23	7	John Watson	McLaren	1:57.776	—
24	33	Roberto Guerrero	Theodore	1:57.790	—
25	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	1:58.413	—
26	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:58.473	—
27	17	Kenny Acheson	RAM	1:59.003	—
28	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella	2:01.113	—

Saturday Free Practice

Persistent rain changed Saturday’s task from finding outright speed to evaluating wet-weather behaviour. The teams continued running, although conditions offered no realistic chance of improving their dry grid times. With spray reducing visibility, officials also checked the effectiveness of the cars’ rear warning lights. Friday’s reliability problems had become particularly costly for anyone without a representative lap.

Saturday Qualifying

Saturday’s wet session left the grid unchanged. Patrick Tambay retained pole ahead of Rene Arnoux, followed by de Andrea de Cesaris, Nelson Piquet and the two Renaults. Manfred Winkelhock’s lack of a Friday time proved decisive: he failed to qualify at ATS’s home race, along with Kenny Acheson and Corrado Fabi.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1983 German Grand Prix second qualifying session, 6 August 1983

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	2:09.594	—
2	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	2:09.752	—
3	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	2:10.057	—
4	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	2:13.337	—
5	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	2:13.461	—
6	15	Alain Prost	Renault	2:13.620	—
7	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	2:14.182	—
8	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	2:15.218	—
9	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	2:15.326	—
10	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	2:15.547	—
11	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore	2:15.753	—
12	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	2:15.838	—
13	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	2:16.694	—
14	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	2:16.969	—
15	33	Roberto Guerrero	Theodore	2:17.479	—
16	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	2:18.376	—
17	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	2:19.172	—
18	17	Kenny Acheson	RAM	2:20.758	—
19	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella	2:22.859	—
20	40	Stefan Johansson	Spirit	10:37.156	—
21	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	13:17.646	—
22	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	16:03.168	—
23	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	40:52.470	—

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	1:49.328	2:10.057	1:49.328	—
2	28	René Arnoux	Ferrari	1:49.435	2:09.594	1:49.435	—
3	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	1:50.845	2:16.694	1:50.845	—
4	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:51.082	2:16.969	1:51.082	—
5	15	Alain Prost	Renault	1:51.228	2:13.620	1:51.228	—
6	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	1:51.540	2:09.752	1:51.540	—
7	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	1:51.867	2:15.218	1:51.867	—
8	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:52.105	no time	1:52.105	—
9	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	1:54.199	2:13.461	1:54.199	—
10	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	1:54.648	13:17.646	1:54.648	—
11	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:54.831	2:14.182	1:54.831	—
12	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:55.289	2:13.337	1:55.289	—
13	40	Stefan Johansson	Spirit	1:55.870	10:37.156	1:55.870	—
14	30	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:56.015	no time	1:56.015	—
15	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	1:56.318	2:15.838	1:56.318	—
16	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	1:56.398	2:15.547	1:56.398	—
17	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1:56.490	16:03.168	1:56.490	—
18	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:56.730	no time	1:56.730	—
19	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	1:57.018	2:15.326	1:57.018	—
20	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	1:57.072	40:52.470	1:57.072	—
21	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	1:57.426	2:18.376	1:57.426	—
22	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore	1:57.744	2:15.753	1:57.744	—
23	7	John Watson	McLaren	1:57.776	no time	1:57.776	—
24	33	Roberto Guerrero	Theodore	1:57.790	2:17.479	1:57.790	—
25	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	1:58.413	no time	1:58.413	—
26	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:58.473	2:19.172	1:58.473	—
DNQ	17	Kenny Acheson	RAM	1:59.003	2:20.758	1:59.003	—
DNQ	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella	2:01.113	2:22.859	2:01.113	—
DNQ	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS	no time	no time	—	—

Sunday warm-up

The warm-up was delayed from 11:30 to noon while damaged catch fencing was repaired, then produced another burst of mechanical failures. Nigel Mansell’s Lotus lost water and oil, de Elio de Angelis had an electronic failure and Brabham faced extensive repairs. The teams worked frantically to make the start; Nigel Mansell reverted to the older Lotus 93T and Alain Prost later changed cars after an overheating problem on the way to the grid.

What happened in the 1983 German Grand Prix?

Patrick Tambay led initially, but Rene Arnoux moved ahead and took control of Ferrari’s challenge. Patrick Tambay’s race then ended with engine failure, removing the prospect of another red-car duel. The long straights placed enormous demands on the turbo engines, and simply surviving remained a central part of the contest.

Nelson Piquet was in contention until a late engine failure and fire ended his race, costing him valuable championship points. Alain Prost had his own gearbox problems and could not fully exploit his rival’s retirement. De Andrea de Cesaris kept his Alfa Romeo in the fight, while Riccardo Patrese gave Brabham something to show for an otherwise difficult weekend.

Rene Arnoux won ahead of de Andrea de Cesaris and Riccardo Patrese. Alain Prost salvaged fourth, with Niki Lauda and John Watson completing the points for McLaren. Although the victory brought Rene Arnoux closer to the title battle, Alain Prost still extended his lead over Nelson Piquet thanks to the Brabham driver’s retirement.

After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 42 points, followed by Nelson Piquet on 33. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 59, with Renault on 56.

1983 German Grand Prix race results

The 1983 German Grand Prix was held on 7 August 1983, with a scheduled start of 14:30 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	28	René Arnoux	Ferrari	45	1:27:10.319	9
2	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	45	+ 1:10.652	6
3	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	45	+ 1:44.093	4
4	15	Alain Prost	Renault	45	+ 2:00.750	3
5	7	John Watson	McLaren	44	+ 1 lap	2
6	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	44	+ 1 lap	1
7	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	44	+ 1 lap	0
8	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	44	+ 1 lap	0
9	30	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	44	+ 1 lap	0
10	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	44	+ 1 lap	0
11	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore	44	+ 1 lap	0
12	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	43	+ 2 laps	0
13	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	42	Fire	0
DSQ	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	44	Reversed in pits	0
Ret	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	38	Fuel system	0
Ret	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	34	Oil leak	0
Ret	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	27	Engine	0
Ret	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	24	Turbo	0
Ret	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	19	Turbo	0
Ret	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	17	Engine	0
Ret	40	Stefan Johansson	Spirit	11	Engine	0
Ret	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	11	Engine	0
Ret	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	10	Engine	0
Ret	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	4	Fuel pump	0
Ret	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1	Engine	0
Ret	33	Roberto Guerrero	Theodore	0	Engine	0
DNQ	17	Kenny Acheson	RAM			0
DNQ	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella			0
DNQ	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS			0

1983 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	12	1:53.938
2	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	8	1:54.365
3	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	37	1:54.495
4	15	Alain Prost	Renault	19	1:54.793
5	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	19	1:55.031
6	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	17	1:55.311
7	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	11	1:55.510
8	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	20	1:56.037
9	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	14	1:56.271
10	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	5	1:56.295
11	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	10	1:57.297
12	7	John Watson	McLaren	6	1:57.681
13	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	23	1:57.858
14	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	13	1:58.122
15	40	Stefan Johansson	Spirit	11	1:58.251
16	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	18	1:58.523
17	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	31	1:58.727
18	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	7	1:59.092
19	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	3	1:59.672
20	30	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	25	1:59.689
21	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore	25	2:00.147
22	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	20	2:00.571
23	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	22	2:01.823
24	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	4	2:03.418
25	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1	2:12.136

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 German Grand Prix.

1983 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Alain Prost	French	Renault	42
2	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Brabham	33
3	Patrick Tambay	French	Ferrari	31
4	René Arnoux	French	Ferrari	28
5	Keke Rosberg	Finnish	Williams	25
6	John Watson	British	McLaren	18
7	Eddie Cheever	American	Renault	14
8	Niki Lauda	Austrian	McLaren	11
9	Jacques Laffite	French	Williams	11
10	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Tyrrell	9
11	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Alfa Romeo	6
12	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Brabham	4
13	Nigel Mansell	British	Lotus	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
–	Raul Boesel	Brazilian	Ligier	0
–	Jean-Pierre Jarier	French	Ligier	0
–	Bruno Giacomelli	Italian	Toleman	0
–	Manfred Winkelhock	German	ATS	0
–	Elio de Angelis	Italian	Lotus	0
–	Eliseo Salazar	Chilean	RAM	0
–	Roberto Guerrero	Colombian	Theodore	0
–	Alan Jones	Australian	Arrows	0
–	Corrado Fabi	Italian	Osella	0
–	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Italian	Osella	0
–	Stefan Johansson	Swedish	Spirit	0

1983 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	59
2	Renault	56
3	Brabham – BMW	37
4	Williams – Ford	36
5	McLaren – Ford	29
6	Tyrrell – Ford	11
7	Alfa Romeo	7
8	Arrows – Ford	4
9	Lotus – Renault	3
10	Theodore – Ford	1
11	Lotus – Ford	1
—	Toleman – Hart	0
—	Ligier – Ford	0
—	ATS – BMW	0
—	RAM – Ford	0
—	Osella – Ford	0
—	Osella – Alfa Romeo	0
—	Spirit – Honda	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

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1983 Brazilian Grand Prix	Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro	13 March
2	1983 United States West Grand Prix	Long Beach Street Circuit, Long Beach, California	27 March
3	1983 French Grand Prix	Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet	17 April
4	1983 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola	1 May
5	1983 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	15 May
6	1983 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	22 May
7	1983 Detroit Grand Prix	Detroit Street Circuit, Detroit, Michigan	5 June
8	1983 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	12 June
9	1983 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	16 July
10	1983 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	7 August
11	1983 Austrian Grand Prix	Österreichring, Spielberg	14 August
12	1983 Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort	28 August
13	1983 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	11 September
14	1983 European Grand Prix	Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown	25 September
15	1983 South African Grand Prix	Kyalami, Midrand	15 October