Nelson Piquet reignited his championship challenge with victory at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, turning Brabham’s exceptional speed into a crucial Italian Grand Prix success. René Rene Arnoux finished second for Ferrari and Eddie Cheever third for Renault, while Alain Prost’s retirement left the title fight wide open.
Race Guide
Season: 1983 F1 World Championship
Race date: 11 September 1983
Race start time: 15:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 52 laps
Circuit length: 5.800 km
1982 winner: René Arnoux
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham |
| Pole time | 1:29.122 | |
| Fastest lap | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:34.431 on lap 20 | |
| First | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Second | René Arnoux | Ferrari |
| Third | Eddie Cheever | Renault |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1983 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 9 September 1983 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 10 September 1983 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 10 September 1983 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00–14:00 |
| 11 September 1983 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 11 September 1983 | Race | 15:30 |
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 13 leading the 1983 F1 World Championship on 51 points, with René Arnoux on 43. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 80 points.
Race entries
John Watson joined Niki Lauda in using McLaren’s TAG-powered car, ending the team’s split engine approach. Ferrari brought four 126C3s, while Spirit continued developing its new chassis alongside the existing car. The driver line-ups remained unchanged from Zandvoort.
Friday Free Practice
Brabham was fast from the beginning of Friday’s running, its revised BMW installation proving particularly effective on Monza’s straights. McLaren also showed impressive speed through the traps, although braking and handling still limited its overall lap times. Renault struggled to match the leading cars, while Spirit’s engine problems complicated Stefan Johansson’s preparation.
Friday Qualifying
Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese put Brabham first and second on Friday, with Nelson Piquet setting 1:30.202. Rene Arnoux was the only other driver close to their pace, and the BMW-powered cars were also formidable on the straights. The result gave Ferrari a clear target for Saturday in front of its home supporters.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1983 Italian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 9 September 1983
Saturday Free Practice
Ferrari’s Saturday morning unravelled when Rene Arnoux suffered turbocharger trouble and Patrick Tambay damaged his front suspension in an excursion at the first chicane. Both had spare 126C3s available, allowing the team to recover before qualifying. Elsewhere, Tyrrell struggled to find a workable set-up for Michele Alboreto’s new car, and McLaren continued troubleshooting its electronic engine management.
Saturday Qualifying
Patrick Tambay briefly took the advantage on Saturday, only for Riccardo Patrese to answer with 1:29.122 and secure pole. Rene Arnoux qualified third, with Nelson Piquet fourth after mechanical trouble disrupted his attempts to improve. Alain Prost started fifth. Jacques Laffite failed to qualify the Williams, joining Raul Boesel and Kenny Acheson on the sidelines.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1983 Italian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 10 September 1983
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:29.122 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 1:29.650 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:29.901 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:30.475 | — |
| 5 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:31.144 | — |
| 6 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.272 | — |
| 7 | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 1:31.564 | — |
| 8 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:31.628 | — |
| 9 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:31.959 | — |
| 10 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:32.423 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 1:32.593 | — |
| 12 | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1:32.677 | — |
| 13 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:33.133 | — |
| 14 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman | 1:33.384 | — |
| 15 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:34.705 | — |
| 16 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:35.291 | — |
| 17 | 40 | Stefan Johansson | Spirit | 1:35.483 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:35.624 | — |
| 19 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier | 1:36.220 | — |
| 20 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:36.435 | — |
| 21 | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore | 1:36.619 | — |
| 22 | 4 | Danny Sullivan | Tyrrell | 1:36.644 | — |
| 23 | 31 | Corrado Fabi | Osella | 1:36.834 | — |
| 24 | 26 | Raul Boesel | Ligier | 1:37.186 | — |
| 25 | 2 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:37.245 | — |
| 26 | 17 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 1:37.272 | — |
| 27 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:37.319 | — |
| 28 | 34 | Johnny Cecotto | Theodore | 1:37.634 | — |
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 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:30.253 | 1:29.122 | 1:29.122 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 1:31.036 | 1:29.650 | 1:29.650 | — |
| 3 | 28 | René Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:30.799 | 1:29.901 | 1:29.901 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:30.202 | 1:30.475 | 1:30.202 | — |
| 5 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 1:32.244 | 1:31.144 | 1:31.144 | — |
| 6 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.295 | 1:31.272 | 1:31.272 | — |
| 7 | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 1:31.613 | 1:31.564 | 1:31.564 | — |
| 8 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:32.590 | 1:31.628 | 1:31.628 | — |
| 9 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:34.161 | 1:31.959 | 1:31.959 | — |
| 10 | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 1:32.407 | 1:32.593 | 1:32.407 | — |
| 11 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:34.610 | 1:32.423 | 1:32.423 | — |
| 12 | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 1:33.738 | 1:32.677 | 1:32.677 | — |
| 13 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:33.190 | 1:33.133 | 1:33.133 | — |
| 14 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman | 1:35.489 | 1:33.384 | 1:33.384 | — |
| 15 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 1:35.928 | 1:34.705 | 1:34.705 | — |
| 16 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:36.631 | 1:35.291 | 1:35.291 | — |
| 17 | 40 | Stefan Johansson | Spirit | 1:37.826 | 1:35.483 | 1:35.483 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:36.968 | 1:35.624 | 1:35.624 | — |
| 19 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier | 1:37.270 | 1:36.220 | 1:36.220 | — |
| 20 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:36.796 | 1:36.435 | 1:36.435 | — |
| 21 | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore | 1:37.677 | 1:36.619 | 1:36.619 | — |
| 22 | 4 | Danny Sullivan | Tyrrell | 1:37.565 | 1:36.644 | 1:36.644 | — |
| 23 | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:36.647 | no time | 1:36.647 | — |
| 24 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:36.788 | 1:37.319 | 1:36.788 | — |
| 25 | 31 | Corrado Fabi | Osella | 1:38.577 | 1:36.834 | 1:36.834 | — |
| 26 | 34 | Johnny Cecotto | Theodore | 1:37.105 | 1:37.634 | 1:37.105 | — |
| 27 | 26 | Raul Boesel | Ligier | 1:37.798 | 1:37.186 | 1:37.186 | — |
| 28 | 2 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:37.277 | 1:37.245 | 1:37.245 | — |
| 29 | 17 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 1:37.755 | 1:37.272 | 1:37.272 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Warmer race-day conditions gave Renault a more encouraging final session. Alain Prost was fastest in the spare car and chose it for the race, offering some hope after a disappointing qualifying performance. Ferrari still had last-minute tyre concerns on the grid, with Rene Arnoux’s rear tyres changed before the start. The championship contenders had little margin for further trouble.
What happened in the 1983 Italian Grand Prix?
Riccardo Patrese led away, with Nelson Piquet moving into second to give Brabham the start it wanted. Riccardo Patrese’s engine failed early, however, handing his team-mate the lead. Nelson Piquet then controlled the race while Rene Arnoux and Eddie Cheever supplied the closest pursuit.
Alain Prost’s turbo failure on lap 27 was a major blow to Renault’s championship hopes. Nelson Piquet continued without the sort of interruption that had cost him earlier results, while Niki Lauda’s promising McLaren run ended with electrical trouble after a dramatic pit-lane restart. Ferrari remained in the podium fight but could not close down the leading Brabham.
Nelson Piquet won from Rene Arnoux and Eddie Cheever, followed by Patrick Tambay, de Elio de Angelis and Derek Warwick. The result left Rene Arnoux just two points behind Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet only five adrift. A premature track invasion complicated the finish for drivers still circulating, with Nigel Mansell losing a place as he slowed to avoid spectators.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 51 points, followed by René Arnoux on 49. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 89, with Renault on 72.
1983 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1983 Italian Grand Prix was held on 11 September 1983, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.
1983 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 20 | 1:34.431 |
| 2 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 15 | 1:34.592 |
| 3 | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 9 | 1:34.644 |
| 4 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 11 | 1:34.735 |
| 5 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 24 | 1:34.871 |
| 6 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 25 | 1:34.886 |
| 7 | 7 | John Watson | McLaren | 13 | 1:35.022 |
| 8 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 43 | 1:35.035 |
| 9 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman | 51 | 1:35.130 |
| 10 | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman | 17 | 1:35.588 |
| 11 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 18 | 1:35.853 |
| 12 | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 4 | 1:36.398 |
| 13 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier | 41 | 1:36.567 |
| 14 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 43 | 1:36.987 |
| 15 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 8 | 1:37.132 |
| 16 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 41 | 1:37.585 |
| 17 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 16 | 1:37.828 |
| 18 | 40 | Stefan Johansson | Spirit | 3 | 1:37.965 |
| 19 | 34 | Johnny Cecotto | Theodore | 40 | 1:38.412 |
| 20 | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore | 42 | 1:38.444 |
| 21 | 30 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 26 | 1:38.476 |
| 22 | 31 | Corrado Fabi | Osella | 35 | 1:39.334 |
| 23 | 4 | Danny Sullivan | Tyrrell | 34 | 1:39.516 |
| 24 | 32 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 4 | 1:40.271 |
| 25 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 2 | 3:16.194 |
| 26 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 2 | 3:21.578 |
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 Italian Grand Prix.
1983 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | Renault | 51 |
| 2 | René Arnoux | French | Ferrari | 49 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 46 |
| 4 | Patrick Tambay | French | Ferrari | 40 |
| 5 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Williams | 25 |
| 6 | John Watson | British | McLaren | 22 |
| 7 | Eddie Cheever | American | Renault | 21 |
| 8 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | McLaren | 12 |
| 9 | Jacques Laffite | French | Williams | 11 |
| 10 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Tyrrell | 10 |
| 11 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 6 |
| 12 | Nigel Mansell | British | Lotus | 6 |
| 13 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Brabham | 4 |
| 14 | Derek Warwick | British | Toleman | 4 |
| 15 | Marc Surer | Swiss | Arrows | 4 |
| 16 | Mauro Baldi | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 17 | Danny Sullivan | American | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 18 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 2 |
| 19 | Johnny Cecotto | Venezuelan | Theodore | 1 |
| – | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Chico Serra | Brazilian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Jean-Pierre Jarier | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Bruno Giacomelli | Italian | Toleman | 0 |
| – | Raul Boesel | Brazilian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | Spirit | 0 |
| – | Manfred Winkelhock | German | ATS | 0 |
| – | Corrado Fabi | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Roberto Guerrero | Colombian | Theodore | 0 |
| – | Eliseo Salazar | Chilean | RAM | 0 |
| – | Alan Jones | Australian | Arrows | 0 |
1983 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 89 |
| 2 | Renault | 72 |
| 3 | Brabham – BMW | 50 |
| 4 | Williams – Ford | 36 |
| 5 | McLaren – Ford | 34 |
| 6 | Tyrrell – Ford | 12 |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo | 9 |
| 8 | Lotus – Renault | 7 |
| 9 | Toleman – Hart | 4 |
| 10 | Arrows – Ford | 4 |
| 11 | Theodore – Ford | 1 |
| 12 | Lotus – Ford | 1 |
| — | Ligier – Ford | 0 |
| — | Spirit – Honda | 0 |
| — | ATS – BMW | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | RAM – Ford | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | McLaren – TAG | 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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