1983 Monaco Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Keke Rosberg made a bold tyre choice count at Circuit de Monaco, starting on slicks on a damp track and turning fifth on the grid into a superb Williams victory. Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost completed the podium on a weekend that also produced the extraordinary sight of both McLarens failing to qualify.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Alain Prost	Renault
Pole time	1:24.840
Fastest lap	Nelson Piquet	Brabham
Fastest-lap time	1:27.283 on lap 69
First	Keke Rosberg	Williams
Second	Nelson Piquet	Brabham
Third	Alain Prost	Renault

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
12 May 1983	Pre-qualifying	08:00
12 May 1983	Practice 1	10:00–11:30
12 May 1983	Qualifying 1	13:00–14:00
14 May 1983	Practice 2	Morning; start unconfirmed
14 May 1983	Qualifying 2	13:00–14:00
15 May 1983	Warm-up	12:30–13:00
15 May 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 5 leading the 1983 F1 World Championship on 15 points, with Nelson Piquet on 15. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 22 points.

Race entries

The same drivers arrived from Imola, but Monaco’s 20-car grid meant a particularly demanding route to the race. Ferrari brought four cars so René Rene Arnoux and Patrick Tambay each had a dedicated spare. Tyrrell joined the teams using the updated Cosworth DFY, while Renault introduced revised exhaust arrangements on its works cars.

Pre-qualifying

Thursday began with five drivers competing for three places in the main sessions. Bruno Giacomelli, Eliseo Salazar and Derek Warwick progressed, although Derek Warwick needed all three Tolemans before securing his time. Johnny Cecotto crashed and Roberto Guerrero suffered a driveshaft failure, eliminating both Theodores before official practice began.

Pre-qualifying Classification

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	1:32.190	—
2	17	Eliseo Salazar	RAM	1:32.502	+0.312
3	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	1:33.453	+1.263
4	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore	1:33.817	+1.627
5	33	Roberto Guerrero	Theodore	1:38.389	+6.199

Thursday Free Practice

Thursday’s opening practice showed how much the new flat-bottom cars demanded from their drivers around Monaco. Several looked unsettled over the kerbs and through the downhill sequence from Casino Square, prompting extensive changes during the break. Niki Lauda and Patrick Tambay were notably tidy, but the first 90 minutes left many teams rethinking their suspension and aerodynamic settings.

Thursday Qualifying

Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux traded the advantage on Thursday, with Alain Prost answering the Ferrari’s late improvement by setting 1:24.840. Eddie Cheever and Patrick Tambay completed the first two rows provisionally, while Keke Rosberg put his Williams fifth. Riccardo Patrese’s electrical trouble left him near the back, and both McLarens were outside the 20 places available.

Thursday Qualifying Classification

1983 Monaco Grand Prix first qualifying session, 12 May 1983

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	15	Alain Prost	Renault	1:24.840	—
2	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	1:25.182	—
3	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	1:26.279	—
4	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	1:26.298	—
5	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:26.307	—
6	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:27.273	—
7	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	1:27.680	—
8	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	1:27.726	—
9	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	1:27.906	—
10	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	1:28.017	—
11	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	1:28.256	—
12	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	1:28.346	—
13	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	1:28.639	—
14	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1:28.721	—
15	30	Chico Serra	Arrows	1:28.784	—
16	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS	1:28.975	—
17	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:29.200	—
18	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	1:29.222	—
19	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:29.518	—
20	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	1:29.530	—
21	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	1:29.552	—
22	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:29.898	—
23	7	John Watson	McLaren	1:30.283	—
24	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella	1:30.495	—
25	17	Eliseo Salazar	RAM	1:31.229	—
26	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:35.572	—

Saturday Free Practice

Saturday morning brought a succession of expensive interruptions. Nelson Piquet suffered a driveshaft problem, Rene Arnoux lost an engine and Eliseo Salazar damaged his RAM against the barriers. Nigel Mansell had to climb quickly from his Lotus after an electrical short beneath the seat. McLaren at least found more encouraging speed, although the rain that followed would prevent its drivers turning that improvement into grid positions.

Saturday Qualifying

Rain settled the grid on Saturday because nobody could approach Thursday’s times. Keke Rosberg was fastest in the wet session, but Alain Prost retained pole ahead of Rene Arnoux. Niki Lauda and John Watson both failed to qualify, their improved morning pace rendered irrelevant by the weather. The runners who had already secured places used the hour to prepare for a possible wet race.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1983 Monaco Grand Prix second qualifying session, 14 May 1983

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:52.030	—
2	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	1:52.183	—
3	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	1:52.434	—
4	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:52.448	—
5	15	Alain Prost	Renault	1:52.845	—
6	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	1:53.580	—
7	7	John Watson	McLaren	1:53.772	—
8	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	1:53.987	—
9	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	1:54.335	—
10	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	1:55.986	—
11	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	1:56.398	—
12	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1:56.560	—
13	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:56.736	—
14	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:56.762	—
15	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	1:56.836	—
16	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	1:59.110	—
17	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	2:00.969	—
18	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS	2:01.178	—
19	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	2:09.076	—

Combined Qualifying Classification

Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Thursday Time	Saturday Time	Best Time	Laps
1	15	Alain Prost	Renault	1:24.840	1:52.845	1:24.840	—
2	28	René Arnoux	Ferrari	1:25.182	1:52.183	1:25.182	—
3	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	1:26.279	1:52.434	1:26.279	—
4	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	1:26.298	1:53.987	1:26.298	—
5	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:26.307	1:52.030	1:26.307	—
6	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:27.273	1:56.736	1:27.273	—
7	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	1:27.680	1:54.335	1:27.680	—
8	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	1:27.726	1:53.580	1:27.726	—
9	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	1:27.906	1:55.986	1:27.906	—
10	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	1:28.017	no time	1:28.017	—
11	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	1:28.256	2:00.969	1:28.256	—
12	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	1:28.346	1:56.836	1:28.346	—
13	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	1:28.639	1:56.398	1:28.639	—
14	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	1:28.721	1:56.560	1:28.721	—
15	30	Chico Serra	Arrows	1:28.784	no time	1:28.784	—
16	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS	1:28.975	2:01.178	1:28.975	—
17	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:29.200	no time	1:29.200	—
18	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	1:29.222	1:59.110	1:29.222	—
19	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:29.518	1:56.762	1:29.518	—
20	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	1:29.530	2:09.076	1:29.530	—
21	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman	1:29.552	no time	1:29.552	—
22	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:29.898	1:52.448	1:29.898	—
23	7	John Watson	McLaren	1:30.283	1:53.772	1:30.283	—
24	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella	1:30.495	no time	1:30.495	—
25	17	Eliseo Salazar	RAM	1:31.229	no time	1:31.229	—
26	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:35.572	no time	1:35.572	—

Sunday warm-up

Intermittent rain complicated the 12:30 warm-up. Most drivers tried slick tyres, but damp patches prevented a useful sustained comparison and another shower followed the session. De Andrea de Cesaris needed an oil leak repaired and Derek Warwick required a replacement turbocharger. With conditions still uncertain, the teams faced a genuine choice between starting on wet tyres and gambling on the circuit drying.

What happened in the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix?

Keke Rosberg and Williams committed to slick tyres while the leading turbo cars started on wets. The gamble paid off as the circuit dried: Keke Rosberg moved rapidly through the opening traffic and took control while his rivals faced tyre changes. Jacques Laffite also benefited from Williams’s approach, giving the team a strong early position.

The race still demanded precision as grip varied around the streets. Nelson Piquet emerged as Keke Rosberg’s nearest challenger, while Renault’s wet-weather set-up made the changing conditions awkward. Mechanical trouble thinned the pursuit, with Jacques Laffite eventually retiring because of gearbox trouble and Eddie Cheever also dropping out.

Keke Rosberg completed a beautifully judged victory, ahead of Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost. Patrick Tambay finished fourth, with Danny Sullivan earning fifth for Tyrrell and Mauro Baldi sixth for Alfa Romeo. It was a convincing reminder that decisive strategy and a committed drive could still overcome the turbo cars’ power advantage on the right circuit.

After the race, Nelson Piquet headed the drivers’ standings with 21 points, followed by Alain Prost on 19. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 25, with Renault on 23.

1983 Monaco Grand Prix race results

The 1983 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 15 May 1983, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	76	1:56:38.121	9
2	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	76	+ 18.475	6
3	15	Alain Prost	Renault	76	+ 31.366	4
4	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	76	+ 1:04.297	3
5	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	74	+ 2 Laps	2
6	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	74	+ 2 Laps	1
7	30	Chico Serra	Arrows	74	+ 2 Laps	0
Ret	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	64	Electrical	0
Ret	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	53	Gearbox	0
Ret	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	49	Collision	0
Ret	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	49	Collision	0
Ret	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	49	Halfshaft	0
Ret	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	32	Suspension	0
Ret	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	30	Engine	0
Ret	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	13	Gearbox	0
Ret	28	René Arnoux	Ferrari	6	Suspension	0
Ret	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	3	Collision	0
Ret	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS	3	Collision	0
Ret	3	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell	0	Collision	0
Ret	12	Nigel Mansell	Lotus	0	Collision	0
DNQ	36	Bruno Giacomelli	Toleman			0
DNQ	8	Niki Lauda	McLaren			0
DNQ	7	John Watson	McLaren			0
DNQ	31	Corrado Fabi	Osella			0
DNQ	17	Eliseo Salazar	RAM			0
DNQ	32	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella			0
DNPQ	34	Johnny Cecotto	Theodore			0
DNPQ	33	Roberto Guerrero	Theodore			0

1983 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	5	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	69	1:27.283
2	15	Alain Prost	Renault	60	1:27.645
3	27	Patrick Tambay	Ferrari	55	1:27.911
4	6	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	48	1:27.922
5	35	Derek Warwick	Toleman	39	1:28.655
6	2	Jacques Laffite	Williams	49	1:28.705
7	16	Eddie Cheever	Renault	21	1:28.719
8	1	Keke Rosberg	Williams	49	1:29.124
9	29	Marc Surer	Arrows	41	1:29.159
10	23	Mauro Baldi	Alfa Romeo	43	1:29.757
11	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	39	1:30.159
12	30	Chico Serra	Arrows	46	1:30.160
13	25	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Ligier	17	1:30.635
14	4	Danny Sullivan	Tyrrell	46	1:30.772
15	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	13	1:32.633
16	28	Rene Arnoux	Ferrari	4	1:44.184
17	9	Manfred Winkelhock	ATS	3	1:51.607
18	26	Raul Boesel	Ligier	3	1:52.126

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 Monaco Grand Prix.

1983 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Brabham	21
2	Alain Prost	French	Renault	19
3	Patrick Tambay	French	Ferrari	17
4	Keke Rosberg	Finnish	Williams	14
5	John Watson	British	McLaren	11
6	Niki Lauda	Austrian	McLaren	10
7	René Arnoux	French	Ferrari	8
8	Jacques Laffite	French	Williams	7
9	Eddie Cheever	American	Renault	4
10	Marc Surer	Swiss	Arrows	4
11	Danny Sullivan	American	Tyrrell	2
12	Mauro Baldi	Italian	Alfa Romeo	1
13	Johnny Cecotto	Venezuelan	Theodore	1
–	Chico Serra	Brazilian	Arrows	0
–	Raul Boesel	Brazilian	Ligier	0
–	Derek Warwick	British	Toleman	0
–	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Tyrrell	0
–	Jean-Pierre Jarier	French	Ligier	0
–	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Brabham	0
–	Nigel Mansell	British	Lotus	0
–	Manfred Winkelhock	German	ATS	0
–	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Alfa Romeo	0
–	Bruno Giacomelli	Italian	Toleman	0
–	Eliseo Salazar	Chilean	RAM	0
–	Elio de Angelis	Italian	Lotus	0
–	Alan Jones	Australian	Arrows	0
–	Corrado Fabi	Italian	Osella	0
–	Roberto Guerrero	Colombian	Theodore	0

1983 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	25
2	Renault	23
3	Brabham – BMW	21
4	McLaren – Ford	21
5	Williams – Ford	21
6	Arrows – Ford	4
7	Tyrrell – Ford	2
8	Alfa Romeo	1
9	Theodore – Ford	1
—	Ligier – Ford	0
—	Toleman – Hart	0
—	ATS – BMW	0
—	Lotus – Ford	0
—	RAM – Ford	0
—	Osella – Ford	0
—	Lotus – Renault	0
—	Osella – Alfa Romeo	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