Michele Alboreto delivered his first Ferrari victory in the 1984 Belgian Grand Prix, leading throughout at Zolder. Derek Warwick finished second and René Rene Arnoux third, giving Ferrari a strong response to McLaren’s success in the opening two rounds.
Race Guide
Season: 1984 F1 World Championship
Race date: 29 April 1984
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit Zolder
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.262 km
1983 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 1:14.846 | |
| Fastest lap | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:19.294 on lap 64 | |
| First | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Second | Derek Warwick | Renault |
| Third | René Arnoux | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 27 April 1984 | Practice 1 | 10:00–11:30 |
| 27 April 1984 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 28 April 1984 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 28 April 1984 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 29 April 1984 | Warm-up | 10:30–11:00 |
| 29 April 1984 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
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 3 leading the 1984 F1 World Championship on 15 points, with Niki Lauda on 9. McLaren – TAG headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 24 points.
Race entries
Piercarlo Ghinzani returned in a new Osella after his South African accident. Arrows introduced its BMW-powered A7 for Thierry Boutsen’s home race, while Marc Surer continued with the Cosworth car. The driver line-ups otherwise remained unchanged.
Friday Free Practice
Friday practice began in bright sunshine, but several leading teams soon faced serious reliability problems. Engine failures repeatedly interrupted Williams, McLaren and Brabham, while Ferrari and Renault enjoyed a more productive start. Thierry Boutsen also began learning the new turbocharged Arrows, a major change from the naturally aspirated car he had raced so far.
Friday Qualifying
Derek Warwick headed Friday qualifying for Renault as the leading order changed amid repeated mechanical problems. Ferrari remained close enough to mount a strong challenge when the drivers returned on Saturday.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1984 Belgian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 27 April 1984
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:16.311 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:16.587 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:16.604 | — |
| 4 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:17.433 | — |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:17.705 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:18.017 | — |
| 7 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:18.048 | — |
| 8 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:18.052 | — |
| 9 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:18.239 | — |
| 10 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:18.369 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:18.401 | — |
| 12 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:18.617 | — |
| 13 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:18.753 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:18.831 | — |
| 15 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 1:18.914 | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:19.164 | — |
| 17 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:19.230 | — |
| 18 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1:19.537 | — |
| 19 | 2 | Teo Fabi | Brabham | 1:20.193 | — |
| 20 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | 1:20.439 | — |
| 21 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:20.615 | — |
| 22 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:21.253 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:21.432 | — |
| 24 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 1:23.462 | — |
| 25 | 10 | Jonathan Palmer | RAM | 1:25.647 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
The problems continued through Saturday’s running, leaving the mechanics with extensive overnight work. Patrick Tambay’s Renault suffered a succession of engine, gearbox and brake difficulties, and McLaren remained troubled by its engines. Ferrari’s comparatively smooth preparation helped Michele Alboreto and Rene Arnoux build confidence for the final qualifying session.
Saturday Qualifying
Michele Alboreto took his first pole position, with Rene Arnoux alongside for a Ferrari front row. Keke Rosberg qualified third and Derek Warwick fourth after a late starting problem and a broken exhaust compromised his response. Philippe Alliot was the sole non-qualifier.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1984 Belgian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 28 April 1984
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:14.846 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:15.398 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:15.414 | — |
| 4 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:15.611 | — |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:15.979 | — |
| 6 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:16.130 | — |
| 7 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:16.431 | — |
| 8 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:16.595 | — |
| 9 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:16.720 | — |
| 10 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:16.746 | — |
| 11 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:17.171 | — |
| 12 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:17.471 | — |
| 13 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:18.071 | — |
| 14 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:18.125 | — |
| 15 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1:18.321 | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:18.351 | — |
| 17 | 2 | Teo Fabi | Brabham | 1:18.848 | — |
| 18 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 1:18.876 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:19.734 | — |
| 20 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 1:20.644 | — |
| 21 | 10 | Jonathan Palmer | RAM | 1:20.793 | — |
| 22 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:21.088 | — |
| 23 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | 1:21.493 | — |
| 24 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:24.286 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:44.990 | — |
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 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:18.369 | 1:14.846 | 1:14.846 | — |
| 2 | 28 | René Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:18.017 | 1:15.398 | 1:15.398 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:18.617 | 1:15.414 | 1:15.414 | — |
| 4 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:16.311 | 1:15.611 | 1:15.611 | — |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:17.705 | 1:15.979 | 1:15.979 | — |
| 6 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:18.048 | 1:16.130 | 1:16.130 | — |
| 7 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:18.052 | 1:16.431 | 1:16.431 | — |
| 8 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:16.587 | 1:16.595 | 1:16.587 | — |
| 9 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:16.604 | 1:24.286 | 1:16.604 | — |
| 10 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:17.433 | 1:16.720 | 1:16.720 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:18.401 | 1:16.746 | 1:16.746 | — |
| 12 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:18.753 | 1:17.171 | 1:17.171 | — |
| 13 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:18.239 | 1:17.471 | 1:17.471 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:18.831 | 1:18.071 | 1:18.071 | — |
| 15 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:19.230 | 1:18.125 | 1:18.125 | — |
| 16 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1:19.537 | 1:18.321 | 1:18.321 | — |
| 17 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:19.164 | 1:18.351 | 1:18.351 | — |
| 18 | 2 | Teo Fabi | Brabham | 1:20.193 | 1:18.848 | 1:18.848 | — |
| 19 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 1:18.914 | 1:18.876 | 1:18.876 | — |
| 20 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:21.432 | 1:19.734 | 1:19.734 | — |
| 21 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:21.003 | 1:19.811 | — | — |
| 22 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:20.527 | 1:20.123 | — | — |
| 23 | 25 | François Hesnault | Ligier | 1:20.439 | 1:21.493 | 1:20.439 | — |
| 24 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:20.615 | 1:21.088 | 1:20.615 | — |
| 25 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 1:23.462 | 1:20.644 | 1:20.644 | — |
| 26 | 10 | Jonathan Palmer | RAM | 1:25.647 | 1:20.793 | 1:20.793 | — |
| DNQ | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:21.253 | 1:44.990 | 1:21.253 | — |
Sunday warm-up
The Sunday warm-up confirmed Ferrari’s strength after a hectic night of repairs elsewhere in the pit lane. Brabham tried newly supplied fuel in an effort to address its engine problems, while Johnny Cecotto’s Toleman stopped unexpectedly. The cars were ready to race, but the weekend’s failures left durability a serious concern.
Warm-up Classification
1984 Belgian Grand Prix Warm-up, 29 April 1984
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:17.765 | — |
| 2 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | +0.933s | — |
| 3 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | +1.036s | — |
| 4 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +1.070s | — |
| 5 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | +1.973s | — |
| 6 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | +1.973s | — |
| 7 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | +2.023s | — |
| 8 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | +2.450s | — |
| 9 | 2 | Teo Fabi | Brabham | +2.840s | — |
| 10 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | +2.876s | — |
| 11 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | +3.060s | — |
| 12 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | +3.100s | — |
| 13 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | +3.316s | — |
| 14 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | +3.516s | — |
| 15 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | +3.963s | — |
| 16 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | +4.506s | — |
| 17 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | +5.446s | — |
| 18 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | +5.703s | — |
| 19 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | +5.903s | — |
| 20 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | +6.140s | — |
| 21 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | +6.283s | — |
| 22 | 10 | Jonathan Palmer | RAM | +8.410s | — |
| 23 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +9.940s | — |
| 24 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | +13.593s | — |
What happened in the 1984 Belgian Grand Prix?
Michele Alboreto made a clean start and controlled the race from the front. Derek Warwick established himself in second, while the McLarens retired and Manfred Winkelhock’s promising run also ended. Michele Alboreto’s advantage was sufficient for him to retain the lead through his tyre stop.
Nelson Piquet attempted to run without stopping, but his pace faded and his engine eventually failed. Keke Rosberg challenged strongly for a podium before running out of fuel near the finish. That allowed Rene Arnoux to join Michele Alboreto and Derek Warwick in the top three.
Michele Alboreto won by more than forty seconds, becoming the first Italian to win a championship Grand Prix for Ferrari since 1966. Keke Rosberg was classified fourth and de Elio de Angelis fifth. Bellof initially took sixth, but Tyrrell’s later exclusion promoted Ayrton Senna into the points.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 15 points, followed by Derek Warwick on 10. McLaren – TAG led the constructors’ table on 24, with Ferrari on 13.
1984 Belgian Grand Prix race results
The 1984 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 29 April 1984.
1984 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 64 | 1:19.294 |
| 2 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 62 | 1:20.527 |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 20 | 1:20.727 |
| 4 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 13 | 1:21.245 |
| 5 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 12 | 1:21.450 |
| 6 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 28 | 1:21.703 |
| 7 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 5 | 1:21.754 |
| 8 | 2 | Teo Fabi | Brabham | 40 | 1:21.812 |
| 9 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 12 | 1:21.853 |
| 10 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 11 | 1:22.115 |
| 11 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 54 | 1:22.298 |
| 12 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 28 | 1:22.327 |
| 13 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 9 | 1:22.374 |
| 14 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 13 | 1:22.560 |
| 15 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 58 | 1:22.633 |
| 16 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 4 | 1:22.879 |
| 17 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 10 | 1:23.096 |
| 18 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 10 | 1:23.164 |
| 19 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 15 | 1:23.813 |
| 20 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | 15 | 1:23.945 |
| 21 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 2 | 1:24.430 |
| 22 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 11 | 1:25.564 |
| 23 | 10 | Jonathan Palmer | RAM | 9 | 1:25.973 |
| 24 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1 | 3:28.744 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1984 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1984 Belgian Grand Prix.
1984 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 15 |
| 2 | Derek Warwick | British | Renault | 10 |
| 3 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 9 |
| 4 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | McLaren | 9 |
| 5 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Williams | 9 |
| 6 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 6 |
| 7 | René Arnoux | French | Ferrari | 4 |
| 8 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 9 | Eddie Cheever | American | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 10 | Patrick Tambay | French | Renault | 2 |
| 11 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Ligier | 2 |
| 12 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Toleman | 2 |
| 13 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Arrows | 1 |
| – | Marc Surer | Swiss | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Jonathan Palmer | British | RAM | 0 |
| – | Mauro Baldi | Italian | Spirit | 0 |
| – | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | François Hesnault | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Stefan Bellof | German | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Nigel Mansell | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Teo Fabi | Italian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Manfred Winkelhock | German | ATS | 0 |
| – | Jacques Laffite | French | Williams | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | RAM | 0 |
| – | Johnny Cecotto | Venezuelan | Toleman | 0 |
1984 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – TAG | 24 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 13 |
| 3 | Renault | 12 |
| 4 | Williams – Honda | 9 |
| 5 | Lotus – Renault | 6 |
| 6 | Alfa Romeo | 6 |
| 7 | Ligier – Renault | 2 |
| 8 | Toleman – Hart | 2 |
| 9 | Arrows – Ford | 1 |
| — | RAM – Hart | 0 |
| — | Spirit – Hart | 0 |
| — | Brabham – BMW | 0 |
| — | Tyrrell – Ford | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | ATS – BMW | 0 |
| — | Arrows – BMW | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race. These results and points include Tyrrell’s retrospective exclusion from the entire season. Contemporary standings before the redistribution differ.
1984 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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