Nelson Piquet finally opened his 1984 points account with victory in the Canadian Grand Prix. Niki Lauda and Alain Prost completed the podium for McLaren, while Brabham’s champion overcame a painfully hot cockpit to end a frustrating run of retirements.
Race Guide
Season: 1984 F1 World Championship
Race date: 17 June 1984
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-04:00)
Circuit: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.410 km
1983 winner: René Arnoux
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Pole time | 1:25.442 | |
| Fastest lap | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:28.763 on lap 55 | |
| First | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| Second | Niki Lauda | McLaren |
| Third | Alain Prost | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 15 June 1984 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 15 June 1984 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 16 June 1984 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 16 June 1984 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 17 June 1984 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 17 June 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 7 leading the 1984 F1 World Championship on 28.5 points, with Niki Lauda on 18. McLaren – TAG headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 46.5 points.
Race entries
Mike Thackwell replaced Jonathan Palmer at RAM because of the Le Mans clash, and Huub Rothengatter took over Mauro Baldi’s Spirit. Corrado Fabi continued at Brabham. Patrick Tambay attempted to return after his Monaco injury but withdrew after a few practice laps, leaving Derek Warwick as Renault’s sole starter.
Friday Free Practice
Patrick Tambay’s brief Friday run confirmed that his injured leg was not ready for a race return. Elsewhere, Brabham introduced additional oil cooling in the nose of the BT53 as it tried to solve its reliability problems. Ayrton Senna began learning Montreal in a Toleman that had gained considerable momentum from Monaco.
Friday Qualifying
Alain Prost was quickest on Friday, putting McLaren in contention for another pole. Nelson Piquet remained close, while de Elio de Angelis also showed enough speed to threaten a front-row position.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1984 Canadian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 15 June 1984
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.477 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:27.139 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:27.154 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:27.917 | — |
| 5 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:28.277 | — |
| 6 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:28.548 | — |
| 7 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:28.604 | — |
| 8 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.205 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 1:29.282 | — |
| 10 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.418 | — |
| 11 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:29.423 | — |
| 12 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:29.618 | — |
| 13 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:29.682 | — |
| 14 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:30.115 | — |
| 15 | 2 | Corrado Fabi | Brabham | 1:30.831 | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:30.887 | — |
| 17 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | 1:31.146 | — |
| 18 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:32.189 | — |
| 19 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:32.311 | — |
| 20 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:33.014 | — |
| 21 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1:34.731 | — |
| 22 | 10 | Mike Thackwell | RAM | 1:34.921 | — |
| 23 | 21 | Huub Rothengatter | Spirit | 1:35.217 | — |
| 24 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:35.286 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday’s preparation remained difficult for Renault and its customers, with repeated engine failures across the meeting. Derek Warwick also struggled with handling and moved between cars, while Niki Lauda was dissatisfied with his own set-up choices. Brabham, by contrast, was putting together the kind of consistent weekend Nelson Piquet had been missing.
Saturday Qualifying
Nelson Piquet took pole on Saturday with 1:25.442, ahead of Alain Prost and de Elio de Angelis. Derek Warwick qualified fourth despite his difficult preparation, with the Ferraris fifth and sixth. Ayrton Senna impressed in ninth, while Niki Lauda started eighth.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1984 Canadian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 16 June 1984
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:25.442 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.198 | — |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:26.306 | — |
| 4 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:26.420 | — |
| 5 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:26.549 | — |
| 6 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.764 | — |
| 7 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:27.246 | — |
| 8 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:27.392 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 1:27.448 | — |
| 10 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:27.922 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:28.032 | — |
| 12 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:28.909 | — |
| 13 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | 1:29.187 | — |
| 14 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:29.284 | — |
| 15 | 2 | Corrado Fabi | Brabham | 1:29.764 | — |
| 16 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:29.915 | — |
| 17 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:30.064 | — |
| 18 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:30.073 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:30.918 | — |
| 20 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1:31.459 | — |
| 21 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:32.756 | — |
| 22 | 21 | Huub Rothengatter | Spirit | 1:32.920 | — |
| 23 | 10 | Mike Thackwell | RAM | 1:33.750 | — |
| 24 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:36.900 | — |
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 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:27.154 | 1:25.442 | 1:25.442 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.477 | 1:26.198 | 1:26.198 | — |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:27.139 | 1:26.306 | 1:26.306 | — |
| 4 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:29.682 | 1:26.420 | 1:26.420 | — |
| 5 | 28 | René Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:27.917 | 1:26.549 | 1:26.549 | — |
| 6 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:28.604 | 1:26.764 | 1:26.764 | — |
| 7 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 1:28.277 | 1:27.246 | 1:27.246 | — |
| 8 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:28.548 | 1:27.392 | 1:27.392 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 1:29.282 | 1:27.448 | 1:27.448 | — |
| 10 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:29.618 | 1:27.922 | 1:27.922 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.418 | 1:28.032 | 1:28.032 | — |
| 12 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 1:32.311 | 1:28.909 | 1:28.909 | — |
| 13 | 25 | François Hesnault | Ligier | 1:31.146 | 1:29.187 | 1:29.187 | — |
| 14 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.205 | 1:30.064 | 1:29.205 | — |
| 15 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:29.423 | 1:29.284 | 1:29.284 | — |
| 16 | 2 | Corrado Fabi | Brabham | 1:30.831 | 1:29.764 | 1:29.764 | — |
| 17 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 1:30.115 | 1:29.915 | 1:29.915 | — |
| 18 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:30.887 | 1:30.073 | 1:30.073 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:32.189 | 1:30.918 | 1:30.918 | — |
| 20 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 1:34.731 | 1:31.459 | 1:31.459 | — |
| 21 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:33.945 | 1:31.785 | — | — |
| 22 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:34.309 | 1:31.797 | — | — |
| 23 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:33.014 | 1:32.756 | 1:32.756 | — |
| 24 | 21 | Huub Rothengatter | Spirit | 1:35.217 | 1:32.920 | 1:32.920 | — |
| 25 | 10 | Mike Thackwell | RAM | 1:34.921 | 1:33.750 | 1:33.750 | — |
| 26 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:35.286 | 1:36.900 | 1:35.286 | — |
| WD | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | — | — |
Sunday warm-up
Ferrari topped the warm-up with Rene Arnoux and Michele Alboreto, suggesting a stronger race challenge than qualifying had promised. The circuit’s heavy braking zones made tyre and brake conservation important, however, and Niki Lauda intended to manage the early laps carefully. Those differing approaches would become clearer once the fuel loads began to fall.
Warm-up Classification
1984 Canadian Grand Prix Warm-up, 17 June 1984
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 1:29.906 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +0.270s | — |
| 3 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +0.416s | — |
| 4 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | +0.740s | — |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | +0.883s | — |
| 6 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | +0.976s | — |
| 7 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | +1.426s | — |
| 8 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | +1.946s | — |
| 9 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | +2.673s | — |
| 10 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | +3.120s | — |
| 11 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | +3.143s | — |
| 12 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | +3.156s | — |
| 13 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +3.430s | — |
| 14 | 2 | Corrado Fabi | Brabham | +3.460s | — |
| 15 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | +3.523s | — |
| 16 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | +3.950s | — |
| 17 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | +4.186s | — |
| 18 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | +4.553s | — |
| 19 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | +4.873s | — |
| 20 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | +5.373s | — |
| 21 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | +6.426s | — |
| 22 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | +6.886s | — |
| 23 | 21 | Huub Rothengatter | Spirit | +7.656s | — |
| 24 | 10 | Mike Thackwell | RAM | +9.780s | — |
What happened in the 1984 Canadian Grand Prix?
Alain Prost led away but Nelson Piquet passed him before the end of the opening lap. The Brabham then controlled the race while Alain Prost experienced intermittent engine trouble. Niki Lauda conserved his tyres and brakes initially before increasing his pace and passing his team-mate.
Nelson Piquet remained ahead despite intense heat around his feet from the car’s revised cooling arrangement. Niki Lauda closed late, but the champion judged his pace well enough to keep the McLaren behind. Ferrari’s challenge faded when Michele Alboreto retired and Rene Arnoux lost time to a tyre stop and engine-related trouble.
Nelson Piquet won by 2.6 seconds from Niki Lauda, with Alain Prost third. De Elio de Angelis finished fourth, Rene Arnoux fifth and Nigel Mansell sixth. Ayrton Senna narrowly missed the points in seventh after a demanding race, while Nelson Piquet needed attention for a badly burned foot after climbing from the car.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 32.5 points, followed by Niki Lauda on 24. McLaren – TAG led the constructors’ table on 56.5, with Ferrari on 26.5.
1984 Canadian Grand Prix race results
The 1984 Canadian Grand Prix was held on 17 June 1984.
1984 Canadian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 55 | 1:28.763 |
| 2 | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 54 | 1:29.083 |
| 3 | 7 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 34 | 1:29.433 |
| 4 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 36 | 1:30.210 |
| 5 | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus | 51 | 1:30.503 |
| 6 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 50 | 1:30.560 |
| 7 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 56 | 1:30.628 |
| 8 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 5 | 1:30.990 |
| 9 | 14 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS | 66 | 1:31.071 |
| 10 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 59 | 1:31.305 |
| 11 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 27 | 1:31.647 |
| 12 | 2 | Corrado Fabi | Brabham | 30 | 1:31.767 |
| 13 | 19 | Ayrton Senna | Toleman | 67 | 1:31.822 |
| 14 | 5 | Jacques Laffite | Williams | 30 | 1:32.124 |
| 15 | 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Toleman | 59 | 1:32.537 |
| 16 | 26 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 30 | 1:32.591 |
| 17 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 31 | 1:32.716 |
| 18 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 33 | 1:33.069 |
| 19 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 33 | 1:33.858 |
| 20 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 3 | 1:34.664 |
| 21 | 25 | Francois Hesnault | Ligier | 5 | 1:35.176 |
| 22 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 48 | 1:35.498 |
| 23 | 10 | Mike Thackwell | RAM | 14 | 1:37.157 |
| 24 | 21 | Huub Rothengatter | Spirit | 3 | 1:37.209 |
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 Canadian Grand Prix.
1984 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 32.5 |
| 2 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | McLaren | 24 |
| 3 | René Arnoux | French | Ferrari | 17 |
| 4 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 16 |
| 5 | Derek Warwick | British | Renault | 13 |
| 6 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Williams | 11.5 |
| 7 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 9.5 |
| 8 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 9 |
| 9 | Patrick Tambay | French | Renault | 8 |
| 10 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Toleman | 5 |
| 11 | Nigel Mansell | British | Lotus | 5 |
| 12 | Eddie Cheever | American | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 13 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 3 |
| 14 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Ligier | 3 |
| 15 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Arrows | 3 |
| – | Marc Surer | Swiss | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Mauro Baldi | Italian | Spirit | 0 |
| – | Jacques Laffite | French | Williams | 0 |
| – | Jonathan Palmer | British | RAM | 0 |
| – | Manfred Winkelhock | German | ATS | 0 |
| – | Johnny Cecotto | Venezuelan | Toleman | 0 |
| – | Teo Fabi | Italian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | RAM | 0 |
| – | François Hesnault | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Stefan Bellof | German | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Huub Rothengatter | Dutch | Spirit | 0 |
| – | Corrado Fabi | Italian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Jo Gartner | Austrian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Mike Thackwell | New Zealander | RAM | 0 |
1984 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – TAG | 56.5 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 26.5 |
| 3 | Renault | 21 |
| 4 | Lotus – Renault | 21 |
| 5 | Williams – Honda | 11.5 |
| 6 | Brabham – BMW | 9 |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo | 6 |
| 8 | Toleman – Hart | 5 |
| 9 | Arrows – Ford | 3 |
| 10 | Ligier – Renault | 3 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Spirit – Hart | 0 |
| — | RAM – Hart | 0 |
| — | ATS – BMW | 0 |
| — | Arrows – BMW | 0 |
| — | Tyrrell – Ford | 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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