Alain Prost drew level with Michele Alboreto on points by winning the 1985 Austrian Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna recovered from fourteenth on the grid to finish second, with Michele Alboreto third after a restart and a race of heavy attrition at the Österreichring.
Race Guide
Season: 1985 F1 World Championship
Race date: 18 August 1985
Race start time: 14:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Österreichring
Laps: 52 laps
Circuit length: 5.942 km
1984 winner: Niki Lauda
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:25.490 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:29.241 on lap 39 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Ayrton Senna | Lotus |
| Third | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 16 August 1985 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 16 August 1985 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 17 August 1985 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 17 August 1985 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 18 August 1985 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 18 August 1985 | Race | 14:30 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Michele Alboreto arrived at round 10 leading the 1985 F1 World Championship on 46 points, with Alain Prost on 41. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 65 points.
Race entries
Kenny Acheson replaced Manfred Winkelhock at RAM following Manfred Winkelhock’s death in a sports-car accident. Toleman added a second car for Piercarlo Ghinzani, bringing the field to 27. Stefan Bellof retained Tyrrell’s turbo car, while Martin Brundle faced the prospect of elimination in the older Cosworth machine.
Friday Free Practice
Friday’s warm sunshine allowed extensive preparation, but the circuit’s speed made the choices of tyres, downforce and engine settings especially demanding. Teams had to separate their race-distance work from the extreme settings used for a qualifying lap. With one driver due to miss the grid, even the slower cars had little opportunity to relax.
Friday Qualifying
Alain Prost was fastest on Friday with 1:25.490, ahead of Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg. McLaren’s strong showing gave the home crowd hope of another Niki Lauda victory, while Ayrton Senna’s troubled weekend left him far down the order.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1985 Austrian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 16 August 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:25.490 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:26.250 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:26.333 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.453 | — |
| 5 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:26.568 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 1:26.664 | — |
| 7 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:26.799 | — |
| 8 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:27.722 | — |
| 9 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham | 1:27.954 | — |
| 10 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:28.123 | — |
| 11 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:28.134 | — |
| 12 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:28.566 | — |
| 13 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:28.617 | — |
| 14 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:28.666 | — |
| 15 | 20 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Toleman | 1:28.894 | — |
| 16 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.031 | — |
| 17 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:29.181 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.485 | — |
| 19 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:29.774 | — |
| 20 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:30.602 | — |
| 21 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:31.022 | — |
| 22 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:32.766 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella | 1:35.329 | — |
| 24 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:36.060 | — |
| 25 | 4 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:39.247 | — |
| 26 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 10:36.417 | — |
| 27 | 10 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 1:00:20.516 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Before Saturday morning practice, Niki Lauda announced that he would retire at the end of the season. The session proceeded in warm conditions, but clouds gathered before qualifying and encouraged teams to prepare for an early run. Martin Brundle needed a substantial improvement to keep the naturally aspirated Tyrrell in the race.
Saturday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell headed Saturday’s session before rain ended the meaningful running, moving to second overall. Alain Prost retained pole from Friday, with Niki Lauda third. Martin Brundle improved but remained twenty-seventh and failed to qualify, marking the final appearance of a naturally aspirated entry before 1987.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1985 Austrian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 17 August 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.052 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:26.404 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:26.727 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:26.762 | — |
| 5 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:27.502 | — |
| 6 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:27.516 | — |
| 7 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:27.851 | — |
| 8 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.961 | — |
| 9 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:28.006 | — |
| 10 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:28.249 | — |
| 11 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:28.262 | — |
| 12 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:28.762 | — |
| 13 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.608 | — |
| 14 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:29.827 | — |
| 15 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:30.514 | — |
| 16 | 10 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 1:35.072 | — |
| 17 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:35.787 | — |
| 18 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:36.765 | — |
| 19 | 4 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:37.317 | — |
| 20 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham | 1:50.796 | — |
| 21 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella | 1:58.090 | — |
| 22 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 3:04.856 | — |
| 23 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 11:12.639 | — |
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 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:25.490 | no time | 1:25.490 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.453 | 1:26.052 | 1:26.052 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:26.250 | 1:26.727 | 1:26.250 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:26.333 | 1:26.762 | 1:26.333 | — |
| 5 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:26.568 | 1:26.404 | 1:26.404 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 1:26.664 | 11:12.639 | 1:26.664 | — |
| 7 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:26.799 | no time | 1:26.799 | — |
| 8 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:27.722 | 1:27.502 | 1:27.502 | — |
| 9 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:29.774 | 1:27.516 | 1:27.516 | — |
| 10 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.485 | 1:27.851 | 1:27.851 | — |
| 11 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham | 1:27.954 | 1:50.796 | 1:27.954 | — |
| 12 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:28.134 | 1:27.961 | 1:27.961 | — |
| 13 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:30.602 | 1:28.006 | 1:28.006 | — |
| 14 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:28.123 | 3:04.856 | 1:28.123 | — |
| 15 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:29.181 | 1:28.249 | 1:28.249 | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:28.617 | 1:28.262 | 1:28.262 | — |
| 17 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:28.566 | 1:28.762 | 1:28.566 | — |
| 18 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:28.666 | no time | 1:28.666 | — |
| 19 | 20 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Toleman | 1:28.894 | no time | 1:28.894 | — |
| 20 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.031 | 1:29.608 | 1:29.031 | — |
| 21 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:00:20.516 | 1:35.072 | 1:35.072 | — |
| 22 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:31.022 | 1:30.514 | 1:30.514 | — |
| 23 | 9 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 1:32.766 | 1:29.827 | 1:29.827 | — |
| 24 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella | 1:35.329 | 1:58.090 | 1:35.329 | — |
| 25 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:36.060 | 1:35.787 | 1:35.787 | — |
| 26 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 10:36.417 | 1:36.765 | 1:36.765 | — |
| DNQ | 4 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:39.247 | 1:37.317 | 1:37.317 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Overnight rain left wet patches during the warm-up. Marc Surer spun onto the grass without damage, and Alain Prost ran into an escape road when his throttles stuck open. Alain Prost still set the fastest time, but the incidents showed why caution was necessary even as the weather improved.
Warm-up Classification
1985 Austrian Grand Prix Warm-up, 18 August 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:30.608 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | +0.483s | — |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +1.490s | — |
| 4 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | +1.670s | — |
| 5 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +1.746s | — |
| 6 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | No time | — |
| 7 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | +2.213s | — |
| 8 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | +2.856s | — |
| 9 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +3.113s | — |
| 10 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | +3.163s | — |
| 11 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | +3.203s | — |
| 12 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | +3.430s | — |
| 13 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | +3.710s | — |
| 14 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | +4.320s | — |
| 15 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | +4.750s | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +4.790s | — |
| 17 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | +5.023s | — |
| 18 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham | +5.276s | — |
| 19 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | +5.476s | — |
| 20 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella | +6.130s | — |
| 21 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | +7.100s | — |
| 22 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | +7.446s | — |
| 23 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | No time | — |
| 24 | 10 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | +12.820s | — |
| 25 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +15.883s | — |
| 26 | 20 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Toleman | +416.253s | — |
What happened in the 1985 Austrian Grand Prix?
A start-line accident stopped the race after the opening lap. The restart allowed damaged cars to be replaced and gave Alain Prost the chance to take the spare McLaren. Piercarlo Ghinzani could not restart, with Toleman’s remaining spare needed by Teo Fabi.
Alain Prost controlled the restarted race after Keke Rosberg retired early. Niki Lauda initially made it a McLaren one-two before his own car failed, while Ayrton Senna steadily climbed through the field. De Andrea de Cesaris escaped a spectacular rolling accident in the Ligier without serious injury.
Alain Prost won by half a minute from Ayrton Senna, with Michele Alboreto third and Stefan Johansson fourth. De Elio de Angelis and Marc Surer completed the points. Alain Prost and Michele Alboreto now each had 50 points, tightening the championship as the season entered its final stretch.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 50 points, followed by Michele Alboreto on 50. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 72, with McLaren – TAG on 55.
1985 Austrian Grand Prix race results
The 1985 Austrian Grand Prix was held on 18 August 1985, with a scheduled start of 14:30 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 52 | 1:20:12.583 | 9 |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 52 | + 30.002 | 6 |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 52 | + 34.356 | 4 |
| 4 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 52 | + 39.073 | 3 |
| 5 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 52 | + 1:22.092 | 2 |
| 6 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham | 51 | + 1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 49 | Out of fuel | 0 |
| 8 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 49 | + 3 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella | 48 | + 4 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 46 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 43 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 40 | Suspension | 0 |
| Ret | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 39 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 33 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 31 | Electrical | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 29 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 10 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 28 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 26 | Exhaust | 0 |
| Ret | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 25 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 25 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 17 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 16 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 13 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 6 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 4 | Oil pressure | 0 |
| DNS | 20 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Toleman | 0 | Car raced by Fabi | 0 |
1985 Austrian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 39 | 1:29.241 |
| 2 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 38 | 1:30.052 |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 40 | 1:30.949 |
| 4 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 26 | 1:31.089 |
| 5 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 45 | 1:31.501 |
| 6 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 45 | 1:31.525 |
| 7 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 40 | 1:31.536 |
| 8 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 36 | 1:31.666 |
| 9 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 3 | 1:31.667 |
| 10 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 22 | 1:31.816 |
| 11 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 22 | 1:31.835 |
| 12 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 34 | 1:32.758 |
| 13 | 8 | Marc Surer | Brabham | 16 | 1:32.935 |
| 14 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 33 | 1:33.663 |
| 15 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 22 | 1:33.677 |
| 16 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 23 | 1:33.708 |
| 17 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 13 | 1:33.883 |
| 18 | 9 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 10 | 1:34.040 |
| 19 | 3 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 29 | 1:34.219 |
| 20 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 24 | 1:34.254 |
| 21 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 3 | 1:35.522 |
| 22 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 13 | 1:35.792 |
| 23 | 10 | Kenny Acheson | RAM | 17 | 1:36.491 |
| 24 | 24 | Huub Rothengatter | Osella | 21 | 1:38.336 |
| 25 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 27 | 1:38.727 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1985 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1985 Austrian Grand Prix.
1985 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1985 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 72 |
| 2 | McLaren – TAG | 55 |
| 3 | Lotus – Renault | 43 |
| 4 | Williams – Honda | 24 |
| 5 | Brabham – BMW | 15 |
| 6 | Renault | 15 |
| 7 | Ligier – Renault | 13 |
| 8 | Arrows – BMW | 9 |
| 9 | Tyrrell – Ford | 4 |
| — | Tyrrell – Renault | 0 |
| — | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | RAM – Hart | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Motori Moderni | 0 |
| — | Toleman – Hart | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Ford | 0 |
| — | Spirit – Hart | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race.
1985 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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