1985 Detroit Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Keke Rosberg conquered Detroit’s bumps, heat and braking demands to win the 1985 Grand Prix for Williams. Stefan Johansson and Michele Alboreto completed the podium for Ferrari, while Stefan Bellof produced an outstanding drive to fourth in his naturally aspirated Tyrrell.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Ayrton Senna	Lotus
Pole time	1:42.051
Fastest lap	Ayrton Senna	Lotus
Fastest-lap time	1:45.612 on lap 51
First	Keke Rosberg	Williams
Second	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari
Third	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
21 June 1985	Practice 1	Morning; start unconfirmed
21 June 1985	Qualifying 1	Start time unconfirmed
22 June 1985	Practice 2	Morning; start unconfirmed
22 June 1985	Qualifying 2	Start time unconfirmed
23 June 1985	Warm-up	Morning; start unconfirmed
23 June 1985	Race	Start time unconfirmed

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 6 leading the 1985 F1 World Championship on 27 points, with Alain Prost on 22. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 37 points.

Race entries

The same drivers continued from Montreal, with Zakspeed again absent. Tyrrell retained its Cosworth-powered cars for one more weekend before introducing Renault turbo power. On Detroit’s slow streets, the older cars’ manageable power delivery gave Stefan Bellof and Martin Brundle a chance to compete more closely with the turbo runners.

Friday Free Practice

Friday’s opening session was the teams’ first chance to assess the temporary circuit and its revised corners. Grip was limited and the bumps made the cars difficult to settle. The day also brought a succession of incidents, including damage for Alain Prost, Gerhard Berger and de Elio de Angelis, leaving mechanics with substantial repairs as well as set-up work.

Friday Qualifying

Ayrton Senna dominated Friday qualifying with 1:42.051, almost 1.2 seconds ahead of Nigel Mansell. Michele Alboreto was third, with Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg behind him. Nigel Mansell’s speed on race tyres helped shape Williams’s thinking for Sunday.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1985 Detroit Grand Prix first qualifying session, 21 June 1985

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:42.051	—
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:43.249	—
3	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:43.748	—
4	2	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:44.088	—
5	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:44.156	—
6	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	1:44.163	—
7	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	1:44.231	—
8	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:44.769	—
9	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:44.921	—
10	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:45.194	—
11	8	Marc Surer	Brabham	1:45.979	—
12	1	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:46.266	—
13	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman	1:46.546	—
14	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	1:46.592	—
15	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	1:47.028	—
16	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	1:47.267	—
17	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier	1:47.393	—
18	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:47.563	—
19	4	Stefan Bellof	Tyrrell	1:47.911	—
20	9	Manfred Winkelhock	RAM	1:47.926	—
21	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:48.023	—
22	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:48.546	—
23	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM	1:50.455	—
24	29	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	3:04.446	—
25	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows	25:47.340	—

Saturday Free Practice

Rain and wind made Saturday largely unproductive. With no realistic chance of improving dry times, most drivers limited their running, and the teams lost a valuable day of preparation. Gerhard Berger was an exception because he still needed a qualifying time after Friday’s accidents; everyone else had to wait for race morning to refine dry-weather settings.

Saturday Qualifying

The wet Saturday session left Friday’s grid largely intact. Gerhard Berger headed the small group that recorded times, but could not approach the dry laps and started at the back. Ayrton Senna retained pole, with the field facing a race for which dry preparation had been limited.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1985 Detroit Grand Prix second qualifying session, 22 June 1985

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows	2:05.307	—
2	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	2:05.540	—
3	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	2:11.904	—
4	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier	2:12.268	—
5	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM	2:24.814	—
6	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	42:47.460	—
7	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman	51:32.220	—

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	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:42.051		1:42.051	—
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:43.249		1:43.249	—
3	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:43.748		1:43.748	—
4	2	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:44.088		1:44.088	—
5	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams	1:44.156		1:44.156	—
6	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	1:44.163		1:44.163	—
7	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	1:44.231	2:05.540	1:44.231	—
8	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	1:44.769		1:44.769	—
9	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:44.921		1:44.921	—
10	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	1:45.194		1:45.194	—
11	8	Marc Surer	Brabham	1:45.979		1:45.979	—
12	1	Niki Lauda	McLaren	1:46.266		1:46.266	—
13	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman	1:46.546	51:32.220	1:46.546	—
14	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	1:46.592	42:47.460	1:46.592	—
15	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	1:47.028		1:47.028	—
16	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	1:47.267		1:47.267	—
17	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier	1:47.393	2:12.268	1:47.393	—
18	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:47.563		1:47.563	—
19	4	Stefan Bellof	Tyrrell	1:47.911		1:47.911	—
20	9	Manfred Winkelhock	RAM	1:47.926		1:47.926	—
21	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:48.023		1:48.023	—
22	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:48.546	2:11.904	1:48.546	—
23	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM	1:50.455	2:24.814	1:50.455	—
24	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows	25:47.340	2:05.307	2:05.307	—
25	29	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	3:04.446		3:04.446	—

Sunday warm-up

Sunday’s clear weather made the half-hour warm-up especially valuable after the wet Saturday. Ayrton Senna was fastest, but suspension settings, aerodynamic balance and tyre choice mattered as much as the order. Keke Rosberg chose softer race tyres than his main rivals, a decision that would prove crucial when the race began.

Warm-up Classification

1985 Detroit Grand Prix Warm-up, 23 June 1985

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:44.877	—
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.336s	—
3	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	+1.133s	—
4	2	Alain Prost	McLaren	+1.270s	—
5	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	+1.533s	—
6	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+1.576s	—
7	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+2.300s	—
8	8	Marc Surer	Brabham	+2.353s	—
9	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	+2.643s	—
10	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+2.713s	—
11	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	+2.800s	—
12	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+3.016s	—
13	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams	+3.153s	—
14	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	+3.200s	—
15	4	Stefan Bellof	Tyrrell	+3.300s	—
16	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	+3.616s	—
17	1	Niki Lauda	McLaren	+3.826s	—
18	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier	+4.030s	—
19	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	+4.913s	—
20	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows	+4.926s	—
21	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman	+5.993s	—
22	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+8.066s	—
23	29	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+13.326s	—
24	9	Manfred Winkelhock	RAM	+18.070s	—
25	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM	+22.140s	—

What happened in the 1985 Detroit Grand Prix?

Ayrton Senna led early on, but his tyre stop handed the initiative to Keke Rosberg. The Williams driver built a commanding advantage as brake trouble eliminated both McLarens and compromised Nigel Mansell. The deteriorating surface also caught out several drivers at the second corner.

Ayrton Senna recovered strongly before crashing while chasing Michele Alboreto. Keke Rosberg had to stop when debris obstructed a radiator, allowing Stefan Johansson to close, but the Ferrari later developed brake trouble of its own. Stefan Bellof pursued Michele Alboreto closely until a slipping clutch blunted his final challenge.

Keke Rosberg won ahead of Stefan Johansson and Michele Alboreto, with Stefan Bellof fourth. De Elio de Angelis and Nelson Piquet completed the points. Michele Alboreto extended his championship lead, while Williams celebrated its first victory with the new FW10.

After the race, Michele Alboreto headed the drivers’ standings with 31 points, followed by Elio de Angelis on 24. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 47, with Lotus – Renault on 33.

1985 Detroit Grand Prix race results

The 1985 Detroit Grand Prix was held on 23 June 1985.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams	63	1:55:39.851	9
2	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	63	+ 57.549	6
3	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	63	+ 1:03.170	4
4	4	Stefan Bellof	Tyrrell	63	+ 1:06.225	3
5	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	63	+ 1:26.966	2
6	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	62	+ 1 Lap	1
7	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	62	+ 1 Lap	0
8	8	Marc Surer	Brabham	62	+ 1 Lap	0
9	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	61	+ 2 Laps	0
10	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier	61	+ 2 Laps	0
11	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows	60	+ 3 Laps	0
12	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	58	+ 5 Laps	0
Ret	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	51	Accident	0
Ret	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	30	Collision	0
Ret	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM	27	Collision	0
Ret	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	26	Accident	0
Ret	2	Alain Prost	McLaren	19	Accident	0
Ret	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	19	Electrical	0
Ret	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	18	Transmission	0
Ret	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	15	Accident	0
Ret	29	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	11	Engine	0
Ret	1	Niki Lauda	McLaren	10	Brakes	0
Ret	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman	4	Clutch	0
Ret	9	Manfred Winkelhock	RAM	3	Turbo	0
Ret	24	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella		Accident	0

1985 Detroit Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	51	1:45.612
2	6	Keke Rosberg	Williams	58	1:47.311
3	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	43	1:47.518
4	11	Elio de Angelis	Lotus	43	1:47.572
5	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	56	1:47.797
6	23	Eddie Cheever	Alfa Romeo	33	1:47.916
7	7	Nelson Piquet	Brabham	40	1:48.045
8	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	6	1:48.241
9	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	6	1:48.554
10	4	Stefan Bellof	Tyrrell	12	1:48.681
11	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	6	1:48.702
12	2	Alain Prost	McLaren	8	1:49.001
13	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	15	1:49.073
14	16	Derek Warwick	Renault	4	1:49.485
15	1	Niki Lauda	McLaren	6	1:49.489
16	25	Andrea de Cesaris	Ligier	57	1:49.603
17	15	Patrick Tambay	Renault	6	1:49.931
18	8	Marc Surer	Brabham	5	1:49.998
19	17	Gerhard Berger	Arrows	21	1:50.576
20	22	Riccardo Patrese	Alfa Romeo	6	1:50.729
21	19	Teo Fabi	Toleman	3	1:51.211
22	10	Philippe Alliot	RAM	6	1:53.752
23	29	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	7	1:55.446
24	9	Manfred Winkelhock	RAM	2	1:55.649

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 Detroit Grand Prix.

1985 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Ferrari	31
2	Elio de Angelis	Italian	Lotus	24
3	Alain Prost	French	McLaren	22
4	Stefan Johansson	Swedish	Tyrrell / Ferrari	13
5	Keke Rosberg	Finnish	Williams	12
6	Patrick Tambay	French	Renault	10
7	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Lotus	9
8	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Arrows	6
9	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	5
10	Stefan Bellof	German	Tyrrell	4
11	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Ligier	3
12	Niki Lauda	Austrian	McLaren	3
13	René Arnoux	French	Ferrari	3
14	Derek Warwick	British	Renault	2
15	Jacques Laffite	French	Ligier	2
16	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Brabham	1
–	Martin Brundle	British	Tyrrell	0
–	Marc Surer	Swiss	Brabham	0
–	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Italian	Osella	0
–	Eddie Cheever	American	Alfa Romeo	0
–	Philippe Alliot	French	RAM	0
–	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Alfa Romeo	0
–	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Arrows	0
–	Jonathan Palmer	British	Zakspeed	0
–	Manfred Winkelhock	German	RAM	0
–	Teo Fabi	Italian	Toleman	0
–	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Mauro Baldi	Italian	Spirit	0
–	François Hesnault	French	Brabham	0

1985 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	47
2	Lotus – Renault	33
3	McLaren – TAG	25
4	Williams – Honda	17
5	Renault	12
6	Arrows – BMW	6
7	Ligier – Renault	5
8	Tyrrell – Ford	4
9	Brabham – BMW	1
—	Alfa Romeo	0
—	Osella – Alfa Romeo	0
—	RAM – Hart	0
—	Zakspeed	0
—	Minardi – Ford	0
—	Spirit – Hart	0
—	Minardi – Motori Moderni	0
—	Toleman – 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

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1985 Brazilian Grand Prix	Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro	7 April
2	1985 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	21 April
3	1985 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola	5 May
4	1985 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	19 May
5	1985 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	16 June
6	1985 Detroit Grand Prix	Detroit Street Circuit, Detroit, Michigan	23 June
7	1985 French Grand Prix	Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet	7 July
8	1985 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	21 July
9	1985 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	4 August
10	1985 Austrian Grand Prix	Österreichring, Spielberg	18 August
11	1985 Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort	25 August
12	1985 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	8 September
13	1985 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	15 September
14	1985 European Grand Prix	Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown	6 October
15	1985 South African Grand Prix	Kyalami, Midrand	19 October
16	1985 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	3 November