Alain Prost won the 1985 Monaco Grand Prix after a closely fought contest with Michele Alboreto. Ayrton Senna had dominated qualifying and led early on, but engine failure ended his challenge, leaving Elio de Angelis to complete the podium in the second Lotus.
Race Guide
Season: 1985 F1 World Championship
Race date: 19 May 1985
Race start time: 15:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78 laps
Circuit length: 3.312 km
1984 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:20.450 | |
| Fastest lap | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:22.637 on lap 60 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Third | Elio de Angelis | Lotus |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 1985 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 16 May 1985 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 18 May 1985 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 18 May 1985 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 19 May 1985 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 19 May 1985 | Race | 15:30 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Elio de Angelis arrived at round 4 leading the 1985 F1 World Championship on 16 points, with Michele Alboreto on 12. Lotus – Renault headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 25 points.
Race entries
Toleman finally began its season with Teo Fabi after acquiring Spirit’s Pirelli tyre contract. Spirit was absent, and Monaco’s 20-car starting limit left several drivers facing elimination. Teo Fabi would claim the final place on the grid on the team’s first weekend of the year.
Thursday Free Practice
Thursday was dry, allowing the teams to concentrate on brakes, tyres and rhythm through the street circuit. Nigel Mansell hit a barrier and lost running while Williams repaired his car, and Manfred Winkelhock damaged both ends of his RAM. A clean session mattered especially here, where confidence and track position were difficult to recover once lost.
Thursday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna led Thursday qualifying, ahead of Riccardo Patrese and Alain Prost. The Alfa Romeos were unusually competitive, while the battle to reach the 20-car grid was intense at the other end of the field.
Thursday Qualifying Classification
1985 Monaco Grand Prix first qualifying session, 16 May 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:21.630 | — |
| 2 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:22.145 | — |
| 3 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:22.270 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:22.630 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:22.650 | — |
| 6 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:22.755 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:22.897 | — |
| 8 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:22.992 | — |
| 9 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:23.099 | — |
| 10 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:23.163 | — |
| 11 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:23.319 | — |
| 12 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:23.524 | — |
| 13 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:23.548 | — |
| 14 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:24.293 | — |
| 15 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:24.473 | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:24.510 | — |
| 17 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 1:26.182 | — |
| 18 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:26.214 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:26.230 | — |
| 20 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 1:26.243 | — |
| 21 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:26.499 | — |
| 22 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:26.681 | — |
| 23 | 8 | Francois Hesnault | Brabham | 1:27.505 | — |
| 24 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:28.026 | — |
| 25 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:41.564 | — |
| 26 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 6:41.037 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
De Andrea de Cesaris crashed the spare Ligier at Massenet on Saturday morning, but his newer race car remained available. Across the field, traffic and the close barriers made preparation difficult, while drivers had to judge the response of powerful turbo engines at low speed. The final qualifying hour would leave very little room for an imperfect lap.
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna took pole with 1:20.450 on Saturday, just 0.086 seconds ahead of Nigel Mansell. Michele Alboreto was third and Eddie Cheever fourth, with Alain Prost fifth. Teo Fabi secured twentieth, while Pierluigi Martini’s accident and the limited grid left Minardi among those missing the race.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1985 Monaco Grand Prix second qualifying session, 18 May 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:20.450 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:20.536 | — |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:20.563 | — |
| 4 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:20.729 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:20.885 | — |
| 6 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:21.302 | — |
| 7 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:21.320 | — |
| 8 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:21.347 | — |
| 9 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:21.465 | — |
| 10 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:21.531 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:21.665 | — |
| 12 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:21.813 | — |
| 13 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:21.817 | — |
| 14 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:21.907 | — |
| 15 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:22.635 | — |
| 16 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:22.880 | — |
| 17 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:22.912 | — |
| 18 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:23.827 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:23.840 | — |
| 20 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 1:23.965 | — |
| 21 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:24.071 | — |
| 22 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:24.236 | — |
| 23 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:24.763 | — |
| 24 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 1:24.764 | — |
| 25 | 8 | Francois Hesnault | Brabham | 1:25.068 | — |
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 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:21.630 | 1:20.450 | 1:20.450 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:22.650 | 1:20.536 | 1:20.536 | — |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:22.630 | 1:20.563 | 1:20.563 | — |
| 4 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:22.755 | 1:20.729 | 1:20.729 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:22.270 | 1:20.885 | 1:20.885 | — |
| 6 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:24.510 | 1:21.302 | 1:21.302 | — |
| 7 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:23.099 | 1:21.320 | 1:21.320 | — |
| 8 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:22.992 | 1:21.347 | 1:21.347 | — |
| 9 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:23.319 | 1:21.465 | 1:21.465 | — |
| 10 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:23.524 | 1:21.531 | 1:21.531 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:24.293 | 1:21.665 | 1:21.665 | — |
| 12 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:22.145 | 1:21.813 | 1:21.813 | — |
| 13 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:23.548 | 1:21.817 | 1:21.817 | — |
| 14 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:22.897 | 1:21.907 | 1:21.907 | — |
| 15 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:23.163 | 1:22.635 | 1:22.635 | — |
| 16 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:26.681 | 1:22.880 | 1:22.880 | — |
| 17 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:24.473 | 1:22.912 | 1:22.912 | — |
| 18 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:26.499 | 1:23.827 | 1:23.827 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:41.564 | 1:23.840 | 1:23.840 | — |
| 20 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 1:26.243 | 1:23.965 | 1:23.965 | — |
| DNQ | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:26.230 | 1:24.071 | 1:24.071 | — |
| DNQ | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:26.214 | 1:24.236 | 1:24.236 | — |
| DNQ | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:28.026 | 1:24.763 | 1:24.763 | — |
| DNQ | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 1:26.182 | 1:24.764 | 1:24.764 | — |
| DNQ | 8 | François Hesnault | Brabham | 1:27.505 | 1:25.068 | 1:25.068 | — |
| DNQ | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 6:41.037 | no time | 6:41.037 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost topped the warm-up, but Renault-engine choices prompted substantial work before the start. De Elio de Angelis, Patrick Tambay and de Andrea de Cesaris opted for the older specification, while Ayrton Senna kept the newer unit after an over-rev during the session. A subsequent misfire forced de Elio de Angelis into the spare Lotus, adding another late complication.
Warm-up Classification
1985 Monaco Grand Prix Warm-up, 19 May 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:23.737 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +0.333s | — |
| 3 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | +0.496s | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +0.670s | — |
| 5 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | +1.303s | — |
| 6 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | +1.320s | — |
| 7 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +1.460s | — |
| 8 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | +1.610s | — |
| 9 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +1.623s | — |
| 10 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | +1.813s | — |
| 11 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | +1.930s | — |
| 12 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | +2.266s | — |
| 13 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | +2.530s | — |
| 14 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | +2.730s | — |
| 15 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | +2.773s | — |
| 16 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | +3.693s | — |
| 17 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | +3.930s | — |
| 18 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | +4.323s | — |
| 19 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | +4.513s | — |
| 20 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | +5.576s | — |
What happened in the 1985 Monaco Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led away and pulled clear once his tyres were working, but his engine failed early in the race. Michele Alboreto inherited the lead, only to slide wide on oil from the collision between Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese. Niki Lauda also went off on the oil and retired, while Alain Prost moved to the front.
Michele Alboreto caught and passed Alain Prost, then suffered a puncture that forced him to stop. He returned to the track and worked past de Andrea de Cesaris and de Elio de Angelis, but the delay left Alain Prost with enough of an advantage to control the closing laps despite a turbo-control problem.
Alain Prost won by 7.541 seconds from Michele Alboreto, with de Elio de Angelis third. De Andrea de Cesaris, Derek Warwick and Jacques Laffite completed the points. De Elio de Angelis retained the championship lead, two points ahead of both Alain Prost and Michele Alboreto.
After the race, Elio de Angelis headed the drivers’ standings with 20 points, followed by Alain Prost on 18. Lotus – Renault led the constructors’ table on 29, with Ferrari on 22.
1985 Monaco Grand Prix race results
The 1985 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 19 May 1985, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 78 | 1:51:58.034 | 9 |
| 2 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 78 | + 7.541 | 6 |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 78 | + 1:27.171 | 4 |
| 4 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 77 | + 1 Lap | 3 |
| 5 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 77 | + 1 Lap | 2 |
| 6 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 77 | + 1 Lap | 1 |
| 7 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 77 | + 1 Lap | 0 |
| 8 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 76 | + 2 Laps | 0 |
| 9 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 76 | + 2 Laps | 0 |
| 10 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 74 | + 4 Laps | 0 |
| 11 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 74 | + 4 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 17 | Spun off | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 16 | Collision | 0 |
| Ret | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 16 | Collision | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 16 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 13 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 10 | Alternator | 0 |
| Ret | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | Accident | 0 | |
| Ret | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | Accident | 0 |
1985 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 60 | 1:22.637 |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 66 | 1:23.898 |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 47 | 1:24.434 |
| 4 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 58 | 1:24.554 |
| 5 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 62 | 1:24.617 |
| 6 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 59 | 1:24.673 |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 51 | 1:24.788 |
| 8 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 7 | 1:24.803 |
| 9 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 42 | 1:25.305 |
| 10 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 43 | 1:25.631 |
| 11 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 16 | 1:25.842 |
| 12 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 57 | 1:26.131 |
| 13 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 10 | 1:26.548 |
| 14 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 57 | 1:26.653 |
| 15 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Toleman | 9 | 1:26.717 |
| 16 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 5 | 1:27.124 |
| 17 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 6 | 1:27.723 |
| 18 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1 | 2:31.095 |
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 Monaco Grand Prix.
1985 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 20 |
| 2 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 18 |
| 3 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 18 |
| 4 | Patrick Tambay | French | Renault | 10 |
| 5 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Lotus | 9 |
| 6 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Arrows | 6 |
| 7 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 4 |
| 8 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | McLaren | 3 |
| 9 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Ligier | 3 |
| 10 | René Arnoux | French | Ferrari | 3 |
| 11 | Derek Warwick | British | Renault | 2 |
| 12 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 2 |
| 13 | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | Tyrrell / Ferrari | 1 |
| 14 | Stefan Bellof | German | Tyrrell | 1 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Williams | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | RAM | 0 |
| – | Jonathan Palmer | British | Zakspeed | 0 |
| – | Manfred Winkelhock | German | RAM | 0 |
| – | Eddie Cheever | American | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Arrows | 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 | Lotus – Renault | 29 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 22 |
| 3 | McLaren – TAG | 21 |
| 4 | Renault | 12 |
| 5 | Arrows – BMW | 6 |
| 6 | Ligier – Renault | 5 |
| 7 | Williams – Honda | 4 |
| 8 | Tyrrell – Ford | 1 |
| — | Brabham – BMW | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | RAM – Hart | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 0 |
| — | Alfa Romeo | 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
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