Elio de Angelis won a remarkable 1985 San Marino Grand Prix after fuel shortages reshuffled the leaders and Alain Prost was disqualified. Thierry Boutsen took second for Arrows, with Patrick Tambay third, at the end of an afternoon that kept changing until the post-race checks.
Race Guide
Season: 1985 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 May 1985
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Dino Ferrari
Laps: 60 laps
Circuit length: 5.040 km
1984 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:27.327 | |
| Fastest lap | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:30.961 on lap 29 | |
| First | Elio de Angelis | Lotus |
| Second | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows |
| Third | Patrick Tambay | Renault |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 3 May 1985 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 3 May 1985 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 4 May 1985 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 4 May 1985 | Qualifying 2 | 13:25–14:25 (delayed) |
| 5 May 1985 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 5 May 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 3 leading the 1985 F1 World Championship on 12 points, with Alain Prost on 9. Lotus – Renault headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 16 points.
Race entries
The field continued from Portugal, with Stefan Johansson making his second Ferrari appearance. Spirit and Mauro Baldi were competing in their final Grand Prix before the team’s tyre contract passed to Toleman. The main contenders arrived knowing Imola would place particular pressure on fuel consumption.
Friday Free Practice
Friday’s morning running concentrated heavily on fuel use as the teams tried to reconcile competitive lap times with the 220-litre allowance. McLaren worked close to race specification rather than chasing maximum boost. Stefan Johansson lost time when his Ferrari’s undertray came loose, while Patrick Tambay spun into the sand before his tyres were properly warm.
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna set Friday’s fastest time ahead of Michele Alboreto and Keke Rosberg. The cool conditions made relatively hard race tyres competitive with the specialist qualifying rubber, allowing drivers more than one useful lap on a set.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1985 San Marino Grand Prix first qualifying session, 3 May 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:27.589 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:27.871 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:28.347 | — |
| 4 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:28.604 | — |
| 5 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:28.697 | — |
| 6 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:28.829 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:29.413 | — |
| 8 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:29.427 | — |
| 9 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:29.756 | — |
| 10 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:30.201 | — |
| 11 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:30.240 | — |
| 12 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:30.325 | — |
| 13 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:30.339 | — |
| 14 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:30.440 | — |
| 15 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:30.605 | — |
| 16 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.388 | — |
| 17 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:31.625 | — |
| 18 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:32.770 | — |
| 19 | 8 | Francois Hesnault | Brabham | 1:33.142 | — |
| 20 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:34.201 | — |
| 21 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 1:34.936 | — |
| 22 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:34.974 | — |
| 23 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:35.774 | — |
| 24 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:36.397 | — |
| 25 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 1:36.922 | — |
| 26 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 2:30.990 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday morning was interrupted by Martin Brundle’s heavy accident after a rear brake pad came out of his Tyrrell. He escaped injury, and the car was repaired for qualifying. Francois Hesnault also went off and Alain Prost stopped on track; the interruption delayed the afternoon session by 25 minutes. Niki Lauda set the morning’s fastest lap amid the disruption.
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:27.327 on Saturday, beating Keke Rosberg by just 0.027 seconds. De Elio de Angelis qualified third, followed by Michele Alboreto and an impressive Thierry Boutsen. Stefan Johansson’s interrupted preparation left him fifteenth, but his race would be far more competitive.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1985 San Marino Grand Prix second qualifying session, 4 May 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:27.327 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:27.354 | — |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:27.852 | — |
| 4 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:27.918 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:28.099 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:28.202 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:28.399 | — |
| 8 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:28.489 | — |
| 9 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:29.102 | — |
| 10 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:29.259 | — |
| 11 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:29.406 | — |
| 12 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:29.466 | — |
| 13 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:29.654 | — |
| 14 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:29.806 | — |
| 15 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:30.637 | — |
| 16 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:30.982 | — |
| 17 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:31.028 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.108 | — |
| 19 | 8 | Francois Hesnault | Brabham | 1:33.160 | — |
| 20 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:34.209 | — |
| 21 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 1:34.579 | — |
| 22 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:35.653 | — |
| 23 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:36.661 | — |
| 24 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 1:38.235 | — |
| 25 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:48.391 | — |
| 26 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 2:05.041 | — |
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 | 1:27.589 | 1:27.327 | 1:27.327 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 1:28.347 | 1:27.354 | 1:27.354 | — |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 1:30.325 | 1:27.852 | 1:27.852 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:27.871 | 1:30.637 | 1:27.871 | — |
| 5 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:28.829 | 1:27.918 | 1:27.918 | — |
| 6 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:28.604 | 1:28.099 | 1:28.099 | — |
| 7 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:29.756 | 1:28.202 | 1:28.202 | — |
| 8 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 1:29.413 | 1:28.399 | 1:28.399 | — |
| 9 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 1:29.427 | 1:28.489 | 1:28.489 | — |
| 10 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 1:28.697 | 1:29.654 | 1:28.697 | — |
| 11 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 1:30.201 | 1:29.102 | 1:29.102 | — |
| 12 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 1:30.605 | 1:29.259 | 1:29.259 | — |
| 13 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 1:30.339 | 1:29.406 | 1:29.406 | — |
| 14 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 1:30.440 | 1:29.466 | 1:29.466 | — |
| 15 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:30.240 | 1:29.806 | 1:29.806 | — |
| 16 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:31.625 | 1:30.982 | 1:30.982 | — |
| 17 | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 2:30.990 | 1:31.028 | 1:31.028 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 1:31.388 | 1:31.108 | 1:31.108 | — |
| 19 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:32.770 | 1:48.391 | 1:32.770 | — |
| 20 | 8 | François Hesnault | Brabham | 1:33.142 | 1:33.160 | 1:33.142 | — |
| 21 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 1:34.201 | 2:05.041 | 1:34.201 | — |
| 22 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:34.974 | 1:34.209 | 1:34.209 | — |
| 23 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 1:34.936 | 1:34.579 | 1:34.579 | — |
| 24 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 1:35.774 | 1:35.653 | 1:35.653 | — |
| 25 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:36.397 | 1:36.661 | 1:36.397 | — |
| 26 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 1:36.922 | 1:38.235 | 1:36.922 | — |
Sunday warm-up
The warm-up began on wet-weather tyres, but the racing line dried quickly. Alain Prost headed the times, with Nelson Piquet and de Andrea de Cesaris next, while Ayrton Senna was well down the order. The changing surface made simple comparisons misleading, and the teams still had a dry race’s fuel calculations to manage.
Warm-up Classification
1985 San Marino Grand Prix Warm-up, 5 May 1985
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:50.018 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | +0.573s | — |
| 3 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | +0.850s | — |
| 4 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | +1.483s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +1.940s | — |
| 6 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | +2.376s | — |
| 7 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +2.510s | — |
| 8 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | +2.873s | — |
| 9 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | +3.206s | — |
| 10 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | +3.270s | — |
| 11 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +3.300s | — |
| 12 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | +3.690s | — |
| 13 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | +3.830s | — |
| 14 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +4.150s | — |
| 15 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | +4.783s | — |
| 16 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | +6.013s | — |
| 17 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | +6.190s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | +7.093s | — |
| 19 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | +7.413s | — |
| 20 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | +8.786s | — |
| 21 | 8 | Francois Hesnault | Brabham | +10.193s | — |
| 22 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | +14.286s | — |
| 23 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | +36.236s | — |
| 24 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | +49.360s | — |
What happened in the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led much of the race as the drivers balanced speed against fuel consumption. Stefan Johansson climbed from fifteenth into contention, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer. As the closing laps approached, the fuel calculations began to unravel for several leading cars.
Ayrton Senna ran dry, handing Stefan Johansson the lead, only for the Ferrari to stop with the same problem. Alain Prost reached the chequered flag first, while Thierry Boutsen had to push his fuel-starved Arrows across the line. The apparent result did not survive scrutineering: Alain Prost’s McLaren was underweight and was disqualified.
De Elio de Angelis inherited his second and final Grand Prix victory without having led on the road. Thierry Boutsen was second and Patrick Tambay third, followed by Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell and Stefan Johansson. The result put de Elio de Angelis at the head of the championship after a race dominated by the fuel limit.
After the race, Elio de Angelis headed the drivers’ standings with 16 points, followed by Michele Alboreto on 12. Lotus – Renault led the constructors’ table on 25, with Ferrari on 16.
1985 San Marino Grand Prix race results
The 1985 San Marino Grand Prix was held on 5 May 1985.
1985 San Marino Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 29 | 1:30.961 |
| 2 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 56 | 1:31.017 |
| 3 | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus | 55 | 1:31.411 |
| 4 | 7 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham | 50 | 1:31.424 |
| 5 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 37 | 1:31.549 |
| 6 | 1 | Niki Lauda | McLaren | 25 | 1:32.198 |
| 7 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 47 | 1:33.448 |
| 8 | 15 | Patrick Tambay | Renault | 55 | 1:33.514 |
| 9 | 16 | Derek Warwick | Renault | 45 | 1:33.702 |
| 10 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 33 | 1:33.891 |
| 11 | 6 | Keke Rosberg | Williams | 20 | 1:34.084 |
| 12 | 23 | Eddie Cheever | Alfa Romeo | 34 | 1:34.128 |
| 13 | 10 | Philippe Alliot | RAM | 20 | 1:35.013 |
| 14 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 20 | 1:35.245 |
| 15 | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | Ligier | 8 | 1:35.856 |
| 16 | 17 | Gerhard Berger | Arrows | 3 | 1:36.239 |
| 17 | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | Alfa Romeo | 3 | 1:36.422 |
| 18 | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | RAM | 8 | 1:36.708 |
| 19 | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 26 | 1:36.858 |
| 20 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 51 | 1:37.887 |
| 21 | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 14 | 1:38.203 |
| 22 | 4 | Stefan Bellof | Tyrrell | 3 | 1:38.437 |
| 23 | 8 | Francois Hesnault | Brabham | 3 | 1:38.906 |
| 24 | 21 | Mauro Baldi | Spirit | 4 | 1:39.686 |
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 San Marino Grand Prix.
1985 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Lotus | 16 |
| 2 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 12 |
| 3 | Patrick Tambay | French | Renault | 10 |
| 4 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Lotus | 9 |
| 5 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 9 |
| 6 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Arrows | 6 |
| 7 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 4 |
| 8 | Niki Lauda | Austrian | McLaren | 3 |
| 9 | René Arnoux | French | Ferrari | 3 |
| 10 | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | Tyrrell / Ferrari | 1 |
| 11 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 1 |
| 12 | Stefan Bellof | German | Tyrrell | 1 |
| – | Derek Warwick | British | Renault | 0 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | RAM | 0 |
| – | Manfred Winkelhock | German | RAM | 0 |
| – | Eddie Cheever | American | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | Williams | 0 |
| – | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Mauro Baldi | Italian | Spirit | 0 |
| – | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| – | François Hesnault | French | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Jonathan Palmer | British | Zakspeed | 0 |
1985 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotus – Renault | 25 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 16 |
| 3 | McLaren – TAG | 12 |
| 4 | Renault | 10 |
| 5 | Arrows – BMW | 6 |
| 6 | Williams – Honda | 4 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Ford | 1 |
| 8 | Ligier – Renault | 1 |
| — | Brabham – BMW | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | RAM – Hart | 0 |
| — | Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Ford | 0 |
| — | Spirit – Hart | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Motori Moderni | 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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