The 1985 FIA Formula One World Championship began on 7 April and concluded on 3 November, over 16 race weekends.
Season
The World Drivers’ Championship was won by Alain Prost, who secured the first title of his Formula One career. Prost had finished as runner-up in the previous two seasons, despite winning more races than the eventual champion on both occasions. In 1985, he finally converted his speed and consistency into a championship triumph, sealing the title at the European Grand Prix. The victory marked the beginning of a remarkable career at the top of the sport, as Prost would go on to win four World Championships in total and earn the nickname “The Professor” for his calculated and strategic driving style.
Prost’s main challenger during the season was Michele Alboreto, who drove for Ferrari and remained a strong contender throughout much of the championship. However, Alboreto’s campaign faltered dramatically in the closing stages of the season when he failed to score points in the final five races, allowing Prost to secure the title.
In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren continued its dominant run by claiming the title for the second consecutive season. The team’s strong performance across the year ensured it remained the leading force in Formula One during the mid-1980s.
The 1985 season also marked the final Formula One campaign for Niki Lauda, the reigning World Drivers’ Champion at the start of the year. Despite efforts by McLaren team principal Ron Dennis to persuade him to continue racing, Lauda chose to retire from Formula One at the end of the season, concluding one of the sport’s most celebrated careers.
Tragically, the year was also overshadowed by the death of Stefan Bellof, one of the most promising drivers of the era. Bellof lost his life while competing in the 1000 km of Spa race in the World Sportscar Championship, driving a Porsche 956B. Although the accident occurred outside Formula One competition, it cast a shadow over the motorsport world during the season.
The championship also saw changes in tyre supply across the grid. After eight years in the sport, Michelin withdrew from Formula One, leaving Pirelli and Goodyear as the two tyre suppliers for the 1985 season.
1985 F1 Entries Drivers and Teams
| Entrant | Constructor | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | No | Driver | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlboro McLaren TAG Turbo | McLaren-TAG | MP4/2B | TAG-Porsche TTE PO1 1.5 V6 t | G | 1 | Niki Lauda | 1–13, 15–16 |
| 1 | John Watson | 14 | |||||
| 2 | Alain Prost | All | |||||
| Tyrrell Team | Tyrrell-Ford | 012 | Ford-Cosworth DFY 3.0 V8 | G | 3 | Martin Brundle | 1–6 |
| 4 | Stefan Johansson | 1 | |||||
| 4 | Stefan Bellof | 2–8 | |||||
| 4 | Martin Brundle | 9–10 | |||||
| Tyrrell-Renault | 014 | Renault EF4B 1.5 V6 t | G | 3 | 7–8, 11–16 | ||
| 3 | Stefan Bellof | 9–10 | |||||
| 4 | 11 | ||||||
| 4 | Ivan Capelli | 14, 16 | |||||
| 4 | Philippe Streiff | 15 | |||||
| Canon Williams Honda Team | Williams-Honda | FW10 FW10B | Honda RA164E 1.5 V6 t Honda RA165E 1.5 V6 t | G | 5 | Nigel Mansell | All |
| 6 | Keke Rosberg | All | |||||
| Olivetti Racing | Brabham-BMW | BT54 | BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t | P | 7 | Nelson Piquet | All |
| 8 | François Hesnault | 1–4 | |||||
| 8 | Marc Surer | 5–16 | |||||
| Skoal Bandit Formula 1 Team | RAM-Hart | 03 | Hart 415T 1.5 L4 t | P | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | 1–9 |
| 9 | Philippe Alliot | 10–14 | |||||
| 10 | 1–9 | ||||||
| 10 | Kenny Acheson | 10–12 | |||||
| John Player Special Team Lotus | Lotus-Renault | 97T | Renault EF4B 1.5 V6 t Renault EF15 1.5 V6 t | G | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | All |
| 12 | Ayrton Senna | All | |||||
| Équipe Renault Elf | Renault Elf | RE60 RE60B | Renault EF4B 1.5 V6 t Renault EF15 1.5 V6 t | G | 14 | François Hesnault | 9 |
| 15 | Patrick Tambay | 1–14, 16 | |||||
| 16 | Derek Warwick | 1–14, 16 | |||||
| Barclay Arrows BMW | Arrows-BMW | A8 | BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t | G | 17 | Gerhard Berger | All |
| 18 | Thierry Boutsen | All | |||||
| United Colors of Benetton Toleman | Toleman-Hart | TG185 | Hart 415T 1.5 L4 t | P | 19 | Teo Fabi | 4–16 |
| 20 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | 10–16 | |||||
| Spirit Enterprises Ltd. | Spirit-Hart | 101D | Hart 415T 415T 1.5 L4 t | P | 21 | Mauro Baldi | 1–3 |
| Benetton Team Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo | 185T 184TB | Alfa Romeo 890T 1.5 V8 t | G | 22 | Riccardo Patrese | All |
| 23 | Eddie Cheever | All | |||||
| Kelémata Osella | Osella-Alfa Romeo | FA1F FA1G | Alfa Romeo 890T 1.5 V8 t | P | 24 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | 1–8 |
| 24 | Huub Rothengatter | 9–16 | |||||
| Équipe Ligier Équipe Ligier Gitanes | Ligier-Renault | JS25 | Renault EF4B 1.5 V6 t Renault EF15 1.5 V6 t | P | 25 | Andrea de Cesaris | 1–11 |
| 25 | Philippe Streiff | 12–14, 16 | |||||
| 26 | Jacques Laffite | 1–14, 16 | |||||
| Ferrari | Ferrari | 156/85 | Ferrari Tipo 031 1.5 V6 t | G | 27 | Michele Alboreto | All |
| 28 | René Arnoux | 1 | |||||
| 28 | Stefan Johansson | 2–16 | |||||
| Minardi Team | Minardi-Ford | M185 | Ford-Cosworth DFY 3.0 V8 | P | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | 1–2 |
| Minardi-Motori Moderni | Motori Moderni Tipo 615-90 1.5 V6 t | 29 | Pierluigi Martini | 3–16 | |||
| West Zakspeed Racing | Zakspeed | 841 | Zakspeed 1500/4 1.5 L4 t | G | 30 | Jonathan Palmer | 2–4, 7–11 |
| 30 | Christian Danner | 13–14 | |||||
| Team Haas (USA) Ltd. | Lola-Hart | THL1 | Hart 415T 1.5 L4 t | G | 33 | Alan Jones | 12, 14–16 |
1985 Formula 1 Race Calendar
b The European Grand Prix was originally going to be held in EUR, Rome on 13 October, but it was moved from the original venue Rome to Brands Hatch for unknown reasons.[4]
c The European Grand Prix was on the original 1985 Formula One calendar on the date of 13 October to be held in EUR, Rome but was moved to Brands Hatch from Rome not to be confused with the Rome Grand Prix which is the long established race held in Vallelunga held from 1925 to 1991.
1985 Formula 1 Race Results
Grands Prix
1985 Formula 1 Standings
Driver standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | FRA | McLaren TAG | 73 |
| 2 | Michele Alboreto | ITA | Ferrari | 53 |
| 3 | Keke Rosberg | FIN | Williams Honda | 40 |
| 4 | Ayrton Senna | BRA | Lotus Renault | 38 |
| 5 | Elio de Angelis | ITA | Lotus Renault | 33 |
| 6 | Nigel Mansell | GBR | Williams Honda | 31 |
| 7 | Stefan Johansson | SWE | Ferrari | 26 |
| 8 | Nelson Piquet | BRA | Brabham BMW | 21 |
| 9 | Jacques Laffite | FRA | Ligier Renault | 16 |
| 10 | Niki Lauda | AUT | McLaren TAG | 14 |
| 11 | Thierry Boutsen | BEL | Arrows BMW | 11 |
| 12 | Patrick Tambay | FRA | Renault | 11 |
| 13 | Marc Surer | SUI | Brabham BMW | 5 |
| 14 | Derek Warwick | GBR | Renault | 5 |
| 15 | Philippe Streiff | FRA | Ligier Renault | 4 |
| 16 | Stefan Bellof | GER | Tyrrell Renault | 4 |
| 17 | Andrea de Cesaris | ITA | Ligier Renault | 3 |
| 18 | Rene Arnoux | FRA | Ferrari | 3 |
| 19 | Ivan Capelli | ITA | Tyrrell Renault | 3 |
| 20 | Gerhard Berger | AUT | Arrows BMW | 3 |
Team standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren TAG | 90 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 82 |
| 3 | Lotus Renault | 71 |
| 4 | Williams Honda | 71 |
| 5 | Brabham BMW | 26 |
| 6 | Ligier Renault | 23 |
| 7 | Renault | 16 |
| 8 | Arrows BMW | 14 |
| 9 | Tyrrell Ford | 4 |
| 10 | Tyrrell Renault | 3 |
