1982 South African Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of South Africa in 1982 was on January 23 held at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and was the first race of the Formula 1 season 1982.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
During the comparatively short winter break some drivers change to have occurred. In addition to the reigning world champion Nelson Piquet henceforth went Riccardo Patrese for Brabham at the start. For use came directly to the season opener of the new Brabham BT50 with a four-cylinder turbo engine from BMW. Thus, Brabham started as a fourth team after Renault, Ferrari and Toleman into turbo era, which seemed to belong in Formula 1 in the future.
Patrese place at Arrows was originally Marc Surer receive. Because of this, however, was injured during testing at Kyalami in advance of the season, Brian Henton was engaged. As a replacement for Siegfried Stohr, who had ended his racing career, the Italian debutant Mauro Baldi joined the team. With Riccardo palletizing and Teo Fabi there were also two other newcomers from Italy. Palletizing was new team-mate Jean -Pierre Jarier at Osella and Fabi took the former place of Brian Henton in Toleman one on the side of Derek Warwick.
Following the resignation of Alan Jones second place at Williams was awarded alongside Carlos Reutemann to Keke Rosberg. Meanwhile, last year's cockpit was not filled. Instead, the financially troubled Fittipaldi team approached with only one vehicle, which was further piloted by Chico Serra.
Niki Lauda, who returned to F1 after two years of abstinence, was teammate John Watson at McLaren. He pushed there Andrea de Cesaris, who then moved to Alfa Romeo, there to replace Mario Andretti, who initially wanted to re- focus on race in its U.S. homeland itself.
Eddie Cheever moved from Tyrrell to Ligier, where he replaced Patrick Tambay. Slim Borgudd then took a place at Cheevers Tyrrell and was at ATS replaced by Manfred Winkelhock. The team also established a second car, which was driven by Eliseo Salazar. Meanwhile, former team Ensign planned the commitment of the Colombian newcomer Roberto Guerrero. Since some of these in time came to pass, the team decided to participate in the first race.
March presented itself completely reorganized early in the season with the new main sponsor Rothmans, the pilot Jochen Mass and Raul Boesel and the new model 821 and the change to the tire supplier Pirelli.
Ferrari, Renault and Lotus retained in each case the driver pairings, with whom they had completed the 1981 season. Most teams started with last year's models in the new season.
Training
For the drivers, there was dissatisfaction with a contract they had to sign to get the newly created by FISA Super license. This was regulated, how dependent the drivers were to their team leaders. Led by returnee Niki Lauda on strike the driver, the first free workouts as well as the first of two scheduled qualifying session. Instead, they retreated to a nearby hotel and discussed a compromise proposal, which was finally accepted by the FISA, so that the second qualifying and the race could take place.
René Arnoux qualified for the pole position ahead of Nelson Piquet and Gilles Villeneuve. In the fourth place Riccardo Patrese followed before Alain Prost and Didier Pironi. As the best drivers without turbocharged engine Keke Rosberg reached the seventh place alongside his team-mate Carlos Reutemann.
Since, in contrast to last year, when the field was usually limited to 24 vehicles, in this season is 26 starters were admitted, failed only four of the 30 pilots who had traveled to the qualification.
Race
While Arnoux took the lead, Prost could take second place ahead of the two Ferrari of Villeneuve and Pironi during the first round. He was followed by Rosberg in front of Patrese. Piquet dropped after a poor start, first to 13th place and dropped back in the fourth round due to a brake defect from.
Until the sixth round Rosberg was supplanted by Patrese and Reutemann to seventh, but was already clear in the next round by a technical failure of Villeneuve back into the points.
Prost took advantage in the 14th round of the fact that Arnoux was stopped by to broadcast Kontrahtenen, and took the lead. Since Patrese turned out in lap 18 due to engine failure and Pironi later the pit was heading a little to make change his tires, came the McLaren drivers Lauda and Watson in the points.
Prost was at the end of the 41th round at the box also change his tire of their achievement on the eighth. Pironi had, meanwhile, fought back again to the third place. Prost managed a little later an even more impressive comeback than his compatriot, who brought him up to the 68th round again to the top.
While Pironi dropped to the last position, Reutemann overtook six laps from the end of the race, Arnoux and became second. Lauda, who had passed some ten laps to Rosberg and Watson, was before these two fourth.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).