In 1982, the proliferation of turbocharging in Formula 1 continued. Three teams - Renault, Ferrari and Toleman - already had turbo engines in service. Team "Brabham" began to cooperate with BMW and already in training at the British Grand Prix in 1981 put the new "Brabham-BMW-BT50", which debut in the race was, however, postponed until the next season. However, the news that eclipsed all the others was the return to Formula 1 of the famous Austrian Niki Lauda. Two-time world champion in the upcoming season was to play in the team "McLaren", which experienced a period of revival after a very bad season 1978-1980.
Lauda immediately drew attention to himself, having arranged on the eve of the first race of the season in South Africa a strike of riders. The reason for this was a new paragraph in the contract for the issuance of a super license, according to which the driver could not leave the team until the expiration of the contract, while the leaders of the teams had the right to dismiss the pilots at their own discretion. Teaming up with Didier pironi, Lauda quickly bowed to his side all the riders (except Jochen Massa), who on Friday left the circuit in Johannesburg. Bernie Ecclestone and Jean-Marie Balestre tried to influence the rebels, depriving them of superlicenses. But this did not help - except for Theo Fabi, who came to his senses and returned to Kyalami, everyone stayed in Johannesburg. "Cunning Bernie" Lauda had to make purely nominal concessions, which, however, the Austrian was quite satisfied, and on Saturday afternoon everything went back to normal. The qualification was won by Rene Arnoux, and the reigning world champion Nelson Pique started second. Before his descent on the fourth round of the Peak was in the lead, and then went forward Alain Prost on "Renault". But he did not stay ahead of everyone for a long time: the puncture of the tire and its replacement in the boxes was dropped to the eighth place. However, Simple did not give up to the end of the race, regained the lead and won. Carlos Reutemann, who announced his retirement at the end of last season and now "thesauri" in search of a suitable replacement, became the second. Arnu was only the third, and the rebel Lauda finished fourth in his first race after a two-year break.
On March 21, Brazil hosted the second stage. Pole position won Prost (1 min 28,808 s), and the second place at the start took Gilles Villeneuve. Pique started only from the seventh position, losing a Simple 1,473 s, but methodically rose higher and higher, until after the vanishing of Villeneuve on the thirtieth lap did not become a leader. Rosberg kept close behind him, but could not overtake. The victory in the race, which took place in extreme heat, demanded the Peak of tension of all forces, and on the podium, he lost consciousness. Soon, however, and Piquet and Rosberg were disqualified FISA, and was declared the winner coming to the finish of the third Simple. The reason for this was the fact that both cars were equipped with the so-called "brake cooling system", which, in fact, was nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the rules. The technical regulations specified the minimum weight for a car without a rider and fuel. This meant that you can build a very light car, and the missing mass of water to Supplement. Before the start of the tank "cooling system" filled with water, and during the race poured it directly on the track through the tube going from the tank to the brake discs. Thus, the car most of the race was easier than it was allowed by the rules, and after the finish it was enough to fill the tank again, and the car is consistent with the rules. In addition to "Brabham" and "Williams", the same "system" used in "Arrows", but after the Grand Prix of Brazil such things were prohibited. Angry Ecclestone, who, in addition to the leadership of FOCA, then headed "Brabham", called on all eleven teams that adhered to his side, to boycott the Grand Prix of San Marino.
Lauda won the third stage-the U.S.-West Grand Prix at long beach, proving that after two seasons without racing, he can still win. Rosberg was second, with Villeneuve third. However, the protest filed by Ken Tirrell, forced the commissioners to take a closer look at the rear wing of his "Ferrari". It was wider than allowed and the canadian was disqualified. As a result, the third place went to Ricardo Patrese on "Brabham-Ford-BT49D", and the fourth rose pilot "Tyrrell" Michele Alboreto - most likely, for one extra point Tirrell and started a story with the wing Villeneuve. Then it was the turn of the race in Imola, the one that was boycotted by the FOCA teams. For the Ballester and FISA then acted only six teams, and, accordingly, twelve pilots, and according to the rules of the race was considered a test, if it involved at least thirteen. Ecclestone already triumphed when Ken Tirrell under pressure of the new sponsors - "Candy" and "Ceramica Imola" - was compelled to take part in the Grand Prix which thanks to it again entered number of test. The first row at the start took the pilots "Renault", but they both came down, and fought for the leadership of Villeneuve and pironi. According to the unspoken tradition of the team, if before the finish the race is led by the Ferrari drivers, they must maintain their positions - the one who is ahead wins. However, on the last lap, pironi overtook the leading Villeneuve and won. Gilles was never able to forgive this Didier and on the podium, angry, silently watched as the joyful Piron pours champagne around. The third in the race was Alboreto, the fourth - Jean-Pierre Jarrier on "Osella", and the fifth - Eliseo Salazar on ATS. His teammate Manfred Winkelhock finished sixth and last, but was disqualified - his car was lighter than normal.
On may 8, during qualification in Tsolder, Villeneuve died. Trying to exceed the time shown by pironi-now his worst enemy-Villeneuve caught up with returning to the pits "March" Mass. In this ordinary situation, the riders did not understand each other and could not part. Villeneuve ran into the wheel Massa, his car took off into the air and crashed into a bump, collapsed to the ground. The fastening of the seat belt could not withstand the attack, Villeneuve was thrown from the cockpit and after some time died. The race was held without the participation of "Ferrari", and it quietly won Watson. Rosberg took second place, third went to Eddie Cheever at the "Ligier", the fourth - Elio de Angelis. Pique, first tested in the race "Brabham-BMW-BT50" with a turbo engine, finished fifth, starting from eighth place. Closed the six best Chico Serra on "Fittipaldi" - the last point of the ambitious project"Brazilian national team".
Held in the rain race in Monaco turned into a complete chaos. The winner of the qualification Arna was in the lead, but on the fifteenth lap lost control of the car and went down. The leaders went Easy on the second "Renault" and two laps from the finish crashed; then the first place is captured by Patrese, but a mistake dropped him far back. On first two places after this has been going pironi and Andrea de Cesaris, when have both on latest range has drawn to the end of fuel. In the end the first at the finish was Patrese. Pironi and de Cesaris were qualified second and third, fourth and fifth places were taken by two riders "Lotus" - Nigel Mansell and de Angelis. Descended on the seventy-fifth and seventy-fourth circles, Derek Dali and Prosto are located on the sixth and seventh places.
Watson's victory brought him to the leaders of the world championship with 26 points. Pironi thanks to his third place also overtook Prost and now had 20 points. Prost remained third, still with 18 points, and behind him already caught up with Rosberg (17). The fifth place was occupied by Patrese with 13 points, and the sixth - Lauda with 12. In the Constructors ' Cup McLaren had 38 points, Ferrari and Williams had 26 points, Renault - 22 points. "McLaren" and "Ferrari" were now full representatives of the "big four", while "Brabham" and"Ligier", shining in 1981, now had only 13+2 ("Ford" +BMW) and 11 points, respectively.
The canadian Grand Prix, held in Montreal on the track, immediately named after Gilles Villeneuve, was also tragic. Pironi took the pole position, but stalled at the start, and at a speed of about 150 km/h crashed Ricardo Paletti on "Osella". The cockpit of his car was deformed from the impact, and the driver could not get out for a long time. Time was lost, and Paletti died in hospital. The race ended with the double victory of the team "Brabham" Piquet-Patrese, and Piquet spoke on "Brabham-BMW-BT50" and Patrese - and to "Brabham-Ford-BT49D". Watson came third.
In Le Castellet, the first four places were occupied by the French: the leader of the championship was the third, ahead of Tambov; Arnoux, starting from pole position, won the race, ahead of Prost, the former on the starting field second. Before this race, Prost had 19 points, and Arnaud - only 4. It was clear that the chances of winning the championship are more Simple, but Arnoux fundamentally never complied with the command subordination, because of what he had serious friction with the leadership of the team. The fifth in France was Rosberg, and the sixth - Alboreto.
On August 7, in Hockenheim, pironi was faced with a Simple, had an accident in which he broke both legs, which meant the end of his career in Formula 1. But the other rider "Ferrari" - Tambe-won. Arnoux was second, Rosberg third.
The fifteenth stage took place in Italy. Here pole position went to the veteran Mario Andretti, who took the place of pironi, but he finished only third, skipping ahead of Arna and Tamba. Watson, who became the fourth, now had 33 points and still kept the chances of winning the championship if Rosberg (42 points) points at the last stage in Las Vegas will not get, and Watson will win the race. John tried his best to do so, but missed the victory and became the second, behind Alboreto, for whom it was the first victory in Formula 1. Rosberg finished fifth and became the world champion, winning only one race in the winning season. The Constructors ' championship went to Ferrari.
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