In 1983, the ground effect in Formula 1 was finally outlawed. To compensate for the loss of most of the downforce, the cars began to put rear wing frightening size. In parallel, there was an increase in the power of turbo engines, which were adopted by more and more teams. Before the start of the season ATS switched to the use of BMW engines, "Alfa-Romeo" began to produce its own turbo engines. Then, during the season, new combinations appeared: "McLaren-Porsche", "Williams-Honda", "Lotus-Renault". Five teams that remained faithful to the engines of "Ford" and "Osella", which switched to last year's naturally aspirated "Alfa-Romeo", could hardly count on serious success. Also in the 1983 season were widespread planned pit stops with refueling and change of tires, introduced at the Grand Prix of Austria in 1982, the team "Brabham".
The season opened with a race in Brazil. The current world champion Keio Rosberg at "Williams-Ford" took the pole position (1 min 34,526 s) and was in the lead at the beginning of the race, but during refueling at the pit stop his car suddenly caught fire. The fire was quickly extinguished, without having to cause harm to either the rider or the car. Rosberg returned to the track and finished second, giving the victory to Nelson Pique, but was deprived of earned six points for outside help when returning to the race: to start the car, the mechanics had to push it. Third place went to Niki Lauda, the fourth - Jacques Lafitte, a fifth - Patrick Tamba, and sixth mark Surer. Rosberg's disqualification did not affect the position of the first six: in such cases, there was no usual shift up one position.
The Brazilian Grand Prix showed that cars with atmospheric engines "Ford "is still quite competitive, but even in this light, the outcome of the next stage - the Grand Prix" USA-West " in long beach-looked absolutely incredible. John Watson and Lauda in qualifying took 22 and 23 places, losing to the owner of pole position Tambe 3,983 and 4,071, respectively, but were able to break into the leading position and finished the race with a double. Three of the top six took the riders on vehicles with engines Ford - Laffitte on "Williams" was fourth, Surer on "Arrows" - the fifth, johnny Cecotto "Theodore" - the sixth, and only Rene Arnoux in third place were on the car with the turbo engine. As a result, of the 44 points played in the first two stages (minus six Rosberg points in Brazil), only 15 were taken by teams that had turbo engines. The leader was captured by the racer on the car with the Ford engine-Lauda who had 10 points. For 9 had Piquet and Watson, 6 - Laffitte, 4 - Arnoult, 3 - Surer. In the Constructors ' Cup, McLaren had 19 points, while Brabham had 9 points, and Ferrari and Williams had 6 points each.
The European race season began in France, and here "beznadziejnie" sharply passed their position: at the forefront was the Renault (Alain Prost started from pole position and won the race, and Eddie Cheever, the former at the start of the second, finished third), "Brabham" (the Peak was the second, which allowed him to regain the lead in the championship) and the Ferrari (Tamb took fourth place). The team "Williams" closed the scoring six: Rosberg was the fifth and Lafite - the sixth. In the next phase of the Grand Prix of San Marino - turbo once again left Ford no chance to win: the pole position was taken by Arnoux, and after his gathering was in the lead, with Ricardo Patrese on the "Brabham". After a delay in the pit stop, he lost the lead, and when, finally, six laps before the finish, he again came in first place, ahead of Tambe, then just a few seconds lost control of the car, flew off the track, and Tambe won. Simple became the second, losing 48,781 and Arnoux - third less range. Rosberg took only fourth place. Team McLaren, who before the Grand Prix of San Marino was leading in the Cup of Designers, received a total of two points for fifth place Watson. "McLaren" was struck another slap in the face of pride in Monaco, where Watson and Lauda did not qualify: on Thursday, the cars could not be properly configured, and on Saturday it rained (Friday, according to tradition in Monaco - free day). The track was wet and on Sunday, and most started on rain tires. The pole position was occupied by Simple (1 min 24,840), the second was Arnaud (1 min 25,182). Rosberg started only the fifth, and besides on slicks. However, as subsequent events showed, he was absolutely right, "the shoes" car on slicks in the rain never went on the track dried up, and, while formidable opponents, one after another went into the pits to change tires, Rosberg was already far ahead: to become the second Peak lost to him 18,475 S. After finished Simple, Tamba, Danny Sullivan and Mauro Baldi.
After the death last year of Gilles Villeneuve on the track Zolder the Grand Prix of Belgium, after thirteen years break we are back in Spa-Francorchamps. The track was significantly reconstructed and enjoyed by all racers. Andrea de Cesaris at "Alfa-Romeo", which was third in qualifying, had a long lead, but fell on the twenty-sixth lap because of engine failure (best lap in the race still remained for him). Prost inherited the lead and won, ahead of Tambe, Chivera and Pique and became the leader of the championship, as well as, together with Chiver, bringing "Renault" in first place in the Cup Designers. The team "Williams" has habitually settled behind leaders turbo: Rosberg fifth, Laffite sixth. The only consolation could be that among those teams that used atmospheric engines, "Williams "was now undoubtedly the best:" McLaren", who took the first two stages 19 points for the next four received only two. However, in Detroit Watson was able to finish third, but the first two places were also occupied by riders on cars with engines "Ford": won Michele Alboreto on "Tyrrell", and the second was Rosberg. Fifth place went to Lafitte, and the sixth-Nigel Mansell on "Lotus-Ford-92". The only one who was able to break the hegemony of the "Ford" in Detroit was Pique in fourth place.
Following the results of seven stages the first place in the championship was taken by Prost with 28 points, and only one point lost to him Peak. The third place was taken by Tambov with 23 points, and the fourth - Rosberg with 22. In fifth place was the Watson (15 points), and 10 had Lauda and Laffite. The leader of the Constructors ' Cup was Renault team (36 points). 32 points were at "Williams", 31 had "Ferrari", 27 - "Brabham", 25 - " McLaren "and 11 - "Tyrrell". Their relatively good positions of the team with the engines " Ford "and their riders were obliged to the results of the Detroit Grand Prix, but this stage was already a Swan song" Ford-Cosworth-DFV": Alboreto's victory was one hundred and fifty-fifth and the last for these engines.
Arnu after seven races still had only 8 points, but with the canadian Grand Prix began a great takeoff. In Montreal, he took the pole position and won, ahead of Chiver and Tamba. Both Simple and Peak - had problems: the Peak fell on the fifteenth lap while in third position, while Simple, had engine problems and finished fifth. Of the" naturally aspirated " only Rosberg in fourth place and Watson on the sixth got points.
In qualifying prior to the ninth stage in the UK the first row at the start took the riders "Ferrari" the new "-126C3" (Arnould ahead of the Thumb), but the race had resulted in utter failure: the car was set too small splashes, and driving force is clearly not enough. Moreover, the tires began to wear out, and after their replacement in the boxes, Tambe became only the third, and Arnoux - the fifth. He won at Silverstone is Simple, but the Peak took second place. The fourth was Mansell, first started with the engine "Renault" from the eighteenth position and its breakthrough forward many pleased the British public. In the same race debuted team "Spirit", with which the company "Honda" returned to Formula 1 after a fifteen-year break. Alas, the success did not come to her immediately: the engine on the car of Stephen Johansson refused already on the sixth lap.
In Hockenheim, the first row of the starting field was again occupied by representatives of Ferrari. Despite the fact that the first place belonged to Tamba, Arna won the start and did not miss ahead of his teammate, as before in Renault, not paying attention to the orders of the relevant content coming from the boxes. However, for Tambe race ended on the twelfth lap due to engine failure, and Arnoux quietly won the second victory of the season. On the second place after the disappearance of the left Thumb Peak, too long it does not hold - the engine caught fire. As a result, the second was de Cesaris, who lagged 1 min 10,652 s, and the third - Patrese (+ 1 min 44,093 s). For both it was the first points of the season. Prost finished fourth, having trouble with the gearbox. Racers on cars with atmospheric engines on the highway could not claim much: Watson was the fifth, Lafite-sixth.
After ten stages, Prost kept the lead with 42 points. The peak was on the second place with 33 points, the Thumb - third with 31. Arna thanks to two victories and fifth place went to the fourth position (28), and Rosberg (25) and Watson (18) closed the six. In the Cup of Designers "Ferrari "was able to break the resistance of" Renault "and come forward with 59 points (lag" Renault " was three points). 37 points were on the account of "Brabham", 36 - "Williams", 29 - "McLaren". In sixth place was still the team "Tyrrell" with 11 points.
After the end of the championship, the results of fuel samples from the cars of the participants were published. Octane fuel from a vehicle Peak made 102,72 BME.one hundred maximum allowed 102.00. Peak threatened disqualification, but the owner of the team "Brabham" Bernie Ecclestone acquired by the time such power, while being the head of the FOCA, which was able to hush up the scandal without much difficulty, and the results of the championship remained unchanged.
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