1984 Portuguese Grand Prix

The 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix, otherwise officially known as the IV Grande Premio de Portugal, was the sixteenth and final round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Autódromo do Estoril on the 21 October 1984.'Portuguese GP, 1984', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr404.html, (Accessed 21/03/2019) The race, which was the first Grand Prix to be staged in Portugal since 1960, would see Niki Lauda claim his third World Championship title by just half a point.
However, Lauda would have to overcome a poor qualifying performance to do so, with the Austrian a lowly eleventh in his . Furthermore, his main Championship rival, and teammate, Alain Prost would grab second on the grid, having been beaten to pole by Nelson Piquet.
The start of the race would see Piquet and Prost make poor starts, allowing Keke Rosberg and Nigel Mansell to duel for the lead into the first corner. Further back, meanwhile, Lauda would battle his way up into the top ten off the grid, before lining up a move on Derek Warwick for ninth.
The early stages would see Prost make progress, with the Frenchman moving into the lead of the race on lap nine. Lauda, meanwhile, would get stuck in ninth in a long queue of traffic that was struggling to get past Rosberg in third.
Indeed, it was only when tyre wear came into play that the Austrian finally made progress, with a series of moves carrying him into the points on lap 28. Up ahead, meanwhile, Prost had built a healthy lead over Mansell, while Ayrton Senna had elbowed his way past Rosberg to claim third.
Rosberg and Senna would fall to Lauda shortly before half-distance, although the Austrian was unable to make any progress on Mansell. That was, until Mansell picked up a brake issue and spin on lap 51, with the Brit only just managing to rejoin ahead of Lauda.
Yet, that was effectively it for Mansell's race, with the Brit spinning in the exact same spot a lap later and so retired. That left Lauda in second, the exact position he needed to claim the Championship crown, provided he could finish there.
Ultimately there would be no late twist of fate in the closing stages, with Prost cruising home to win the race, but to lose the World Championship to Lauda by just half a point. Indeed, it was the closest ever finish in terms of the overall World Championship, although Prost had won seven races to Lauda's five.
Elsewhere, Senna would come home in third in his last race for , while Michele Alboreto grabbed fourth for , just three tenths behind the Brazilian. Elio de Angelis finished fifth to claim third in the World Championship, while out-going World Champion Piquet ended the season with a sixth place finish.
==Background==
In terms of the Championship victory last time out at the Nürburgring had kept Alain Prost's title hopes alive heading into the season finale, with the Frenchman just 3.5 points behind teammate Niki Lauda. However, the Austrian would win his third World Championship if he finished second in Estoril, regardless of what Prost did, with the Frenchman having to finish third or higher just to overhaul Lauda's tally. The battle for third would also have to be concluded at the final race, with Elio de Angelis, the man in third, through to Derek Warwick in seventh, all having a mathematical chance to finish best of the rest in Portugal.
In the Constructors' Championship had continued to show their dominance in Germany, with the Anglo-German effort ending the European Grand Prix with 128.5 points to their name. had remained their closest "challengers", albeit with less than half the number of points, and had opened a 9.5 point advantage over third placed . Indeed, with one race to go the fight for second seemed to be over, although the Ethel based squad still had a mathematical chance of overhauling the Scuderia on Portuguese soil.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Nelson Piquet 	MRD International 	 	BT53 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
2 	Manfred Winkelhock 	MRD International 	 	BT53 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
5 	Jacques Laffite 	Williams Grand Prix Engineering 	 	FW09B 	 	RA164E 1.5 V6t 	
6 	Keke Rosberg 	Williams Grand Prix Engineering 	 	FW09B 	 	RA164E 1.5 V6t 	
7 	Alain Prost 	Marlboro McLaren International 	 	MP4/2 	 	TTE PO1 1.5 V6t 	
8 	Niki Lauda 	Marlboro McLaren International 	 	MP4/2 	 	TTE PO1 1.5 V6t 	
9 	Philippe Alliot 	Skoal Bandit F1 Team 	 	02 	 	415T 1.5 L4t 	
10 	Jonathan Palmer 	Skoal Bandit F1 Team 	 	02 	 	415T 1.5 L4t 	
11 	Elio de Angelis 	John Player Team Lotus 	 	95T 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
12 	Nigel Mansell 	John Player Team Lotus 	 	95T 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
14 	Gerhard Berger 	Team ATS 	 	D7 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
15 	Patrick Tambay 	Equipe Renault Elf 	 	RE50 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
16 	Derek Warwick 	Equipe Renault Elf 	 	RE50 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
17 	Marc Surer 	Barclay Nordica Arrows BMW 	 	A7 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
18 	Thierry Boutsen 	Barclay Nordica Arrows BMW 	 	A7 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
19 	Ayrton Senna 	Toleman Group Motorsport 	 	TG184 	 	415T 1.5 L4t 	
20 	Stefan Johansson 	Toleman Group Motorsport 	 	TG184 	 	415T 1.5 L4t 	
21 	Mauro Baldi 	Spirit Racing 	 	101 	 	415T 1.5 L4t 	
22 	Riccardo Patrese 	Benetton Team Alfa Romeo 	 	184T 	 	890T 1.5 L4t 	
23 	Eddie Cheever 	Benetton Team Alfa Romeo 	 	184T 	 	890T 1.5 L4t 	
24 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	Osella Squadra Corse 	 	FA1F 	 	890T 1.5 L4t 	
25 	François Hesnault 	Ligier Loto 	 	JS23 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
26 	Andrea de Cesaris 	Ligier Loto 	 	JS23B 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
27 	Michele Alboreto 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	126C4 	 	031 1.5 V6t 	
28 	René Arnoux 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	126C4 	 	031 1.5 V6t 	
30 	Jo Gartner 	Osella Squadra Corse 	 	FA1F 	 	890T 1.5 L4t 	
32 	Stefan Bellof 	Marlboro McLaren International 	 	MP4/2 	 	TTE PO1 1.5 V6t 	
33 	Philippe Streiff 	Equipe Renault Elf 	 	RE50 	 	EF4 1.5 V6t 	
34 	Huub Rothengatter 	Spirit Racing 	 	101 	 	415T 1.5 L4t 	
Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/engages.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Friday Qualifying===
===Saturday Qualifying===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Time 	Time 	Gap
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Q1 	Q2 	Gap
1 	1 	Nelson Piquet 	 	1:30.889 	1:21.703T 	—
2 	7 	Alain Prost 	 	1:28.276 	1:21.774 	+0.071s
3 	19 	Ayrton Senna 	 	1:30.077 	1:21.936 	+0.233s
4 	6 	Keke Rosberg 	 	1:32.269 	1:22.049 	+0.346s
5 	11 	Elio de Angelis 	 	1:28.428 	1:22.291 	+0.588s
6 	12 	Nigel Mansell 	 	1:32.986 	1:22.319 	+0.616s
7 	15 	Patrick Tambay 	 	1:29.409 	1:22.583 	+0.880s
8 	27 	Michele Alboreto 	 	1:31.192 	1:22.686 	+0.983s
9 	16 	Derek Warwick 	 	1:35.913 	1:22.801 	+1.098s
10 	20 	Stefan Johansson 	 	1:28.991 	1:22.942 	+1.239s
11 	8 	Niki Lauda 	 	1:28.837 	1:23.183 	+1.480s
12 	22 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	1:37.154 	1:24.048 	+2.345s
13 	33 	Philippe Streiff 	 	1:37.280 	1:24.089 	+2.386s
14 	23 	Eddie Cheever 	 	1:34.809 	1:24.235 	+2.532s
15 	5 	Jacques Laffite 	 	1:39.696 	1:24.437 	+2.734s
16 	17 	Marc Surer 	 	1:34.003 	1:24.688 	+2.985s
17 	28 	René Arnoux 	 	1:36.634 	1:24.848 	+3.145s
18 	18 	Thierry Boutsen 	 	1:32.530 	1:25.115 	+3.412s
19 	2 	Manfred Winkelhock 	 	— 	1:25.289 	+3.586s
20 	26 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	1:33.398 	1:26.082 	+4.379s
21 	25 	François Hesnault 	 	1:34.233 	1:26.701 	+4.998s
22 	24 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	 	1:31.336 	1:26.840 	+5.137s
23 	14 	Gerhard Berger 	 	1:44.966 	1:28.106 	+6.403s
24 	30 	Jo Gartner 	 	1:33.540 	1:28.229 	+6.526s
25 	21 	Mauro Baldi 	 	1:36.483 	1:29.001 	+7.298s
26 	10 	Jonathan Palmer 	 	1:40.344 	1:29.397 	+7.694s
27 	9 	Philippe Alliot 	 	1:34.839 	1:30.406 	+8.703s
WD* 	32 	Stefan Bellof 	 	Withdrawn 	 	
WD† 	34 	Huub Rothengatter 	 	Withdrawn 	 	
Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates a driver's best/qualifying time.
** Bellof's entry was withdrawn as the German failed to attend the race.
*† Rothengatter's entry was rejected by the officials.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	7 	Alain Prost 	 	70 	1:41:11.753 	2 	9
2 	8 	Niki Lauda 	 	70 	+13.425s 	11 	6
3 	19 	Ayrton Senna 	 	70 	+20.042s 	3 	4
4 	27 	Michele Alboreto 	 	70 	+20.317s 	8 	3
5 	11 	Elio de Angelis 	 	70 	+1:32.169 	5 	2
6 	1 	Nelson Piquet 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	1 	1
7 	15 	Patrick Tambay 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	7 	
8 	22 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	12 	
9 	28 	René Arnoux 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	17 	
10 	2 	Manfred Winkelhock 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	19 	
11 	20 	Stefan Johansson 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	10 	
12 	26 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	20 	
13 	14 	Gerhard Berger 	 	68 	+2 Laps 	23 	
14 	5 	Jacques Laffite 	 	67 	+3 Laps 	15 	
15 	21 	Mauro Baldi 	 	66 	+4 Laps 	25 	
16* 	30 	Jo Gartner 	 	65 	Out of fuel 	14 	
17 	23 	Eddie Cheever 	 	64 	+6 Laps 	14 	
Ret 	24 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	 	60 	Engine 	22 	
Ret 	12 	Nigel Mansell 	 	52 	Brakes 	6 	
Ret 	16 	Derek Warwick 	 	51 	Gearbox 	9 	
Ret 	33 	Philippe Streiff 	 	48 	Transmission 	13 	
Ret 	6 	Keke Rosberg 	 	39 	Engine 	4 	
Ret 	25 	François Hesnault 	 	31 	Electrical 	21 	
Ret 	18 	Thierry Boutsen 	 	24 	Transmission 	18 	
Ret 	10 	Jonathan Palmer 	 	19 	Gearbox 	26 	
Ret 	17 	Marc Surer 	 	8 	Electrical 	16 	
Ret 	9 	Philippe Alliot 	 	2 	Engine 	27 	
WD 	32 	Stefan Bellof 	 	 	 	 	
WD 	34 	Huub Rothengatter 	 	 	 	 	
Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)	Source:'Portugal 1984: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal/classement.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Gartner was still classified despite retiring as he had completed 90% of the race distance.
==Milestones==
* Niki Lauda declared as the FIA Formula One World Championship Champion.
** It was also Lauda's third World Championship and first since .'16. Portugal 1984', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1984/portugal.aspx, (Accessed 21/03/2019)
** Lauda's triumph was also by the smallest ever margin in F1 history: 0.5 points.
* First Portuguese Grand Prix to be staged since 1960.'1984 Portuguese GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2015), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1984&gp=Portuguese%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 21/03/2019)
** Also the first Grand Prix to be held at the Autódromo do Estoril.
* entered their 250th Grand Prix as a constructor.
* Debut race for Philippe Streiff.
** This was also the 100th race entry for a car using #33 as its race number.
* Alain Prost claimed his sixteenth career victory.
* McLaren earned their 42nd victory as a constructor.
** powered a car to a twelfth victory.
* Lauda would secure the 110th podium finish for a McLaren chassis.
* Ayrton Senna claimed the third and final podium finish for .
* Final race for Michelin as a tyre supplier until the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.
==Standings==
Alain Prost would win the battle of Portugal but ultimately lost the war, the Frenchman suffering a narrow defeat for a third straight season. Instead, it was Niki Lauda who ended 1984 as the World Champion, his third title and first since 1977, with a record half a point separating the two teammates. Third, meanwhile, would go to Elio de Angelis, with the Italian's compatriot Michele Alboreto, and out-going Champion Nelson Piquet, completing the top five.
In the Constructors' Championship, meanwhile, it had been an imperious season for , with the Anglo-German effort ending the season with a huge tally of 143.5 points. Indeed, McLaren had claimed over 61% of the points on offer in , having won twelve of the season's sixteen races and only failed to score points at all in two. Unsurprisingly, there was then a huge gap back to arch-rivals in second, while concluded a surprisingly competitive season in third.
 
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Niki Lauda 	72 	
2 	Alain Prost 	71.5 	
3 	Elio de Angelis 	34 	
4 	Michele Alboreto 	30.5 	1
5 	Nelson Piquet 	29 	1
6 	René Arnoux 	27 	
7 	Derek Warwick 	23 	
8 	Keke Rosberg 	20.5 	
9 	Ayrton Senna 	13 	2
10 	Nigel Mansell 	13 	1
11 	Patrick Tambay 	11 	1
12 	Teo Fabi 	9 	
13 	Riccardo Patrese 	8 	
14 	Jacques Laffite 	5 	
15 	Thierry Boutsen 	5 	
16 	Eddie Cheever 	3 	
17 	Stefan Johansson 	3 	
18 	Andrea de Cesaris 	3 	
19 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	2 	
20 	Marc Surer 	1 	
World Championship for Manufacturers	World Championship for Manufacturers	World Championship for Manufacturers	World Championship for Manufacturers
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	143.5 	
2 	 	57.5 	
3 	 	47 	
4 	 	38 	
5 	 	34 	
6 	 	25.5 	
7 	 	16 	
8 	 	11 	
9 	 	3 	
10 	 	3 	
11 	 	3 	
12 	 	2 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
These standings have been modified to show the Championship as it stood after the retroactive disqualification of the 012 and drivers Martin Brundle and Stefan Bellof.
==References==
Images and Videos:
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References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1984 Grands Prix
Category:Portuguese Grand Prix