1982 Italian Grand Prix

The 1982 Italian Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 1982 Formula One Season, hosted at the Monza circuit in Italy.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: ITALIAN GP, 1982', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr372.html, (Accessed 31/07/2015) Despite Mario Andretti (returning to the paddock in a Ferrari for the injured Didier Pironi) taking an impressive pole position (in a qualifying session that saw all of the qualifiers set a time under the lap record), it would be René Arnoux whom took victory, from the Ferraris.
Keke Rosberg almost secured the World Championship despite not scoring any points, with John Watson the only man able to challenge him for the title, at Caesars Palace. Ferrari, for their part, were almost made Constructors' Champions in Italy too, and would only be denied if McLaren took two podium positions in America.
==Background==
Coming into Italy, announced that Mario Andretti, the Italian-American hero from 1978, would compete for them in Didier Pironi's car (initially for one race). With Arnoux joining Patrick Tambay for 1983, announced their capture of Eddie Cheever to partner Alain Prost. Rumours also circulated that the French team had engineered engine deals for and (the latter possibly to ensure Cheever's move), while were thought to be in discussion with for engines (which would be branded as TAG products).
Championship wise, Keke Rosberg came to Italy with a three point lead over Pironi, although the Frenchman was unlikely to race again after his horror crash at Hockenheim. Prost, the next contender, sat 11 points behind, with John Watson and Niki Lauda both on 30. A win for Rosberg would see him win the title, although he only had to score within two points of Prost (or three of the McLarens) to take the title. 
Ferrari maintained a four point lead in Switzerland from McLaren, meaning they had a chance to win the Constructors Championship at their home race. McLaren would need a strong weekend to prevent the Italian team from doing so, while and Renault also remained a threat in third and fourth. and Lotus were set to battle for fifth over the final two races, the latter holding an eight point lead over the powered former.
==Entry List==
The full entry list for the is shown below:
No.	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Model 	Tyre
1 	Nelson Piquet 	Parmalat Racing Team 	 	BT50 	 	M12/13 L4t 1.5	
2 	Riccardo Patrese 	Parmalat Racing Team 	 	BT50 	 	M12/13 L4t 1.5	
3 	Michele Alboreto 	Team Tyrrell 	 	011 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
4 	Brian Henton 	Team Tyrrell 	 	011 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
5 	Derek Daly 	TAG Williams Team 	 	FW08 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
6 	Keke Rosberg 	TAG Williams Team 	 	FW08 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
7 	John Watson 	Marlboro McLaren International	 	MP4/1B 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
8 	Niki Lauda 	Marlboro McLaren International	 	MP4/1B 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
9 	Manfred Winkelhock	Team ATS 	 	D5 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
10 	Eliseo Salazar 	Team ATS 	 	D5 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
11 	Elio de Angelis 	John Player Team Lotus 	 	91 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
12 	Nigel Mansell 	John Player Team Lotus 	 	91 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
14 	Roberto Guerrero 	Ensign Racing 	 	N181 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
15 	Alain Prost 	Equipe Renault Elf 	 	RE30B 	 	EF1 V6t 1.5 	
17 	Rupert Keegan 	Rothmans March Grand Prix Team	 	821 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
18 	Raul Boesel 	Rothmans March Grand Prix Team	 	821 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
20 	Chico Serra 	Fittipaldi Automotive 	 	F9 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
22 	Andrea de Cesaris 	Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 	 	182 	 	1260 V12 3.0 	
23 	Bruno Giacomelli 	Marlboro Team Alfa Romeo 	 	182 	 	1260 V12 3.0 	
25 	Eddie Cheever 	Equipe Talbot Gitanes 	 	JS19 	 	MS81 V12 3.0 	
26 	Jacques Laffite 	Equipe Talbot Gitanes 	 	JS19 	 	MS81 V12 3.0 	
27 	Patrick Tambay 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	126C2 	 	021 V6t 1.5 	
28 	Mario Andretti 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	126C2 	 	021 V6t 1.5 	
29 	Marc Surer 	Arrows Racing Team 	 	A4 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
30 	Mauro Baldi 	Arrows Racing Team 	 	A4 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
31 	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Osella Squadra Course 	 	FA1D 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
33 	Tommy Byrne 	Theodore Racing Team 	 	TY02 	 	DFV V8 3.0 	
35 	Derek Warwick 	Toleman Group Motorsport 	 	TG183 	 	415T L4t 1.5 	
36 	Teo Fabi 	Toleman Group Motorsport 	 	TG181C 	 	415T L4t 1.5 	
==Practice Overview==
Monza was expected to favour the turbo teams, and so it proved, with the Brabham, Renault and Ferrari cars leading the rest of the field by a significant margin. The turbo field was expanded by Andrea de Cesaris, who was given a turbocharged Alfa Romeo to test around Monza, while Toleman released the TG183 in an attempt to aid their Hart powered toils. Although the entry list totalled thirty cars (for the first time since the field visited Germany), there were no cars eliminated before qualifying.
==Qualifying==
As with practice, the turbos led the way, with the tifosi in a particularly jubilant mood. Despite not driving a turbocharged car before in 1982, Andretti claimed pole position, with team mate Tambay (still troubled with back pain) claiming third. Nelson Piquet split them in his Brabham, while his team mate Riccardo Patrese beat the Renaults for fourth. Rosberg claimed victory in the battle of the normal cars, beating the Alfa Romeos (as de Cesaris had returned to the normal V12 unit for the race),
Rupert Keegan was the first of four drivers to be eliminated in qualifying, joined by March team mate Raul Boesel, Manfred Winkelhock in the ATS and Tommy Byrne's Theodore. Incredibly, the 26 drivers that did qualify all recorded a time that was faster than the lap record, a feat that would not be matched in the future.
===Qualifying Results===
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Time'1982 Italian Grand Prix: Qualifying', manipef1.com, (Manipe F1, 2004), http://www.manipef1.com/results/1982/italy/qualifying/, (Accessed 31/07/2015)	Gap
1 	28 	Mario Andretti 	 	1:28.472 	
2 	1 	Nelson Piquet 	 	1:28.508 	+0.035s
3 	27 	Patrick Tambay 	 	1:28.830 	+0.357s
4 	2 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	1:29.898 	+1.425s
5 	15 	Alain Prost 	 	1:30.026 	+1.553s
6 	16 	René Arnoux 	 	1:30.097 	+1.624s
7 	6 	Keke Rosberg 	 	1:31.834 	+3.361s
8 	23 	Bruno Giacomelli 	 	1:32.352 	+3.879s
9 	22 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	1:32.546 	+4.073s
10 	8 	Niki Lauda 	 	1:32.782 	+4.309s
11 	3 	Michele Alboreto 	 	1:33.134 	+4.661s
12 	7 	John Watson 	 	1:32.185 	+4.712s
13 	5 	Derek Daly 	 	1:32.333 	+4.860s
14 	25 	Eddie Cheever 	 	1:33.377 	+4.904s
15 	31 	Jean-Pierre Jarier	 	1:33.531 	+5.048s
16 	35 	Derek Warwick 	 	1:33.628 	+5.155s
17 	11 	Elio de Angelis 	 	1:33.629 	+5.156s
18 	14 	Roberto Guerrero 	 	1:34.058 	+5.585s
19 	29 	Marc Surer 	 	1:34.343 	+5.870s
20 	4 	Brian Henton 	 	1:34.379 	+5.906s
21 	26 	Jacques Laffite 	 	1:34.659 	+6.186s
22 	36 	Teo Fabi 	 	1:34.780 	+6.307s
23 	12 	Nigel Mansell 	 	1:34.964 	+6.491s
24 	30 	Mauro Baldi 	 	1:34.977 	+6.504s
25 	10 	Eliseo Salazar 	 	1:34.991 	+6.518s
26 	20 	Chico Serra 	 	1:35.230 	+6.757s
DNQ 	17 	Rupert Keegan 	 	1:35.323 	+6.850s
DNQ 	9 	Manfred Winkelhock	 	1:35.701 	+7.228s
DNQ 	18 	Raul Boesel 	 	1:35.741 	+7.274s
DNQ 	33 	Tommy Byrne 	 	1:36.032 	+7.559s
===Grid===
The starting grid for the is shown below:
==Race==
With Tambay deciding to race despite his trapped nerve (which continued to cause him pain) Ferrari were presented with their best chance of victory since the San Marino Grand Prix. With tifosi support and the most reliable car (at a track where engines were punished), the scarlet cars were assured for victory. It would be up to Renault and Brabham (whom continued to pursue their planned pitstops) to stop them, with Rosberg aiming for solid points to take the title.
===Report===
Andretti had not had much practice at starting the turbo Ferrari, a fact shown as Nelson Piquet, Tambay and Arnoux (Alain Prost should have led but put himself on the grass and fell back) beat the American to the first corner. Their duel saw Piquet pull ahead, although Arnoux would take the lead before the end of the first lap, with Piquet being sized up by Tambay, Riccardo Patrese (whom squeezed past Andretti at Lesmo) and Andretti before falling away.
The first lap saw the British Isles' representation take a devastating broadside, as Derek Warwick spun to avoid Derek Daly at the second chicane, with Brian Henton collecting both to put the trio out of the race. At the front, Brabham's day ended early, as both Piquet and Patrese fell to clutch issues on the sixth/seventh lap. Prost would be the next leader to fall (having battled back to third), a fuel injector causing his engine to fail (and indeed his title hopes). This came after Rosberg suffered a rear-wing failure while battling Bruno Giacomelli, with the Finn recovering to the pits for repairs.
These various dramas meant the battles expected through the field dissolved, with the race becoming more processional as it progressed, with Rosberg the only man moving up the field (having returned to the race in 16th). Arnoux kept the Renault running to take his last victory for Renault, while Tambay and Andretti ensured a double podium for Ferrari behind him. John Watson, meanwhile, had benefitted from other's misfortune to sneak into fourth, meaning the championship would have to be decided at the final race. Michele Alboreto and Eddie Cheever claimed the final points in fifth and sixth, as Rosberg battled to eighth.
===Results===
Pos.	No.	Driver 	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired 	Grid	Points
1 	16 	René Arnoux 	 	52 	1:22:25.734 	6 	9
2 	27 	Patrick Tambay 	 	52 	+14.064 	3 	6
3 	28 	Mario Andretti 	 	52 	+48.452 	1 	4
4 	7 	John Watson 	 	52 	+1:27.845 	12 	3
5 	3 	Michele Alboreto 	 	51 	+1 lap 	11 	2
6 	25 	Eddie Cheever 	 	51 	+1 lap 	14 	1
7 	12 	Nigel Mansell 	 	51 	+1 lap 	23 	
8 	6 	Keke Rosberg 	 	50 	+2 laps 	7 	
9 	10 	Eliseo Salazar 	 	50 	+2 laps 	25 	
10 	22 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	50 	+2 laps 	9 	
11 	20 	Chico Serra 	 	49 	+3 laps 	26 	
12 	30 	Mauro Baldi 	 	49 	+3 laps 	24 	
NC 	14 	Roberto Guerrero 	 	40 	Not Classified	18 	
Ret 	11 	Elio de Angelis 	 	33 	Throttle jam 	17 	
Ret 	23 	Bruno Giacomelli 	 	32 	Damage 	8 	
Ret 	29 	Marc Surer 	 	28 	Ignition 	19 	
Ret 	15 	Alain Prost 	 	27 	Fuel injector 	5 	
Ret 	8 	Niki Lauda 	 	21 	Brakes 	10 	
Ret 	31 	Jean-Pierre Jarier	 	10 	Lost wheel 	15 	
Ret 	1 	Nelson Piquet 	 	7 	Clutch 	2 	
Ret 	2 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	6 	Clutch 	4 	
Ret 	26 	Jacques Laffite 	 	5 	Gearbox 	21 	
Ret 	36 	Teo Fabi 	 	2 	Engine 	22 	
Ret 	5 	Derek Daly 	 	0 	Accident 	13 	
Ret 	35 	Derek Warwick 	 	0 	Accident 	16 	
Ret 	4 	Brian Henton 	 	0 	Accident 	20 	
DNQ 	17 	Rupert Keegan 	 	 	 	 	
DNQ 	9 	Manfred Winkelhock	 	 	 	 	
DNQ 	18 	Raul Boesel 	 	 	 	 	
DNQ 	33 	Tommy Byrne 	 	 	 	 	
==Milestones==
*Last pole position for Mario Andretti.
**Also the last podium for Andretti.
==Standings==
Three drivers left the final European race of the season with a mathematical chance of the title, although with Didier Pironi still lying in a hospital bed, the title fight was down to two. Keke Rosberg had to score just one point in Caesars Palace to win the title, while John Watson had to win, regardless of Rosberg's finishing position. Alain Prost and René Arnoux, arguably, should have won the title as the Renault RE30B arguably the fastest car on the grid, but would have to be content with battling with Niki Lauda and Patrick Tambay to finish in the top five.
Ferrari held an eleven point advantage in the Constructors Championship, with fifteen the maximum available in the Championship. McLaren sat in second, while Renault were on the fifteen point margin in third, with all three in with a mathematical chance of the title. But, it was Ferrari's to lose, with Renault's unreliability and McLaren's non-turbo machinery hindering their chances of the title.  
Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship	Drivers' World Championship
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts 	+/-
1 	Keke Rosberg 	42 	
2 	Didier Pironi 	39 	
3 	John Watson 	33 	1
4 	Alain Prost 	31 	1
5 	Niki Lauda 	30 	
6 	 René Arnoux 	29 	3
7 	Patrick Tambay 	25 	3
8 	Elio de Angelis 	23 	2
9 	Riccardo Patrese 	21 	2
10 	Nelson Piquet 	20 	2
11 	Michele Alboreto 	16 	
12 	Eddie Cheever 	11 	
13 	Nigel Mansell 	7 	
14 	Derek Daly 	7 	
15 	Carlos Reutemann 	6 	
16 	Gilles Villeneuve 	6 	
17 	Jacques Laffite 	5 	
18 	Andrea de Cesaris 	5 	
19 	Mario Andretti 	4 	7
20 	Jean-Pierre Jarier 	3 	1
21 	Marc Surer 	3 	1
22 	Bruno Giacomelli 	2 	1
23 	Eliseo Salazar 	2 	1
24 	Manfred Winkelhock 	2 	1
25 	Mauro Baldi 	2 	1
26 	Chico Serra 	1 	1
Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship	Constructors' World Championship
Pos. 	Team 	Pts 	+/-
1 	 	74 	
2 	 	63 	
3 	 	59 	1
4 	 	55 	1
5 	 	30 	
6 	 	22 	
7 	 	19 	
8 	 	16 	
9 	 	16 	
10 	 	7 	
11 	 	5 	
12 	 	4 	
13 	 	3 	
14 	 	1 	
==References==
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1982 Grands Prix
Category:Italian Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in Italy