1985: a classic F1 season reviewed

In December, Motor Sport will mark 40 years since one of the greatest racing seasons with a gala dinner attended by special guests and stars of the track, including many who competed and won in period. To kick-start the celebrations, and in the first of a three-part series that will also feature paeans to Le Mans and WRC, Damien Smith scrolls back for a 1980s nostalgia hit

Alain Prost sprays the crowd

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Ah, 1985: heart of the decade of Cold War superpowers and Dayglo socks. The year of Marty McFly and Back to the Future – “You made a time machine – out of a DeLorean?” Dodgy Sylvester Stallone action hero sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. A James Bond movie too far for dear old Roger Moore and his Duran Duran-soundtracked A View to a Kill. Jennifer Rush’s ultimate pop ballad The Power of Love selling 7” vinyl by the million (1.2 million to be precise), as Dire Straits earnt Money for Nothing on Brothers in Arms compact discs (unscratchable and unbreakable, apparently). Meanwhile, there was No Jacket Required for Phil Collins, Madonna was properly getting into her groove… and Bob Geldof shouted at us on the telly from Wembley: “People are dying NOW! So give me the money!”

Then there was Formula 1, in its own little bubble. Alain Prost and Marlboro McLaren-TAGs in their pomp. A new superstar in black and gold. And the same old blinkered moral vacuum of insisting on racing in Apartheid-ridden South Africa. Happy days…


Prost removes the monkey

He’d come half a point away in 1984. Now, finally, after missed opportunities at Renault and that narrowest of defeats to Niki Lauda, he’d broken the hoodoo: France, the original home of grand prix racing, had its first Formula 1 world champion.

Alain Prost was a clear head better than Lauda in 1985. In fact, in the McLaren-TAG MP4/2B he was comfortably the class act of the grid, securing the championship at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch with two rounds still to spare.

Then again, even though he won five of the 16 races (three more than anyone else managed) this was no walkover. After Prost won the opener in Rio, Ferrari’s consistent Michele Alboreto led the points until August. Victory at the Österreichring pulled Prost level, then a run of two podiums and a win at Monza sent him clear. A less than optimal fourth at Brands finished the job. But he deserved the first of his four titles.

Senna's black magic Renault

Ayrton Senna’s second win of ’85 came at Spa… there should have been more

Senna’s black magic

We knew he was special, from that first year at Toleman. Now he was John Player Special… and in Ayrton Senna’s second start in Lotus’s black and gold he romped to a famous first win in atrocious rain at Estoril – arguably the best of his eventual 41. If only the Renault-powered 97T had been more reliable in 1985, Prost might have had a serious problem from his nemesis-in-waiting. Seven pole positions and another for team-mate Elio De Angelis showed Lotus had the speed, but just one other win for Senna at Spa and an inherited victory for the Roman at Imola tells the full story. Senna came six laps from victory at the British GP until an engine problem set in. Clearly, the sophomore was already champion material. He just needed to be in the right team.

Michele Alboreto on the podium 1985

Michele Alboreto led the driver standings after victory in Canada.

Alboreto: what might have been

No Italian champion since Alberto Ascari. Amazing that it still remains so even now. For a chunk of 1985, Michele Alboreto threatened to end the national drought after three seconds in the first four races and a Ferrari 1-2 in Canada, where he led new team-mate Stefan Johansson. Another scuffed win, after contact with Keke Rosberg’s Williams, followed at the Nürburgring. But after a distant third to Prost and Senna in Austria, Alboreto only scored once more in the final six races as the wheels fell off the Ferrari challenge. It was the closest classy Alboreto would ever get to an F1 world title.

Keke Rosberg Silverstone in 1985

‘Flying Finn’ Keke Rosberg flew around Silverstone in qualifying.

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Rosberg’s sensational 160mph pole

In a break in the weather, F1’s first Flying Finn set out in his Honda-powered Williams FW10 – and smoked it: a 1min 5.967sec around Silverstone flat-out, breaking the magic 160mph mark for an unforgettable F1 first. Just as well he caught the slide at Woodcote, caused by a deflating Goodyear… But Keke Rosberg wasn’t done. Despite others failing to match him, he insisted on one final go, high on the moment – and against his usual better judgement. The result? 1min 5.591sec – 160.925mph. One of the greatest laps in F1 history, and a record only beaten 17 years later, by Juan Pablo Montoya – fittingly in a Williams – in qualifying at Monza.

Niki Lauda on the Podium Dutch GP

A final win for Niki Lauda in the Dutch GP

Goodbye, Niki

Knowing when you’re done: it’s a crucial thing if you want to walk away with dignity. Niki Lauda had already stopped once, but it happened far too early, in September 1979. What turned out to a break fuelled a second wind, fully vindicated by that third world title. But now less than a year later Niki knew: this time it really was over.

He called it early, at the Austrian GP, part-way through a season during which his ‘affection’ for McLaren chief Ron Dennis was running on fumes. At 36, there was nothing left to prove – and Prost was now not only quicker, he’d also learnt all his tricks: about building a team around him, about maximising performance when it counted (on race day when the points are dished out). How lovely that a 25th and final victory should fall next time out, at Zandvoort, with a closing Prost just 0.2sec behind him.

Brabham’s F1, Nelson Piquet, Paul Ricard

Brabham’s last F1 win, Nelson Piquet, Paul Ricard.

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Piquet’s final Brabham hurrah

Bernie Ecclestone was becoming distracted by the bigger picture, and for Gordon Murray the returns of BMW’s potent turbos were beginning to diminish. Then there were Pirelli tyres, bolted on in the wake of Michelin’s withdrawal from F1 at the end of 1984. Only on certain occasions were they up to the job as two-time champ Nelson Piquet found himself sliding into uncomfortable also-ran territory. Except on a sweltering day at Paul Ricard. There was one final day in the sun for Piquet in a blue and white Brabham. The Italian rubber came into its own in the French GP and from an unpromising fifth on the grid Piquet led after 10 laps. The rest didn’t see him for the remainder of the afternoon.

Teo Fabi at the Nürburgring.

Toleman’s sole pole position was earnt by Teo Fabi at the Nürburgring.

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Fabi’s surprise pole

After the Senna-instigated highs of 1984, Toleman couldn’t finish a race this time around. Already bought up by sponsor Benetton, the team was on the cusp of a defining regeneration. But still, Rory Byrne loved his Hart-powered TG185 – once a Pirelli tyre supply was finally secured to bring it alive from Monaco on. Teo Fabi was back after his previous (miserable) stint at the team, pole at the 1983 Indy 500 and a promising run at Brabham – and the team loved him too. Especially at the Nürburgring where a fastest time on the Friday became a shock pole position when rain arrived on the Saturday.

But the Italian should never have taken the start. In a crash on the Saturday he’d head-butted the steering wheel and in his engineering debrief didn’t believe he was on pole. At his behest, the team kept his concussion quiet. Perhaps it’s no wonder Fabi fluffed the start.

New York city

So good they named it twice, but New York still couldn’t get its own grand prix

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No New York GP – again

It was considered as some sort of grail for Bernie Ecclestone. But for at least the third time of asking, a proposed grand prix in New York failed to materialise. We’re still waiting. Instead, John Webb – a contender for F1’s most forward-thinking and canny promoter – offered Brands Hatch for an autumn European GP. Bingo. Cue a landmark…

Brands Hatch 1985

Alain Prost’s fourth at Brands Hatch was enough for the title, but the race belonged to “lucky” Nigel Mansell,

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Mansell’s breakthrough

Humiliated by Peter Warr at Lotus – “he’ll never win a GP as long as I have a hole in my arse” etc – prickly, sensitive Nigel Mansell desperately needed this fresh start. He’d only landed the Williams drive after Derek Warwick had listened to journalist friends (what do they know?!) and stayed at Renault for another year. Rosberg wasn’t too impressed when he was told his new team-mate was Mansell, having been warned of histrionics by Lotus team-mate De Angelis. In fact, the pair operated in harmony in their single year together, as Williams began to hone its turbocharged partnership with the rising force of Honda.

Nigel Mansell laughs 1985

Brands Hatch was enough for the title, but the race belonged to “lucky” Nigel Mansell

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As we’ve said, Rosberg’s Silverstone heroics stand tall in the memory, but he also won in Detroit and took pole at Paul Ricard, where he snatched a late second place from a slowing Prost. Meanwhile, Mansell injured a wrist in a crash in Motown and didn’t make the start in France after suffering concussion from a practice prang. But by season’s end, he really began to fire on all cylinders. At Brands, Mansell claimed an early lead and took his chance as if he was born to it – at the 72nd time of asking since his F1 debut in 1980. Then immediately he followed it up with pole and another victory at Kyalami. The ‘real’ Mansell was uncorked – even if forever after Warr insisted on belligerently dismissing him as “lucky”.

Thirty-one grand prix wins? That’s an awful lot of luck.

Rosberg heading for a win at Adelaide 1985

Rosberg heading for a win at Adelaide during the season’s finale.

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Hello, Adelaide

The final sign-off for 1985 was a welcome first: the debut world championship Australian GP, held around the Victoria Park racecourse in delightful Adelaide. As you might have read earlier this year (Streets ahead, April 2025 issue), Ecclestone needed some convincing. “You must be the only person in Australia who doesn’t know I’m not interested in holding a race anywhere but Sydney,” he told Vern Schuppan. But one of Bernie’s strengths was a willingness to be proved wrong. When he changed his mind, it was a good decision. Adelaide’s street race became a much-loved F1 season finale venue for the next 11 years.

That first grand prix was won by Rosberg, a fitting sign-off for the 1982 world champion’s time at Williams – and what turned out to be his last F1 victory. He’d long decided on a move to replace Lauda at McLaren for what turned out to be his final F1 season. But that meant he walked away from the 1986 FW11 – Nelson Piquet’s gain.

The world title might have been decided early and in Prost’s favour, but Williams had won the final three grands prix of the year. As Jennifer Rush belted out her overwrought ballad at the top of the UK singles chart that winter, an F1 powershift was in full swing.

Andrea de Cesaris crash Austria 11985

Andrea de Cesaris walked away from a stupendous crash in Austria

‘De Crasheris’ lives up to the nickname

Poor old Andrea de Cesaris. He was never taken entirely seriously by us Brits. Yet the Italian survived across 16 seasons, from his debut at the end of 1980 with Alfa Romeo, on to McLaren, back to Alfa, to Ligier, Minardi, Brabham, Rial, Scuderia Italia, Jordan, Tyrrell, Jordan again and finally Sauber in 1994. All of it buoyed by Marlboro money – and a remarkable ability to bounce back from anything. Speaking of which, the barrel-rolling, cartwheeling shunt for Ligier at the Österreichring in the summer of 1985 is one from which he was truly lucky to escape. Covered in mud, he gingerly – and perhaps a touch sheepishly – strolled away from a monster of a shunt. No safety cars back then, of course, and no hint of a red flag. And why should there be? He was fine!


Gérard Larrousse 1985

Gérard Larrousse ran the Renault F1 factory team but the French wouldn’t be back for the following season

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What we don’t love about F1 in 1985

  • Fuel efficiency racing: McLaren’s Bosch electronics were a key aspect of the MP4/2B’s superiority in 1985. But throttling bombastic turbos in favour of fuel efficiency wasn’t exactly inspiring stuff. Was this Formula 1 or sports car racing?
  • Ferrari’s form droop from mid-season: How the team lost its way from late summer into autumn was a major downer. From Alboreto’s Nürburgring victory in August 1985, Ferrari wouldn’t win again for another 15 months. Thank goodness for John Barnard.

    Alfa Romeo in Benetton Brands

    Alfa Romeo, here in Benetton colours at Brands, bowed out of F1 after ’85.

  • So long, Renault and Alfa Romeo: Team chief Gérard Larrousse out; a change at the top of the parent company; worrying bigger-picture financial losses; and a disastrous decline in form. The fall of the Renault works team sure sounds familiar today. At least back then faith remained in its famous Viry-Châtillon engine division. Alfa Romeo also pulled the plug on its F1 team at the end of 1985 – although few would miss an entity that amounted to an embarrassment to the Quadrifoglio’s glorious past heritage.
  • Racing under Apartheid in South Africa: Hindsight’s a wonder and all that. But Formula 1 sticking by its commitment to Kyalami represented an endorsement of one of history’s most putrid political regimes. It’s a shameful smudge that won’t rub out. Renault and Ligier at least saved face by missing the final South African GP until 1992, by which time hated Apartheid had been abolished.

Next month: Why we love sports cars in 1985
Watch out for more details about our end of year dinner!