1982 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1982 Belgian Grand Prix was Round 5 of the 1982 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held at the Zolder circuit in Belgium on Sunday, 9 May 1982. Alain Prost started on pole position for Renault and John Watson was the race winner in the McLaren Ford.

This event is sadly but rightly always remembered most for the horrific accident on Saturday afternoon which claimed the life of the great Canadian Gilles Villeneuve. During qualifying, whilst trying to better his Ferrari team-mate Didier Pironi’s provisional pole time, Villeneuve attempted to overtake Jochen Mass‘ March on the run down to the Terlamenbocht corner but struck the back of the German’s slower car. At over 120mph, Villeneuve’s Ferrari 126C2 was launched high up into the air and, as the car somersaulted violently off the circuit, Villeneuve was thrown out of the wreckage and into a catch fence. Although he was taken to hospital in Louvain, he had sustained a broken neck in the accident and was tragically pronounced dead later that evening. As a mark of respect, Ferrari subsequently withdrew Pironi from the race.

Brazilian Chico Serra scored his first and only world championship point by finishing 6th after Niki Lauda was disqualified. This would prove to be the final point scored by the Fittipaldi team.

1982 Belgian Grand Prix Race Result
Pos.No.DriverNationalityTeamTyreLapsTime/RetiredRace TimeGapIntervalBest LapLapSpeedStartedPoints
17John WatsonGreat BritainMcLaren FordMichelin701:35:41.9951:35:41.995--1:20.21467187.047109
26Keke RosbergFinlandWilliams FordGoodyear70+7.2681:35:49.263+7.268+7.2681:20.79746186.81036
325Eddie CheeverUnited StatesLigier MatraMichelin69+1 lap1:36:07.2101 lap1 lap1:20.78960183.568144
411Elio de AngelisItalyLotus FordGoodyear68+2 laps1:36:33.9872 laps1 lap1:21.55748180.072113
51Nelson PiquetBrazilBrabham BMWGoodyear67+3 laps1:35:58.4343 laps1 lap1:22.28426178.51982
620Chico SerraBrazilFittipaldi FordPirelli67+3 laps1:36:10.5383 laps+12.1041:23.52014178.145231
729Marc SurerSwitzerlandArrows FordPirelli66+4 laps1:35:51.5024 laps1 lap1:24.56413176.06722
818Raul BoeselBrazilMarch FordPirelli66+4 laps1:35:59.8254 laps+8.3231:25.06110175.81224
926Jacques LaffiteFranceLigier MatraMichelin66+4 laps1:36:10.3824 laps+10.5571:20.54945175.49117
DSQ8Niki LaudaAustriaMcLaren FordMichelin70Disqualified1:36:50.1321:20.88515184.8534
DNF5Derek DalyIrelandWilliams FordGoodyear60Spun Off1:22:56.6021:20.99560184.98413
DNF17Jochen MassGermanyMarch FordPirelli60Engine1:25:10.4891:22.93421180.13725
DNF15Alain ProstFranceRenaultMichelin59Spun Off1:23:46.8781:21.22344180.0811
DNF2Riccardo PatreseItalyBrabham BMWGoodyear52Spun Off1:11:57.6731:21.70947184.7869
DNF30Mauro BaldiItalyArrows FordPirelli51Throttle1:37:10.0341:24.94549134.21926
DNF31Jean-Pierre JarierFranceOsella FordPirelli37Broken Wing55:34.3381:22.50815170.25814
DNF22Andrea de CesarisItalyAlfa RomeoMichelin34Gearbox46:45.5681:20.68916185.9406
DNF4Brian HentonGreat BritainTyrrell FordGoodyear33Engine48:05.7951:23.01821175.45420
DNF3Michele AlboretoItalyTyrrell FordGoodyear29Engine40:14.4721:21.73217184.2855
DNF35Derek WarwickGreat BritainToleman HartPirelli29Transmission44:47.6581:23.1485165.55419
DNF36Teo FabiItalyToleman HartPirelli13Brakes31:21.4141:25.6883106.01621
DNF12Nigel MansellGreat BritainLotus FordGoodyear9Clutch13:18.6801:22.5068172.8967
DNF16René ArnouxFranceRenaultMichelin7Turbo16:04.7781:22.9183111.3232
DNF9Manfred WinkelhockGermanyATS FordMichelinClutch12
DNF23Bruno GiacomelliItalyATS FordMichelinCollision15
DNF10Eliseo SalazarChileAlfa RomeoMichelinCollision18
WD28Didier PironiFranceFerrariGoodyearWithdrew
DNQ27Gilles VilleneuveCanadaFerrariGoodyearFatal accident
DNQ14Roberto GuerreroColombiaEnsign FordAvon
DNQ33Jan LammersNetherlandsTheodore FordAvon
DNPQ32Riccardo PalettiItalyOsella FordPirelli
DNPQ19Emilio de VillotaSpainMarch FordPirelli