1982 Detroit Grand Prix

Previous race

Monaco produced one of the most chaotic finishes in years. Alain Prost built a commanding lead before crashing in the closing laps in the rain. Riccardo Patrese inherited the lead but spun and stalled. Didier Pironi, Andrea de Cesaris, and Derek Daly all held potential winning positions on the final lap but each ran out of fuel and stopped. Patrese managed to bump-start his car by coasting downhill, completed the lap, and took his first Formula One victory. After the race, Prost — who had led the championship — now leads by one point from Watson and two from Pironi.

Championship standings

Prost, Watson, and Pironi are separated by two points. The championship has swung dramatically across the last several rounds.

Entrants

Ferrari continue to run only one car, for Pironi, with no replacement named yet for Villeneuve.

Circuit

This is the inaugural Detroit Grand Prix — the first Formula One race held on the streets of the city. Organisational problems have affected the build-up: extra practice planned for Thursday was cancelled and the opening qualifying session on Friday was postponed, leaving only a one-hour Saturday morning session to determine the grid. The tight turns and low average speeds make it the slowest circuit of the season, slower even than Monaco.