1983 United States Grand Prix West

Championship standings

Piquet leads with 9 points after winning in Brazil. Lauda holds second with 4 points from his third-place finish; FISA left the vacant second-place points unadjusted rather than promote any driver. Laffite, Tambay, and Surer round out the scorers.

Previous race

Piquet won the Brazilian opener in the new Brabham BT52 after passing Rosberg on lap seven and never surrendering the lead. Rosberg recovered from a pit-lane fire to finish second on the road but was disqualified for receiving a push start. FISA left the second-place points vacant — an unprecedented decision. Prost, troubled by vibration throughout, retired on lap 46.

Entrants

Alan Jones, the 1980 World Champion, replaces Chico Serra at Arrows — a comeback after two years away from Formula One. Jones is still recovering from a broken hip sustained when he fell from a horse at his farm in Australia.

The Long Beach circuit has been modified since 1982. The alternate route on Seaside Way — including a tunnel under the Long Beach Convention Center — frees up Ocean Boulevard, one of the city’s main thoroughfares. The pit lane moves to the long, curving Shoreline Drive section, reuniting the start and finish lines for the first time since 1977.

Milestones

This is the 300th championship Grand Prix start for Lotus.

Race organiser Chris Pook has decided to switch Long Beach to the CART IndyCar series from 1984; this is the final running of the United States Grand Prix West as a Formula One event.