Date 15 October 1983 Weather Dry | Course length 4.104 km (2.55 mi) | |
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Location Kyalami
Gauteng, South Africa Course Permanent racing facility Distance 77 laps, 316.008 km (196.358 mi) | ||
The 1983 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 15 October 1983. It was the final race of the 1983 Formula One season.
Before the race, three drivers were still in a position to win the World Drivers' Championship: Alain Prost (Renault) led the championship with 57 points, followed by Nelson Piquet (Brabham-BMW) with 55 and René Arnoux (Ferrari) with 49. Piquet qualified second, behind Patrick Tambay (Ferrari) in pole position and ahead of Riccardo Patrese (Brabham), Arnoux and Prost in third, fourth and fifth. At the start Piquet passed Tambay to take the lead, with Patrese moving into second place. Arnoux retired with engine failure on lap 9. Prost fought his way up to third place, but he also retired on lap 35 with turbo failure. Needing only to finish fourth or higher, Piquet slowed and was overtaken by Patrese, Niki Lauda (McLaren) and Andrea de Cesaris (Alfa Romeo). Lauda's engine failed on lap 71. The race finished with Patrese in first place, de Cesaris in second and Piquet in third, and Piquet won the championship by two points. John Watson, completing his last full Formula One season, was disqualified for overtaking other cars on the parade lap.