Grand Prix Gold: Europe 1983

AUTOSPORT relives the great races of the past: Nelson Piquet's Brands Hatch win sets up a final round decider with Alain Prost in the 1983 title race, while Ferrari's hopes faded

So now we are down to three, probably two. At Brands Hatch last Sunday, Patrick Tambay's brakeless Ferrari slid into the Druids barrier, and he was finally out of the world championship reckoning. And earlier in the race Rene Arnoux spun himself out of fifth place. From being two points off the championship lead, Rene is now eight behind – with but a single remaining race. Ferrari will win the constructors' cup, but there is little chance of a Maranello man taking the drivers' title.

No, unless Arnoux wins in South Africa, with Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet out of the picture, the 1983 world champion will be in a Renault or Brabham. At Brands Nelson scored his second dominant victory in a fortnight, the Brabham-BMW behaving perfectly throughout. Such was Piquet's superiority that he could afford a lengthy pitstop (thanks to a faulty air hammer) without coming under threat.

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