1982 San Marino Grand Prix

Lore & Background

The 60-lap race was won by Frenchman Didier Pironi, driving a Ferrari, with Canadian teammate Gilles Villeneuve second and Italian Michele Alboreto third in a Tyrrell-Ford. After the Renaults of René Arnoux and Alain Prost retired, Villeneuve led from Pironi before the Ferrari team ordered both drivers to slow down, with Alboreto far behind. Villeneuve interpreted this as an order to maintain position; Pironi did not and overtook Villeneuve on the final lap, infuriating the Canadian, who vowed never to speak to Pironi again. Villeneuve died in a crash during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks later.

In Their Own Story

The roar of the V6 turbo engines faded into a sickening crunch of carbon fiber and aluminum. Dust billowed from the Variante Bassa as Gilles sat in his smoking cockpit, staring through the visor at the car he had just been told to protect. He watched Didier's red Ferrari limp away, its rear wing askew but still moving toward the line. The silence that followed was heavier than the noise of the crowd. In that moment, the camaraderie that usually defined the Scuderia evaporated, replaced by a cold, hard realization: the car had won, but the team had lost its soul.

Reader's Guide

The race was boycotted by most FOCA-aligned teams, including Brabham, McLaren, Williams and Lotus, but Tyrrell, Osella, ATS and Toleman broke the boycott. The Renaults qualified first and second but failed in the race, leaving Ferrari first and second. Manfred Winkelhock was disqualified for his ATS-Ford being underweight in post-race scrutineering. Despite the boycott, the race counted towards the World Championship.

Did You Know?

• Only 14 cars started the race due to the boycott.
• Gilles Villeneuve finished second, not retired.
• The Ferrari team ordered both drivers to slow down, leading to a controversial final-lap pass.
• Manfred Winkelhock was disqualified for an underweight car.