The sound? A high-pitched shriek, then a wastegate chatter like gunfire. Drivers wrestled violent turbo lag—nothing, nothing, NOTHING, then a tidal wave of torque mid-corner.
Here’s why 1983 matters more than you think.
All eyes were on Renault’s Alain Prost (the "Professor") and Ferrari’s René Arnoux (the fiery Frenchman). They traded wins, crashes, and insults. Prost was smooth; Arnoux was chaos. 1983 f1 season
And it proved that in F1, the quiet ones—with the biggest turbos—are the most dangerous. Would you have preferred Prost to win on consistency, or was Piquet’s raw speed the right call? Drop your take below. 👇
Except… the FIA had a weird rule: only the 11 best results counted (from 15 races). Prost had more lower-point finishes to drop. When they recalculated, Piquet won by . The sound
The paddock exploded. Renault cried foul. But the rules were rules. Piquet, the quiet outsider, took his second title. Prost? He’d have to wait two more years.
1983 was the last year without a mandatory super license. Pay drivers still roamed—some terrifyingly slow. But more chilling: the danger. No carbon fiber chassis yet. No halo. No medical car requirement. Here’s why 1983 matters more than you think
Prost led the championship. But Piquet, driving brilliantly, won the race. Prost finished 2nd. On pure points, Piquet was world champion.