1982 U.S. Grand Prix – West

This is the complete race as broadcast on LIVE TV.

The United States Grand Prix West was held in Long Beach, California. Interest in Formula 1 racing in
America had reached its zenith in the early 80’s, thanks in part to more television coverage, but mostly
because of the recent split between USAC and CART. Tired of the politics, and the somewhat
diminishing talent needed to fill the starting grids in two race series, many open-wheel racing fans
turned to F1 coverage. The U.S. Grand Prix West in Long Beach was one of three races held in America
in 1982, with Detroit and Las Vegas being the other two (this would be the last time American fans
would see three F1 races held on American soil in a single season). There was big news heading into the
U.S. Grand Prix West, as Carlos Reutemann surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from
Formula 1. The Williams Team scrambled to find a replacement driver, ending up with Mario Andretti.
In qualifying, Andrea de Cesaris took pole position in his Alfa Romeo ahead of Niki Lauda’s McLaren,
then came the two Renaults of Rene Arnoux and Alain Prost. Also in the top 10 were Nelson Piquet and
Gilles Villeneuve, with Villeneuve sporting an experimental rear wing on the back of his Ferrari.

At the start, de Cesaris went into the lead, and Lauda had a poor start. On lap six, Bruno Giacomelli
(Alfa Romeo) tried to pass Niki Lauda, and in doing so collided with Rene Arnoux. Both Giacomelli and
Arnoux retired, leaving Lauda to chase Andrea de Cesaris, a driver that was known to crack under
pressure. By the ninth lap, John Watson (McLaren) moved up to a third place. On lap 15, Niki Lauda took
the lead from de Cesaris, and began to pull away. Six laps later, Gilles Villeneuve tried to pass Keke
Rosberg, and ended up in an escape road. On lap 26, Nelson Piquet made a mistake and hit the wall, and
nine laps later Andrea de Cesaris crashed just as his engine blew up. The race ended with Niki Lauda
enjoying a rather large lead, followed by Keke Rosberg and Gilles Villeneuve. After the race,
Villeneuve’s rear wing on his Ferrari was deemed illegal, so third place went to Riccardo Patrese.

This video is nice and clear, but has some Japanese subtitles, a few places where there is some
Japanese commentary, and some commentary from American broadcasters, but the bulk of this
broadcast is from legendary BBC commentators Murray Walker and James Hunt.