27 Rosso | Michele Alboreto Tribute Website

Alboreto on the Podium at the German GP 1985

Victories

Michele didn't win as much as he deserved.
5 Victories in Formula 1, the European Formula 3 Championship, and especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997, were the Highlights of his Career
The best year in Formula 1 was in the 1985 World Championship. When he was in the lead for most of the season, he had to retire 4 times in the last 5 Races for Engine and Turbo failures

June 5, 1983-United States Grand Prix Detroit Circuit

Summary

Tyrrell's Michele Alboreto scored his second Grand Prix win and first points of the season, after inheriting the lead from Nelson Piquet with just nine laps to go when the Brabham driver stopped to replace a deflating rear tire. The tight downtown street course took away much of the advantage of the turbocharged cars. Over 70,000 fans enjoyed beautiful weather for the race on Sunday. The boats on the Detroit River, the blaring music and the floods of people from the downtown hotels created quite an atmosphere, inevitably bringing comparisons to Monaco, as the Long Beach event often did.

The race

The first attempt at a start was halted just as the green light was about to come on, when Andrea de Cesaris signalled from the grid that his Alfa Romeo had stalled. The whole process was begun again, with another pace lap that reduced the race distance from 61 laps to 60, and this time the green light came on. This time, however, Patrick Tambay's Ferrari, in the second row, stalled on the grid! He held his breath while everyone made their way safely around him, and then, expecting a push-start, instead was removed from the circuit by tow truck!

Piquet made an excellent start and beat Arnoux to Turn One. He led after the first lap, with Arnoux ahead of de Angelis. The two leaders quickly began to separate themselves from the rest, while a four-way nose-to-tail battle raged for fourth. On lap five, Cheever retired with ignition failure, de Angelis forfeited third place with a broken gearbox. Arnoux, after steadily closing the gap to Piquet, overtook the Brabham into Turn One and gained the lead on lap 10, but on lap 32 just three laps after his pit stop, Arnoux suddenly coasted to a halt on the circuit with an electrical failure.

When Laffite pitted, Piquet was back in the lead, with Alboreto up to second and Rosberg third, 25 seconds back. Suddenly, on lap 51, Piquet slowed with a punctured left rear tire, and as he made his way back to the pits, Alboreto and Rosberg went by. All that was left was for Alboreto to bring the Tyrrell home over the final nine laps, taking it rather easy since he was too far in front for Rosberg to catch him.