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The 1980s were marked by pop culture, start of the Cold War and an economic downturn worldwide. Beatrix became queen of the Netherlands and Joop Zoetemelk wins the Tour de France. Zandvoort in 1985 hosts the last Grand Prix until 2021, where Niki Lauda crosses the finish line first.
Development of turbo and electronic assistance
These were the years of turbocharged engines. In 1983 Gerhard Berger achieved speeds above 350 km/h and there was talk of Nelson Piquet achieving 1250hp. FIA adjusted the rules the following year, allowing the production of around 700hp. In addition to the turbo, Formula 1 teams from the 1980s also developed electronic aids such as the active suspension that allowed them to automatically adjust the position of the cars.
Racing legends of the 80's
The 80’s were dominated by 2 greats. Alain Prost became world champion no less than 3 times and won a total of 51 Grand Prix. His rival Nelson Piquet also became world champion 3 times in these decades. In addition, racing legend Ayrton Senna made his F1 debut in 1984.
In 1985, the provisional last Grand Prix was held at the Circuit of Zandvoort. A total of 70 laps were driven. Lauda crossed the finish line first, followed by Prost and Senna. Zandvoort faced financial problems and also had to deal with the noise pollution law which made it impossible to organize another Formula 1 race.
The first cars with four-wheel drive
The cars of the 1980s were characterized by standardization and front-wheel and four-wheel drive. In addition, there came a rapid increase in engine power. New cars of this era include the Opel Kadett, Fiat Uno and Peugeot 405.
Hits from the 80's
In these years people sang along to Take on Me, Dont you (forget about me) and played air guitar on Sweet Child o’mine. These were the years of American pop and charity concerts. Madonna and Michael Jackson were on the charts.