HistoryData
general1985

1985 Dutch Grand Prix — Formula One motor race held in 1985

August 25, 1985

Niki Lauda secured his 25th and final Formula One victory at Zandvoort, and the race marked the last Dutch Grand Prix for 36 years.

Quick Facts

Year
1985
Category
general

Key Facts

Race distance
298 km over 70 laps
Circuit length
4 km
Championship round
11th round of 1985 season
Lauda's victory tally
25th and final career win
Dutch GP number
34th World Championship Dutch GP
Next Dutch GP
2021, won by Max Verstappen

By the Numbers

298
Race distance
4
Circuit length
11
Championship round
25
Lauda's victory tally

Location

Map of Zandvoort, NetherlandsMap of Zandvoort, NetherlandsZandvoort, Netherlands

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

The 1985 Formula One World Championship brought the field to Circuit Zandvoort for the eleventh round of the season. Niki Lauda, driving for McLaren-TAG alongside teammate Alain Prost, entered the race as a multiple World Champion seeking to add to his career win total.

Event

On 25 August 1985, Niki Lauda won the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, completing 70 laps of the four-kilometre circuit. Alain Prost finished second, and Ayrton Senna took third place in his Lotus-Renault. The event was also the final Grand Prix appearance of West German driver Stefan Bellof.

Consequence

Lauda's victory proved to be the 25th and last of his Formula One career. Stefan Bellof was killed the following week at the 1000 km of Spa sportscar race. The Dutch Grand Prix was then absent from the calendar for 36 years, returning only in 2021 when Max Verstappen won at a revised Zandvoort circuit.

Result

Niki Lauda (McLaren-TAG)
1st: Lauda, 2nd: Prost, 3rd: Senna
Alain Prost (McLaren-TAG)

at Circuit Zandvoort, Netherlands

Niki Lauda's 25th and final Formula One Grand Prix victory

Timeline Context

Timeline around 19851985198219831984198619871988World Chess Championship 1985 — competition for the world title in chess1985 FIFA World Youth Championship — Sports season1985 IAAF World Indoor Games — 1985 edition of the IAAF World Indoor Games1985–86 UEFA Cup — 15th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFANakba — expulsion and flight of 750,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Palestine war1985 Formula One World Championship — sports season1985 CONCACAF Championship — 1985 edition of the CONCACAF Championship association football competitionEuroBasket 1985 — edition of the basketball tournament of 19851985-dutch-grand-prix-formula-one-motor-race-held-in-1985-1985