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.
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 . 1983 f1 season
For years, turbos were unreliable jokes. Not in ’83. Ferrari, Renault, BMW, and Honda (with Williams) turned engines into bombs with wheels. Qualifying boost pressures approached 5 bar —over 1,400 hp in short bursts. Engines that lasted one race, if lucky. 1983 was the last year without a mandatory super license