1984 French Grand Prix

1984 French Grand Prix
Race 5 of 16 in the 1984 Formula One World Championship
Race details
Date	20 May 1984
Official name	70e Grand Prix de France[1]
Location	Dijon-Prenois, Dijon, France
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	3.801 km (2.361 miles)
Distance	79 laps, 300.279 km (186.519 miles)
Weather	Dry
Pole position
Driver	Patrick Tambay	Renault
Time	1:02.200
Fastest lap
Driver	Alain Prost	McLaren-TAG
Time	1:05.257 on lap 59
Podium
First	Niki Lauda	McLaren-TAG
Second	Patrick Tambay	Renault
Third	Nigel Mansell	Lotus-Renault
Lap leaders

The 1984 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon-Prenois near Dijon, France on 20 May 1984. It was race 5 of 16 in the 1984 FIA Formula One World Championship.

This was the final Formula One race to be held at the 3.801 km (2.362 mi) Dijon-Prenois circuit, as it was deemed too short by governing body FISA. Fittingly in France, Frenchman Patrick Tambay, in the all-French team (French car, French engine, French tyres and French fuel) scored the Equipe Renault team's last pole position until their return to the sport in 2002.

Double World Champion Niki Lauda won the race in his McLaren-TAG, his first win in France since 1975. Tambay finished second in his Renault RE50, with the Lotus-Renault of Nigel Mansell third. Lauda's team-mate and World Championship leader, Alain Prost, could only manage seventh after he was forced to pit to change a loose wheel.

Andrea de Cesaris failed to qualify his Ligier, but nonetheless started the race and finished tenth. De Cesaris' Friday qualifying time was disallowed when his car's onboard fire extinguisher was found to be empty, before rain in the Saturday session prevented him from setting a time fast enough to make the grid. Ligier took the bizarre step of withdrawing their second car, driven by François Hesnault (who had qualified 14th), in order to allow de Cesaris to start 26th and last.