On April 10, 1983, Keke Rosberg won the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, a result that still carries a neat historical footnote. It was not a world championship round, and Formula 1 never staged another non-championship race after it.
Rosberg arrived as the reigning world champion and did the uncomplicated part properly: he took pole position, controlled the race and won for Williams. Behind him, Danny Sullivan finished second for Tyrrell and Alan Jones was third for Arrows, giving the result a slightly odd, one-off quality that suited the occasion.
What makes the race memorable now is less the championship significance, because there was none, than its place in the sport’s evolution. For decades, non-title Formula 1 events had offered teams extra running, local prestige and the occasional opening for outsiders. By 1983, the calendar and the business of Formula 1 had moved on. The Race of Champions was effectively the end of an older way of doing things.
That gives Rosberg’s victory a small but durable importance. He did not just win another spring race at Brands Hatch. He won the last chapter of a format Formula 1 quietly outgrew. The sport became bigger, richer and more tightly organised. It also became less likely to produce afternoons like that one.
FAQ
What was the 1983 Race of Champions?
It was a non-championship Formula 1 race held at Brands Hatch on April 10, 1983.
Who won the final non-championship Formula 1 race?
Keke Rosberg won it for Williams.
