Postcards From Detroit - Remembering Formula 1 in the Motor City

By: Roger Hart .

No one would ever confuse Motown with Monaco, but in the 1980s the two cities had at least one thing in common: both were hosts to grand prix. In 1982, in an effort to showcase the home of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler as a world-class city, community leaders lured Formula 1 into running a 2.5-mile course on the bumpy streets around Detroit’s Renaissance Center.

After seven years and five different winners—John Watson, Michele Alboreto, Nelson Piquet, Keke Rosberg, and Ayrton Senna—the races left Detroit, never to return. Now Roger Hart invites you to travel back to an event with drivers, teams, and sponsors who somehow don’t seem as far in the past as the years would suggest. With dramatic photos and insightful observations, Hart captures the event’s rich stories and distinctly American atmosphere. His photographs also illuminate how much the sport has changed in the past two decades, not only on the track but in its overall ambience.

Drivers who were a part of the fabric of Formula 1 during that period are shown at work and at rest, and it is a pleasure to see their faces once again: Gerhard Berger, Thierry Boutsen, Martin Brundle, Ivan Capelli, Eddie Cheever, Elio de Angelis, Stefan Johansson, Nigel Mansell, Satoru Nakajima, Didier Pironi, Marc Surer, Patrick Tambay, and Derek Warwick are just some of the drivers captured in Hart’s photographs.

The leading teams of Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, and Williams—all of which are still at the fore today—competed against a host of now-defunct teams, including Alfa Romeo, Arrows, Benetton, Brabham, Coloni, EuroBrun, Leyton House, Ligier, Lola, Lotus, Osella, Toleman, Tyrrell, and Zakspeed. These teams were sponsored by prominent companies no longer associated with grand prix racing, such as Goodyear, John Player, Lotto, Olivetti, Parmalat, Segafredo, and USF&G, among many others.

Enjoy this return to the Detroit Grand Prix and Formula 1 in the 1980s, and prepare yourself for the strong memories evoked by these compelling photographs.

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