Andrea de Cesaris: Encyclopedia II - Andrea de Cesaris - 1982 - 1983 Alfa Romeo

Andrea de Cesaris - 1982 - 1983 Alfa Romeo

Moving back to Alfa Romeo in 1982, de Cesaris showed what he was capable of. He became the youngest man ever at that point to take pole position, at the Long Beach Grand Prix. But his immaturity was also on display. Lapping a slower car, de Cesaris waves his fist wildly, only to miss a gear and let Niki Lauda get past. He crashed out later. From this point onwards, de Cesaris was nearly always seen by most in the paddock as prone to occasional brilliance but more often than not, erratic behaviour. 1982 saw a podium finish at Monte Carlo and another point in Canada.

1983 showed just how unfair his reputation was. de Cesaris rarely produced a mediocre performance. He came close to winning at Spa-Francorchamps, after leading for much of the race. He also scored second places in the German and South African races.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "1982 - 1983 Alfa Romeo", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki