1982 United States Grand Prix West
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 3 of 16 in the 1982 Formula One season | |||
 |
|||
| Date | April 4, 1982 | ||
| Official name | 7th Toyota United States Grand Prix West | ||
| Location | Long Beach, California | ||
| Course | Temporary street course | ||
| Course length | 3.428 km (2.13 mi) | ||
| Distance | 75.5 laps, 258.815 km (160.82 mi) | ||
| Weather | Clear and warm with temperatures reaching up to 63.9 °F (17.7 °C); wind speeds approaching speeds up to 11.8 miles per hour (19.0 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Alfa Romeo | ||
| Time | 1:27.316 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Niki Lauda
|
McLaren-Ford | |
| Time | 1:30.831 on lap 12 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Ford | ||
| Second | Williams-Ford | ||
| Third | Brabham-Ford | ||
The 1982 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on April 4, 1982, at the temporary street circuit at Long Beach, California.
In his third race since returning from a self-imposed two-year "retirement," Austrian Niki Lauda won the seventh United States Grand Prix West at Long Beach, ahead of Keke Rosberg. It was the 18th victory of Lauda's career, and his first for McLaren. Canada's Gilles Villeneuve crossed the line in third, but he was disqualified after the race when a protest of his Ferrari's rear wing was upheld by the officials.
Just five days after the previous race in Brazil, Carlos Reutemann had shocked his boss Frank Williams, and everyone else in the paddock, by announcing his retirement! When former World Champion (for Williams) Alan Jones insisted he was not available, Williams contacted another former Champion, American Mario Andretti. His commitment to the Patrick Indy racing team posed no conflicts, so he agreed to drive the second Williams for the weekend, saying, "I had nothing else to do, so I accepted."
Significant changes had been made to the course since the previous year's race. The Queen's Hairpin at the end of Shoreline Drive had been transformed into a right-angle turn that led into a new section of track with several demanding corners, leading up to Ocean Boulevard. On the other end of the course, the short straight at the bottom of the hill from Linden Avenue had been lengthened and a chicane had been inserted near the beginning of the curving Shoreline Drive "straight," in anticipation of the pits being moved there from Ocean Boulevard. The changes increased the length of the lap only slightly, but added about ten seconds to the previous year's times as the drivers became acclimated to the new layout.
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