Alfa Romeo 185T
Formula One racing car
The Alfa Romeo 185T is a Formula One car that Alfa Romeo used during the 1985 season. The car was entered in 8 races, but without any success and suffering from poor reliability, the team returned to the previous year's car, the 184T, updated to 184TB specification.
This was the last Alfa Romeo Formula One car before their return with Sauber Engineering in 2019.
Engine
The car was powered by Alfa's own 890T, a 1.5 L turbocharged V8 engine which produced around 780 hp (582 kW) at 10,200 rpm.
According to Eddie Cheever in early 1985, the unloved 890T was due to be replaced by an 850 bhp (634 kW; 862 PS), 4 cylinder turbo engine dubbed the Alfa Romeo 415T at some point during the season. However, development on that engine was put on hold when it was decided to withdraw the Alfa Romeo team from Formula One altogether at the end of 1985. The 415T would briefly be revived in a short lived and ill-fated association with the French Ligier team in 1987, but unfavourable comments about the engine by Ligier's lead driver René Arnoux saw parent company Fiat pull the plug on both the engine and the deal with Ligier before it ever got to race in Formula One.
Racing history
Driven by Patrese, the 185T was involved in an accident on lap 16 of the Monaco Grand Prix. Nelson Piquet in his Brabham-BMW was attempting to pass Patrese along the pit straight. Patrese moved across on his former Brabham teammate and put the Brazilian into the guardrail.
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