German Grand Prix
Hockenheimring
Grand Prix starting grid
Race starts
Grid positions from race-result records; not a separately verified pre-race grid.
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | Renault |
| 2 | René Arnoux | Renault |
| 3 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams |
| 4 | Alan Jones | Williams |
| 5 | Didier Pironi | Ferrari |
| 6 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham |
| 7 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier |
| 8 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari |
| 9 | John Watson | McLaren |
| 10 | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren |
| 11 | Patrick Tambay | Ligier |
| 12 | Mario Andretti | Alfa Romeo |
| 13 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows |
| 14 | Elio de Angelis | Team Lotus |
| 15 | Nigel Mansell | Team Lotus |
| 16 | Hector Rebaque | Brabham |
| 17 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Osella |
| 17 | Bruno Giacomelli | Alfa Romeo |
| 18 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell |
| 21 | Derek Daly | March |
| 22 | Marc Surer | Theodore |
| 23 | Eliseo Salazar | Ensign |
| 26 | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows |
| 28 | Slim Borgudd | ATS |