The 72-lap race was won by René Arnoux, driving a Ferrari, with team-mate Patrick Tambay second and John Watson third in a McLaren-Ford. Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet collided midway through the race while challenging for the lead, allowing Arnoux to move into second in the Drivers' Championship, eight points behind Prost. However, this would turn out to be Arnoux's last Formula One victory.
The race saw McLaren debut the new Porsche-built TAGturbo engine. Niki Lauda drove the TAG-powered MP4/1E car, while Watson continued with the Ford-powered McLaren. However, Lauda could only qualify 19th, four places behind Watson, and retired on lap 26 with a brake failure. Watson's third place was the last time a car with a naturally aspirated engine would legally finish on a Formula One podium until the 1988 Canadian Grand Prix.