There was only a week between the British and French GPs but the F1 teams still found time to switch around a little with Nigel Mansell deciding that his wrist was not properly healed. He thus stood down and Geoff Lees drove the second Lotus.

Qualifying saw the expected result of a Renault 1-2 with René Arnoux ahead of Alain Prost. Didier Pironi, the World Championship leader, was third in his Ferrari but fourth place went to Riccardo Patrese's Brabham-BMW which forced Patrick Tambay (Ferrari) down to fifth place. Nelson Piquet (Brabham) made it six turbos in the top six places. The Alfa Romeo V12s were next with Andrea de Cesaris just outqualifying Bruno Giacomelli and then came the Cosworth men led by Niki Lauda (McLaren) and Keke Rosberg (Williams).

Arnoux took the lead at the start with Prost second but it was quickly clear that the Brabhams were very competitive as Patrese and Piquet moved into second and third places. On the third lap Patrese went ahead and next time around Piquet was second. It looked as though the team was planning to use its pitstop strategy. But on the eighth lap Patrese disappeared with an engine failure.

There was a spectacular accident on the 11th lap when Jochen Mass (March) and Mauro Baldi (Arrows) tangled at Signes. Mass's car hit the barriers and flew over them, landing upside-down in a spectator area. The car caught fire but Mass quickly scrambled out. Several spectators received injuries but incredibly no-one was killed.

On lap 24 Piquet departed in similar fashion, leaving the two Renault to lead the two Ferraris home: Arnoux, Prost, Pironi and Tambay making it a French 1-2-3-4. Rosberg finished fifth and Michele Alboreto sixth for Tyrrell.

Things were not happy in the Renault team, however, as Prost felt that he should have been given the win to aid his World Championship hopes. Arnoux did not agree.