It was March 27… the biggest comeback in F1 history

From 1976 to 1983, California hosted the Formula 1 on the Long Beach street circuit. And for the last edition of this Grand Prix, during the 1983 season, the race was, to say the least… eventful. John Watson, pilot McLaren originally from Northern Ireland, is the author of the biggest comeback in Formula 1 history, starting from 22nd place.

Catastrophic qualifications

At that time, there were three different tire brands on the grid: Goodyear, Pirelli and Michelin. The teams are then free to choose their tire partner. At McLaren, the choice fell towards the Clermont-based brand. A choice that the English team will regret from the Free Practice in Long Beach. John Watson and Niki Lauda are nowhere. In qualifying, they ranked 22nd and 23rd on the grid. The Michelin tires are catastrophic in this exercise: to find the first driver wearing the tires of the French firm, you have to go down to 8th place, with Alain Prost and Renault RE40.

Drivers wearing Michelin tires have no grip on the Californian track. So how could the situation completely reverse itself overnight? How can you go from 22nd place to 1st by simply completing 75 laps of the race?

The McLaren MP4/1C, driven by John Watson and Niki Lauda, ​​in 1983. ©Rainer Schlegelmilch

The carnage of Long Beach

In reality, nothing will change, or almost nothing. Quite simply, this second round of season 83 is a real slaughter. Lauda and Watson will fight their way to the checkered flag. Over the 75 laps of the Long Beach Grand Prix, there were no less than 15 retirements! Add to that drivers, like Alain Prost, who also experienced major problems with their car but without having given up.

The two McLaren teammates form a perfect couple on March 27, 1983. Niki Lauda is in front, but John Watson follows him like his shadow. In the 5th round, they are 20th and 21st, in the 16th round, they are in 12th and 13th place. 12 laps later, Lauda is 3rd and Watson 4th. It was on the 33rd lap that the Belfast native overtook the Austrian. The royal road will continue to open up in front of the McLaren drivers who will end up overtaking Patrese and Laffite, too busy fighting. The English team takes the checkered flag and signs an incredible double, starting from 22nd and 23rd position.

Can we talk about the luckiest victory in the history of Formula 1? Certainly. To have a car that is undriveable because of the tires that do not exceed 60 degrees, to start 22nd place on the grid and to win the Grand Prix requires a real stroke of luck. “Don’t ask me how I did it!” jokes John Watson at the end of the race. No one can expect to win from that far away. But if I understood correctly, our victory was favored by a few incidents that occurred up front. » 

“There is no point in running, you have to start on time. ", said Jean de La Fontaine in his fable The bunny and the turtle. So, this Long Beach Grand Prix can be, in some way, a reference to this famous proverb. The McLarens in the role of the tortoise, and all the other teams in the role of the hare…

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