On March 27, 1985, John Watson and Niki Lauda succeeded in a unique performance in the history of Formula 1. At the Grand Prize of the USA West, the two McLaren-Ford pilots celebrate a double victory-after they had started from places 22 and 23. A hussar ride that is still unparalleled today.
It was a combination of daring overtaking maneuvers, happy coincidences in the course of the race and significantly improved tires with the two pilots who gave the McLaren team the first double victory in 15 years and the second.
The weekend for the second World Cup run of the 1983 season started for the English racing team. The Woking team had major problems with its Michelin tires, did not get on tours in the training and qualifying.
>> The Formula 1 season 1983 in the Sport.de database
The French tire manufacturer had provided a mixture that benefited the teams, which already went back to turbo engines – especially Renault and Brabham. McLaren was not yet part of the start of the season, but was still the displeasure of the technology fanatic Niki Lauda with performance-based Ford-Augagen.
The team had big problems with the lighter, non -fully -tied vehicles on Saturday at temperature and speed.
Only places 22 and 23 in the starting line -up
With a huge gap of four seconds to Polesetter Patrick Tambay in Ferrari, the two old masters only qualified in places 22 and 23 for the starting line -up on race Sunday. The direct competition of Ferrari, Williams or Lotus on Goodyear or Pirelli-Pneus had significantly fewer problems on the converted Long Beach Grand Prix Circuit, which was also considered the “Monte Carlo of the USA” in the 1980s.
Almost starting from the end of the field, the McLaren then took some time to get on tours. Then Watson and Lauda became faster and faster and plowed through the field almost in step. One after the other was easily overhauled by the red and white cars, so that the duo appeared three and four after 28 out of 75 races.
Star pilot and double world champion Niki Lauda then even passed John Watson in the team’s internal duel for a few rounds, both continued their catch-up together. After the leading Riccardo Patrese and Jacques Laffite brought themselves into trouble after driving errors and problems with their vehicles, the path at the top was free for the Mclarens.
John Watson: “Suddenly I was at the front”
Lying confidently in the lead, John Watson once again challenged the actual number one in the team: “I decided to beat him this time and overtake him. So I tried it,” Watson recalled in a TV interview.
Watson continued: “Suddenly I was at the front. I actually expected that he was going back again. But nothing came.” Lauda, according to later statements, plagued the persecution prematurely and was satisfied with second place.
But John Watson finished almost half a minute lead over his teammate and celebrated the greatest Grand Prix success of his career. It was also the last of a total of five racing victories for the Northern Irish. To date, the hussar trip of the McLaren duo is considered the greatest catch-up in Formula 1 history.
Mats-Yannick Roth