26th, Drama at Jarama: Villeneuve's Legendary Drive in the 1981 Spanish GP
Winning as slowly as possible was not Gilles Villeneuve’s usual modus operandi. He had no option on this occasion, however, his truck-like Ferrari lumbering at the head of a 16-wheel trailer.
Attacking starts were much more him. Blasting from the fourth row, and bending the front wing of Alain Prost’s Renault in the process, he slotted into third on the run to the first corner. His wayward chassis at its best when anchored by full tanks, he then brazenly jumped the Williams of a surprised Carlos Reutemann for second place at the start of the second lap.
This opportunism was rewarded when easy leader Alan Jones locked up and buried his Williams in the sand on lap 14. Not that Villeneuve expected his lead to last. Already he was struggling. The chasing Reutemann, his transmission jumping out of third gear, did not seem in the (right) mood, however; the Argentine was shadow boxing rather than looking to land the knock-out punch.