46th, Monaco Magic: Villeneuve's Legendary Victory

If ever proof were required to banish the notion that Gilles Villeneuve lacked finesse, this surely was it. Ferrari’s first turbo car was bullet-quick in a straight line, but that ought to have been less of an advantage in Monaco than anywhere else…

46

 

Didier Pironi qualified his 126 CK 17th, which was a more accurate barometer of the car’s potential, while Villeneuve was 2.476sec faster. It was a bit like putting a steroidal Triumph Herald on the front row.

It looked as though the French-Canadian’s qualifying cameo would count for little, though, with Nelson Piquet’s Brabham–Cosworth streaking away from pole position and controlling the race very comfortably. At least, he did once it eventually began.