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…
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.