Sunday 27th March 1983

One of the most remarkable drives of modern times saw John Watson storm to victory after starting the Long Beach Grand Prix in 22nd place on the grid. Nobody has come from further back to win a race. His McLaren team-mate, Niki Lauda, started in 23rd and took second place despite suffering from leg cramps in the closing stages. The pair had struggled in qualifying as the team struggled to find a tyre and chassis combination, but shortly before the start Watson chose the same compound as he had used in Detriot the season before when he won after qualifying in 17th. “After a dismal practice Michelin were as perplexed as we were,” Watson said. “So I decided to take a gamble and try the tyre compound … and it worked.”