Grand Prix! 1980-1989 🏁

#F1 #OnThisDay, May 9th 1982, a day after the death of Gilles Villeneuve, the #BelgianGP was run and won by John Watson in the @McLarenF1 ahead of Keke Rosberg in the @williamsf1 and Eddie Cheever in the Ligier. (Niki Lauda DSQ) youtube.com/watch?v=Nr4n90… #MsportXtra @UnracedF1

#OnThisDay in ’82, the day after Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve had died of injuries sustained in qualifying, John Watson (McLaren MP4B; pic) - who’d gone to Villeneuve’s aid, trackside, 24 hours before - won the #BelgianGP. “Someone had to win the damn’ thing,” he once told me.

Belgian Grand Prix, Zolder, 9 May 1982. Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings. #F1

Belgian Grand Prix, Zolder, 9 May 1982. statsf1.com/en/1982/belgiq… Race highlights 📽️ youtu.be/Nr4n90bjrF4?si… #F1

Running 4th on his Williams debut, Derek Daly spun out (under pressure from Eddie Cheever) of the race on lap 60. Belgian Grand Prix, Zolder, 9 May 1982. 📷 Rainer Schlegelmilch #F1

Out of action since breaking his ankles during pre-season testing at Kyalami, Marc Surer returned to Arrows. The Swiss doing well in bringing his A4 home in 7th position, despite sore ankles. Belgian Grand Prix, Zolder, 9 May 1982. 📷 Rainer Schlegelmilch #F1

Elio de Angelis was 4th in his Lotus-Ford-91. Nelson Piquet, Brabham-BMW-BT50, was 5th, scoring BMW's first points. 6th placed Chico Serra, Fittipaldi-Ford-F8D, scored his only F1 point. The Fittipaldi team's last F1 point. Belgian GP, Zolder, 9 May 1982. © Motorsport Images

Having brought his McLaren-Ford-MP4/1B home in 3rd position, Niki Lauda was disqualified when his car was found to be underweight at post-race scrutineering. Belgian Grand Prix, Zolder, 9 May 1982. 📷 Rainer Schlegelmilch #F1

Keke Rosberg gave the Williams-Ford-FW08 an impressive race debut. The Finn led laps 5-68, but slowed through a rear brakes issue & worn left rear tyre. Rosberg losing his lead to John Watson on the penultimate lap! Belgian Grand Prix, Zolder, 9 May 1982. © Motorsport Images

#OTD in 1982. One day after the Gilles Villeneuve tragedy, John Watson, McLaren-Ford-MP4/1B, won the Belgian GP at Zolder. Keke Rosberg was 2nd in the new Williams-Ford-FW08. Eddie Cheever, Ligier-Matra-JS17B, was promoted to 3rd after Niki Lauda's disqualification. #F1

The inimitable Gilles Villeneuve tragically lost his life OTD in 1982. Ferrari's first turbocharged 1.5-litre GP car broke with marque tradition, but its two victories were largely down to the Canadian's genius, as today's Great Read explains: bit.ly/4bM5xTl

Gilles Villeneuve lost his life at Zolder #OnThisDay in ’82. Remember him this way, muscling his powerful but truck-ish Ferrari 126CK to victory at Monaco, a superb win that owed everything to in-cockpit bravura & bugger-all to chassis agility.

Remembering one of the greats today ❤️

Johnny Dumfries (Lotus-Renault-98T) had a dreadful first day of practice. Dumfries missed most of the session, due to a broken crown wheel & pinion, finishing 25th (1 min:35.027 sec) & in real danger of failing to qualify. Monaco GP, (first qualifying), Monte Carlo, 8 May 1986.

Piercarlo Ghinzani did well in setting the 18th quickest time (1 min:29.282 sec) in his Osella-Alfa Romeo-FA1G. The Italian outpacing fellow countrymen Teo Fabi, in the far superior Benetton-BMW. Monaco Grand Prix, (first qualifying), Monte Carlo, 8 May 1986. © Sutton Images

#OnThisDay in 1986. Ayrton Senna (Lotus-Renault-98T) was quickest (1 min:25.222 sec) during the first qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Brazilian four tenths of a second quicker than Keke Rosberg's McLaren-TAG-MP4/2C. © Motorsport Images #F1