Grand Prix Gold: 1982 Austrian GP
Although nobody knew it at the time, this would be the last time Colin Chapman watched one of his beloved Lotus machines win a grand prix. And what a way to do it, as Elio de Angelis took his maiden F1 victory by one the smallest margins in world championship history from Keke Rosberg's Williams
As Elio de Angelis began the final lap of the Austrian Grand Prix, he was a worried man. Less than two seconds behind his Lotus 91 was Keke Rosberg's Williams FW08, and the Finn was on the charge. More than that, the Lotus had that occasional and unmistakeable stammer that means that fuel is low.
Rosberg drove an inspired final lap, but left it just a fraction too late. At the flag de Angelis's arm was in the air, and Rosberg's front wheels were level with the 91's cockpit. It was the tightest finish for a very long time, and gave the Italian his first grand prix win.
Share Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.