In 1983, Watson was in his fifth season with McLaren. The previous year he'd been joined by Niki Lauda, whose return from retirement was hot news. Both drivers won two races in 1982.
The McLaren for the 1983 season was the MP4/1C. McLaren was still using the normally aspirated Cosworth engine, because the TAG Porsche project was still in development.
Part of Ron Dennis's plan was that Niki's physio Willi Dungl would become a full-time team member but the drivers had to pay him. John Watson got his first official Dungl treatment in Brazil, and it was a revelation. Willi was the architect of the first really scientific approach to the physical, dietary and psychological training of a racing driver. Niki had benefited from it before after his crash in Germany in 1976.
After the Rio race, Niki Lauda and Andrea de Cesaris started on a Marlboro-promotional tour in South America. John Watson was excused; too much problems for a Brit were expected after the Falkland war. So John got a free week and benefited from the full attention of Dungl. His condition and fitness level improved clearly, but also his mental strength ( he said).
Then of to long Beach for race two of the season.
There was still a belief that the Cosworth-powered cars could mix it with the turbos on this street track, and indeed the Williams duo of Keke Rosberg and Jacques Laffite qualified third and fourth, and the Tyrrells were also in the top 10. However both teams were using Goodyear tyres, while rivals on Michelins – including McLaren – were left struggling. On the concrete surface, they just did not work. The conclusion after the qualification: McLaren drivers in P22 and P23.
Then the warm-up session on Sunday morning provided some encouragement. With full fuel load on board, there came more energy in the tyre, which generated heat quickly. Lauda and Watson found the McLaren having more grip on the Michelin 05.
Watson was convinced that these tyres would last for the whole race. He went into the race with a positive mindset, helped by his earlier preparations with Dungl. He also knew that he'd won from a similarly frustrating 17th grid place at Detroit the previous year, and that overtaking was possible on a wall-lined city track, if you had the confidence.
At the start, Tambay (Ferrari 126B/C2) got into the lead followed by Rosberg, Lafitte, Alboreto and Arnoux ( on Goodyear) followed by Patrese, Prost, Cheever (Michelin). Lauda stayed in front of Watson in 16th position.
Nobody paid much attention to the McLaren boys moving through the field. Some people dropped out (Winkelhock (ATS) and Warwick (Toleman). The McLaren did some overtakings. But Watson did not let Niki get away; he shadowed every move. Lap 25, they were eight and ninth.
Then lap 26 in turn 11, Keke Rosberg crashed into Tambay, while battling for the lead. Also out were Jarier (Ligier,crash), Baldi (Alfa Romeo,crash), Giacomelli (Toleman), Guerrero (Theodore) had mechanical issues. By lap 28, Lauda and Watson were now third and fourth.
Watson decided that there was no way Lauda was going to beat him. On better tyres he slid past in lap 33; there was nothing stopping him anymore! He builded up an advantage of 30 seconds behind the Williams FW08C of Lafitte. The Frenchman felt his tyres failing and Watson shot past him in lap 45. He was now leading the race! Lauda did the same lap 45, so both McLaren cars in front. After 75 laps, Watson crossed the finish line with 27.9 seconds in front of his team mate. The Ferrari of third-placed Rene Arnoux was almost a lap behind.
Fifth was Marc Surer (Arrows A6) and sixth was Johnnny Cecotto in the Theodore N183.
Also in thisrace: the come-back from Alan Jones, world champion 1980. He was driving in the Arrows A6.
Publication: 29/09/2025Back to overview
