The World Championship appears to be a mere formality as Nigel Mansell slots his Williams into pole position at the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. The popular Briton has had a spectacular season with five victories and leads the championship going into the final race.
A third-place finish would ensure his first world title while his nearest rivals, Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost, would have to win - and have Mansell finish fourth or worse.
Everything is going according to plan for Mansell. With just 18 laps remaining he is comfortably in third place, behind Piquet and Prost. If the positions stay the same Mansell would become the first Englishman to win the World Championship since James Hunt in 1976.
Then, suddenly, it all goes wrong. Travelling at 180 km/h down the straight Mansell's rear tyre explodes and the Briton struggles to keep his car under control, finally coming to rest with a gentle but agonising bump against a concrete retaining wall.
His race is over but there is a slim chance that his championship hopes might still be alive - as long as Piquet and Prost fail to win. But with each passing lap the odds of that happening become ever longer.
Piquet, Mansell's teammate, is called back to the pits to have tyres checked, the team not wanting to risk another blowout. That leaves the way open for McLaren ace Prost, who takes the lead and holds on for a four-second victory over Piquet and the World Championship. 'I feel so sorry for Nigel,' says a gallant Prost. 'I know how he must feel, losing the title on the last race. I did the same in 1982, 1983 and 1984.'