Nilsson guns to his only Grand Prix victory

Gunnar Nilsson and Lotus emerged the winners of a rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix run at Zolder on this day in 1977.

The Swede crucially gained an upper hand thanks to a well-timed early pit stop while others failed to read the changing conditions. From 13th Nilsson batted his way to the front, taking command of the 70-lap race on lap 50 to lead home Niki Lauda's Ferrari and Ronnie Peterson's Tyrrell.

Sadly, Zolder was Gunnar Nilsson's single F1 win. Later that year, he was later diagnosed with cancer, ultimately losing his battle against the illness in 1978.