On 12 May 1984, Mercedes-Benz hosted the “Nürburgring Champions’ Cup”, a celebratory event that remains the largest gathering of past and present Formula 1 World Champions ever assembled. The congress culminated in a 12-lap exhibition race to consecrate both the debut of Mercedes-Benz’s new 190 E 2.3-16 sport saloon, and the opening of the Nürburgring’s latest Grand Prix circuit. With five-time champion and Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador Juan Manuel Fangio acting as master of ceremonies, the 20-member field featured nine of the 12 living Formula 1 champions, as well as several current and former Formula 1 drivers, and Nürburgring aces. Each driver was to compete with a new 190 E 2.3-16 that had been modified for competition by Gerhard Lepler of Mercedes-Benz Sport-Technik.

The attendance list also included two future Formula 1 World Champions, the first being McLaren’s veteran Alain Prost, who had already secured 11 victories from 63 starts and runner-up position in the 1983 Drivers’ Championship. The second, a fearless, though then-obscure, Formula 1 rookie named Ayrton Senna. Just seven days prior, Senna had failed to qualify for the San Marino Grand Prix. Niki Lauda, a World Champion in 1975 and 1977, was four races into a Formula 1 campaign in which the Austrian was once again crowned with his third title.

In 1984, Lauda was Prost’s teammate at McLaren, Prost and Senna did not know each other, let alone consider themselves rivals. By all accounts, the entire field approached this exhibition race with an air of lighthearted enjoyment, until it came to the crunch, and somebody had to win.

Mercedes-Benz Sport-Technik took 21 units of the new 190 E 2.3-16 from the production line and modified them for the event with a revised exhaust system and suspension setup, four-piston front brakes, a 4.08-ratio final drive, bolt-in roll cage with fire extinguisher, twin Recaro racing seats with six-point harnesses, a quick-release bonnet, central circuit breaker, as well as wider wheels wrapped with Pirelli racing tires.

Though Prost began the rain-soaked race from pole position, only four turns into the first lap he was knocked hard in the rear by Elio de Angelis. On lap three, in a moment which foreshadowed, or perhaps ignited, their legendary rivalry, Senna punched into the lead with an aggressive move that forced Prost off the track. Lauda followed closely behind, and the race’s remaining eight laps resulted in Senna and Lauda battling neck-and-neck for the victory, trading the lead several times before the Brazilian rookie managed to pull away, claiming victory over Lauda and the rest of the distinguished field by a 1.58-second margin… The rest, as they say, it’s history…

The list of drivers in their respective finishing order was:

• Ayrton Senna

• Niki Lauda

• Carlos Reutemann

• Keke Rosberg

• John Watson

• Denny Hulme

• Jody Scheckter

• Jack Brabham

• Klaus Ludwig

• James Hunt

• John Surtees

• Phill Hill

• Manfred Schurti

• Stirling Moss

• Alain Prost

• Udo Schütz

• Jacques Laffite

• Hans Herrmann

• Elio de Angelis

• Alan Jones

Article and some of the photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s