A lot of 1500m specialists often sit off the sub 50 sec first lap in an 800m race due to the pace being too close to their 400m ability. They prefer to run more even splits. A case in point is Cram, whose fastest ever 400m was 48.1 in training and a 47.6 relay leg. If he went out in 49.5 in a 2 lap race it would have a detrimental effect on his overall time. His 3 fastest times ever were all run with a difference of less than 1 sec between the two lap splits. Someone like Aouita, with far greater endurance than any other 800 man in a race would play to his strength (his strength!) by holding back on 1st lap.
I have no doubt that in a paced attempt catered for him, that he was capable of the sort of time Cram ran, 1:42 high, but if he really had 46.9 ability, better than Cram, then he should have been capable of running close to the WR for 800 and 1000m. Knowing how much Aouita loved chasing fast times and breaking WR s at various distances, I find it hard to fathom why he wasn’t attacking the 800 and 1000m to add to his collection and cement his reputation as the greatest runner of all time!
The fact he didn’t means he didn’t believe he was capable of breaking them. Thus I think his 46.9 is unlikely, especially in 81, when he was running all sorts of distances and had yet to really make it at the highest level.