Formula One History

Formula One History F1 history from 1950 to modern day. Explore the legendary drivers, circuits, seasons and records with daily F1 on this day articles.
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1953 – 18th January, the first Argentine Grand Prix was sadly overshadowed by a tragic accident that resulted in the d...
18/01/2026

1953 – 18th January, the first Argentine Grand Prix was sadly overshadowed by a tragic accident that resulted in the death of 13 spectators, with many others injured. In the resulting mass panic, a boy ran in front of Brown's Cooper and was killed.

During the race, on lap 31, Nino Farina attempted to dodge a spectator crossing the track, which led him to crash into the nearby crowd. Farina sustained minor leg injuries from the incident. Initially, the Buenos Aires Autodrome welcomed around 200,000 fans due to free admission, resulting in overcrowding with spectators spilling onto the track edges.

Despite this, the race continued, and Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari dominated, starting from pole, leading every lap, recording the fastest lap, and lapping all other drivers. Ascari's teammate, Luigi Villoresi, finished second, guaranteeing Ferrari a 1-2 finish. Jose Froilan Gonzalez finished third for Maserati.

Remembering Gilles Villeneuve on his birthday, born 18th January 1950. One of Formula One’s most thrilling drivers and...
18/01/2026

Remembering Gilles Villeneuve on his birthday, born 18th January 1950.

One of Formula One’s most thrilling drivers and greatest what-if stories, Gilles was known for his exceptional skill behind the wheel. This was highlighted at Watkins Glen (1979 United States Grand Prix), where he outdrove others by 11 seconds per lap in wet conditions. He could also have won the World Championship in 1979 by beating Jody Scheckter, but he chose to follow team orders and finished behind him at the 1979 Italian Grand Prix, ending the season just four points behind in the standings.

Villeneuve’s life ended tragically in 1982 during a qualifying session in Belgium. At his funeral, Scheckter praised him as the fastest and most sincere man he had known.

Villeneuve’s younger brother, Jacques, had a successful racing career in Formula Atlantic, Can-Am, and CART, and his son, Jacques Villeneuve, became a racing driver, winning the Indianapolis 500 and CART Championship in 1995 and the F1 World Championship in 1997.

Remembering Pedro Rodriguez, born 18th January 1940 in Mexico City/ Celebrated for his fearless driving style, it wasn...
18/01/2026

Remembering Pedro Rodriguez, born 18th January 1940 in Mexico City/ Celebrated for his fearless driving style, it wasn’t until 1967 that he secured a full-time seat in Formula One with Cooper, claiming his first win at that year's South African Grand Prix. He later won again with BRM in 1970 and later gained recognition in sports car racing and NASCAR.

Tragically, in July 1971, Rodriguez was killed at the Norisring in West Germany, driving a Ferrari 512 M in an Interserie sportscar race.

Around the F1 paddock, he was known for carrying Tabasco sauce to spice up his meals and was easily recognisable at tracks by his distinctive deerstalker hat.

2001 – 17th January, Jaguar debuted its new car early in the season but faced setbacks when Eddie Irvine crashed it in...
17/01/2026

2001 – 17th January, Jaguar debuted its new car early in the season but faced setbacks when Eddie Irvine crashed it in Valencia, destroying the front end against a tyre barrier at about 140mph. Despite the accident during a familiarisation session, a team spokesman assured it was not due to driver error. Irvine was unharmed, though the car suffered significant damage.

2005 – 17th January, F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, along with the Ferrari team, met the Pope in the Vatican’s ...
17/01/2026

2005 – 17th January, F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, along with the Ferrari team, met the Pope in the Vatican’s frescoed Clementina Hall to present him with a 1:5 scale model of the car that secured both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships for Ferrari in 2004. Ferrari President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo explained that the drivers, mechanics, and management wished to pay tribute to the Pope, saying his courage and dedication to human rights had placed him “for the past 26 years in the pole position of the roads of humanity.”

1995 – The end of Team Lotus, a much-loved team in F1 since its 1958 debut. 17th January, Team Lotus announced its with...
17/01/2026

1995 – The end of Team Lotus, a much-loved team in F1 since its 1958 debut.

17th January, Team Lotus announced its withdrawal from the sport due to financial issues. Since its beginning in 1952, Lotus had secured six Drivers’ Championships and seven Constructors’ titles. David Hunt, the team’s owner and brother of ex-champion James Hunt, expressed hope for overcoming these challenges but wanted to preserve the team’s reputation from diminishing further. During its heyday in F1, Colin Chapman’s Team Lotus was arguably the only outfit in the sport whose notoriety practically equalled that of Ferrari.

1955 – 16th January, the fierce heat of Argentina hosted the inaugural round of that year's F1 championship, the Argen...
16/01/2026

1955 – 16th January, the fierce heat of Argentina hosted the inaugural round of that year's F1 championship, the Argentine Grand Prix, a gruelling race with only seven finishers, won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio. It was the beginning of what would be another Drivers' title. He was one of only two drivers (the other was Roberto Mieres) to complete the race without a co-driver.

Fangio endured severe burns to his leg during the race, as it constantly rubbed against the chassis frame heated by the exhaust. It took him three months to recover from the injury and was left a permanent scar on his leg for the rest of his life.

Ferrari drivers Nino Farina and Maurice Trintignant secured second and third-place finishes in races where they shared driving duties with José Froilán González and Umberto Maglioli, respectively.

Happy Birthday to Piercarlo Ghinzani, born 16th January 1952. He had a Formula One career from 1981 to 1989, competing...
16/01/2026

Happy Birthday to Piercarlo Ghinzani, born 16th January 1952. He had a Formula One career from 1981 to 1989, competing in over 111 races, but scored only two points. His journey through motorsports was gradual: he started in 1970, reached Formula Three in 1973, and clinched the European Formula Three title in 1977 before moving to Formula Two and eventually Formula One with Osella, Toleman, Ligier, and Zakspeed.

After retiring from Formula 1, he formed his own Formula 3 team and became a leading figure in the Italian championship. He also considered expanding into the newly inaugurated Italian F3000 championship in 2000.

Happy 91st to A.J. Foyt, born 16th January 1935. He would emerge as a towering figure in motorsports, known affectiona...
16/01/2026

Happy 91st to A.J. Foyt, born 16th January 1935. He would emerge as a towering figure in motorsports, known affectionately as the King of the Indy.

His record in Formula One might be brief, with just three appearances at the Indianapolis 500 when it was part of the FIA World Championship of Drivers, yet his achievements at Indy are legendary.

He is celebrated as the first to clinch the race four times and the only driver to compete for 35 consecutive years, completing 4,909 laps or 12,272½ miles. Foyt amassed earnings of $2,637,963 from the Indy 500 alone and holds records for his seven national championships and 67 victories in Indy car racing.

His remarkable versatility is highlighted by victories in the Indy 500, NASCAR’s Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans—a unique triple crown in motorsports.

1978 – 15th January, in the opening race of the season, the Argentine Grand Prix saw Mario Andretti clinch his tenth c...
15/01/2026

1978 – 15th January, in the opening race of the season, the Argentine Grand Prix saw Mario Andretti clinch his tenth career pole driving for Lotus and secure a commanding victory, finishing over thirty seconds ahead of reigning world champion Niki Lauda in a Brabham.

Andretti praised his car's performance, remarking, “I was stonking it, man, the car was beautiful, and it never missed a beat”. Local favourite Carlos Reutemann appeared to be a strong contender until a pit stop for a tyre change set him back, ultimately finishing seventh for Ferrari. Lauda's teammate, John Watson, who had been in second for most of the race, suffered an engine failure.

This race was the beginning of Andretti's successful season, culminating in six victories and the 1978 Drivers' Championship. Patrick Depailler finished in third for Tyrrell. The race saw the debuts of ATS, Williams, and Team Merzario as constructors.

Happy Birthday to David Kennedy, born 15th January 1952.A trailblazer in Irish motorsport he became the first Irishman...
15/01/2026

Happy Birthday to David Kennedy, born 15th January 1952.

A trailblazer in Irish motorsport he became the first Irishman to win the British Formula Ford 1600 championship in 1976.

Kennedy made his Formula One debut in the Aurora championship, finishing as runner-up in 1979. His Championship debut came in 1980 with the declining Shadow team, where he struggled to qualify, managing to start in only one Grand Prix—the 1980 Spanish Grand Prix, which was later deemed a non-championship race due to the FISA-FOCA conflict.

Post-F1, he competed in Can-Am and raced for Mazda at Le Mans before becoming a commentator and journalist.

Remembering Mario de Araujo Cabral on his birthday who was was born 15th January 1934.He raced sporadically in Formula...
15/01/2026

Remembering Mario de Araujo Cabral on his birthday who was was born 15th January 1934.

He raced sporadically in Formula 1 during the late 1950s and early 1960s, finishing just one race. He was the first Portuguese driver to start an F1 race, with his best result, a tenth place at home in the 1959 Portugal Grand Prix, driving a non-works Cooper T51 for Scuderia Centro Sud.

In 2009, at the age of 75, Cabral came out as bisexual, becoming one of the few gay F1 drivers; sadly, he passed away 11 years later at the age of 86.

-> Meet the Only Four Openly LGBTQ+ F1 Drivers in History: https://www.formulaonehistory.com/gay-f1-drivers/

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