What happened on this day, April 17 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1954
Riccardo Patrese, a six-time Grand Prix winner, was born on this day in Padova. Over a 16-season career, he became one of Formula One’s most lasting figures, starting 256 races for five different teams—a record at the time of his retirement.
While he enjoyed success throughout his career, his most notable achievements came in the early 1990s with Williams. In 1992, he played a critical support role as the No. 2 driver to world champion Nigel Mansell during the team’s dominant season.
1983
Frenchman Alain Prost secured his second home win at the 1983 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, delivering a dominant performance for Renault. He cruised to victory ahead of Nelson Piquet, who battled his way up from sixth place, overtaking the second Renault of Eddie Cheever, who took third, to finish 29 seconds behind Prost.
Prost went on to win three more races that season, but a string of retirements in three of the final four rounds ultimately cost him the championship. Piquet and Brabham capitalised on Prost’s misfortune, clinching the title by just two points.
1983 French Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Alain Prost | Renault | 54 | 1:34:13.913 | 9 |
| 2 | 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham BMW | 54 | +29.720s | 6 |
| 3 | 16 | Eddie Cheever | Renault | 54 | +40.232s | 4 |
| 4 | 27 | Patrick Tambay | Ferrari | 54 | +66.880s | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | Keke Rosberg | Williams Ford | 53 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | Jacques Laffite | Williams Ford | 53 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 28 | Rene Arnoux | Ferrari | 53 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 3 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell Ford | 53 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 9 | 25 | Jean-Pierre Jarier | Ligier Ford | 53 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 10 | 29 | Marc Surer | Arrows Ford | 53 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 11 | 34 | Johnny Cecotto | Theodore Ford | 52 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Alfa Romeo | 50 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 36 | Bruno Giacomelli | Toleman Hart | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 26 | Raul Boesel | Ligier Ford | 47 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | Corrado Fabi | Osella Ford | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Manfred Winkelhock | ATS BMW | 36 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Niki Lauda | McLaren Ford | 29 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Mauro Baldi | Alfa Romeo | 28 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 30 | Chico Serra | Arrows Ford | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 33 | Roberto Guerrero | Theodore Ford | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Danny Sullivan | Tyrrell Ford | 21 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus Renault | 20 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham BMW | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 35 | Derek Warwick | Toleman Hart | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus Ford | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | John Watson | McLaren Ford | 3 | DNF | 0 |
1994
Michael Schumacher claimed his second victory of the season at the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix in Aida, but the win was clouded by controversy amid growing speculation that Benetton was using an illegal traction-control system.
The race saw early drama when pole-sitter Ayrton Senna was taken out on the opening lap after a collision with Mika Häkkinen’s McLaren. Forced to retire, Senna spent the rest of the race watching from behind the barriers, carefully listening to the engine notes of Schumacher’s leading Benetton. Later, he confided in Lotus team boss Peter Collins, insisting he was certain the car was using traction control based on what he had heard trackside.
Austrian Gerhard Berger was second for Ferrari with another Brazilian, Rubens Barrichello, third in a Jordan-Hart, his and the Jordan team’s first podium finish.
Tragically, Senna lost his life in an accident at the following race in San Marino. Schumacher went on to dominate the season, securing his first World Championship.
1994 Pacific Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton Ford | 83 | 1:46:01.693 | 10 |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 83 | +75.300s | 6 |
| 3 | 14 | Rubens Barrichello | Jordan Hart | 82 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 4 | 9 | Christian Fittipaldi | Footwork Ford | 82 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 5 | 30 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Sauber Mercedes | 82 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 20 | Erik Comas | Larrousse Ford | 80 | +3 laps | 1 |
| 7 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus Mugen Honda | 80 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 8 | 11 | Pedro Lamy | Lotus Mugen Honda | 79 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 26 | Olivier Panis | Ligier Renault | 78 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 25 | Eric Bernard | Ligier Renault | 78 | +5 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 32 | Roland Ratzenberger | Simtek Ford | 78 | +5 laps | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Gianni Morbidelli | Footwork Ford | 69 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 29 | Karl Wendlinger | Sauber Mercedes | 69 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Michele Alboreto | Minardi Ford | 69 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Martin Brundle | McLaren Peugeot | 67 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi Ford | 63 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Jos Verstappen | Benetton Ford | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 0 | Damon Hill | Williams Renault | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Aguri Suzuki | Jordan Hart | 44 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Ukyo Katayama | Tyrrell Yamaha | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Mika Hakkinen | McLaren Peugeot | 19 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Olivier Beretta | Larrousse Ford | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | David Brabham | Simtek Ford | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Ayrton Senna | Williams Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 4 | Mark Blundell | Tyrrell Yamaha | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Nicola Larini | Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2011
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton claimed victory at the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix after starting from third on the grid, making F1 history as the first driver to win the race multiple times. Pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel finished second for Red Bull Racing, while his teammate Mark Webber put in an impressive recovery drive from 18th on the grid to secure third place.
Hamilton was thrilled with his performance, calling it “one of the best races I’ve experienced. It feels amazing to be able to bring home a victory for the guys in the factory.”
The race also saw a unique statistical record—Narain Karthikeyan finished 23rd for HRT, the lowest classified finishing position in Formula One history at the time. However, this record was soon broken five races later when Karthikeyan finished 24th at the 2011 European Grand Prix.
2011 Chinese Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | 1:36:58.226 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault | 56 | +5.198s | 18 |
| 3 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing Renault | 56 | +7.555s | 15 |
| 4 | 4 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | +10.000s | 12 |
| 5 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 56 | +13.448s | 10 |
| 6 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 56 | +15.840s | 8 |
| 7 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 56 | +30.622s | 6 |
| 8 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 56 | +31.026s | 4 |
| 9 | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 56 | +57.404s | 2 |
| 10 | 16 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber Ferrari | 56 | +63.273s | 1 |
| 11 | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India Mercedes | 56 | +68.757s | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Renault | 56 | +72.739s | 0 |
| 13 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams Cosworth | 56 | +90.189s | 0 |
| 14 | 18 | Sebastien Buemi | STR Ferrari | 56 | +90.671s | 0 |
| 15 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Mercedes | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Renault | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 17 | Sergio Perez | Sauber Ferrari | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 12 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams Cosworth | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 21 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Renault | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 20 | 25 | Jerome d’Ambrosio | Virgin Cosworth | 54 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 21 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Cosworth | 54 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 22 | 23 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | HRT Cosworth | 54 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 23 | 22 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT Cosworth | 54 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | STR Ferrari | 9 | DNF | 0 |
2016
At the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg dominated the race, securing a commanding victory with a margin of over 30 seconds ahead of second-placed Sebastian Vettel. Meanwhile, defending world champion Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult weekend, facing setbacks in both qualifying and the race before ultimately finishing seventh.
The race also set a new Formula One record with 161 overtakes, surpassing the previous record of 147 set at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. This record stood until the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix.
2016 Chinese Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 56 | 1:38:53.891 | 25 |
| 2 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 56 | +37.776s | 18 |
| 3 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer | 56 | +45.936s | 15 |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer | 56 | +52.688s | 12 |
| 5 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 56 | +65.872s | 10 |
| 6 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams Mercedes | 56 | +75.511s | 8 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 56 | +78.230s | 6 |
| 8 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Toro Rosso Ferrari | 56 | +79.268s | 4 |
| 9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso Ferrari | 56 | +84.127s | 2 |
| 10 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams Mercedes | 56 | +86.192s | 1 |
| 11 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India Mercedes | 56 | +94.283s | 0 |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren Honda | 56 | +97.253s | 0 |
| 13 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren Honda | 56 | +101.990s | 0 |
| 14 | 21 | Esteban Gutierrez | Haas Ferrari | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India Mercedes | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber Ferrari | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Renault | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | MRT Mercedes | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas Ferrari | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 20 | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber Ferrari | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 21 | 88 | Rio Haryanto | MRT Mercedes | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 22 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
F1 Driver Birthdays 17 April
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 17 April 1902 | Cy Marshall (d. 1974) |
| 17 April 1934 | Brian Gubby |
| 17 April 1954 | Riccardo Patrese |
| 17 April 1986 | Romain Grosjean |
| 17 April 1989 | Fabio Leimer (Test Driver) |
F1 Driver Deaths 17 April
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 17 April 2002 | Buzz Barton (b.1910) |
| 17 April 2013 | Gerino Gerini (b. 1928) |
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