What happened on this day, April 18 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1942
Austrian driver Jochen Rindt was born on this day in Mainz, Germany. He remains the only driver in F1 history to win the Formula One World Championship posthumously, following his tragic death during practice for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix.
Rindt’s first victory of the 1970 season came in dramatic fashion at Monaco, where he snatched the win from Jack Brabham on the final corner. Armed with the revolutionary Lotus 72, one of the greatest Formula One cars of all time, he went on to dominate the mid-season, securing four consecutive victories in The Netherlands, France, Britain, and Germany.
However, tragedy struck at Monza when a crash in practice led to fatal injuries, with his throat being cut by his seatbelt. Despite his passing, his lead in the championship remained unassailable, making him Formula One’s only posthumous World Champion.
1971
Jackie Stewart delivered Tyrrell’s first Grand Prix victory in a car of its own construction, triumphing at the 1971 Spanish Grand Prix after a fierce battle with Jacky Ickx. For 70 laps, Stewart fought to keep Ickx’s 12-cylinder Ferrari at bay, ultimately crossing the line ahead of his rival. Chris Amon’s Matra-Simca finished a distant third, more than a minute behind the leaders.
The morning race also marked a historic moment in Formula One tyre technology, as it was the first Grand Prix where slick tyres were used. Firestone introduced them based on its experience in American open-wheel racing, revolutionising grip and performance in the sport.
1971 Spanish Grand Prix Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell Ford | 75 | 1:49:03.400 | 9 |
| 2 | 4 | Jacky Ickx | Ferrari | 75 | +3.400s | 6 |
| 3 | 20 | Chris Amon | Matra | 75 | +58.100s | 4 |
| 4 | 14 | Pedro Rodriguez | BRM | 75 | +77.900s | 3 |
| 5 | 9 | Denny Hulme | McLaren Ford | 75 | +87.000s | 2 |
| 6 | 21 | Jean-Pierre Beltoise | Matra | 74 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 12 | Francois Cevert | Tyrrell Ford | 74 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 10 | Peter Gethin | McLaren Ford | 73 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 8 | Tim Schenken | Brabham Ford | 72 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 16 | Howden Ganley | BRM | 71 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 24 | John Surtees | Surtees Ford | 67 | +8 laps | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Reine Wisell | Lotus Ford | 58 | +17 laps | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus Ford | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Henri Pescarolo | March Ford | 53 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Mario Andretti | Ferrari | 50 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Alex Soler-Roig | March Ford | 46 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 17 | Andrea de Adamich | March Alfa Romeo | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Ronnie Peterson | March Ford | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Clay Regazzoni | Ferrari | 13 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Rolf Stommelen | Surtees Ford | 9 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Graham Hill | Brabham Ford | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Jo Siffert | BRM | 5 | DNF | 0 |
1979
Anthony Davidson was born on this day in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. His Formula One career saw him race for Minardi and Super Aguri, while also serving as a test and reserve driver for British American Racing (BAR), Honda, and Brawn GP. He continued his long-standing relationship with the Brackley-based Mercedes F1 Team, combining duties as reserve and simulator driver in 2010 and 2011, and continuing his simulator role from 2012.
Following his departure from the F1 grid in 2008, Davidson moved into sportscar racing, competing in the premier LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2012 to 2017 with Toyota, winning the series in 2014 alongside Sébastien Buemi.
After his racing career, Davidson moved into broadcasting and became a commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live’s Formula One coverage, later working as an analyst for Sky Sports F1.
1990
American racing driver Bob Drake passed away on this day in 1990. He competed in a single Formula One Grand Prix, on November 20, 1960, but did not score any championship points.
Drake holds a unique place in F1 history as the last driver to race the legendary Maserati 250F in a World Championship Grand Prix, marking the final appearance of one of the sport’s most iconic cars.
2010
Jenson Button claimed victory in a dramatic and rain-affected 2010 Chinese Grand Prix, securing his second win of the season and the ninth of his career. Starting from fifth on the grid, the McLaren driver navigated the tricky conditions, taking the lead and managing his strategy to stay ahead. His teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second, completing a McLaren 1-2, while Nico Rosberg secured third place for Mercedes.
The race was marked by intermittent rain, which made track conditions unpredictable. Button capitalised on a well-executed strategy, making fewer pit stops than some of his rivals and maintaining control at the front for much of the race.
One of the most notable incidents occurred on lap five when Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton clashed wheels in the pit lane in a heated battle for position. The two exited the pits side by side, neither backing down, leading to a dramatic wheel-to-wheel moment in the narrow pit lane.
Following the race, the stewards summoned both drivers to review the incident, examining television footage. After deliberation, they formally reprimanded both for “dangerous driving.” However, no further penalties were handed out, and both drivers were allowed to keep their finishing positions.
2010 Chinese Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | 1:46:42.163 | 25 |
| 2 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 56 | +1.530s | 18 |
| 3 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 56 | +9.484s | 15 |
| 4 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 56 | +11.869s | 12 |
| 5 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | 56 | +22.213s | 10 |
| 6 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | RBR Renault | 56 | +33.310s | 8 |
| 7 | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 56 | +47.600s | 6 |
| 8 | 6 | Mark Webber | RBR Renault | 56 | +52.172s | 4 |
| 9 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 56 | +57.796s | 2 |
| 10 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 56 | +61.749s | 1 |
| 11 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India Mercedes | 56 | +62.874s | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams Cosworth | 56 | +63.665s | 0 |
| 13 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | STR Ferrari | 56 | +71.416s | 0 |
| 14 | 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Cosworth | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Williams Cosworth | 55 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT Cosworth | 54 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 17 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT Cosworth | 52 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Cosworth | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Cosworth | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber Ferrari | 7 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | Sebastien Buemi | STR Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber Ferrari | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Cosworth | DNS | 0 |
2021
The 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, held in wet conditions, was the second round of the Formula One World Championship and the event’s second running under this name.
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton started from pole position but lost the lead at the first corner as Max Verstappen for Red Bull Racing made a bold move to take control of the race. Verstappen maintained his advantage for the remainder of the Grand Prix, ultimately claiming victory.
Hamilton’s race took a dramatic turn when he slid off the track while attempting to lap a backmarker, damaging his car and dropping down the order. However, he staged a remarkable recovery drive, benefiting from a race stoppage following a high-speed collision between his teammate Valtteri Bottas and the Williams of George Russell. After the restart, Hamilton fought his way back up to second place for Mercedes, finishing just ahead of Lando Norris, who secured an impressive podium for McLaren.
2021 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 63 | 2:02:34.598 | 25 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 63 | +22.000s | 19 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 63 | +23.702s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 63 | +25.579s | 12 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 63 | +27.036s | 10 |
| 6 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 63 | +51.220s | 8 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 63 | +52.818s | 6 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 63 | +56.909s | 4 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 63 | +65.704s | 2 |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 63 | +66.561s | 1 |
| 11 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 63 | +67.151s | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri Honda | 63 | +73.184s | 0 |
| 13 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 63 | +94.773s | 0 |
| 14 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 62 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 61 | DNF | 0 |
| 16 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 61 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 17 | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 61 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 30 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| Note – Hamilton scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Tsunoda received a 5-second time penalty for exceeding track limits. Stroll received a 5-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Raikkonen received a 30-second time penalty for a rolling start infringement. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 18 April
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 18 April 1918 | Dick Fraizer (d. 1994) |
| 18 April 1942 | Jochen Rindt (d. 1970) |
| 18 April 1979 | Anthony Davidson |
F1 Driver Deaths 18 April
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 18 April 1990 | Bob Drake (b. 1919) |
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