What happened on this day, April 22 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1946
The first major Grand Prix after World War II took place in Nice, marking the long-awaited return of top-level motorsport after nearly seven years of inactivity. With racing-starved crowds and drivers flocking to the French Riviera, the event symbolised a new beginning for Grand Prix racing.
The cars on the grid were largely pre-war machines, many of which had been stored or hidden during the conflict. The dominant German manufacturers—Mercedes and Auto Union—were banned from competition, leaving the field open to other marques.
An all-Maserati front row led the pack, as Italian teams were not barred from participating. Luigi Villoresi, driving a Maserati, capitalised on this opportunity to claim victory, marking the dawn of a new era in post-war motorsport.
1956
Walt Faulkner, an American racing driver, tragically lost his life on this day, 1958, in a USAC Stock Car event in California after a fatal crash. His car rolled over, and he was partially thrown from the car. Investigations later revealed that his shoulder belt had snapped, while his waist belt kept him partially inside, leading to fatal injuries.
Nicknamed “The Little Dynamo” due to his 5’4″ height and 135-pound frame, Faulkner was an adaptable driver, excelling in both National Championship racing and stock car events. In 1950, he made history by becoming the first rookie to secure pole position at the Indianapolis 500.
1978
Esteban Tuero, born on this day in Argentina, entered Formula One at a time when legends like Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost were beginning their legendary careers. Tuero made F1 history by becoming the third-youngest driver to compete in Formula One when he joined Minardi in 1998, partnering Shinji Nakano. Only Mike Thackwell and Ricardo Rodríguez had raced in F1 at a younger age (at that time).
However, Tuero’s Formula One career was short-lived. His final race, the 1998 Japanese Grand Prix, also marked his last-ever single-seater race. Starting 21st on the grid at Suzuka, he collided with Toranosuke Takagi on lap 29, sustaining a neck injury that ultimately led to his decision to leave the sport.
His crash had unexpected championship implications—with carbon fibre debris scattered on the track, Michael Schumacher passed through the accident scene while battling Mika Hakkinen for the title. Soon after, Schumacher suffered a rear tyre failure, forcing him to retire and handing Hakkinen the 1998 World Drivers’ Championship.
2012
The 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix marked Formula One’s return to Bahrain after the 2011 round was canceled due to anti-government protests. Sebastian Vettel secured pole and led from the start, controlling the race for the majority of the 57 laps to claim victory for Red Bull. However, his win was not without challenge, as Kimi Raikkonen put in a brilliant drive from 11th on the grid, climbing through the field to pressure Vettel for the lead before settling for second place.
Räikkönen’s Lotus teammate, Romain Grosjean, also impressed, securing his first career podium by finishing third. The Frenchman made a strong start, quickly moving into second place after overtaking Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber, but later conceded the position to Räikkönen as the Finn benefitted from a better tyre strategy.
Hamilton, who had started on the front row, endured pit stop errors and heavy tyre degradation, which dropped him to eighth place. Meanwhile, his McLaren teammate Jenson Button suffered an even worse fate, retiring with two laps to go.
2012 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault | 57 | 1:35:10.990 | 25 |
| 2 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus Renault | 57 | +3.333s | 18 |
| 3 | 10 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus Renault | 57 | +10.194s | 15 |
| 4 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing Renault | 57 | +38.788s | 12 |
| 5 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 57 | +55.460s | 10 |
| 6 | 11 | Paul di Resta | Force India Mercedes | 57 | +57.543s | 8 |
| 7 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 57 | +57.803s | 6 |
| 8 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +58.984s | 4 |
| 9 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 57 | +64.999s | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 57 | +71.490s | 1 |
| 11 | 15 | Sergio Perez | Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +72.702s | 0 |
| 12 | 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India Mercedes | 57 | +76.539s | 0 |
| 13 | 14 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +90.334s | 0 |
| 14 | 17 | Jean-Eric Vergne | STR Ferrari | 57 | +93.723s | 0 |
| 15 | 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | STR Ferrari | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 21 | Vitaly Petrov | Caterham Renault | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 20 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham Renault | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren Mercedes | 55 | DNF | 0 |
| 19 | 24 | Timo Glock | Marussia Cosworth | 55 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 20 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT Cosworth | 55 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 21 | 23 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT Cosworth | 55 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 22 | 19 | Bruno Senna | Williams Renault | 54 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams Renault | 25 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 25 | Charles Pic | Marussia Cosworth | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| Note – Maldonado qualified 17th, Schumacher 18th. Both dropped five grid places as penalty for unscheduled gearbox changes. | ||||||
F1 Driver Birthdays 22 April
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 April 1978 | Esteban Tuero |
F1 Driver Deaths 22 April
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 22 April 1956 | Walt Faulkner (b. 1918) |
Seen in:
