What happened on this day, August 9 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1944
Patrick Depailler was born on this day 9 August 1944 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Competing in Formula One from 1972 to 1980, Depailler made 95 race starts, securing two victories and 19 podium finishes before tragically being killed during testing at Hockenheim on 1 August 1980. A suspension failure pitched his Alfa Romeo into the barrier at the high-speed Ostkurve, causing fatal head injuries. He was 35 years old at the time.
Depailler drove for Tyrrell, Ligier, and Alfa Romeo.
1987
Williams driver Nigel Mansell once again faced misfortune when a loose right rear wheel nut forced him to retire from the 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix while in a commanding lead. After securing Williams’ 25th pole position, Mansell led most of the race, only to be denied victory five laps from the chequered flag. His rival and Williams teammate Nelson Piquet capitalised on this and went on to win the race and later the 1987 Drivers’ Championship.
Ayrton Senna took second for Team Lotus, and France’s Alain Prost third for McLaren.
Before the race, Ayrton Senna notified Lotus of his decision to leave the team at the end of the year. Shortly thereafter, Lotus quickly signed Nelson Piquet, Senna’s fellow Brazilian and the current Drivers’ Championship leader. Piquet expressed that he felt Williams had not respected his position as the number one driver within their team.
2005
Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone expressed confidence that the United States Grand Prix would occur in 2006 despite uncertainties following the 2005 race. The future of the Indianapolis event was questioned after seven of the ten Formula One teams withdrew due to Michelin tyre safety concerns. The resulting fiasco led to significant criticism from the local public, prompting Michelin to announce it would refund all ticket holders.
2007
McLaren denied reports from British newspapers that Lewis Hamilton had used the ‘F word’ during a radio conversation with team boss Ron Dennis in qualifying for the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton had been held up by teammate Fernando Alonso, missing the chance to complete a final flying lap. The papers claimed Hamilton had a heated discussion with Dennis, allegedly telling him to ‘never f****** do that to me again’ and ‘go f****** swivel.’ On the same day, Malaysian driver Fairuz Fauzy returned to Formula One action for a day of testing with the Spyker team, assisting with their aero development program after not driving the Spyker since May.
F1 Driver Birthday’s 9 August
| Birth Date | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 9 August 1925 | Len Sutton |
| 9 August 1944 | Patrick Depailler |
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