What happened on this day, December 1 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1948
Guy Tunmer, born on this day in Transvaal, South Africa, competed in his home Grand Prix in 1975 in a Lotus 72D, finishing 11th after starting 25th on the grid. He also enjoyed success in Formula Atlantic but was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in 1999.
1962
Stirling Moss received high praise from Enzo Ferrari, who described him as the world’s best driver and compared him to the legendary Tazio Nuvolari. Meanwhile, at Monza, Peter Arundell won a challenge from a German sports writer who claimed that Lotus used oversized engines to dominate the Formula Junior races that season. Lotus offered £1000 if one of their cars could match race speeds, which they successfully achieved.
1997
Forbes magazine revealed Michael Schumacher as the fourth-highest earner in world sports, with an F1 income of £21.9 million. He ranked just below Michael Jordan (£48.9m), Evander Holyfield (£33.9m), and Oscar De La Hoya (£23.5m).
2001
Bernie Ecclestone pushed back against rumours of a rival F1 championship, warning that it would drive sponsors away from the sport. Fiat’s chief executive Paolo Cantarella met with F1 teams to propose a rival series promising them greater revenue. “The manufacturers joined because F1 was a showcase for them, so why destroy it?” Ecclestone said. “I advised them to wait and see. They valued F1’s stability and the way things were done. Once these companies leave, it’s hard to get them back.”
2005
Despite rumours of being dropped, Jacques Villeneuve was confirmed as a driver for the BMW Sauber team for the 2006 season. “After an extremely tough first half of the year, which showed that even a former world champion cannot return after time away and be competitive from day one, he got closer and closer to his teammate over the second half of the season,” stated team boss Mario Theissen. “We are certain that having Jacques in 2006 will strengthen the BMW-Sauber team.” However, after a series of disappointing performances, Villeneuve was replaced by Robert Kubica by the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
2019
The 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concluded the 2019 Championship, which took place in December—a rarity in F1, marking the first December race since the 1963 South African Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton dominated the race, securing his 11th victory of the season and the 84th of his career. His performance included leading every lap, taking pole position, and setting the fastest lap, achieving his sixth career “grand slam” (his last was at the 2017 British Grand Prix). He also became the first driver to finish and score points in every race of a season twice (in 2017 and 2019). Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull Racing, and Charles Leclerc took third for Ferrari, though Ferrari received a €50,000 fine for a pre-race fuel discrepancy. It was also the final appearance for Toro Rosso, as the team rebranded to AlphaTauri for the 2020 season.
2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton1 | Mercedes | 55 | 1:34:05.715 | 26 |
| 2 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 55 | +16.772s | 18 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 55 | +43.435s | 15 |
| 4 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 55 | +44.379s | 12 |
| 5 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 55 | +64.357s | 10 |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Red Bull Racing Honda | 55 | +69.205s | 8 |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Racing Point BWT Mercedes | 54 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Renault | 54 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda | 54 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | McLaren Renault | 54 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Renault | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas Ferrari | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 54 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda | 53 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 19 | 88 | Robert Kubica | Williams Mercedes | 53 | +2 laps | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Racing Point BWT Mercedes | 45 | DNF | 0 |
2020
On this day, Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, tested positive for COVID-19, sidelining him from the upcoming 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain. Hamilton, who had already clinched the 2020 Drivers’ Championship title, experienced mild symptoms and immediately went into isolation following the positive test. His absence marked one of the few races he missed since his debut in 2007. George Russell was brought in from Williams to replace him, providing an unexpected opportunity to see how he might perform in the dominant Mercedes.
2024
Max Verstappen triumphed in a dramatic 2024 Qatar Grand Prix as Lando Norris faced a controversial penalty that ended his bid for victory. The two drivers were in an intense duel for the lead until Norris received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty, relegating him to the back of the field. Despite a strong recovery drive, he finished 10th with a bonus point, securing the fastest lap.
Charles Leclerc delivered a surprise second-place finish, with Oscar Piastri completing the podium. McLaren‘s Constructors’ Championship lead over Ferrari was trimmed to 21 points, setting up a thrilling finale for the following weekend’s race at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In a standout moment for Sauber, Zhou Guanyu scored the team’s first points of the season with an eighth-place finish amid the chaos.
Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon bid farewell to Alpine after an early retirement due to a first-lap collision with Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto. Ocon’s exit paved the way for Jack Doohan to debut with the team in Abu Dhabi before his full-time seat in 2025.
2024 Qatar Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 57 | 1:31:05.323 | 25 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 57 | +6.031s | 18 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +6.819s | 15 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell2 | Mercedes | 57 | +14.104s | 12 |
| 5 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 57 | +16.782s | 10 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 57 | +17.476s | 8 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 57 | +19.867s | 6 |
| 8 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +25.360s | 4 |
| 9 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +32.177s | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | Lando Norris1 | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +35.762s | 2 |
| 11 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 57 | +50.243s | 0 |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 57 | +56.122s | 0 |
| 13 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 57 | +61.100s | 0 |
| 14 | 30 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT | 57 | +62.656s | 0 |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 56 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 39 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 38 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 0 | DNF | 0 |
2George Russell received a five-second time penalty for falling more than 10 car lengths behind the Safety Car.
F1 Driver Birthdays 1 December
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 December 1948 | Guy Tunmer |
F1 Driver Deaths 1 December
| Death | F1 Mentions |
|---|---|
| 1 December 1975 | Ernesto Maserati (b. 1898) Was one of the brothers who founded Maserati in 1914 |
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 December | None |
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