What happened on this day, December 12 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1923
Ken Kavanagh, a Melbourne-born racer, had a brief Formula One career, failing to start in either of the Grands Prix he entered in 1958. He qualified for the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix but blew his Maserati’s engine in the process. A successful motorcyclist, Kavanagh became the first Australian to win a Grand Prix (1952) and claimed victory in the Junior TT at the Isle of Man in 1956.
1946
Twice world champion Emerson Fittipaldi was born in São Paulo, Brazil. Over his Formula One career from 1970 to 1980, he started 144 races, winning 14 of them, and secured two championships (1972 and 1974). Moving to ChampCars in 1984, Fittipaldi found huge success, winning the Championship in 1989. His motorsport career ended after a serious crash in 1996. Following a plane crash, he decided to abandon risky ventures, turning his attention to farming oranges in Brazil.
1946
Renzo Zorzi, an Italian driver born in Ziano di Fiemme, competed in seven Grands Prix between 1975 and 1977, with a career-best sixth-place finish at the 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix. Tragedy struck that same year when Zorzi’s minor engine fire indirectly led to the death of his Shadow teammate, Tom Pryce. Marshals running to extinguish the flames crossed the track, leading to a fatal collision with Pryce, and killing one of the marshals who was carrying a hefty fire extinguisher. Both were killed instantly. Zorzi was soon replaced and later moved to sports cars and British F1 before returning to his original job at Pirelli.
1948
Roelof Wunderink, a Dutch driver with modest accomplishments, owed his Formula One opportunity to wealthy sponsors. His prior performances in Formula 3 and F5000 hinted at some skill, but his best Formula One result was a tenth place in a non-championship race at Brands Hatch. A crash in F5000 midway through his F1 season stunted his progress. By 1976, he was replaced by another pay driver.
1959
The final round of the Championship, the 1959 United States Grand Prix, took place at Sebring. Despite leading most of the race, Jack Brabham ran out of fuel within sight of the finish line. Earlier, he had refused his team manager’s pleas to start on full tanks. Seeing his World Championship hopes slipping away, Brabham pushed his Cooper Climax a quarter of a mile uphill to cross the finish line in fourth position, securing both his and Cooper’s first World Championship. Maurice Trintignant scored a point for the fastest lap, becoming the last person to do so, as the rule was abolished the following season until 2019. Bruce McLaren claimed his first race victory, becoming the youngest-ever winner at the time (22 years, 104 days), a record held until Fernando Alonso won the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. McLaren also received several acres of land by Sebring Lake as part of his prize.
1959 United States Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper Climax | 42 | 2:12:35.700 | 8 |
| 2 | 6 | Maurice Trintignant | Cooper Climax | 42 | +0.600s | 7 |
| 3 | 2 | Tony Brooks | Ferrari | 42 | +180.900s | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | Jack Brabham | Cooper Climax | 42 | +297.300s | 3 |
| 5 | 10 | Innes Ireland | Lotus Climax | 39 | +3 laps | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | Wolfgang von Trips | Ferrari | 38 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 7 | 17 | Harry Blanchard | Porsche | 38 | +4 laps | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Roy Salvadori | Cooper Maserati | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 3 | Cliff Allison | Ferrari | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 1 | Rodger Ward | Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser | 20 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 14 | Alessandro de Tomaso | Cooper OSCA | 13 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Phil Hill | Ferrari | 8 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 15 | Fritz d’Orey | Tec-Mec Maserati | 6 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Harry Schell | Cooper Climax | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 16 | George Constantine | Cooper Climax | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Stirling Moss | Cooper Climax | 5 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Alan Stacey | Lotus Climax | 1 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Bob Said | Connaught Alta | 0 | DNF | 0 |
1973
Having recently retired as a three-time world champion, Jackie Stewart was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the second Formula One driver to win the accolade after Stirling Moss in 1961. John Surtees had also won the award in 1959, but for his motorcycling achievements. Interestingly, Stewart’s win coincided with the 11th anniversary of his Formula One debut at the Rand Grand Prix, a non-championship event.
2021
The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of the season and held enormous stakes, determining the Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships. The leaders, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton entered the race tied on 369.5 points each. In a dramatic turn of events, Hamilton led a significant portion of the race and seemed poised to clinch an unprecedented eighth World Drivers’ Championship title. He had taken the lead right from the start, making a decisive move on the first lap at turn one. However, in the closing moments of the race, a highly controversial safety car restart occurred. Verstappen capitalised on this opportunity and overtook Hamilton on the final lap, securing the win and, ultimately, the Drivers’ Championship.
Following the race, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) began an inquiry into the race start proceedings following the Saftey Car period. This investigation led to substantial changes in race control, including replacing Michael Masi as the race director and revising the safety car regulations. The inquiry ultimately determined that race officials had wrongly applied the regulations due to human error but upheld the race results.
Max Verstappen’s win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked his first Drivers’ Championship, ending Red Bull‘s driver championship drought since 2013. While Mercedes claimed their eighth consecutive Constructors’ Championship, setting a new record in the sport’s history. The race also saw Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 World Champion at 42 years of age, retire from Formula 1 after an impressive two-decade career
2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Max Verstappen1 | Red Bull Racing Honda | 58 | 1:30:17.345 | 26 |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 58 | +2.256s | 18 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 58 | +5.173s | 15 |
| 4 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri Honda | 58 | +5.692s | 12 |
| 5 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 58 | +6.531s | 10 |
| 6 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 58 | +7.463s | 8 |
| 7 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 58 | +59.200s | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 58 | +61.708s | 4 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 58 | +64.026s | 2 |
| 10 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 58 | +66.057s | 1 |
| 11 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 58 | +67.527s | 0 |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 57 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 55 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 50 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 33 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 25 | DNF | 0 |
*Nikita Mazepin withdrew prior to the start of the Grand Prix following a positive COVID-19 test.
F1 Driver Birthdays 12 December
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 12 December 1913 | Rex Easton |
| 12 December 1916 | Andy Furci |
| 12 December 1923 | Ken Kavanagh |
| 12 December 1943 | Ray Allen |
| 12 December 1946 | Emerson Fittipaldi |
| 12 December 1946 | Renzo Zorzi |
| 12 December 1948 | Roelof Wunderink |
F1 Driver Deaths 12 December
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 12 December | None |
F1 Champion 12 December
| Date | Team/Driver |
|---|---|
| 12 December 1959 | Jack Brabham |
| 12 December 2021 | Max Verstappen |
| 12 December 1959 | Cooper |
| 12 December 2021 | Mercedes |
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