What Happened On This Day December 13 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, December 13 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1918

Bill Vukovich, a prominent American driver, was born in Fresno, California. Vukovich competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times between 1951 and 1955, when the race was part of the F1 World Championship, securing back-to-back victories in 1953 and 1954. His quest for a third win ended tragically in 1955 when he was killed in a fiery crash while leading the race by 17 seconds.

1945

Brian McGuire was born in Melbourne, Australia. A racer and constructor, McGuire failed to qualify for the 1977 British Grand Prix in a modified Williams FW04 he rebranded as the McGuire BM1. Tragically, he was killed in the same car during a practice session for the Shellsport G8 Championship at Brands Hatch later that year.

1992

Nigel Mansell was named the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year after clinching the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. During the ceremony, Williams announced Damon Hill would replace Mansell for the following season. Hill, the relatively unknown son of former champion Graham Hill, had impressed the team with a stellar test session in Portugal, where he outpaced Alain Prost. “I understand why people might see this as a controversial choice,” Hill remarked. “It’s a very brave decision by Williams. But I know motor racing, if not Formula One, and I know the car very well. I’ve always heard how my father achieved this or that. I’ve put him on a pedestal, and I feel proud to drive a competitive Formula One car. It’s fulfilling in many ways.”

1995

The FIA announced that ITV had secured the broadcasting rights for Formula 1, ending the BBC’s long-standing coverage. While the channel change shocked fans, the bigger concern was the potential loss of iconic commentator Murray Walker. Unbeknownst to viewers, Walker had already agreed to join ITV but was bound by a secrecy agreement. The Daily Mirror even launched a hotline to “Save our Murray.” Meanwhile, the BBC learned they had lost the rights through a newspaper report. “It came completely out of the blue,” an insider revealed. “We had no knowledge that negotiations were even under way.”

2007

The Spygate scandal concluded with McLaren issuing an unreserved apology to the FIA and Ferrari. In a contrite letter, McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh expressed “sincere regret” and offered a “wholehearted apology” to the FIA for the embarrassment caused. This gesture satisfied FIA president Max Mosley, who urged WMSC members to consider the matter closed “in light of McLaren’s public apology and undertakings” and “in the interests of the sport.” McLaren had previously been fined £50 million and stripped of all 2007 constructors’ points for possessing confidential Ferrari information.

2020

The 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the seventeenth and final race of the season, with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen dominating the event, securing victory from pole and leading every lap. Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in second and third, respectively.

Post-race McLaren secured third place in the Constructors’ Championship, their best finish since 2012. This was the first time since 2015 that a team outside of Mercedes, Ferrari, or Red Bull finished in the top three of the Constructors’ standings.

Due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region, the race was held behind closed doors, with no fans in attendance. Although Verstappen was pleased with his victory, he downplayed Red Bull’s chances of mounting a title challenge in 2021. Ironically, he went on to claim the Drivers’ Championship the following year.

2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing Honda	55	1:36:28.645	25
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	55	+15.976s	18
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	55	+18.415s	15
4	23	Alexander Albon	Red Bull Racing Honda	55	+19.987s	12
5	4	Lando Norris	McLaren Renault	55	+60.729s	10
6	55	Carlos Sainz	McLaren Renault	55	+65.662s	8
7	3	Daniel Ricciardo¹	Renault	55	+73.748s	7
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri Honda	55	+89.718s	4
9	31	Esteban Ocon	Renault	55	+101.069s	2
10	18	Lance Stroll	Racing Point BWT Mercedes	55	+102.738s	1
11	26	Daniil Kvyat	AlphaTauri Honda	54	+1 lap	0
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
13	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
14	5	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
15	63	George Russell	Williams Mercedes	54	+1 lap	0
16	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams Mercedes	54	+1 lap	0
18	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas Ferrari	54	+1 lap	0
19	51	Pietro Fittipaldi	Haas Ferrari	53	+2 laps	0
NC	11	Sergio Perez	Racing Point BWT Mercedes	8	DNF	0

¹Daniel Ricciardo scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 55 – 1:40.926

F1 Driver Birthdays 13 December

Birthday	F1 Driver
13 December 1918	Bill Vukovich
13 December 1945	Brian McGuire

F1 Driver Deaths 13 December

Death	F1 Driver
13 December	None

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Ben is our chief editor specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.