What happened on this day, December 2 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1930
David Piper, born in Edgware, Middlesex, was a privateer who competed in three Grand Prix races in 1959 and 1960, though he qualified for only two. As a Ferrari driver, Piper achieved significant success in sports car racing, becoming one of the team’s most successful privateers. In 1970, while filming the movie Le Mans with Steve McQueen, he crashed his Porsche 917 and lost a leg. Reflecting on the incident, he later said, “I suddenly found myself sitting in only half a car, surrounded by smoke and dust, and thought, ‘Good Lord, that’s my shoe over there—and my foot is still in it.'” Remarkably undeterred, he returned to racing within months and, in 2005, celebrated 60 years of competitive racing.
1937
Chris Bristow, born in Lambeth, London, competed in four Grand Prix races between 1959 and 1960. Known as the “wild man of British club racing,” he developed a reputation for frequently spinning out or crashing. In 1960, during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, he tragically lost his life in a fatal accident when his car rolled, decapitating him at the same corner where Stirling Moss had been seriously injured the day before.
1997
Ken Tyrrell announced that he had sold his iconic Tyrrell team to British American Racing. Tyrrell, which had debuted in the 1968 championship, won three world championships, one Constructors’ in 1971 and two Drivers’ with Jackie Stewart in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, the team had not won a race since 1984. “This is the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to take,” Tyrrell said. “But I believe it is the right one. The cost to compete in F1 has escalated dramatically, and Tyrrell Racing is not satisfied with being relegated to the back of the grid. Our competitive spirit is too high.”
2001
Bruce Halford passed away on this day in Devon at the age of 70. Although he competed in nine races between 1956 and 1960, Halford managed to finish only one, the 1957 German Grand Prix.
2016
On this day, just days after winning his first Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg shocked the motorsport world by announcing his retirement from F1. Rosberg, who had fiercely competed against teammate Lewis Hamilton throughout the 2016 season, cited his desire to prioritise family and the immense personal sacrifice required to achieve his championship dream as reasons for stepping away. His retirement at the peak of his career was unexpected, leaving Mercedes searching for a replacement and marking the end of one of F1’s most intense and, at times, bitter rivalries.
F1 Driver Birthdays 2 December
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 2 December 1930 | Jack Rounds |
| 2 December 1930 | David Piper |
| 2 December 1937 | Chris Bristow |
F1 Driver Deaths 2 December
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 2 December 2001 | Bruce Halford |
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