What happened on this day, December 27 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1900
Hans Stuck, a prolific pre-war racing driver, was born in Warsaw, Poland. Known for his successes with Auto Union, he gained legendary status as a hill climb specialist, earning the nickname “Berghonig” or “King of the Mountains.”
Stuck holds the record as the fifth-oldest driver ever to start a Formula One race, at 52 years, 327 days old during the 1953 Italian Grand Prix, where he retired.
His son, Hans-Joachim Stuck, was born in 1951 and also competed in Formula One from 1974 to 1979.
1969
Jean-Christophe Boullion was born in Saint-Brieuc, France. Initially signed as a test driver for Williams in 1995, he was loaned to Sauber to replace Karl Wendlinger for most of the season. Although Boullion managed to score three championship points, he struggled to match the performance of his teammate, Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The following year he returned to his testing role at Williams, and he later tested for Jordan and Tyrrell.
1993
Andre Pilette passed away in Belgium at the age of 75. Pilette participated in 14 Grands Prix between 1951 and 1964, although he failed to qualify for four races and shared a drive in another. His career was marked by persistence in a challenging era of motorsport. His son Teddy Pilette also became a racing driver, although his F1 career in the mid-1970s was much briefer.
2001
In a time of soaring salaries in Formula One, 34-year-old German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen made headlines by accepting a significant pay cut to sign a one-year deal with Arrows, reportedly worth around £500,000. Frentzen had been sacked by Jordan midway through the previous season following a disappointing performance at the 2000 British Grand Prix. “No matter. I want to race,” he said, expressing his love for the sport. Unfortunately, the Arrows team folded before the season concluded, cutting short his return.
F1 Driver Birthdays 27 December
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 27 December 1900 | Hans Stuck (d. 1978) |
| 27 December 1919 | Noel Hillis |
| 27 December 1922 | Johnny Kay |
| 27 December 1969 | Jean-Christophe Boullion |
| 27 December 1985 | Jerome d’Ambrosio |
F1 Driver Deaths 27 December
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 27 December 1993 | Andre Pilette (b. 1918) |
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