What Happened On This Day December 28 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, December 27 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1896

Philippe Etancelin, a prosperous farmer and wool merchant, was born in Rouen, France. Etancelin competed in 12 Grands Prix between 1950 and 1952, earning fame as one of the “over-50s gang” at the inaugural World Championship round at Silverstone in 1950. Known for racing with his signature back-to-front cloth cap, he had earlier achieved significant success with Bugatti during the 1930s and won the 1934 Le Mans 24 Hours for Alfa Romeo alongside Luigi Chinetti. A serious accident in 1935, when his car overturned, sidelined him temporarily, but he returned to race an aging Lago-Talbot in the 1950s, finishing fifth twice before retiring in 1952.

1909

David Murray, a chartered accountant and entrepreneur, was born in Edinburgh. After racing an ERA and later a Maserati across Europe, Murray competed in four Formula One World Championship races between 1950 and 1952 but failed to finish any. A crash during practice for the 1951 German Grand Prix led him to refocus his ambitions, teaming up with mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson to establish the legendary Ecurie Ecosse team. Operating from Murray’s garage in Edinburgh, the team achieved international fame, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1956 and 1957. However, financial difficulties plagued Murray in the 1960s. In 1968, facing a meeting with the Inland Revenue, he fled to the Canary Islands, where he died in 1973 following a heart attack caused by a minor car accident.

1939

Conny Andersson was born in Alingsas, Sweden. Although he entered five Formula One Grands Prix, he only managed to qualify for one—the 1976 Netherlands Grand Prix. Unfortunately, his race ended after just 23 laps due to an engine failure in his Surtees. Before his F1 stint, Andersson was a motocross rider and spent nearly a decade as a privateer in Formula 3 racing. He enjoyed notable success in the European Formula 3 Championship, winning at Monaco in 1975 and securing four more victories in the 1976 season.

1963

The 1963 South African Grand Prix was the final race of the season, taking place at South Africa’s East London circuit, a full two months after the previous round in Mexico. Although Jim Clark had already clinched the championship for himself and Team Lotus, he showed no signs of slowing down. Starting from pole, Clark dominated the race to claim a comfortable victory—his seventh win in a ten-race season, setting a new record for the most wins in a single campaign. Dan Gurney secured second place, achieving both his and the Brabham team’s first-ever fastest lap in the process. Graham Hill completed the podium in third for BRM.

It would be the last Formula One race in December until the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

1963 South African Grand Prix Race Results

F1 Driver Birthdays 28 December

F1 Driver Deaths 28 December