What happened on this day, December 5 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1917
Ken Downing, born in Staffordshire, was a gentleman racer who entered Formula One after World War II. He debuted in Silverstone at the 1952 British Grand Prix, placing ninth despite a spin while avoiding a backmarker. His second and final F1 race in the Netherlands ended with oil pressure issues. Switching to Aston Martin in 1953, he soon retired from racing, later emigrating to South Africa in 1955. His daughter, Ann, married Patrick McNally, who would become head of Allsport Management.
1932
Jim Hurtubise, born in North Tonawanda, New York, had a colourful, if a not entirely successful, career in American racing. He competed in 13 Indianapolis 500s, including the 1960 race, which was a part of the F1 Championship, and finished 13th at best. After severe burns to his hands in 1959, he asked surgeons to shape them to fit a steering wheel. At the 1972 Indianapolis qualifications, he humorously revealed his car had no engine but contained five cases of beer, which he shared with race crews and officials. In 1978, after failing to qualify, he locked the brakes of another racer’s car and ran onto the track before being apprehended. He later retired to Texas, where he ran a hunting lodge until his death at 56 from a heart attack.
1975
The funeral of former two-time World Champion and team owner Graham Hill took place at St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire, attended by over 2,000 mourners, with another 2,000 listening outside. Jackie Stewart served as one of the pallbearers. The Bishop of St Albans praised Hill’s legacy, saying, “In an age short of joy, he brought happiness to millions and drew admiration for excellence and character.” Hill had tragically died a week prior, piloting a plane that crash-landed in dense fog on a Hertfordshire golf course. Hill and five other Embassy Hill team members were returning from a test at the Paul Ricard circuit in France with no survivors. Unfortunately, Hill was uninsured, leading the families of the other victims to sue his estate, which nearly depleted his legacy.
2002
Formula One faced challenging times as Jaguar announced 76 redundancies and Arrows laid off 130 workers after being denied an F1 entry. The layoffs highlighted an industry grappling with dwindling sponsorship and declining global television audiences.
2007
McLaren faced a damaging reversal when it admitted to falsifying information before an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Monte Carlo, convened to assess Renault’s alleged misuse of McLaren data. McLaren had initially claimed former engineer Steve Mackereth took 780 technical drawings with him to Renault, but later disclosed there were only 18 drawings and that just nine employees, not 18, had accessed the data. FIA President Max Mosley downplayed the controversy’s impact on the sport, noting that while “Spygate II” might raise public awareness, the priority was ensuring public confidence that such issues would cease.
2008
In December 2008, Honda shocked the Formula One paddock by announcing its immediate withdrawal from the sport at the end of the season, citing the global financial crisis as the primary reason. Honda’s exit left the future of its F1 team uncertain, sparking a scramble to find a buyer to save the team and retain its workforce, which included notable engineers and drivers like Jenson Button. From the ashes, Brawn GP was established in early 2009 when Ross Brawn led a management buyout of the Honda Racing team and became the first and, to date, the only constructor in F1 history to achieve a 100% championship success rate in its sole year of competition.
2011
Peter Gethin, remembered for winning the closest-ever blanket finish in Formula One, passed away after a long illness. Gethin had enjoyed a successful Formula 5000 career before moving to Formula One with McLaren. After joining BRM in 1971, he clinched victory at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix in a thrilling slipstream duel, winning by just 0.01 seconds with the top five drivers separated by only 0.6 seconds. This would be his only Formula One podium finish.
2021
The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place on this day in 2021 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Originally scheduled for 28 November, the race was postponed due to the rescheduling of the Australian Grand Prix amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton claimed victory, finishing ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas narrowly secured third place over the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, finishing just 0.102 seconds ahead, marking Bottas’s last podium with Mercedes. This race also became significant for Hamilton, as it became (amazingly) his final win until the 2024 British Grand Prix and his last pole position until the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The race wasn’t without controversy. On lap 37, Max Verstappen made an illegal overtake on Lewis Hamilton and was instructed to let him pass. Verstappen slowed down before a DRS detection zone, intending to regain an advantage, but Hamilton, unaware of the plan, was surprised by Verstappen’s sudden braking, leading to a collision that damaged Hamilton’s front wing and Verstappen’s diffuser. After the race, the stewards issued Verstappen with a 10-second time penalty and two points on his super license, though his second-place finish stood. Hamilton later criticised Verstappen, calling his driving and title defence “over the limit.”
The weekend was tinged with sadness, as former Williams team co-founder and owner Sir Frank Williams had passed away one week earlier, on 28 November 2021, at the age of 79. In tribute, teams added commemorative messages on their cars, and a minute of silence was observed an hour before the race. Former Williams driver and 1996 Champion Damon Hill honoured Williams with a lap of honour in the FW07, the team’s first championship-winning car.
2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton1 | Mercedes | 50 | 2:06:15.118 | 26 |
| 2 | 33 | Max Verstappen2 | Red Bull Racing Honda | 50 | +21.825s | 18 |
| 3 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 50 | +27.531s | 15 |
| 4 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 50 | +27.633s | 12 |
| 5 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 50 | +40.121s | 10 |
| 6 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 50 | +41.613s | 8 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 50 | +44.475s | 6 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 50 | +46.606s | 4 |
| 9 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 50 | +58.505s | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 50 | +61.358s | 1 |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 50 | +77.212s | 0 |
| 12 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 50 | +83.249s | 0 |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda3 | AlphaTauri Honda | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 44 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 9 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 63 | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 8 | DNF | 0 |
2Verstappen received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and a further 10-second penalty for causing a collision.
3Yuki Tsunoda received a five-second time penalty for causing a collision.
F1 Driver Birthdays 5 December
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 5 December 1917 | Ken Downing |
| 5 December 1932 | Jim Hurtubise |
F1 Driver Deaths 5 December
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 5 December 2011 | Peter Gethin |
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