What happened on this day, February 23 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1953
Satoru Nakajima, a respected figure in Formula 1, was born in Aichi, Japan. From 1987 to 1991, he raced for Lotus and Tyrrell. With strong ties with Honda, the two teams used its engines in his first two years at Lotus and his final year at Tyrrell. After Honda ended its engine supply in 1992, Nakajima left racing to focus on developing the Honda F1 car, the RC 101, which he tested in 1993 at Suzuka. Despite the project’s cancellation, Nakajima’s impact on the sport remained, and he is the father of former Williams F1 driver Kazuki Nakajima.
1958
Juan Manuel Fangio was abducted by Cuban revolutionaries linked to Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. The incident happened at gunpoint in his hotel before the 1958 Havana Grand Prix, which he had previously won. Despite the circumstances, Fangio remained composed and was released unscathed after the race. He chose not to identify his abductors and expressed sympathy for Cuba’s communist movement. Fangio later revisited Cuba, praising his return and meeting with Fidel Castro. The 1958 race continued without Fangio and was overshadowed by a fatal accident involving Armando Garcia Cifuentes, who crashed his Ferrari, resulting in the deaths of six spectators.
2008
Paul Frere, a celebrated figure in motor racing, passed away on this day at 91 in Brussels. Although born in France, he raced under the Belgian flag in 11 Grands Prix races from 1952 to 1956 without committing to an entire season. He raced for Ferrari and Gordini, finishing second in his last F1 race, the 1956 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps. Frere also triumphed at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ferrari 250 TR, alongside four class wins between 1953 and 1960. He later became a respected motorsport journalist. A corner, turn 15, at Spa Francorchamps is named in his honour.
2009
The legal case known as “Spygate” against McLaren engineers Paddy Lowe, Jonathan Neale, and Rob Taylor concluded without a contest plea. This followed an agreement with the Modena district attorney, where, in return for not contesting the copyright infringement charges concerning Ferrari’s data, Coughlan agreed to pay €180,000, and the other three contributed €150,000 each.
2024
Remembering Wilson Fittipaldi, who died on this day. A Brazilian F1 driver and former owner of the Fittipaldi F1 team, he took part in 38 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, making his debut on 1 May in the 1972 Spanish Grand Prix. He secured three championship points from 35 race starts. He managed the Fittipaldi Formula One team from 1974 to 1982 and competed in several non-championship Formula One races for Lotus, Brabham, and his own team. He was the older brother of CART champion and double Formula One world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.
F1 Driver Birthdays 23 February
Birthday | F1 Driver |
---|---|
23 February 1928 | Hans Herrmann |
23 February 1946 | Alberto Colombo |
23 February 1953 | Satoru Nakajima |
F1 Driver Deaths 23 February
Death | F1 Driver |
---|---|
23 February 1960 | Arthur Legat (b. 1898) |
23 February 1994 | Marvin Burke (b. 1918) |
23 February 2001 | Sergio Mantovani (b. 1929) |
23 February 2008 | Paul Frere (b. 1917) |
23 February 2023 | Slim Borgudd (b. 1946) |
23 February 2024 | Wilson Fittipaldi (b. 1943) |
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