What happened on this day, February 28 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1940
Mario Andretti, a future world champion, was born in Montona, Kingdom of Italy, current day Motovun, Croatia. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American drivers in F1 history and in motorsport. He competed in Formula One from 1968 to 1982 and secured the 1978 Drivers’ Championship with Lotus. He also achieved tremendous success in American open-wheel racing, winning four IndyCar National Championships and winning the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in 1969. He won the 1967 Daytona 500 in stock car racing, and in endurance racing, he triumphed in the 12 Hours of Sebring three times. In American motorsport fandom, Andretti’s name has become synonymous with speed, akin to Barney Oldfield in the early 20th century and racing legends like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton in Europe.
1955
Born in Essex, Rupert Keegan didn’t fully meet the high expectations set after his 1976 British Formula Three championship due to his cars’ consistently poor reliability. He raced for Hesketh and Surtees, notably featuring sponsors like Penthouse and Durex, which brought a unique flair to his cars.
1979
Four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais was born on this day in Le Mans. His F1 time with Toro Rosso was short-lived and disappointing, culminating in being replaced after stalling at the start of the 2008 Italian Grand Prix and finishing poorly. He went on to have success at Le Mans with Peugeot and later on with the IndyCar Series.
1980
Marc Surer and Alain Prost experienced dramatic crashes during the 1980 South African Grand Prix qualifiers. Surer crashed into a wall while failing to make a turn and was stuck for thirty minutes before being rescued and hospitalised. Prost survived two incidents unscathed, including a crash during unofficial practice earlier in the week. Amidst these events, a contentious drivers’ meeting took place due to the upcoming ban on car skirts for 1981, leading to Alan Jones and John Watson reportedly resigning in protest.
2001
Paul Stoddart’s Minardi team barely managed to launch its new car just before the season’s start, despite lacking significant sponsorship. With Fernando Alonso and Tarso Marques driving, Stoddart hoped for at least one car to finish the upcoming race. Alonso did finish, placing 12th in a race marked by numerous retirements, a result Stoddart likened to winning the World Championship.
F1 Driver Birthdays 28 February
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 February 1908 | Albert Scherrer (d. 1986) |
| 28 February 1914 | Elie Bayol (d. 1995) |
| 28 February 1940 | Mario Andretti |
| 28 February 1953 | Ingo Hoffmann |
| 28 February 1979 | Sebastien Bourdais |
F1 Driver Deaths 28 February
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 28 February 1964 | Tim Mayer (b. 1938) |
| 28 February 2001 | Charles Pozzi (b. 1909) |
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