What happened on this day, February 7 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.
1960
Bruce McLaren secured his second Formula 1 victory at the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix, driving a Cooper Climax opening the season with a stroke of luck as mechanical issues forced Innes Ireland and Jo Bonnier out of the lead. Despite not winning any further races that year, McLaren’s steady performances earned him second place in the 1960 Drivers’ Championship. Cliff Allison, driving for Ferrari, finished second, while Maurice Trintignant’s Cooper Climax finished third.
1960 Argentine Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Bruce McLaren | Cooper Climax | 80 | 2:17:49.500 | 8 |
| 2 | 24 | Cliff Allison | Ferrari | 80 | +26.300s | 6 |
| 3 | 38 | Maurice Trintignant | Cooper Climax | SHC | 0 | |
| 3 | 38 | Stirling Moss | Cooper Climax | 80 | +36.900s | 0 |
| 4 | 6 | Carlos Menditeguy | Cooper Maserati | 80 | +53.300s | 3 |
| 5 | 30 | Wolfgang von Trips | Ferrari | 79 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 20 | Innes Ireland | Lotus Climax | 79 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 40 | Jo Bonnier | BRM | 79 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 26 | Phil Hill | Ferrari | 77 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 46 | Alberto Rodriguez Larreta | Lotus Climax | 77 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 32 | Jose Froilan Gonzalez | Ferrari | 77 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 4 | Roberto Bonomi | Cooper Maserati | 76 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 2 | Masten Gregory | Behra-Porsche | 76 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 14 | Gino Munaron | Maserati | 72 | +8 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 10 | Nasif Estefano | Maserati | 70 | +10 laps | 0 |
| NC | 34 | Harry Schell | Cooper Climax | 63 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Jack Brabham | Cooper Climax | 42 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 36 | Stirling Moss | Cooper Climax | 40 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 42 | Graham Hill | BRM | 37 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Alan Stacey | Lotus Climax | 24 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 44 | Ettore Chimeri | Maserati | 23 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 12 | Antonio Creus | Maserati | 16 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 8 | Giorgio Scarlatti | Maserati | 10 | DNF | 0 |
1981
Originally slated as the first race of the 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship, the 1981 South African Grand Prix was engulfed in the ongoing feud between the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) and the Formula One Constructors’ Association (FOCA). FISA’s insistence on a date change clashed with the organizers’ plans, leading to the race proceeding on its scheduled date as a Formula Libre event instead of a Formula One World Championship round. This decision saw support from FOCA-affiliated teams but not from the manufacturer teams like Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Ligier, Osella, and Renault, which sided with FISA. Toleman, grappling with its overweight car, would delay its debut until the 1981 San Marino Grand Prix. The participating eleven teams competed with cars equipped with sliding side skirts—banned in the 1981 Formula One regulations but permissible under Formula Libre rules. Consequently, all 19 cars in the race ran Ford Cosworth engines due to the absence of the manufacturer teams. After Goodyear’s exit from the sport and Michelin’s allegiance with FISA, the teams used older Avon tyres provided by Bernie Ecclestone.
Carlos Reutemann triumphed in the race, driving for Williams, followed by Nelson Piquet in a Brabham and Elio de Angelis in a Lotus, securing the podium spots.
1981 South African Grand Prix Race Results
| Pos. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Qual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams – Ford | 77 | 1.44:54.03 | 2 |
| 2 | Nelson Piquet | Brabham – Ford | 77 | + 20.14 | 1 |
| 3 | Elio de Angelis | Lotus – Ford | 77 | + 1:06.24 | 5 |
| 4 | Keke Rosberg | Fittipaldi – Ford | 76 | + 1 Lap | 4 |
| 5 | John Watson | McLaren – Ford | 76 | + 1 Lap | 15 |
| 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Arrows – Ford | 76 | + 1 Lap | 6 |
| 7 | Eddie Cheever | Tyrrell – Ford | 76 | + 1 Lap | 12 |
| 8 | Ricardo Zunino | Brabham – Ford | 75 | + 2 Laps | 7 |
| 9 | Chico Serra | Fittipaldi – Ford | 75 | + 2 Laps | 13 |
| 10 | Nigel Mansell | Lotus – Ford | 74 | + 3 Laps | 8 |
| 11 | Derek Daly | March – Ford | 74 | + 3 Laps | 17 |
| Ret | Alan Jones | Williams – Ford | 62 | Skirt | 3 |
| Ret | Marc Surer | Ensign – Ford | 58 | Battery | 14 |
| Ret | Andrea de Cesaris | McLaren – Ford | 54 | Accident | 9 |
| Ret | Desiré Wilson | Tyrrell – Ford | 51 | Accident | 16 |
| Ret | Eliseo Salazar | March – Ford | 32 | Gearbox | 19 |
| Ret | Jan Lammers | ATS – Ford | 16 | Brakes | 10 |
| Ret | Siegfried Stohr | Arrows – Ford | 12 | Engine | 11 |
| Ret | Geoff Lees | Theodore – Ford | 11 | Accident | 18 |
2000
Ferrari introduced its 2000 season car, beginning the most successful era for the team since Jody Scheckter‘s 1979 championship with the 312 T4. Michael Schumacher captured his third world championship by the season’s end, achieving nine victories and starting five years of dominance with Ferrari.
2007
David Coulthard received a $650 fine for a road accident in Monaco that slightly injured a female passenger during a high-speed tour of the circuit, crashing in the notable tunnel. The complaint was withdrawn in 2002, coinciding with his victory at the same event, but Monaco authorities proceeded with charges of dangerous driving against Coulthard.
2008
Force India launched its inaugural car, the VJM01, in Mumbai under Vijay Mallya’s ownership. Despite high hopes, the car did not earn any points throughout the season, coming closest when Adrian Sutil nearly secured a points place at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix before being hit by Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari.
F1 Driver Birthdays 7 February
| Birthday | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 7 February 1983 | Christian Klien |
| 7 February 1996 | Pierre Gasly |
| Birthday | F1 Mentions |
|---|---|
| 7 February 1964 | Ron Meadows Known for being the Sporting Director at Mercedes. |
F1 Driver Deaths 7 February
| Death | F1 Driver |
|---|---|
| 7 February 1999 | Umberto Maglioli (b. 1928) |
| 7 February 2002 | Jack Fairman (b. 1913) |
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