What Happened On This Day February 8 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, February 8 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

1932

Cliff Alison was born in Brough, Cumbria. As a Ferrari driver in the late 1950s, he raced in six events before a crash at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix nearly ended his career. After switching from Lotus and Maserati to Ferrari in 1959, his promising trajectory was cut short when he crashed, was ejected from his car, and lay unconscious for 16 days, mysteriously waking up speaking French, a language he had never learned. Attempting a comeback in 1961 with Lotus, he suffered another setback with a crash that broke both his legs. He eventually retired to manage a family-owned garage, reflecting often on what might have been a more illustrious career in Formula One.

2002

A coroner’s investigation into the death of marshal Graham Beveridge during the 2001 Australian Grand Prix concluded that the incident was preventable. Beveridge died after being struck by a wheel from Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR car, which had collided with Ralf Schumacher. The wheel penetrated a gap in the safety fencing, which the coroner deemed unnecessary. Despite the coroner’s findings, the FIA announced that the 2002 Australian Grand Prix would proceed as scheduled.

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2006

The Belgian Grand Prix was removed from the 2006 Formula One calendar as renovations at the Spa Francorchamps circuit were not completed in time. This marked the second cancellation of the race at this popular venue within the decade, following a previous omission in 2003 due to Belgium’s tobacco sponsorship laws.

2011

Luiz Bueno passed away on 8 February 2011. He was a Brazilian driver who participated in one World Championship race for the Surtees team at the 1973 Brazilian Grand Prix on 11 February but did not score any championship points. He also competed in the 1972 non-championship Brazilian race, finishing sixth. Bueno died from cancer at the age of 74.

F1 Driver Birthdays 8 February

Birthday	F1 Driver
8 February 1920	Mike Magill (d. 2006)
8 February 1932	Cliff Allison (d. 2005)

F1 Driver Deaths 8 February

Death	F1 Driver
8 February 1969	Kurt Kuhnke (b. 1910)
8 February 2011	Luiz Bueno (b. 1937)

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.